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Saturday Night Live | |
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File:Saturday Night Live Title Card.jpeg | |
Also known as | NBC's Saturday Night (1975–1977) Saturday Night Live '80 (1980) |
Format | Sketch comedy Comedy Variety Stand-up comedy |
Created by | Lorne Michaels |
Directed by | Dave Wilson (1975–1986, 1989–1995) Paul Miller (1986–1989) Beth McCarthy-Miller (1995–2006) Don Roy King (2006–present) |
Starring | See Saturday Night Live cast members |
Narrated by | Don Pardo (1975–1981, 1982–present) Bill Hanrahan (1981) Mel Brandt (1981–1982) |
Country of origin | United States |
Language(s) | English |
No. of seasons | 37 |
No. of episodes | 724 (List of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producer(s) | Lorne Michaels (1975–1980, 1985–present) Jean Doumanian (1980–1981) Dick Ebersol (1981–1985) |
Running time | 90 minutes (including commercials) |
Production company(s) | Broadway Video (1981–present) NBC (1975–1982) Dolphin Productions (1975–1982) NBC Productions (1982–1996) NBC Studios (1996–1999) SNL Studios (1999–present) |
Broadcast | |
Original channel | NBC |
Picture format | 480i (SDTV) 1080i (HDTV) |
Original run | October 11, 1975 – present |
Chronology | |
Related shows | TV Funhouse Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday |
External links | |
Website |
Saturday Night Live (abbreviated as SNL) is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol.[1] The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night. The show revolves around a series of sketches parodying American culture and politics,[2] performed by a large and varying cast of repertory and newer cast members.[2][3] Each episode is hosted by a celebrity guest who delivers an opening monologue and takes part in sketches with the cast, and features a musical guest who also performs. SNL normally begins with a cold open sketch that ends with someone breaking character and proclaiming, "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!", beginning the show proper.[4]
Michaels left the series in 1980 to explore other opportunities, and he was replaced by Jean Doumanian who led the show to disastrous reviews and was replaced by Ebersol after one season. Ebersol continued to run the show until 1985, when Michaels returned and where he has remained since. Many of SNL's cast found national stardom while appearing on the show and achieved success in film and television, both in front of and behind the camera. In particular, SNL has helped launch the careers of Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jimmy Fallon, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Eddie Murphy, Bill Murray, Mike Myers, and Adam Sandler. Additionally others associated with the show such as writers have gone on to successful careers, including Conan O'Brien, Max Brooks, Stephen Colbert, Larry David, Al Franken, Sarah Silverman, and Robert Smigel.
Broadcast from Studio 8H at NBC's headquarters in the GE Building, SNL has aired 724 episodes since its debut and ended its thirty-seventh season on May 19, 2012, making it one of the longest-running network television programs in the United States as of 2012. The show format has been developed and recreated in several countries including Spain, Italy, Japan, and South Korea, each meeting with different levels of success. Successful sketches have seen life outside of the show as feature films although only two met with critical and financial success: The Blues Brothers (1980) and Wayne's World (1992). The show has been marketed in other ways including home media releases of seasons, books, and documentaries about the behind-the-scenes activities of running and developing the show.
Throughout its more than three decades on air, Saturday Night Live has received a number of awards, including 21 Primetime Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, and three Writers Guild of America Awards. In 2000, it was inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame. It was ranked tenth on TV Guide's "50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time" list, and in 2007 it was listed as one of Time magazine's "100 Best TV Shows of All-TIME." In 2009, it received 13 Emmy nominations bringing the show to a total of 126, giving it the most Emmy nominations in television history. The live aspect of the show has resulted in several controversies and acts of censorship, with mistakes and intentional acts of sabotage by performers and guests alike.
