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A fan convention, or con (term antedates 1942^[1] ), is an event in which fans of a particular film, television series, comic book, actor, or an entire genre of entertainment such as science fiction or anime and manga, gather to participate and hold programs and other events, and to meet experts, famous personalities, and each other. Some also incorporate commercial activity.

Fan conventions are traditionally organized by fans on a not-for-profit basis, though some events catering to fans are run by commercial interests for profit. Many conventions have award presentations relating to their genre (such as the Hugo Awards which have been presented at The World Science Fiction Convention (WorldCon) since 1953).

Harlan Ellison speaking at Minicon 41, April 13, 2006.

At commercial events, performers often give out autographs to the fans, sometimes in exchange for a flat appearance fee, and sometimes may perform songs that have no relevance to the shows or otherwise entertain the fans. Commercial conventions are usually quite expensive and are hosted in hotels. There is often tight security for the celebrities to protect against potentially fanatic fans. Such features are not common at traditional science-fiction conventions, which are more oriented toward science fiction as a mode of literature, rather than toward visual media, and do not include any paid appearances by famous personalities, and maintain a less caste-like differentiation between professional and fan. Anime conventions, gaming conventions, filk-music conventions and furry conventions may all be considered derivatives of science-fiction conventions, which began in the late 1930s.

In fan conventions, the audience is sometimes invited to line up and ask questions using a dedicated microphone.

While the wearing of costumes—and even a costume competition (known in the United States as a "masquerade")—has been an occasional feature of traditional science-fiction conventions since Forrest J Ackerman wore one during the First World Science Fiction Convention in 1939, this has never been the dominant feature of such events. From press coverage of comic book and anime conventions has arisen the widespread image of fans' tendency to dress up as their favorite characters in elaborate costumes (known as cosplay in anime terminology) that are time-consuming and/or expensive to assemble.

See also[link]

• List of anime conventions
• List of comic book conventions
• List of furry conventions
• List of gaming conventions

• List of multi-genre conventions
• List of science-fiction conventions

References[link]

Jonathan Toews
Born	(1988-04-29) April 29, 1988 (age 24) Winnipeg, MB, CAN
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight	208 lb (94 kg; 14 st 12 lb)
Position	Centre
Shoots	Left
NHL team	Chicago Blackhawks
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	3rd overall, 2006 Chicago Blackhawks
Playing career	2007–present

Jonathan Bryan Toews ^[1] ( /ˈteɪvz/ TAYVZ;^[2] born April 29, 1988) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who plays for and is captain of the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is currently the youngest captain in the NHL, having been appointed in 2008.^[3]

Toews was selected by the Blackhawks with the third overall pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. He joined the team in 2007–08 and was nominated for the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL rookie of the year. The following season, he was named team captain, becoming the third youngest captain in NHL history at the age of 20. Toews won the Stanley Cup in 2010, along with the Conn Smythe Trophy for the playoff MVP. After winning the Cup, Toews passed Peter Forsberg as the youngest player to join the Triple Gold Club.

Toews competes internationally for Team Canada and has won gold medals at the 2005 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, 2006 and 2007 World Junior Championships, 2007 World Championships, and the 2010 Winter Olympics (a tournament in which he was named Best Forward).

Playing career[link]

Amateur[link]

Toews was selected first overall in the 2003 WHL Bantam Draft by the Tri-City Americans,^[4] but chose instead to play midget AAA hockey at Shattuck-St. Mary's, a boarding school in Faribault, Minnesota, during 2004–05. The decision enabled him to retain his NCAA eligibility. Toews scored 110 points in 64 games in his only season with Shattuck-St. Mary's, before moving on to play college hockey.

Toews played two seasons at The University of North Dakota, compiling 85 points (40 goals, 45 assists), a plus-38 rating and a 56.7% faceoff winning percentage in 76 games. He helped UND reach the NCAA Frozen Four in both 2006 and 2007, serving as an alternate captain in his sophomore season.^[5] Toews registered 39 points as a freshman and earned Rookie of the Week honors twice.^[6] He helped North Dakota capture the Broadmoor Cup as WCHA champions and also was named West Regional MVP after tallying five points.^[6]

Going into the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, Toews was ranked third among North American prospects by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau^[6] and was chosen third overall by the Chicago Blackhawks.

Professional[link]

Toews in 2009.

