Alexander is a 2004 epic film based on the life of Alexander the Great. It was directed by Oliver Stone, with Colin Farrell in the title role. The film was an original screenplay based in part on the book Alexander the Great, written in the 1970s by the Oxford University historian Robin Lane Fox.

The film was critically derided upon its release and failed in the American box office. It grossed only US$34 million domestically, while costing $155 million to produce. However, it did better internationally in recovering its losses, grossing a total of $132 million in overseas revenue.^[1]

The two earlier DVD versions of Alexander ("director's cut" version and the theatrical version) sold over 3.5 million copies in the United States.^[2] Oliver Stone's third version, Alexander Revisited: The Final Cut (2007) has sold close to one million copies.

Plot[link]

The film is based on the life of Alexander the Great, King of Macedon, who conquered Asia Minor, Egypt, Persia and part of Ancient India. Shown are some of the key moments of Alexander's youth, his invasion of the mighty Persian Empire and his death. It also outlines his early life, including his difficult relationship with his father Philip II of Macedon, his strained feeling towards his mother Olympias, the unification of the Greek city-states and the two Greek Kingdoms (Macedon and Epirus) under the Hellenic League,^[3] and the conquest of the Persian Empire in 331 BC. It also details his plans to reform his empire and the attempts he made to reach the end of the then known world.

The story begins 40 years after 323 BC, around 283 BC, with Ptolemy I Soter, who narrates throughout the film. We see Alexander's daily life and the strained relationship between his parents. Alexander grows up with his mother Olympias and his tutor Aristotle, where he finds interest in love, honor, music, exploration, poetry and military combat. His relationship with his father is destroyed when Philip marries Attalus's niece, Eurydice.

After Philip is assassinated, Alexander becomes king of Macedonia and Greece. Having briefly mentioned his punitive razing of Thebes and burning of Persepolis, Ptolemy gives an overview of Alexander's west-Persian campaign, including his being declared as the son of Zeus by the Oracle of Amun at Siwa Oasis, his great battle against the Persian Emperor Darius III in the Battle of Gaugamela and his eight-year campaign across Asia.

Also shown are Alexander's private relationships with his childhood friend Hephaestion and later his wife Roxana. Hephaestion compares Alexander to Achilles, to which Alexander replies that, if he is Achilles, Hephaestion must be his Patroclus (Achilles' best friend and possibly lover). When Hephaestion mentions that Patroclus died first, Alexander pledges that, if Hephaestion should die first, he will follow him into the afterlife. Hephaestion shows extensive jealousy when he sees Alexander with Roxana and deep sadness when he marries her, going so far as to attempt to keep her away from him after Alexander murders Cleitus the Black in India. After Hephaestion succumbs to an unknown illness either by chance or perhaps poison, speculated in the movie to be Typhus carried with him from India, Alexander distances himself from his wife, despite her pregnancy, believing that she has killed Hephaestion. He dies less than three months after Hephaestion, keeping his promise that he would follow him.

Cast[link]

• Anthony Hopkins as Old Ptolemy
• David Bedella as Scribe
• Jessie Kamm as Child Alexander
• Angelina Jolie as Queen Olympias
• Val Kilmer as King Philip II
• Fiona O'Shaughnessy as Nurse
• Connor Paolo as Young Alexander
• Patrick Carroll as Young Hephaistion
• Brian Blessed as Wrestling Trainer
• Peter Williamson as Young Nearchus
• Morgan Christopher Ferris as Young Cassander
• Robert Earley as Young Ptolemy
• Aleczander Gordon as Young Perdiccas
• Christopher Plummer as Aristotle
• Gary Stretch as Cleitus
• John Kavanagh as Parmenion
• Nick Dunning as Attalus
• Marie Meyer as Eurydice
• Mick Lally as Horse Seller
• Colin Farrell as Alexander
• Jared Leto as Hephaistion
• Elliot Cowan as Ptolemy
• Joseph Morgan as Philotas
• Ian Beattie as Antigonous
• Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Cassander
• Denis Conway as Nearchus
• Neil Jackson as Perdiccas
• Garrett Lombard as Leonnatus
• Chris Aberdein as Polyperchon
• Rory McCann as Crateros
• Michael Dixon as Campfire Soldier
• Tim Pigott-Smith as Omen Reader
• Raz Degan as Darius
• Erol Sander as Persian Prince
• Stéphane Ferrara as Bactrian Commander
• Tadhg Murphy as Dying Soldier
• Jean Le Duc as Fat Eunuch
• Francisco Bosch as Bagoas
• Annelise Hesme as Stateira
• Tsouli Mohammed as Persian Chamberlain
• Toby Kebbell as Pausanias of Orestis
• Laird Macintosh as Greek Officer
• Rosario Dawson as Roxana
• Rab Affleck as Attalus' Henchman
• Féodor Atkine as Roxane's Father
• Harry Kent as Cup Bearer #1
• Sam Green as Cup Bearer #2
• Bin Bunluerit as Indian King
• Jaran Ngramdee as Indian Prince
• Brian McGrath as Doctor
• Patrick Adolphe as Alexander's Servant Boy (Uncredited)
• Oliver Stone as Macedonian Soldier at Zeus Statue (Uncredited)

Director's cut[link]

Oliver Stone's director's cut was re-edited before the DVD release later in 2005. Stone removed thirty minutes of footage and added nine back. This, then, shortened the running time from 175 minutes to 167. The differences between the director's cut and the theatrical version are as follows:

• Dates in the flashbacks and flashforwards use normal historical figures, such as 323 BC and 356 BC, as opposed to referring to time lapses, like "30 years earlier". In his commentary, Stone explains that, for the theatrical release in the United States, he had to refrain from using regular "BC" dates, since (according to data collected from test screenings) there was a significant number of viewers who did not know that 356 BC represented an earlier historical period than 323 BC.
• Ptolemy's backstory at the beginning is shortened.
• The two flashbacks with the arrival of Eurydice to the court and the wedding feast are shifted into the eastern campaign, enveloping the trial of Philotas and assassination of Parmenion.
• The scene in which Aristotle gives a lesson to the young Alexander and his friends is re-edited and extended by a few seconds.
• Ptolemy's narration leading up to the Battle of Gaugamela gives no reference to the razing of Thebes and burning of Persepolis. He mentions the official Macedonian accusation, that Darius assisted the assassination of Philip – in both versions, it is also mentioned when Alexander rallies the troops – and the proclamation by the Oracle of Amun is moved to a later part of the narrative.
• There is no scene on the night before the Battle of Gaugamela or the omen reader looking into the intestine of the ox-sacrifice before the Battle of Gaugamela.
• In the commentary it is explained that Val Kilmer and other cast members deliberately use an Irish accent as Colin Farrell was unable to lose his, with Irish accents being used as a stand in for a Greek accent.
• Directly after Alexander's mourning the dead after the Battle of Gaugamela, there is an additional flashback in which Philip explains the Titans to the young Alexander.
• In the theatrical version, during Roxana's dance, Perdiccas can be seen breaking up a fight between Hephaestion and Cleitus. This is removed in the director's cut.
• The sex scene between Alexander and Roxana is shortened, and her attempt to kill him after her discovery of his relationship with Hephaestion is cut. More explicit footage of Alexander and Roxana having sex is added.
• When Alexander uncovers the page's plot, the director's cut features a scenelet in which Perdiccas goes to arrest Hermolaus, who falls on his sword with the words "Death to all tyrants".
• There is no narrative explanation by Ptolemy during the trial of Philotas.
• Alexander does not mourn Cleitus.
• The flashback of Alexander questioning Olympias does not appear immediately after the flashback of Philip's assassination; rather, it is moved to follow Alexander's grievous wounds in the Battle of the Hydaspes.
• The scene in which Roxana is prevented from entering Alexander's tent by Hephaestion is also removed. This is the last remnant of a Roxana-Cassander subplot that was filmed but not included.
• Between the scene in which Alexander smashes the "rebellion" within the ranks and the final battle, there is an additional scene in which Alexander reads a letter from Aristotle, who is featured dictating it to an unseen scribe.
• Ptolemy's narration of the march through the Gedrosian desert additionally mentions the helplessness of Alexander watching his broken army die due to natural causes and harsh conditions. He does not mention either Alexander's new marriages in his final years or that the march across the Gedrosian desert was the "worst blunder of his life".
• The scene of the army returning to Babylon, together with that in which Olympias receives the omen of Alexander's death, is shortened.