Contents |
History of Saturday Night Live series: |
1975–1980 |
From 1965 until September 1975, NBC ran The Best of Carson reruns of The Tonight Show, airing them on either Saturday or Sunday night, at local affiliates' discretion, (originally known as The Saturday/Sunday Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson). In 1974, Johnny Carson announced that he wanted the weekend shows pulled and saved so that they could be aired during weekdays, allowing him to take time off.[5]
NBC president Herbert Schlosser approached his vice president of late night programming Dick Ebersol in 1974 and asked him to create a show to fill the Saturday night timeslot. Schlosser and Ebersol then approached Lorne Michaels, wanting to create a variety show that would push the boundaries with its edgy style of humor. Ebersol knew Michaels was capable of creating a show since he had worked on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. The show was set, and Michaels searched for people to join the staff. He hired Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, George Coe, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, Michael O'Donoghue, and Gilda Radner to the cast. Originally, the show was called NBC's Saturday Night, as Saturday Night Live was in use by Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell on the rival network ABC.[6] NBC purchased the rights to the name in 1976 and officially adopted the new title on March 26, 1977.[7]
The show was an instant hit following its debut, and as a result, the cast members became suddenly famous. Chase left the show during the second season and was replaced by a new and upcoming comic named Bill Murray. Aykroyd and Belushi left the show after season four. In 1980, after season five, Michaels, emotionally and physically exhausted, requested to put the show on hiatus for a year to give him time to pursue other ideas.[8] Concerned that the show would be cancelled without him, Michaels suggested writers Al Franken and Tom Davis take his place, but then-NBC president Fred Silverman disliked Franken, and after Franken performed "Limo for a Lame-O", a scathing critique of Silverman's presidency, Silverman was furious at Franken, and blamed Lorne for approving the sketch. [9] Unable to get the deal he wanted, Michaels chose to leave NBC for Paramount Pictures, intending to take his associate-producer Jean Doumanian with him. Michaels later learned that Doumanian had been given his position at SNL after being recommended by her friend, NBC vice-president Barbara Gallagher.[10] Michaels' departure led to most of the cast and writing staff leaving the show.[11]
The reputation of the show as a springboard to fame meant many aspiring stars were eager to join the new series. Doumainan was tasked with hiring a full cast and writing staff in less than three months, and NBC immediately cut the show's budget from the previous $1 million per episode down to just $350,000. Doumainan faced resentment and sabotage from the remaining Michaels staff, particularly males who did not appreciate a woman believing she could take Michael's place.[12] The season was a disaster, ratings plummeted and audiences failed to connect to the original casts' replacements like Charles Rocket and Ann Risley,[13] but her fate was sealed when, during a sketch, Rocket said "fuck" on live television.[14] After only ten months Doumainan was dismissed.[13][15] Although executives suggested SNL be left to die, Network chief Brandon Tartikoff wanted to keep the show going, believing the concept was more important to the network than money. Tartikoff turned to Ebersol, who had been previously fired by Silverman.[16] Ebersol gained Michaels' approval in an attempt to avoid the same staff sabotage that had blighted Doumanian's tenure.[17]
"He [Lorne Michaels] put me on TV, and no one else would have done that. Lorne created a show that's impacted culture for over 35 years. No one has ever really successfully been able to replicate it." |
-- Tina Fey on Michaels' influence on comedy.[18] |
Ebersol's tenure saw commercial success but was considered lackluster compared to the Michaels era, apart from the breakout of cast member Eddie Murphy.[19] Murphy, the main draw of the cast, left in 1983 to pursue his already successful film career, and Ebersol decided to again rebuild the cast, breaking with history by hiring established comedians like Billy Crystal and Martin Short who could bring their already successful material to the show.[20] Ebersol's final year with this new cast is considered one of the funniest of the series, but had strayed far from the precedent-shattering show that Michaels had created.[21] After that season, Ebersol wanted a more significant revamp, including departing from the show's established "live" format.[citation needed] Following unsuccessful forays into film and television, in need of money, and eager not to see Tartikoff cancel the show,[22] Michaels finally returned in 1985 after Ebersol opted not to. The show was again recast, with Michaels borrowing Ebersol's idea, and seeking out established acts like Joan Cusack and Robert Downey, Jr..[23] The cast and writers struggled creatively, and in April 1986, Tartikoff made the decision to cancel the show, until he was convinced by Bernie Brillstein to give it one more year.[24] The show was renewed but for the first time in its history, for only thirteen episodes instead of the usual twenty-two.[25] Michaels again fired most of the cast and, learning his lesson from the previous seasons, sought out unknown talent like Dana Carvey and Phil Hartman instead of known names.[25]