In 2007–2008, he opted out of his final two years of college hockey eligibility to debut with the Blackhawks after signing a 3-year, entry level contract on May 16, 2007.^[7] He scored his first NHL goal on his first shot in his first game on October 10, 2007, against the San Jose Sharks. He then recorded the second-longest point-scoring streak to start an NHL career, registering a point in each of his first 10 games (5 goals, 5 assists).^[8] On January 1, 2008, Toews sprained his knee in a game against the Los Angeles Kings. Despite missing 16 games from the injury, Toews led all rookies in goal-scoring and finished third in points. Toews finished second in team scoring behind fellow rookie Patrick Kane. Toews and Kane battled all season for the lead in team and rookie scoring before Toews went down to injury. The two were both nominated for the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL rookie of the year along with Washington Capitals forward Nicklas Bäckström. Toews finished as a runner-up to Kane.

Following his successful rookie campaign, Toews was named team captain of the Blackhawks on July 18, 2008. At 20 years and 79 days, he became the third-youngest team captain in NHL history, behind Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Vincent Lecavalier of the Tampa Bay Lightning.^[8] Toews had previously been named an alternate captain in December 2007, during the 2007–08 season.^[9] In the subsequent season, he was voted as a starter, along with teammates Patrick Kane and Brian Campbell, for the 2009 NHL All-Star Game in Montreal.^[10] He netted his first career hat trick in the NHL on February 27, 2009, in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.^[11] He finished the 2008–09 season with 69 points in 82 games, helping the Blackhawks to their first post-season appearance since 2002. Toews added 13 points in 17 playoff games as the Blackhawks advanced to the Western Conference Finals, where they were eliminated by the Detroit Red Wings in five games.

Less than a month into the 2009–2010 season, Toews was sidelined with concussion-like symptoms after receiving an open-ice hit from defenceman Willie Mitchell in a 3–2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on October 21, 2009. Toews had his head down while receiving a pass in the neutral zone when Mitchell left the penalty box and checked him with his shoulder.^[12][13] He was sidelined for several games before returning to the lineup.

In the final year of his contract, Toews, as well as teammates Duncan Keith and Patrick Kane, agreed to extensions in early December 2009. His deal was structured similarly to Kane's, worth about $6.5 million annually for five seasons.^[14] Toews finished the season with 68 points in 76 games.

During the 2011 playoffs, Toews recorded his second career hat trick, along with two assists, leading the Blackhawks in a 7-4 playoff victory against the Vancouver Canucks on May 7, 2010.^[15] On June 9, 2010, Toews led Chicago to the franchise's first Stanley Cup championship since 1961, defeating the Philadelphia Flyers in the sixth game of the Finals. He became the second-youngest captain in the history of the NHL to win the Cup, behind Sidney Crosby who led the Pittsburgh Penguins to the championship the previous season. He scored seven goals and 29 points in the playoffs, and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.^[16] By winning the Stanley Cup, he also became the youngest player, at 22 years old, to become a member of the Triple Gold Club (Olympic gold, Stanley Cup, World Championship).

In the off-season, Toews was selected to be the cover player for EA Sports' video game NHL 11 on June 21, 2010. It marked the first time in EA Sports history that two players of the same team were featured on a video game cover two years in a row, as Patrick Kane had been on the cover of NHL 10.^[17]

During the 2010–11 season, Toews recorded a career-high 76 points in 80 games. Due to salary cap restraints, the Blackhawks were forced to trade away many of their players from the previous seasons' championship-winning team, including Antti Niemi, Dustin Byfuglien, Kris Versteeg and Andrew Ladd. As a result, the Blackhawks narrowly made the 2011 playoffs, ending the regular season eighth in the Western Conference. Down three-games-to-none in the opening round against the Vancouver Canucks, the Blackhawks won three straight games to force a game seven. In the deciding contest, Toews scored a shorthanded game-tying goal with 1:26 remaining in regulation. The Canucks went on to score five minutes into the ensuing overtime period to eliminate the Blackhawks.^[18] Toews had four points in the seven-game series. He was supposed to play in the 2012 All-Star Game, but got injured in a 5-2 loss to the Nashville Predators. He was replaced by Scott Hartnell.

International play[link]

Medal record
Toews guards the puck from Ryan Suter during the 2010 Winter Olympics
Competitor for  Canada
Ice hockey
Winter Olympics
Gold	2010 Vancouver
World Championships
Silver	2008 Halifax/Quebec City
Gold	2007 Russia
World Junior Championships
Gold	2007 Sweden
Gold	2006 Vancouver
World U-17 Hockey Challenge
Gold	2005 Alberta

In 2005, Toews captained Canada West at the World U-17 Hockey Challenge to a gold medal. He scored the game-winning goal in a 3-1 win over Canada Pacific in the championship game.^[19] He finished with 12 points, first in tournament scoring, and was named tournament MVP.^[20]

In his draft year, he competed on Team Canada's under-20 team at the 2006 World Junior Championships as the youngest player on the team.^[21] Toews tallied 2 assists during the tournament, both against Norway in preliminary play,^[6] as Canada defeated Russia in the gold medal game 5-0.