Final cut: "Alexander Revisited"[link]

Stone also made an extended version of Alexander. "I'm doing a third version on DVD, not theatrical", he said in an interview with Ropeofsilicon.com. "I'm going to do a Cecil B. DeMille three-hour-45-minute thing; I'm going to go all out, put everything I like in the movie. He [Alexander] was a complicated man, it was a complicated story, and it doesn't hurt to make it longer and let people who loved the film [...] see it more and understand it more."

The extended version of the film was released under the title of Alexander Revisited: The Final Unrated Cut on 27 February 2007. The two-disc set featured a new introduction by Stone. "Over the last two years," he said, "I have been able to sort out some of the unanswered questions about this highly complicated and passionate monarch – questions I failed to answer dramatically enough. This film represents my complete and last version, as it will contain all the essential footage we shot. I don't know how many film-makers have managed to make three versions of the same film, but I have been fortunate to have the opportunity because of the success of video and DVD sales in the world, and I felt, if I didn't do it now, with the energy and memory I still have for the subject, it would never quite be the same again. For me, this is the complete Alexander, the clearest interpretation I can offer."^[4]

The film is restructured into two acts with an intermission. Alexander: Revisited takes a more in-depth look at Alexander's life and his relationships with Olympias, Philip, Hephaestion, Roxana and Ptolemy. The film has a running time of three hours and 34 minutes (214 minutes, about 40 minutes longer than the theatrical cut and almost 50 minutes longer than the first director's cut) and is presented in 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen with English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround audio. Beyond the new introduction with Stone, there are no other extras on the DVD except for a free coupon to the movie 300.^[5] The Blu-ray and HD-DVD releases both feature a variety of special features however, including two audio commentaries and a new featurette.^[6]

Production details[link]

Locations[link]

• Library of Alexandria: Shepperton Studios, London, England
• Pella/Babylon/Indian palaces and myths cave: Pinewood Studios, London, England
• Alexandria (effect back plate): Malta
• Temple of Pallas Athena, Mieza and Macedonian horse market: Essaouira, Morocco
• Gaugamela: desert near Marrakech, Morocco
• Babylon gates: Marrakech, Morocco
• Bactrian fortress: Lower Atlas Mountains, Morocco
• Hindu Kush (effect back plate): Ouarzazate, Morocco
• Macedonian amphitheater: Morocco
• Hyphasis: Mekong, northeastern Ubon Ratchathani Province, Thailand
• Hydaspes: Central Botanical Garden, Amphoe Mueang, Saraburi Province, Thailand

Reception[link]

Box office performance[link]

• Budget: US$ 155,000,000.00^[7][8]
• Total domestic grosses: US$ 34,297,191.00
• Total overseas grosses: US$ 133,001,001.00
• Total worldwide grosses: US$ 167,298,192.00

Criticism[link]

A group of 25 Greek lawyers initially threatened to file a lawsuit against both Stone and the Warner Bros. Film studio for what they claimed was an inaccurate portrayal of history. "We are not saying that we are against gays," said Yannis Varnakos, "but we are saying that the production company should make it clear to the audience that this film is pure fiction and not a true depiction of the life of Alexander". After an advanced screening of the film, the lawyers announced that they would not pursue such a course of action.^[9]

At the British premiere of the film, Stone blamed "raging fundamentalism in morality" for the film's US box-office failure.^[10] He argued that American critics and audiences had blown the issue of Alexander's sexuality out of proportion.^[11] The criticism prompted him to make significant changes to the film for its DVD release, whose cover characterizes them as making it "faster paced, more action-packed".

Criticism by historians[link]

Alexander attracted critical scrutiny from historians due to its various factual errors. Most academic criticism was concerned with the insufficient adherence to historical details.^[12]

Major objections came from Iranian historians, who were upset by the film's renderings of Persians and Macedonians alike. As an example, Alexander and his troops defeat the Persian army in a single battle in the movie, but Persian historian Farrokh holds that the real Alexander had to fight several fierce battles before he was able to defeat Darius III (Alexander had to fight battles at Granicus, Issus, the Siege of Tyre, and Gaugamela. In the movie Gaugamela is meant to represent the entire campaign). Farrokh also observed that, in the film, "Greek forces are typically shown are very organised, disciplined, and so on, and what's very disturbing is, when the so-called Persians are shown confronting the Macedonians, their armies are totally disorganised.[1]. There is no mention of the famous 'Gordian Knot' - an impossible untie-able knot in a rope, that legend said could only be loosened by the true ruler of Asia - Alexander was said to have used his sword to solve the problem.

The final battle depicted in the film, heavily dramatized and altered from history, was the Battle of Hydaspes or Jhelum River in ancient India (now in modern-day Pakistan). Alexander was not (contrary to what the movie claims) severely injured by an arrow during this battle. This only occurred during a siege later that year against the Malhi in what is now the city of Multan, Pakistan. Hydaspes was not fought in a forest on a sunny day, but on a muddy plain on a night with torrential rains. The center of the Macedonian line was never surrounded by any accounts, though the infantry did suffer many casualties. The film has also been criticized for omitting a famous story about Alexander's conversation with Indian King Porus. When Alexander won the battle, Porus was captured and presented to him. "Tell me", said Alexander, "in what way should I treat you?" Porus replied, "Treat me, O Alexander, like a king."^[13] However, a similar scene exists in the film regarding the Princess of Babylon.

Oliver Stone has, in his various commentaries in the film's DVD, defended many of the most glaring historical issues by claiming that he had no time or resources to portray accurately a multitude of battles at the expense of storytelling. He goes into great detail explaining how he merged all the major aspects of the Battle of Granicus and the Battle of Issus into the Battle of Gaugamela, as well as heavily simplifying the Battle of Hydaspes into a straightforward clash, while merging the near-death of Alexander from the siege of Malli.

Criticism by film critics[link]

The film was largely panned by critics everywhere, with Rotten Tomatoes giving it a 16% rating based on 194 reviews. The consensus states: "Even at nearly three hours long, this ponderous, talky and emotionally distant biopic fails to illuminate Alexander's life."

One of the principal complaints among US film critics was that Alexander resembled less an action-drama film than a history documentary. Roger Ebert wrote in his review, "[W]e welcome the scenes of battle, pomp and circumstance because at least for a time we are free of the endless narration of Ptolemy the historian."^[14]

Faint praise came from Daily Variety Magazine, published on 21 November 2004, for which Todd McCarthy wrote, "Oliver Stone's Alexander is at best an honorable failure, an intelligent and ambitious picture that crucially lacks dramatic flair and emotional involvement. Dry and academic where Troy (2004) was vulgar and willfully ahistorical"^[15] Manohla Dargis wrote in The New York Times that Alexander "brought out the best of the worst in terms of inaccurate storytelling that lacks planning."

Nominations[link]

The film was nominated in six categories at the Golden Raspberry Awards in 2005: Worst Picture, Worst Actor (Colin Farrell), Worst Actress (Angelina Jolie), Worst Director (Oliver Stone), Worst Supporting Actor (Val Kilmer) and Worst Screenplay, thereby becoming the second-most-nominated potential "Razzie" film of 2004; however, it "won" no awards.

Soundtrack[link]

See also[link]

• Alexander the Great (disambiguation)
• Alexander (video game)
• Ishtar Gate of Babylon, Pergamon Museum, Berlin
• List of historical drama films

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

• G. Abel, Hollywood Reporter 390 (2 August–8 August 2005), 11 (2005).
• R. K. Bosley, "Warrior King", American Cinematographer 85:11, 36–40, 42–43, 45–46, 48–51 (2004); B. Bergery, "Timing Alexander", ibid. 44–45 (2004).
• T. Carver, "Oliver Stone's Alexander: Warner Bros. And Intermedia Films (2004)", Film & History 35:2, 83–84 (2005).
• G. Crowdus, "Dramatizing Issues That Historians Don't Address: An Interview with Oliver Stone", Cineaste 30:2 (Spring 2005), 12–23 (2005).
• D. Fierman, Entertainment Weekly 793 (19 November 2004), 26–32 (2004).
• M. Fleming, "Stone Redraws Battle Plans: Producer Admit 'Alexander' Missteps, but Hope International Release Proves Epically Successful", Variety 397:6 (27 December 2004–2 January 2005), 6 (2005).
• D. Gritten, "Fall Sneaks: Fearsome Phalanx: Executing His Vision Of Grandeur, Oliver Stone Leads A Front Line Of Powder-Keg Actors Across 3 Continents. What Could Go Wrong?", Los Angeles Times 12 September 2004, E21 (2004).
• A. Lane, "The Critics: The Current Cinema: War-Torn: Oliver Stone's 'Alexander'", The New Yorker 80:38 (6 December 2004), 125–127 (2004).
• R. Lane Fox, Alexander the Great (Penguin Books, London, 1973).
• Mendelsohn, Daniel (13 January 2005). "Alexander, the Movie! [Review of Alexander, a film directed by Oliver Stone]". the New York Review of Books 52 (1). ISSN 0028-7504. 
• I. Worthington, "Book Review: Europe: Ancient and Medieval: Alexander. Directed by Oliver Stone", The American Historical Review 110:2, 553 (2005).
• Radio Free Europe/Radio liberty,28 January 2005 "World: Oliver Stone's 'Alexander' Stirs Up Controversy" By Golnaz Esfandiari
• Dr. Kaveh Farrokh, The Alexander Movie: How are Iranians and Greeks Portrayed?

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Alexander (film)

• Afterword by Oliver Stone from "Responses to Oliver Stone's Alexander"
• Official website
• Alexander at the Internet Movie Database
• Alexander at Rotten Tomatoes
• Alexander at Box Office Mojo
• Alexander at AllRovi
• Alexander at Metacritic

Alexander
Paris, depicted in this c. 1636 painting by Peter Paul Rubens making his famous judgment, was given the surname Alexander as a child when he routed a gang of cattle-thieves.
Pronunciation	/ˈæləksˈændər/
Gender	Masculine, the feminine variant being Alexandra.
Language(s)	From the Latin Alexander, itself based upon the Greek Alexandros, from alexein meaning "to ward off, keep off, turn away, defend, protect" and aner meaning "man".
Origin
Meaning	"Defender, protector of man".

Look up Alexander in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Alexander ( /ˈæləksˈændər/) is a common male first name, and less common surname. The most famous is Alexander III of Macedon, commonly known as Alexander the Great, who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.

Origin[link]

Etymologically, the name is derived from the Greek "Αλέξανδρος" (Aléxandros), meaning "defending men" ^[1] or "protector of men", a compound of the verb "ἀλέξω" (alexō), "to ward off, to avert, to defend"^[2] and the noun "ἀνδρός" (andros), genitive of "ἀνήρ" (anēr), "man".^[3] It is an example of the widespread motif of Greek (or Indo-European more generally) names expressing "battle-prowess", in this case the ability to withstand or push back an enemy battle line.

The earliest attested form of the name is the Mycenaean Greek feminine noun a-re-ka-sa-da-ra, (transliterated as Alexandra), written in Linear B syllabic script.^[4][5][6]

The name was one of the titles ("epithets") given to the Greek goddess Hera and as such is usually taken to mean "one who comes to save warriors". In the Iliad, the character Paris is known also as Alexander.^[7] The name's popularity was spread throughout the Greek world by the military conquests of King Alexander III, commonly known as "Alexander the Great". Most later Alexanders in various countries were directly or indirectly named for him.^{[citation needed]}

People known as Alexander[link]

Alexander has been the name of many rulers, including kings of Macedon, kings of Scotland, emperors of Russia and popes.

Rulers of antiquity[link]

• Alaksandu, c. 1280 BC
• Alexander, more often known as Paris of Troy
• Alexander of Corinth, 10th king of Corinth (816–791 BC)
• Alexander I of Macedon
• Alexander II of Macedon
• Alexander of Pherae despot of Pherae between 369 and 358 BC
• Alexander I of Epirus king of Epirus about 342 BC
• Alexander the Great (Alexander III of Macedon), King of Macedon, 356–323 BC
• Alexander IV of Macedon
• Alexander V of Macedon
• Alexander II of Epirus king of Epirus 272 BC
• Alexander, viceroy of Antigonus Gonatas and ruler of a rump state based on Corinth c. 250 BC
• Alexander Balas, ruler of the Seleucid kingdom of Syria between 150 and 146 BC
• Alexander Zabinas, ruler of part of the Seleucid kingdom of Syria based in Antioch between 128 and 123 BC
• Alexander Jannaeus king of Judea, 103-76 BC
• Alexander of Judaea, son of Aristobulus II, king of Judaea
• Alexander Severus, (208–235), Roman Empire
• Domitius Alexander, Roman usurper who declared himself emperor in 308

Rulers of the Middle Ages[link]

• Alexander, Byzantine Emperor (912–913)
• Alexander I of Scotland (c. 1078–1124)
• Alexander II of Scotland (1198–1249)
• Alexander Nevsky (1220–1263), Prince of Novgorod and Grand Prince of Vladimir
• Alexander III of Scotland (1241–1286)
• Aleksander (1338–before 1386), Prince of Podolia (son of Narymunt)
• Alexandru I Aldea, ruler of the principality of Wallachia (1431–1436)
• Eskender, Emperor of Ethiopia (1472–1494)
• Alexander Jagiellon (Alexander of Poland) (1461–1506), King of Poland
• Alexandru Lăpuşneanu, Voivode of Moldavia (1552–1561 and 1564–1568)