In 2007, he earned a second straight World Junior gold medal. In the semi-final game against the U.S., Toews scored three times in the shootout to advance to the final. With 7 points, Toews led Team Canada in scoring and was named to the Tournament All-Star Team with teammate Carey Price. Shortly after his gold medal win, Toews was honored by his hometown AHL team, the Manitoba Moose, on February 3, 2007, as he was presented with an honorary jersey for his tournament efforts.^{[citation needed]}

That same year, Toews also made his senior international debut at the 2007 World Championships and recorded 7 points in 9 games competing against mostly professional players after just his second year of college hockey (at the time of selection, Toews had not yet turned pro). Team Canada earned gold over Finland 4-2 in the championship game. In doing so, he became the first Canadian to win a World Junior championship and a World Championship in the same year.^[22] On June 29, 2007, Toews was awarded the Order of the Buffalo Hunt, an award given by the Province of Manitoba in honour of sporting achievements, for his play in the junior and senior world championships.^[23]

After Toews' rookie year in the NHL, he competed in his second World Championships in 2008.

On December 3, 2009, Toews was selected to play for Team Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. He was named to the squad along with Blackhawks teammates Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith.^[24] He ended the tournament with a team-leading eight points. His seven assists tied with Pavol Demitra of Slovakia for the tournament lead. His lone goal of the tournament opened the scoring in Canada's 3–2 overtime win in the gold medal game against the United States. As a result, he was awarded Best Forward and tournament all-star team honours.^[25]

Personal life[link]

Jonathan was born to Bryan Toews, an electrician at the University of Manitoba, and Andrée Gilbert, a native of Quebec from Sainte-Marie, Quebec who was the managing director and finance expert for a credit union in the Winnipeg region before retiring to oversee Toews's media relations.^[26] He is bilingual, speaking fluent French and English.^[27] His younger brother, David, also attended Shattuck-St. Mary's and began his freshman year at the University of North Dakota in 2008–2009.^[28] He was drafted by the New York Islanders in the 3rd round, 66th overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. His rights were later traded to the Blackhawks for future considerations on September 9, 2011.^[29]

In January 2007, Toews and former teammate T.J. Oshie received alcohol-related citations for being minors in a Grand Forks, North Dakota tavern.^[30][31] Toews and Oshie pled guilty to the charges.^[32] The two were later placed on probation, and ordered to perform community service.^[33]

In the spring of 2010, a large mural of Toews visible from the Eisenhower Expressway in Chicago received a degree of notoriety.^[34][35] The mural depicted Toews with an abnormally shaped nose and mouth, posed beside a picture of the Stanley Cup (appropriately, Toews would end up holding the Cup after winning it later that year).^[34][36] Toews commented on the mural, stating, "I guess it's from a picture and they must have embellished it a little bit. They're not helping me by any means."^[37]

Following the celebration of Toews bringing the Stanley Cup to his hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba, the province of Manitoba announced that they would be naming a northern lake after Toews in honour of his success.^[38] The lake is located 150 km north of Flin Flon and is named Toews Lake.^[39] The same day, the Dakota Community Centre in St. Vital where Toews first played organized hockey was renamed the Jonathan Toews Community Centre.^[39] Also, he was given the Keys to the City to honour his achievement and hard work ethic.^[40]

Career statistics[link]

Regular season and playoffs[link]

International[link]

Awards and achievements[link]

Toews (left) holding the Conn Smythe Trophy at the Blackhawks victory parade in downtown Chicago as Patrick Kane holds the Stanley Cup.

• World U-17 Hockey Challenge MVP — 2005 World U-17 Hockey Challenge — 2005
• WCHA Rookie of the Week — twice in 2005–2006
• NCAA West Regional MVP — 2006
• World Junior All-Star Team — 2007
• Nominated for the Calder Memorial Trophy — 2008
• NHL All-Star Game — 2009, 2011, 2012*
• All-Star selection of the 2010 Olympic Hockey Tournament^[25]
• 2010 Winter Olympics — Best Forward^[25]
• 2010 Conn Smythe Trophy winner
• Second-youngest to win the Conn Smythe Trophy (22 years, 41 days; only Patrick Roy was younger); youngest Captain to win the Conn Smythe Trophy.
• Youngest person to gain entry into the Triple Gold Club (22 years, 41 days at time last component was achieved)
• Named full captain of an NHL team after only 64 NHL games; third youngest full captain (Crosby, Vincent Lecavalier) in NHL history and quickest by games
• 2010 Stanley Cup Champion
• One of only six players to win Olympic gold and the Stanley Cup in the same year.