Modern rulers[link]

• Alexander I of Russia (1777–1825), emperor of Russia
• Alexander II of Russia (1818–1881), emperor of Russia
• Alexander III of Russia (1845–1894), emperor of Russia
• Alexander Karađorđević, Prince of Serbia (1842–1858)
• Alexander of Bulgaria (1857–1893), first prince of Bulgaria
• Alexander John Cuza, prince of Romania (1859–1866)
• Alexander I Obrenović of Serbia (1876–1903), king of Serbia
• Alexander, Prince of Lippe (1831–1905), prince of Lippe
• Alexander I of Yugoslavia (1888–1934), first king of Yugoslavia
• Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia, (born 1945), the head of the Yugoslav Royal Family
• Zog I also known as Skenderbeg III, (1895–1961), king of Albanians
• Alexander of Greece (1917–1920), king of Greece
• Leka, Crown Prince of Albania, (1939-2011), king of Albanians (throne pretender)
• Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange (born 1967), the eldest child of Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus and heir apparent to the throne of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Other royals[link]

• Alexander, Judean Prince, one of the sons of Herod the Great from his wife Mariamne
• Alexander, Judean Prince, son to the above Alexander and Cappadocian Princess Glaphyra
• Alexander (d. 1418), son of Bulgarian tsar Ivan Shishman
• Prince Alexander John of Wales (1871), short-lived son of Edward VII
• Prince Alexander of Belgium (1942–2009)

Several other princes have borne the name Alexander:

• George V of Hanover (1819–1878)
• Prince Alfred of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1874–1899)
• Prince George, Duke of Kent (1902–1942)
• Olav V of Norway (1903–1991)
• Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester (born 1944)]

Religious leaders[link]

• Pope Alexander I, (pope 97–105)
• Alexander of Apamea, 5th century bishop of Apamea
• Pope Alexander II, (pope 1058–1061)
• Pope Alexander III, (pope 1164–1168)
• Pope Alexander IV, (pope 1243–1254)
• Pope Alexander V, ("Peter Philarges" c. 1339–1410)
• Pope Alexander VI, (1492–1503), Roman pope
• Pope Alexander VII, (1599–1667)
• Pope Alexander VIII, (pope 1689–1691),
• Alexander of Constantinople, bishop of Constantinople (314–337)
• St. Alexander of Alexandria, Coptic Pope, Patriarch of Alexandria between 313 and 328
• Pope Alexander II of Alexandria, Coptic Pope (702–729)
• Alexander of Lincoln, bishop of Lincoln
• Alexander of Jerusalem

• See also Saint Alexander, various saints with this name

Other people[link]

Other people using the name Alexander include:

Antiquity[link]

• Paris (mythology) aka Alexander, the Trojan prince who kidnapped Helen
• Alexander (artists), the name of a number of artists of ancient Greece, Rome and Macedon
• Alexander (3rd century BC general), commanded the cavalry under Antigonus III Doson
• Alexander of Athens, Athenian comic poet
• Alexander Lyncestes, contemporary of Alexander the Great
• Alexander Aetolus, poet and member of the Alexandrian Pleiad
• Alexander, son of Lysimachus, 3rd century BC Macedonian royal
• Alexander (Aetolian general), briefly conquered Aegira in 220 BC
• Alexander (general), son of Polyperchon, the regent of Macedonia
• Alexander Isius, 2nd century military commander of the Aetolians
• Alexander of Acarnania (d. 191 BC), confidante of Antiochus III the Great
• Alexander Lychnus, early 1st century BC poet and historian
• Alexander Polyhistor, Greek scholar of the 1st century
• Alexander of Myndus, ancient Greek writer on zoology and divination
• Alexander of Aegae, peripatetic philosopher of the 1st century
• Alexander of Cotiaeum, 2nd century Greek grammarian and tutor of Marcus Aurelius
• Alexander Numenius, or Alexander son of Numenius, 2nd century AD, Greek rhetorician
• Alexander the Paphlagonian, 2nd century Greek imposter
• Alexander Peloplaton, Greek rhetorician of the 2nd century
• Alexander of Lycopolis, 4th century author of an early Christian treatise against Manicheans
• Alexander of Aphrodisias, Greek commentator and philosopher

Middle Ages[link]

• Alexander of Hales, 13th-century Medieval theologian
• Oleksa Dovbush, Ukrainian freedom-fighter

Modern[link]

• Alexander (magician) (1880–1954), stage magician specializing in mentalism
• Olivinha (born 1983), Brazilian basketball player also known as Alexandre

People with the given name Alexander[link]

Internationally famous people with the given name Alexander or variants include:

• Alexander Pope (1688–1744), English poet
• Alex Ferguson (born 1941), manager of Manchester United FC
• Alexander Hamilton (1755–1804), Founding Father of the United States
• Alexander Day, British 18th Century confidence trickster
• Alexander Pushkin (1799–1837), Russian writer
• Alexandre Dumas (1802–1870), French writer
• Alexander Ivanovich Levitov (1835–1877), Russian writer
• Alexander Graham Bell (1847–1922), Scottish-born inventor of the first practical telephone
• Alexander Fleming (1881–1955), Scottish discoverer of penicillin
• Alexandre Lippmann (1881–1960), French 2x Olympic champion épée fencer
• Alexander Korda (1893–1956), Hungarian-born film director
• Alexander Rudolph ("Al McCoy"; 1894–1966), American world champion middleweight boxer
• Alexander Penn (1906–72), Israeli poet
• Alessandro Manzoni (1785–1873), Italian poet and novelist
• Alessandro Volta (1745–1827), Italian physicist
• Alexander Levinsky (1910–90), Canadian NHL ice hockey player
• Alexander Argov (1914–95), Russian-born Israeli composer
• Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (1918–2008), Russian writer
• Alexander Dubček (1921–1992), leader of Czechoslovakia (1968–1969)
• Alexander Salkind (1921–1997), French film producer
• Alexander Haig (1924–2010), United States general and politician
• Alexander Gomelsky (1928–2005), Russian head coach of USSR basketball national team for 30 years
• Aleksandr Gorelik (born 1945), Soviet figure skater
• Alexander McCall Smith (born 1948), Scottish writer
• Alexander O'Neal (born 1953), American singer
• Alec Baldwin (born 1958), American actor
• Sandy Lyle (born 1958), Scottish golfer
• Alexander Pechtold (born 1965), Dutch politician
• Aleksandar Djordjevic (born 1967), Serbian basketball player
• Lex van Dam (Born 1968), Dutch trader and TV personality
• Alexander McQueen (1969–2010), British fashion designer
• Alexander Popov (swimmer) (born 1971) Russian swimmer
• Aleksandr Averbukh, Israeli European champion pole vaulter
• Alexander Semin (born 1984), Russian hockey player for the Washington Capitals
• Alexander Ovechkin (born 1985), Russian hockey player for the Washington Capitals
• Alexander Nikolov (born 1987), American, well known NASCAR driver
• Alexander Gustafsson (born 1987), Swedish mixed martial arts fighter
• Alexander Shatilov (born 1987), Uzbek-Israeli artistic gymnast
• Alexander Lee Eusebio (born 1988), also known as Alexander (or Xander), South Korean solo singer, ex-member of South Korean band U-KISS

Fictional people[link]

• Lex Luthor, the main super-villain of the Superman franchise
• Alex DeLarge, the main character from the novel A Clockwork Orange and its film adaptation
• Xander Harris, one of the main characters of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise
• Alex Rider, the main character from the novel Stormbreaker and the film adaptation
• Alexander Rozhenko, the Klingon son of Worf in the television series "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine"
• Alexander Portnoy - Protagonist of Portnoy's Complaint by Philip Roth
• Alex Cross, the main character of James Patterson's series of Alex Cross novels
• Alex Summers, a mutant also known as Havok and brother to Scott Summers in X-Men
• Alec Hardison, hacker in TNT's Leverage (TV series)
• Alex Karev, one of the main characters on ABC's Grey's Anatomy.
• Alex Mahone, one of the main characters on FOX's Prison Break.
• Alexander Cabot III, the rich, cowardly manager in the Josie and the Pussycats comic books and television shows.
• Alexander Anderson, superhuman warrior-priest in the anime/manga Hellsing, who opposes the Hellsing Organisation as the Vatican's most powerful anti-vampire specialist.

People with the surname Alexander[link]

• Ann Alexander Smith (born 1942), Louisiana educator
• Archer Alexander (1828 – c. 1880), former black slave who served as the model for the slave in the Emancipation Memorial statue ^[8]
• Doc Alexander (1898–1975), American NFL All-Pro football player
• Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis (1891–1969), British field marshal and Governor General of Canada
• Michael Alexander (British Army officer) (1920–2004), British Army officer and writer
• Moses Alexander (1853–1932), American Governor of Idaho
• Lloyd Alexander (1924–2007), American fantasy author
• Stephanie Alexander, Australian chef and food writer
• Danny Alexander, British Politician
• Shaun Alexander, NFL All-Pro runningback
• R. McNeill Alexander, Scientist, expert in biomechanics
• Manny Alexander, retired baseball player

Variants and diminutives[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

• Albanian – Aleksandër, Leka, Lekë, Sandër, Skënder, Leksi, Leks, Aleko, Lisandër
• Amharic – እስከንደር (Eskender)
• Arabic – الاسكندر / اسكندر (Iskandar, Skandar, Skander)
• Aragonese – Alexandre, Alixandre
• Armenian – Ալեքսանդր (Aleksandr/Alexandr), Աղեքսանդր (Agheksandr), Ալեքսան (Aleksan/Alexan), Ալեք (Aleq), Ալիկ (Alik)
• Asturian – Alexandru
• Azerbaijani – İsgəndər (Isgandar)
• Bengali – Sikandar Alakshendra, Iskandar, Skandar, Alekzandar
• Bashkir – Искәндәр (Iskәndәr)
• Basque – Alesander, Alesandere (feminine), Alexander, Alexandere (feminine)
• Belarusian – Аляксандp (Aliaksandr, in normative spelling), Аляксандаp (Alaksandar, in Taraškievica spelling), Алeсь (Aleś)
• Bulgarian – Александър (Aleksandar), Александра (Alexandra feminine), Сандо (Sando), Сашо (Sasho), Aлекс (Aleks)
• Catalan – Alexandra (feminine), Alexandre, Àlex, Aleix, Sandra (feminine), Xandre
• Chinese – 亞歷山大/亚历山大 (Yàlìshāndà)
• Corsican – Lisandru
• Croatian – Aleksandar, Saša, Aco, Aleksandra (feminine)
• Czech – Alexandr, Aleš
• Danish – Alexander, Alex, Alexandra (feminine)
• Dutch – Alexander, Alex, Lex, Alexandra (feminine), Sander, Sandra (feminine), Xander
• English – Alexander, Alec, Alex, Al, Alexis, Alexa (feminine), Alexandria (feminine), Alexandra (feminine), Lex, Lexxi, Sandra (feminine), Sandy, Sasha (feminine), Xander, Xandra (feminine), Zandra (feminine), Zander
• Esperanto – Aleksandro, Aleksaĉjo, Aleĉjo, Aĉjo, Alekso, Alko, Alek, Alik, Aleksandra (feminine), Aleksino (feminine), Aleksanjo (feminine), Anjo (feminine)
• Estonian – Aleksander, Sander
• Ethiopian – Eskender, Iskinder
• Extremaduran – Alejandru
• Faroese – Aleksandur
• French – Alexandre, Alexis, Alex
• Filipino – Alexander, Alejandro, Alejo, Alex, Sandy, Zandro, Alexandra (feminine), Alessandra (feminine)
• Finnish – Aleksanteri, Aleksi, Santeri, Santtu
• Galician – Alexandre, Álex
• Georgian/ქართულად – ალექსანდრე (Alexandré),(Aleksandre) ალეკო (Aleko), ლექსო (Lexo).
• German – Alexander, Alex, Alexandrine (feminine), Alexandra (female), Sascha, Sandro, Sandra (female)
• Greek – Αλέξανδρος (Aléxandros), Αλέκος (Alekos), Αλεξάνδρα (Alexandra - female)
• Hawaiian - Alika
• Hebrew – אלכסנדר (Alexander), אלכס (Alex)
• Hindi – Hindustani – Sikandar Alakshendra अलक्षेन्द्र
• Hungarian – Sándor
• Indonesian – Iskandar
• Icelandic – Alexander, Alex, Alexis, Axel, Alexandra (feminine)
• Interlingua – Alexandro
• Irish (Gaeilge) – Alasandar, Alastar, Alsander
• Italian – Alessandro, Ale, Alex, Sandro, Alessio, Aleandro, Alessandra (feminine), Sandra (feminine), Alessia (feminine)
• Japanese – アレクサンドロス (Arekusandorosu), アレクサンダー (Arekusandā), アレキサンダー (Arekisandā)
• Javanese – Alexander, Iskandar
• Kazakh – Eskendir
• Korean – 알렉산드로스 (Alleksandeuroseu)
• Kurdish – Askander, Eskander, Îskenderê
• Kyrgyz – Искендер (İskender)
• Latvian – Aleksandrs
• Latin – Alexander, Alexandrus
• Lithuanian – Aleksandras, Aleksas
• Lombard – Lisander
• Macedonian – Александар (Aleksandar), Алек (Alek), Аце (Atse), Ацо (Atso), Сашо (Sasho)
• Malay – Iskandar
• Malayalam – ചാണ്ടി (Chandy)
• Maltese – Lixandru
• Mandarin Chinese - Yalishanda or Alishanda
• Manx – Alastar, Alister
• Mirandese – Alxandre
• Norwegian – Aleksander, Alek, Alexander, Alex, Sander, Alexandra (feminine)
• Occidental – Alexandro
• Occitan – Alexandre
• Persian – اسكندر (Eskandar). Middle Persian: Aleksandar
• Polish – Aleksander, Alek, Olek, Aleks
• Portuguese – Alexandre, Alexandra (feminine), Alexandro (rare), Alex, Sandro, Sandra (feminine), Alessandro, Alessandra (feminine), Xande, Xandre
• Romanian — Alexandru, Alexandra (feminine), Alex, Alexe, Sandu, Sanda (feminine), Sandra (feminine), Alecu, Aleca (feminine), Lisandru, Sașa
• Russian — Александр (Aleksandr), Александра (Aleksandra, feminine), Алик (Alik, male), Аля (Alia, male and feminine), Саша (Sasha), Шурик (Shurik), Саня (Sanya)
• Sanskrit language – Alikasundara
• Scots Gaelic – Alasdair, Alastair, Alistair, Alisdair, Aldair, Ally, Ali, Al
• Serbian – Александар (Aleksandar), Алекса (Aleksa), Алекс (Aleks), Алек (Alek), Лексо (Lekso), Саша (Saša), Сале (Sale), Ацa (Aca), Ацо (Aco), Александра (Aleksandra, feminine), Сандра (Sandra, feminine), Сашка (Saška, feminine) or Бранко, Бранило (Branko, Branilo) derived from бранити (from Greek: Αλέξανδρος which means to defend)
• Sicilian – Alissandru
• Sinhala - Ishkander
• Old Church Slavonic – Алєѯандръ (Aleksandr, Alexandr)
• Slovak – Alexander
• Slovene – Aleksander, Aleks, Sandi, Sašo
• Spanish – Alejandro, Alexandro, Alejo, Alex, Jandro, Jano, Lisandro, Sandro, Alejandra (feminine), Lisandra (feminine), Sandra (feminine)
• Swedish – Alexander, Alex, Alexandra (feminine)
• Tamil – Aleksandar
• Telugu – Alexandaru
• Thai – อเล็กซานเดอร์ (Aleksāndə̄[r] (Aleksandar))
• Turkish – İskender
• Ukrainian — Олександр (Olexandr, Oleksandr), Олекса (Oleksa, Olexa), Сашко (Sashko), Олесь (Oles')
• Urdu – Pakistani – سکندر (Sikandar) or اسكندر (Eskandar)
• Uzbek – Iskandar
• Venetian – Alessandro
• Vietnamese – Alêchxăngđrơ, A-Lịch-Sơn
• Võro – Aleksandri
• Welsh – Alecsander
• West Frisian – Aleksander
• Yiddish – סענדער – Sender, Senderl