* Did not attend due to injury.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jonathan Toews

• Jonathan Toews's NHL player profile
• Jonathan Toews's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database
• Jonathan Toews Brick Tournament Minor Hockey Goal Video
• Jonathan Toews Brick Tournament Minor Hockey Assist Video

Patrick Kane
Born	(1988-11-19) November 19, 1988 (age 23) Buffalo, NY, USA
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight	181 lb (82 kg; 12 st 13 lb)
Position	Center/Right Wing
Shoots	Left
NHL team	Chicago Blackhawks
National team	United States
NHL Draft	1st overall, 2007 Chicago Blackhawks
Playing career	2007–present

Patrick Timothy Kane, Jr. (born November 19, 1988) is an American professional ice hockey right winger/center currently playing for the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks selected him with the first overall pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. Kane won the Stanley Cup with Chicago in 2010.

Playing career[link]

Minor and junior[link]

Kane attended the St. Martin of Tours school and started playing for the Cazenovia Chiefs in his hometown of Buffalo, New York. He played for the West Seneca Wings, Buffalo Regals, and Depew Saints.^[1]

When Kane was fourteen, he played junior hockey for the USA Bobcats, scoring many goals and earning the title of MVP. Kane relocated to Michigan where he lived with former NHL player Pat Verbeek, having been convinced to play for the Honeybaked AAA hockey club in Detroit. The club is a part of the Midwest Elite Hockey League. Kane's career with Honeybaked lasted for 3 years.^[2]

The London Knights drafted Kane in the 5th round of the 2004 Ontario Hockey League Midget Draft,^[3] but he did not choose to play for the Knights until the 2006–07 season.^[1] Instead, Kane played for the United States U-18 National Team Development Program (NTDP), where he led the team in scoring with 102 points^[4] during the 2005–06 season. Playing on a line with Sergei Kostitsyn and Sam Gagner, he amassed 145 points for the OHL scoring title and combined with Gagner and Kostitsyn for 394 points.^[1]

Kane and the Knights finished the post-season by losing in the OHL's Western Conference final to the Plymouth Whalers in a 4-1 best of 7 series loss. He finished his postseason with 10 goals and 21 assists for a total of 31 points in 16 games.

On April 27, 2007, Kane was announced as the winner of the Emms Family Award for the OHL rookie of the year.^[4] He was also named runner-up to John Tavares for the Red Tilson Trophy as league MVP.^[5]

Kane threw the ceremonial first pitch at a Chicago Cubs game on June 25, 2007 at Wrigley Field.^[6] Kane later joined Denis Savard, the Blackhawks' coach, in singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game".^[6] Kane also threw the first pitch at a Buffalo Bisons (AAA) game in August.

NHL career[link]

Going into the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, Kane was ranked 1st among North American prospects by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau and was chosen first overall by the Chicago Blackhawks.

On July 25, 2007, Blackhawks GM Dale Tallon announced that they had signed right winger Patrick Kane to a three year contract.^[7] He made his NHL debut on October 4, 2007 against the Minnesota Wild,^[8] and had his first assist and first shootout goal, a game-winner, two days later against Dominik Hasek of the Detroit Red Wings.^[9] On October 19, 2007, he scored his first NHL regulation time goal on José Théodore of the Colorado Avalanche.^[10] With a quick start to his rookie campaign, Kane was named the NHL Rookie of the Month for October on November 2, 2007, after tallying 5 goals and 11 assists in 12 games. On December 15, 2007, Kane and the Blackhawks visited the Buffalo Sabres for a regular season game. It was the first time Kane had come back to Buffalo as a pro hockey player. Kane received a special cheer from his hometown and a special ceremony was held before the game. The Blackhawks lost the game 3-1, with Kane scoring their lone goal.

Kane in 2009.

Kane finished his first NHL campaign atop the rookie scoring race with 72 points. On June 12, 2008, he received the Calder Memorial Trophy, awarded to the NHL's best rookie player, finishing ahead of teammate Jonathan Toews and Washington Capitals forward Nicklas Bäckström.^[11]

The following season, Kane and Toews helped lead a rejuvenated Blackhawks team back to the playoffs. After recording 70 points in the regular season, Kane notched his first career hat trick in the 2009 playoffs against the Vancouver Canucks in the second round on May 11, 2009. The Blackhawks won the game 7-5, clinching their spot in the Western Conference Final for the first time since 1995.^[12] After the game, Kane told the Chicago Sun-Times that he was "fired up" after Canucks defenseman Willie Mitchell claimed that Kane "couldn't play five-on-five."^[12] He finished his first NHL playoffs with 14 points in 16 games as the Blackhawks were eliminated in the Western Conference Finals by the Detroit Red Wings.

In May 2009, the Chicago Tribune reported that Kane would be the cover athlete for EA Sports' NHL 10.^[13]

In the final season of his initial rookie contract, Kane signed a 5-year, reported $31.5 million extension to remain with the Blackhawks on December 3, 2009. The deal was announced simultaneously with contract extensions to both Toews and defenseman Duncan Keith as well.

In the 2009-10 season, Kane finished with a career-high 88 points to rank 9th in the NHL in scoring. On June 9, 2010, Kane scored the overtime winner when he shot the puck under the pads of Flyers goalie Michael Leighton and into the net, winning the Blackhawks the Stanley Cup. The goal ended a 49-year Stanley Cup drought for the Blackhawks. It also made Kane the youngest person in NHL history to score a Stanley Cup winning goal in overtime; that title previously belonged to Bobby Orr in 1970.

Kane was selected as an alternate captain for the 2011 NHL All-Star Game.

International play[link]

Medal record
Men's ice hockey
Competitor for the  United States
Olympic Games
Silver	2010 Vancouver	Tournament
World Junior Championships
Bronze	2007 Sweden
IIHF U18 Championships
Gold	2006 Sweden

Kane has competed internationally for the United States. He first represented the United States in the 2006 IIHF U18 Championships, in which he led the tournament in scoring with 12 points (five goals and seven assists) in only six games played. His two points per game pace led the United States to the gold medal^[4] and earned him individual all-star team honors.

The next year, he moved onto the United States' U20 team at the 2007 World Juniors. He was one of only three players on the team playing major junior hockey. He continued his international pace with five goals and four assists in seven games to finish second in tournament scoring and, once again, garner an all-star team selection. His team did not perform as well as his U18 team, but they did manage to go home with the bronze medal. After making the NHL and being unable to play in the 2008 WJC due to professional commitments with the Chicago Blackhawks, he played in the 2008 World Championships. He posted 10 points (three goals and seven assists) in seven games as the United States finished fifth.

Kane was selected to represent the United States in the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, where he and the team won the silver medal. During the tournament he scored three goals and two assists in six games.

Personal life[link]

He is the son of Patrick and Donna Kane. He has three sisters named Erica, Jessica, and Jacqueline.^[14] During the offseason, Kane resides in Hamburg, New York in a house on the shores of Lake Erie; he purchased the house in March 2012. Kane and his family had previously resided in condominiums owned by Carl Paladino in South Buffalo.^[15]

Patrick has an endorsement deal with Bauer Hockey.^[16] He uses Bauer equipment during games.

Assault and theft charges[link]

On August 9, 2009, Kane and his cousin, James M. Kane, were arrested in Buffalo. According to a police report, Kane was apprehended around 5:00 a.m. after allegedly punching cab driver Jan Radecki when he claimed to not have proper change for their trip fare. Kane and his cousin's cab fare came out to be $14.80, and they gave him $15.00.^[17]

Kane was charged with second-degree robbery, fourth-degree criminal mischief, and theft of services. He pled not guilty. On August 17, Kane apologized for the distress he caused, saying he had been "at the wrong place at the wrong time," and mentioned his family, the Chicago Blackhawks organization, and their fan base—but not Radecki.^[18] Kane and his cousin appeared before a grand jury on August 19.^[19] While they were cleared of any felony charges, the two were still indicted on less severe misdemeanor assault, theft and harassment charges.^[19] Kane and his cousin reiterated their not guilty pleas when appearing in court the next day.^[20] On August 27, Kane and cousin pled guilty to noncriminal disorderly conduct charges, and were both given conditional discharges, avoiding any penalties if they stayed out of trouble for a year, and also ordered to apologize to Radecki.^[21]

Awards and achievements[link]

Kane (#88, right) hoisting the Stanley Cup at the Blackhawks victory parade in downtown Chicago.