See also[link]

• Alex
• All pages beginning with "Alexander"
• Hera Alexandros, epithet of the Greek goddess Hera

This page or section lists people that share the same given name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article.

References[link]

Alexander McQueen
Alexander McQueen at his Fall 2009 collection
Born	Lee Alexander McQueen (1969-03-17)17 March 1969 Lewisham, London, United Kingdom
Died	11 February 2010(2010-02-11) (aged 40)[1] Mayfair, London, United Kingdom
Residence	Mayfair London
Nationality	British
Education	Central Saint Martins
Occupation	Fashion designer
Parents	Joyce McQueen (deceased, 1934–2010) Ronald McQueen
Awards	British Fashion Designer of the Year Commander of the Order of the British Empire Council of Fashion Designers of America International Designer of the Year 2003
Labels	Alexander McQueen, McQ

Lee Alexander McQueen, CBE (17 March 1969 – 11 February 2010) was a British fashion designer and couturier best known for his in-depth knowledge of bespoke British tailoring, his tendency to juxtapose strength with fragility in his collections, as well as the emotional power and raw energy of his provocative fashion shows.^[opinion][2] He is also known for having worked as chief designer at Givenchy from 1996 to 2001 and for founding his own Alexander McQueen label.^[2] His achievements in fashion earned him four British Designer of the Year awards (1996, 1997, 2001 and 2003), as well as the CFDA's International Designer of the Year award in 2003.^[2]

Early life and education[link]

Born on 17 March 1969 in Lewisham, London, to Scottish^[3] taxi driver Ronald^[4] and social science teacher Joyce, McQueen was the youngest of six children.^[5][6] He grew up in a council flat^[7] in a tower block in Stratford.^[8] He attended Carpenters Road Primary School, started making dresses for his three sisters at a young age, and announced his intention to become a fashion designer.^[9]

McQueen later attended Rokeby School and left aged 16 in 1984 with one O-level in art,^[5] going on to serve an apprenticeship with Savile Row tailors Anderson & Sheppard, before joining Gieves & Hawkes and, later, the theatrical costumiers Angels and Bermans.^[10] The skills he learned as an apprentice on Savile Row helped earn him a reputation in the fashion world as an expert in creating an impeccably tailored look. ^[11]

Career[link]

While on Savile Row, McQueen's clients included Mikhail Gorbachev and Prince Charles. At the age of 20 he spent a period of time working for Koji Tatsuno before travelling to Milan, Italy and working for Romeo Gigli.^[9]

McQueen returned to London in 1994 and applied to Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, to work as a pattern cutter tutor. Because of the strength of his portfolio he was persuaded by the Head of the Masters course to enroll in the course as a student.^[9] He received his masters degree in fashion design and his graduation collection was bought in its entirety by influential fashion stylist Isabella Blow, who was said to have persuaded McQueen to become known as Alexander (his middle name) when he subsequently launched his fashion career.^[6][9] It was shortly after creating his second collection,“McQueen's Theatre of Cruelty", that McQueen met Katy England, his soon to be "right hand woman",^[12] when outside of a "high profile fashion show" trying to "blag her way in".^[13] He promptly asked her to join him for his third collection, "The Birds" at Kings Cross, as "creative director".^[13] Katy England continued to work with McQueen thereafter, greatly influencing his work – his "second opinion".^[12]

Icelandic singer Björk sought McQueen's work for the cover of her album Homogenic in 1997.^[14] McQueen also directed the music video for her song "Alarm Call" from the same album.^[15]

Camilla Belle in a 2009 dress by Alexander McQueen, listed among "100 Best Dresses of the Decade" by InStyle magazine.^[16]

McQueen's early runway collections developed his reputation for controversy and shock tactics (earning the title "l'enfant terrible" and "the hooligan of English fashion"),^[4] with trousers aptly named "bumsters" and a collection titled "Highland Rape".^[5][17][18] In 2004, journalist Caroline Evans also wrote of McQueen's "theatrical staging of cruelty", in 032c magazine, referring to his dark and tortured renderings of Scottish history.^[19] McQueen was known for his lavish, unconventional runway shows: a recreation of a shipwreck for his spring 2003 collection; spring 2005's human chess game; and his fall 2006 show "Widows of Culloden", which featured a life-sized hologram of supermodel Kate Moss dressed in yards of rippling fabric.^[20]

McQueen's "bumsters" spawned a trend in low rise jeans; on their debut they attracted many comments and debate.^[11] Michael Oliveira-Salac, the director of Blow PR and a friend of McQueen's said, "The bumster for me is what defined McQueen."^[11] McQueen also became known for using skulls in his designs. A scarf bearing the motif became a celebrity must-have and was copied around the world.^[11]

McQueen has been credited with bringing drama and extravagance to the catwalk.^[11] He used new technology and innovation to add a different twist to his shows and often shocked and surprised audiences. The silhouettes that he created have been credited for adding a sense of fantasy and rebellion to fashion.^[11] McQueen became one of the first designers to use Indian models in London.^[11]

McQueen also designed a range of dresses under the name of "manta", priced at around £2800. The line, named after the manta ray, was inspired by a holiday McQueen took in the Maldives in 2009. The designs have been worn by various models and celebrities, including Lily Cole.^[21]

VOSS[link]

McQueen's most celebrated and dramatic catwalk show was his 2001 spring/summer collection, named VOSS. The centre piece tableaux that dominated the room was an enormous glass box. But because the room outside the box was lit and the inside of the box was unlit, the glass walls appeared as large mirrors, so that the seated audience saw only their own reflection. Finally, after an hour, and when the show began, lights came on in inside the enormous glass case and revealed the interior to be filled with moths and, at the centre, a naked model on a chaise longue with her face obscured by a gas mask. The glass walls then fell away and smashed on the ground.