• 2006 U18 All-Star Team
• OHL All-Rookie Team (2007)
• OHL First All-Star Team (2007)
• OHL Rookie of the Year (2007)
• CHL Rookie of the Year (2007)
• 2007 WJC All-Star Team
• NHL All-Rookie Team (2008)
• Calder Memorial Trophy (2008)
• Played in Three All-Star Games (2009, 2011, 2012)
• Second Star of the Week, December 20–26, 2009
• Third Star of the Month, December 2009
• 2010 Winter Olympics silver medal
• 2010 Stanley Cup champion
• 2010 First Team NHL All-Star

Career statistics[link]

International statistics[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Patrick Kane's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database
• Patrick Kane's biography at Legends of Hockey
• Patrick Kane's NHL player profile

Mario Maurer
Mario Maurer (มาริโอ้ เมาเร่อ)
Born	Mario Maurer (1988-12-04) 4 December 1988 (age 23) Thailand
Other names	Nuttavut Maurer
Occupation	Actor, model, singer
Years active	2004–present
Religion	Roman Catholic
Website
http://www.ohohmario.com/

Mario Maurer (Thai: มาริโอ้ เมาเร่อ, born December 4, 1988 in Thailand) is a Thai model and actor. He is best known for his lead roles in the 2007 film, The Love of Siam and the 2010 sleeper hit, First Love (A Little Thing Called Love).

Biography[link]

Mario Maurer was born in Bangkok, Thailand. He is of Thai-Chinese and German descent^[1] He attended school at St. Dominic Catholic School in Bangkok and now is studying in Ramkhamhaeng University, majoring in Communication Arts. Mario Maurer is a Roman Catholic.^{[citation needed]} At the age of 16, Maurer became a model doing photo shoots, commercials and music videos. In 2007, he made his feature film debut in a leading role in The Love of Siam, written and directed by Chukiat Sakweerakul.^[2] The role "Tong" brought him many accolades and instant fame far beyond Thailand's borders. Commenting on his new-found fame, "I didn't want to do it, Acting wasn't on my list to do." He decided to do the movie because he trusted the director "Chukiat" and the movie would give him many opportunities. He'd be making money to help his family. He became famous in this film because of his gay role.^[3]

His other work as a model.

The film's promotion did not play up its homosexual romance. Nonetheless, most critics have given extremely positive reviews.^[4] When asked about his kissing scenes with Witwisit Hirunwongkul in The Love of Siam, Maurer said, "I was nervous. I've never kissed a man and kissing is not something you do every day."^[5] Maurer has been nominated for an Asian Film Awards in the category of Best Supporting Actor for his performance in The Love of Siam, but lost to Sun Hong-Lei for Mongol.^[6] He won the Best Actor award in Southeast Asian film category at the 10th Cinemanila International Film Festival. His performance was described as "Mature acting choices within a wide range of situations. Beneath a calm and placid external demeanor his performance he displayed a rich inner struggle dealing with emotional burdens, with family, friends, his social circle and his romantic and sexual awakening."^[7]

He won the Best Actor award in Starpics Thai Films Awards and also nominated in Bangkok Critics Assembly and Star Entertainment Awards.^[8]

Director Bhandit Rittakol had approached Maurer for Boonchu 9, but he was tied up with other projects.^[9] He has been cast in the 2008 film by Chatchai Naksuriya, Friendship. The film is set around 1983. Maurer starring opposite Apinya Sakuljaroensuk,^[10] as 12th grade student. That same year he appeared in a segment of the four-story anthology 4 Romance (segment "Joob" or Kiss) directed by Rashane Limtrakul^[11] Maurer's projects after 2008 include a comedy-horror film written and directed by Yuthlert Sippapak, Rahtree Reborn, scheduled for release in April 2009, in which he starred opposite Chermarn Boonyasak.^[12]

Maurer gained popularity after he starred in the 2010 film First Love (A Little Thing Called Love).

Other work[link]

Maurer (right) with his brother and his mother

His brother Marco, teamed up in a hip-hop duo "PsyCho & Lil’Mario" with Mario. They have released their debut PsyCho & Lil’Mario: Dem Crazy Boyz on October 31, 2007.^[13] He worked as a hypeman in this album. But Maurer later described "It was just for fun. I know myself – I'm not a singer. That's not my dream."^[3]n

Maurer participated in endorsements for the first time for Exit Rollon and other popular brands such as The Pizza Company, Sugus, Foremost and now he acted as the presenter for Honda Jazz,^[14] Pepsi, Dutchmill and Sony Ericsson. In July 2011, he was signed to become an endorser for the Philippine clothing brand, Penshoppe ^[15] He also signed a one movie picture contract with Star Cinema, a Philippine film production company. He will be paired with Erich Gonzales in the film that is due to release in 2012.^[16][16] On October 28, 2011, Maurer had a Press and Fan Conference in Philippine International Convention Center with thousands of fans in attendance, as a part of his official launch as a Penshoppe endorser.^[17] On October 29, he hit the runway at the Philippine Fashion Week held at SMX Convention Center.^[18][19]

Filmography[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mario Maurer

• Official website
• Mario Maurer on Twitter
• Mario Maurer at the Internet Movie Database

Morgan Spurlock
Spurlock at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival
Born	Morgan Valentine Spurlock (1970-11-07) November 7, 1970 (age 41) Parkersburg, West Virginia, US
Occupation	Filmmaker, television producer, screenwriter
Years active	2000–present
Religion	Methodism
Spouse	Alexandra Jamieson (2006–?;[1] 1 child)
Website
www.morganspurlock.com

Morgan Valentine Spurlock (born November 7, 1970) is an American documentary filmmaker, humorist, television producer, screenwriter, bounty hunter^[2] and political activist, best known for the documentary film Super Size Me. Spurlock was the executive producer and star of the reality television series 30 Days.

Early life[link]

Spurlock was born in Parkersburg, West Virginia, and was raised in Beckley, West Virginia. He was raised a Methodist.^[3] He went to New York University and graduated in 1993 and is a member of the fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta.^[4]

Spurlock has stated that he is of Scottish and Irish descent.^[5]

Career[link]

This biographical section of an article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (November 2009)

Spurlock attended Woodrow Wilson High School in Beckley, West Virginia, graduating in 1989. He graduated with a BFA in film from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in 1993. Before making the 2004 Academy Award nominated Super Size Me, Spurlock was a playwright, winning awards for his play The Phoenix at both the New York International Fringe Festival in 1999 and the Route 66 American Playwriting Competition in 2000. He also created I Bet You Will for MTV. I Bet You Will began as a popular Internet webcast of five-minute episodes featuring ordinary people doing stunts in exchange for money. Examples include eating a full jar of mayonnaise ($235USD), eating a "worm burrito" ($265USD), and taking shots of corn oil, Pepto-Bismol, lemon juice, hot sauce, cold chicken broth, and cod liver oil (US$450.00 for all nine shots). The webcast was a success, with over a million hits in the first five days.^{[citation needed]} The show was later bought and aired by MTV.

Film[link]

[edit] Super Size Me

Spurlock at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival

Spurlock's docudrama Super Size Me was released in the U.S. on May 7, 2004. This production was later nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary feature. He conceived the idea for the film when he was at his parents' house for Thanksgiving, and while watching TV saw a news story about a lawsuit brought against McDonald's by two teenage girls who blamed the fast food chain for their obesity. The film depicts an experiment he conducted in 2003, in which he ate three McDonald's meals a day every day (and nothing else) for 30 days, mandatory that he take the "super-size" option whenever it was offered and never take it when not offered, the end result he claims was a diet with twice the calories recommended by the USDA. Further, Spurlock attempted to curtail his physical activity to better match the exercise habits of the average American (he previously walked about 3 miles a day; whereas, the average American walks 1.5 miles). He was of above average health and fitness when he started the project; he gained 25 pounds (11 kg), became quite puffy, suffered liver dysfunction and depression by the end. Spurlock's supervising physicians noted the effects caused by his high-fat diet—once even comparing it to a case of severe binge alcoholism.

After the completion of the project, it took Spurlock fourteen months to return to his normal weight of 185 pounds (84 kg). His then-girlfriend (now ex-wife), Alexandra Jamieson, took charge of his recovery with her "detox diet," which became the basis for her book The Great American Detox Diet.^[6]

Spurlock's second feature documentary, Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2008. In the film, and in interviews, Spurlock explores the fight against terrorism and views the argument from both sides, in which he tries to find Osama Bin Laden.

Spurlock directed The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special – In 3-D! On Ice!.^[7][8][9]

Freakonomics is an adaptation of the book of the same name by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, which premiered in April 2010. Spurlock was at the helm of this project alongside five directors (Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady, Alex Gibney, Seth Gordon and Eugene Jarecki).

The one hour documentary Committed: The Toronto International Film Festival premiered on AMC on 12 October 2010.^[10]

The Greatest Movie Ever Sold is a 2011 documentary film about product placement, marketing and advertising which was reportedly itself financed through product placement,^[11][12] The Greatest Movie Ever Sold was shown at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2011.^[13] It was released in the USA in April 2011. It screened in the New Zealand Film Festival in August 2011 together with an appearance by Spurlock to talk about the movie.