The model chosen by McQueen to be the centre of the show was the British writer Michelle Olley. (The show also featured Kate Moss and Erin O'Connor). McQueen said that the tableaux was based on the Joel Peter Witkin image Sanitarium.^[22] The British fashion photographer Nick Knight later said of the VOSS show on his SHOWstudio.com blog:

"The girl in the box was Michelle Olley. She modelled for me in a story I did called Sister Honey... She was a writer and I remember she wrote a great piece on being the Butterfly Girl in the middle of that (McQueen) Glass Box show. I was sat on the front row, inbetween Alexandra Schulman and Gwyneth Paltrow. It was is probably one of the best pieces of Fashion Theatre I have ever witnessed." ^[23]

Alexander McQueen later described his thoughts on the idea used during VOSS of forcing his audience to stare at their own reflection in the mirrored walls for over an hour:

"Ha! I was really pleased about that. I was looking at it on the monitor, watching everyone trying not to look at themselves. It was a great thing to do in the fashion industry—turn it back on them! God, I’ve had some freaky shows.” ^[24]

In spring 2011, Michelle Olley was asked by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to contribute to their Alexander McQueen exhibition, Savage Beauty.^[25] She was interviewed by The Met about VOSS for the audio guide to the show. Olley's detailed diary/journal of modelling for McQueen - written between Sept 18-27 as the show was being planned and staged - was included in the Met Museum website coverage of the Savage Beauty exhibition.^[26] The VOSS diary relates details of the show and encounters with McQueen, ending with how Olley returned home after the show to find:

"...a MASSIVE bouquet of flowers has arrived, with a note [from McQueen] saying, “Thank you for everything – you were beautiful! – Lee xxx” " ^[27]

Givenchy appointment[link]

The president of LVMH, Bernard Arnault, caused a stir when he appointed McQueen head designer at Givenchy in 1996, succeeding John Galliano.^[9] Upon arrival at Givenchy, McQueen insulted the founder by calling him "irrelevant". His first couture collection with Givenchy was unsuccessful, with even McQueen telling Vogue in October 1997 that the collection was "crap". McQueen toned down his designs at Givenchy, but continued to indulge his rebellious streak, causing controversy in autumn 1998 with a show which included spraying paint over white cotton dresses and double amputee model Aimee Mullins striding down the catwalk on intricately carved wooden legs.^[9][18] Givenchy designs released by Vogue Patterns during this period may be credited to the late designer.^[28] McQueen stayed with Givenchy until March 2001, when the contract he said was "constraining his creativity" ended.^[9]

Accomplishments[link]

Some of McQueen's accomplishments included being one of the youngest designers to achieve the title "British Designer of the Year", which he won four times between 1996 and 2003;^[10] he was also awarded the CBE and named International Designer of the Year by the Council of Fashion Designers in 2003.^[29]

December 2000 saw a new partnership for McQueen, with the Gucci Group's acquiring 51% of his company and McQueen's serving as Creative Director.^[5] Plans for expansion included the opening of stores in London, Milan and New York, and the launch of his perfumes Kingdom and, most recently, My Queen. In 2005, McQueen collaborated with Puma to create a special line of trainers for the shoe brand.^[30] In 2006 he launched McQ, a younger, more renegade lower priced line for men and women.

McQueen became the first designer to participate in MAC's promotion of cosmetic releases created by fashion designers. The collection, McQueen, was released on 11 October 2007 and reflected the looks used on the Autumn/Winter McQueen catwalk. The inspiration for the collection was the 1963 Elizabeth Taylor movie Cleopatra, and thus the models sported intense blue, green, and teal eyes with strong black liner extended Egyptian-style. McQueen handpicked the makeup.

Company[link]

By the end of 2007, Alexander McQueen had boutiques in London, New York, Los Angeles, Milan and Las Vegas. Celebrity patrons, including Nicole Kidman, Penélope Cruz, Sarah Jessica Parker and Rihanna, J-pop queens such as Ayumi Hamasaki, Namie Amuro, and Koda Kumi have frequently been spotted wearing Alexander McQueen clothing to events.^[31] Björk, Ayumi Hamasaki and Lady Gaga have often incorporated Alexander McQueen pieces in their music videos.^[32] By wearing his designs, celebrities such as the above mentioned have further increased the notability of the McQueen brand.

Personal life[link]

McQueen was openly gay and said he realized his sexual orientation when he was six years old.^[33] He told his family when he was 18 and, after a rocky period, they accepted his sexuality.^[5] He described coming out at a young age by saying, "I was sure of myself and my sexuality and I've got nothing to hide. I went straight from my mother's womb onto the gay parade".^[34]

In the summer of 2000, McQueen had a marriage ceremony with his partner George Forsyth, a documentary filmmaker, on a yacht in Ibiza.^[35] The marriage was not official, as same-sex marriage in Spain was not legal then. The relationship ended a year later and McQueen and Forsyth maintained a close friendship.^[36]

McQueen received press attention after the May 2007 suicide of international style icon Isabella Blow. Rumours were published that there was a rift between McQueen and Blow at the time of her death, focusing on McQueen's under-appreciation of Blow.^[37] In response to these rumours, McQueen told an interviewer:^[20]

It's so much bollocks. These people just don't know what they're talking about. They don't know me. They don't know my relationship with Isabella. It's complete bullshit. People can talk; you can ask her sisters ... That part of the industry, they should stay away from my life, or mine and Isabella's life. What I had with Isabella was completely dissociated from fashion, beyond fashion.

McQueen was an accomplished scuba diver and used his passion as a source of inspiration in his designs, including spring 2010's "Plato's Atlantis." Much of his diving was done around the Maldives.^[38]

Death and memorial[link]

Wikinews has related news: British fashion designer Alexander McQueen found dead at age 40

McQueen's death was announced on the afternoon of 11 February 2010. In the morning, his housekeeper found him hanging at his home on Green Street, London W1. ^[39] Paramedics were called and they pronounced him dead at the scene.^[1]

McQueen died days before London Fashion Week, though he was not scheduled to show,^[40] and nine days after the death of his mother, Joyce, 75, from cancer.^[41] David LaChapelle, a friend of the designer, said that McQueen "was doing a lot of drugs and was very unhappy" at the time of his death.^[42]

McQueen left a note saying, "Look after my dogs, sorry, I love you, Lee."^[43] The Metropolitan Police stated that the death was not suspicious, but did not confirm that the death was a suicide.^[44] On 17 February 2010, Westminster Coroner's Court was told that a post-mortem examination found that McQueen's death was due to asphyxiation and hanging. The inquest was adjourned until 28 April 2010, where McQueen's death was officially recorded as suicide.^[45][46] McQueen, who had been diagnosed with mixed anxiety and depressive disorder, took an overdose prior to hanging himself. He had taken drug overdoses in May and July 2009.^[47] Prior to hanging himself with his "favourite brown belt", the inquest recorded that he had slashed his wrists with a ceremonial dagger and a meat cleaver.^[48] Coroner Dr Paul Knapman reported finding "a significant level of cocaine, sleeping pills, and tranquilisers in the blood samples taken after the designer's death."^[49]

On behalf of Lee McQueen's family, Alexander McQueen [the company] today announces the tragic news that Lee McQueen, the founder and designer of the Alexander McQueen brand, has been found dead at his home. At this stage it is inappropriate to comment on this tragic news beyond saying that we are devastated and are sharing a sense of shock and grief with Lee's family. Lee's family has asked for privacy in order to come to terms with this terrible news and we hope the media will respect this.

On 3 February 2010, McQueen wrote on his Twitter page that his mother had died the day before, adding: "RIP mumxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx." Four days later, he wrote that he had had an "awful week" but said "friends have been great", adding: "now i have to some how pull myself together".^[50] His mother's funeral took place on 12 February 2010.^[51] McQueen is survived by his father, three sisters, and two brothers.^[52]

McQueen's funeral took place on 25 February 2010 at St. Paul's Church, Knightsbridge, West London.^[53] His ashes were later scattered on the Isle of Skye.^[54]

A memorial was held for McQueen at Saint Paul's Cathedral on 20 September 2010. It was attended by Björk, Kate Moss, Sarah Jessica Parker, Naomi Campbell, Stella McCartney and Anna Wintour^[55] amongst 2,500 other invited guests.^[56] On 18 February 2010, Robert Polet, the president and chief executive of the Gucci Group, announced that the Alexander McQueen business would carry on without its founder and creative director.^[57]

The BBC reported that McQueen had reserved £50,000 ($82,000) of his wealth for his pet dogs so they could live in the lap of luxury for the rest of their lives. He also bequeathed £100,000 ($164,315) each to four different charities; these include the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in south London, and the Blue Cross animal welfare charity in Burford, Oxfordshire.^[58]

Tributes[link]

A dedication by a fan at an Alexander McQueen store after McQueen's death.

On 16 February 2010, pop musician Lady Gaga performed an acoustic, jazz rendition of her hit single "Telephone" and segued into "Dance in the Dark" at the 2010 Brit Awards. During the performance, Gaga honored McQueen, saying, "this is for Alexander McQueen".^[59] She also commemorated McQueen after accepting her award for Best International Artist, Best International Female, and Best International Album. Gaga dedicated a song to him, titled "Fashion of His Love", on the special edition of her third album, Born This Way.^{[citation needed]}

Björk sang her rendition of "Gloomy Sunday" at the memorial at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. She wore an outfit created by McQueen on which many mourners came to gather.^{[citation needed]} Various other musicians, who were friends and collaborators with McQueen, commentated on his death, including Kanye West, Courtney Love, and Katy Perry.^[60]

In March 2010, a visual tribute to McQueen and his "manta" design was organised featuring Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss and Annabelle Neilson, among others.^[21]

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City hosted a posthumous exhibition of McQueen's work in 2011 titled Savage Beauty. The exhibition’s elaborate staging includes unique architectural finishes and soundtracks for each room.^[61] Despite being open for only three months, it was one of the most popular exhibitions in the museum's history.^[62] The exhibition was so successful that Alexander McQueen fans and industry professionals worldwide began rallying at Change.org to "Please Make Alexander McQueen's Savage Beauty a Traveling Exhibition"^[63] to bring honor to McQueen and see his vision become a reality: to share his work with the entire world.^[64]

The final show[link]

Right before Alexander McQueen's death, he had an eighty percent unfinished autumn/winter collection, 16 pieces, presented during Paris Fashion Week on March 8th 2010, to a select handful of fashion editors in a mirrored, gilded salon at the 18th-century Hôtel de Clermont-Tonnerre.

Fashion editors picked his final designs. Editors said the show was hard to watch because it showed how McQueen was obsessed with the afterlife. The clothes had a medieval and religious look. Basic colours that were repetitively used were red, gold and silver with detailed embroidery. His models were accessorized to show his love for theatrical imagery. "Each piece is unique, as was he", McQueen's fashion house said in a statement that was released with the collection.

After company owner Gucci confirmed that the brand would continue, McQueen's long-term assistant Sarah Burton was named as the new creative director of Alexander McQueen in May 2010.^[65] In September 2010, Burton presented her first womenswear collection in Paris.^[66]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Alexander McQueen

• Alexander McQueen's home page
• Alexander McQueen – Daily Telegraph obituary
• In pictures:Alexander McQueen exibition – The BBC – Entertainment and Arts
• Metropolitan Museum of Art retrospective

Elisabeth Shue
Shue at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival
Born	Elisabeth Judson Shue (1963-10-06) October 6, 1963 (age 48) Wilmington, Delaware, United States
Alma mater	Harvard University (2000)
Occupation	Actress, producer
Years active	1984–present
Spouse	Davis Guggenheim (1994-present; 3 children)
Relatives	Andrew Shue

Elisabeth Judson Shue (born October 6, 1963) is an American actress and producer, most famous for her roles in the films The Karate Kid, Adventures in Babysitting, Cocktail, Back to the Future Parts II and III and Leaving Las Vegas, for which she won five acting awards and was nominated for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA.

Early life[link]

Shue was born in Wilmington, Delaware. Her mother, Anne Harms (née Wells), was vice president of the private banking division of the Chemical Banking Corporation. Her father, James Shue, a lawyer and real estate developer, was the president of the International Food and Beverage Corporation and unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Congress in New Jersey in 1970, as a liberal Republican.^[1][2] Shue's mother was a descendant of Pilgrim leader William Brewster, while her father's family emigrated from Germany to Pennsylvania in the early 19th century.^[3][4] Shue's younger brother, Andrew, is also an actor.

Shue grew up in Bergen and Essex counties in New Jersey. Her parents divorced while she was in the fourth grade.^{[5][dead link]} Shue graduated from Columbia High School, in Maplewood, New Jersey, and attended Wellesley College and Harvard University, from which she withdrew to pursue her acting career. She returned to Harvard to finish her degree in Government in 2000.^[6] Shue was awarded entrance into Columbia High School's Wall of Fame in 1994, along with her brother Andrew.^[7]

Career[link]

1980s and early 1990s[link]

During her studies at Columbia H.S. and after her parents' divorce, she acted in television commercials. Shue became a common sight in ads for Burger King, DeBeers diamonds, and Hellman's mayonnaise.^[8]

After having turned down the role of Deborah Gelly in Sergio Leone's final film, Once Upon a Time in America, her first movie role happened in 1984, when she co-starred in The Karate Kid as the onscreen girlfriend of Ralph Macchio and had a role as the teenage daughter of a military family in the short-lived series Call to Glory and in 1986 she starred along Terrance Stamp in the British simian horror Link. She continued with Adventures in Babysitting (her first starring role), Cocktail as the love interest of Tom Cruise and the comedies Soapdish and The Marrying Man with Sally Field and Alec Baldwin, respectively. She also appeared in Back to the Future Part II and Back to the Future Part III as Jennifer Parker, replacing Claudia Wells, who declined to reprise the role from Back to the Future due to a family illness. In 1993, she played Robert Downey Jr.'s girlfriend in the supernatural romantic comedy ensemble Heart and Souls, also featuring Charles Grodin, Alfre Woodard and Kyra Sedgwick.

1995–present[link]