In the summer of 2010, Spurlock worked with Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon, AintItCool.com founder Harry Knowles, and comic book creator Stan Lee to create the documentary Comic-Con Episode Four: A Fan's Hope to cover the stories of convention fans.^[14][15] Whedon, Lee, and Knowles served as executive producers. Legendary Pictures' Thomas Tull, who independently financed the documentary, told Variety, ""We look forward to capturing the spirit, energy and people that Comic-Con has infused into legions of fans, bringing these audiences and projects out of the halls and onto a world stage."^[16] On April 6, 2012, Spurlock released the film to selected theaters in the United States, as well as video on demand outlets.

[edit] 30 Days

In each episode, a person (which in some cases, is Spurlock himself) or a group of people spend 30 days immersing themselves in a mode of life markedly different from their norm (being in prison, a devout Christian living in a Muslim family, a homophobe staying with a homosexual person, etc.), while Spurlock discusses the relevant social issues involved. FX began airing the show on June 15, 2005. In the premiere episode of the first season, "Minimum Wage," Spurlock and his fiancée lived for 30 days in the Bottoms neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio, earning minimum wage, with no access to outside funds.

In the second season finale, Spurlock spent 25 days locked in a Henrico County, Virginia (a county outside of Richmond) jail to experience life as an inmate.^[17] He did not complete the entire 30 days in jail because the majority of inmates in the state of Virginia serve 85% of the sentence, so once Spurlock reached that benchmark, he was released.^[18]

The third season of 30 Days premiered on June 3, 2008.^[19] The first episode of the third season, titled "Working in a Coal Mine," was filmed in Bolt, West Virginia which is located roughly 18 miles from the city of Beckley, West Virginia, where Spurlock was raised prior to leaving for New York.^[20]

In late 2008, FX announced they would not be renewing the 30 Days series, making the third season the last.

Other work[link]

• Spurlock optioned the rights for Chris Mooney's book The Republican War on Science in order to create another documentary film,^[21] but in 2008 announced that he had released the option.^[22]
• Spurlock has a role in the film Drive Thru, a horror film about a fictional fast food restaurant that has its mascot come to life and start killing people. It was released on DVD on May 29, 2007.
• Spurlock currently presents 50 Documentaries to See Before You Die on Current TV. The show premiered on August 1, 2011.^[23]
• On May 28, 2011, Spurlock was the graduation commencement speaker for the MBA Business program at Sonoma State University.
• Spurlock's half-hour documentary series A Day in the Life was to debut on Hulu in mid-August 2011. It follows "incredibly focused" people such as Richard Branson and Will.i.am for a full day. The series is exclusive to Hulu.^[24]
• Spurlock directed an additional episode of ESPN's 30 for 30 sports documentary series, entitled "The Dotted Line". This documentary takes a look at the competitive world of sports agents. "The Dotted Line" premiered on ESPN October 11, 2011, one day following the premiere of a two-hour documentary, I, Caveman created and directed by Spurlock for the Science Channel series Curiosity, wherein a group of men and women including Spurlock try to survive in the wild using only Stone Age technology.
• Spurlock is the presenter of a new show in the UK on Sky Atlantic entitled Morgan Spurlock's New Britannia. The show is a comedy show based around the differences between the UK and the US, ^[25].
• Spurlock contributed a brief Foreword to Martin Lindstrom's 2011 book Brandwashed.
• Spurlock’s documentary Mansome was announced on March 8, 2012 as a Spotlight selection for the Tribeca Film Festival. The film takes a comedic look at male identity as it’s defined through men’s grooming habits featuring celebrity and expert commentary.^[26]

Personal life[link]

Spurlock currently lives in New York City. He married his long-time girlfriend, vegan chef Alexandra Jamieson, on May 3, 2006, but they eventually divorced.^[1] They have a son, Laken James Spurlock, born on December 9, 2006. His birth is depicted in Spurlock's documentary Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?, which Spurlock dedicated to Laken.

Spurlock is a fan of the heavy metal band Metallica and sent them a video congratulations for their 30th anniversary. He also enjoys watching Spongebob Squarepants on Saturday mornings with his son, Laken.

Bibliography[link]

• Spurlock, Morgan (2005). Don't Eat This Book: Fast Food and the Supersizing of America. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN 0-399-15260-1. 
• Spurlock, Morgan (2008). Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?. New York, NY: Random House. ISBN 1-4000-6652-2. 

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Morgan Spurlock

• Morgan Spurlock official website
• Morgan Spurlock at the Internet Movie Database
• Morgan Spurlock on Twitter
• 10 Questions for Morgan Spurlock at Time
• Morgan Spurlock judged The Film of the Month competition in February 2009 on the independent filmmakers networking site Shooting People.
• Morgan Spurlock talks The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, Sundance 2011 – interview conducted by indieWIRE
• Theodora & Callum Interview with Morgan Spurlock