The show ran successfully again until it lost two of its biggest stars, Carvey and Hartman, between 1992 and 1994. Wanting to increase SNL's profitability, then-NBC West Coast president Don Ohlmeyer and other executives began to actively interfere in the show, recommending that new stars like Chris Farley and Adam Sandler be fired, and the show faced increasing criticism from the press and cast, in part encouraged by the NBC executives hoping to weaken Michaels' position.[26] Michaels' return restored an association with NBC that has lasted nearly 30 years. As head of Broadway Video and SNL Studios, Michaels has profited from the talent he's helped introduce, producing the TV series Late Night (during the eras of Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Fallon – both SNL alumni), 30 Rock (a comedy created by former SNL head writer Tina Fey, and loosely based on her experiences in that role), and Up All Night, starring fomer SNL cast member Maya Rudolph. Michaels also produced the TV film All You Need Is Cash, and a lengthy list of feature films based on SNL sketches; the most commercially and critically successful of these was Wayne's World.[27]
The original 1975 cast of SNL, officially known on-air as "The Not Ready For Prime-Time Players",[28] a term coined by writer Herb Sargent,[29] included Laraine Newman, John Belushi, Jane Curtin, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, Garrett Morris and Chevy Chase. Radner was the first person hired after Michaels himself. Although Chase became a performer, he was hired on a one-year writer contract, and refused to sign the performer contract that was repeatedly given to him, allowing him to leave the show after the first season in 1976.[30] Newman was brought aboard after having a prior working relationship with Michaels.[31] Morris was initially brought in as a writer, but attempts to have him fired by another writer led Michaels to have Morris audition for the cast, where he turned in a successful performance.[32] Curtin and Belushi were the last two cast to be hired.[31] Belushi held a disdain for television and had repeatedly turned down offers to appear on other shows, but decided to work with the show because of the involvement of Radner, and writers Anne Beatts and Michael O'Donoghue.[33] Michaels was still reluctant to hire Belushi, believing he would be a source of trouble for the show, but Beatts, O'Donoghue, and Ebersol successfully argued for his inclusion.[33] After Chase left the show, he was replaced by Bill Murray who Michaels had intended to hire for the first season cast, but was unable to due to budget restrictions.[34] When Chase returned to host in 1978, he found the remaining cast resentful at his departure and his success, particularly Belushi. Murray, goaded by the rest of the cast, and Chase came to blows shortly before the show.[35] Chase's departure for film made Michaels possessive of his talent; he threatened to fire Aykroyd if he took the role of D-Day in the 1978 comedy Animal House, and later refused to allow SNL musician Paul Shaffer to participate in The Blues Brothers (1980) with Aykroyd and Belushi after they left in 1979 to pursue film careers.[36][37] Michaels began to struggle to hold the remaining cast together in the wake of Chase, Aykroyd, and Belushi's independent successes. Radner had a one-woman Broadway show and Murray starred in the 1979 comedy Meatballs.[38] In 1980, when Michaels chose to leave the series to pursue other interests, he was followed by the remaining original cast, Curtin, Newman, and Morris, Murray, and additional cast members.[37]
The Doumainan era cast faced immediate comparison to the beloved former cast and were not received favorably.[13] Ebersol fired the majority of her hires, except for two unknown comedians; Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo.[39] Talent coordinator Neil Levy claimed Murphy contacted and pleaded with him for a role on the show, and after seeing him audition, Levy fought with Doumainan to cast him instead of Robert Townsend. Doumainan wanted only one black cast member and favored Townsend, but Levy convinced her to choose Murphy. Doumainan however also claimed credit for discovering Murphy and fighting with NBC executives to bring him onto the show.[40] Even so, Murphy would languish as a background character until Ebersol took charge,[41] after which Murphy was credited with much of that era's success.[42] Murphy's star exploded, and he quickly appeared in films like 48 Hrs. and Trading Places, before leaving for his film career in early 1984. Much of the Ebersol cast departed after the 1983-1984 season and were replaced with established comedians who could supply their own material, but at an inflated cost; Billy Crystal and Martin Short were paid $25,000 and $20,000 respectively, a far cry from earlier salaries.[20] Michaels' return in 1985 saw a cast reset that featured established talent like Robert Downey Jr., Jon Lovitz, and Dennis Miller.[43] The season was poorly received, and another reset followed in 1986. Learning his lesson from the previous season, Michaels avoided known talent in favor of actual ability. He spared Lovitz, Miller, and Nora Dunn, and brought in new, untested talent like Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, and Jan Hooks, who together would define a new era on the show into the early 1990s.[44] The cast continued on for the next decade with the addition of new talent like Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, and Chris Farley, but by 1995, Carvey, Hartman, and Myers had left, and increasing network pressure forced Michaels to fire Sandler and Farley.[45] The show saw its next major overhaul, bringing in a new cast including Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, and Jimmy Fallon.[45]
As of 2012, SNL has featured more than 129 cast members including Rachel Dratch, Amy Poehler, Chris Rock, David Spade, Will Forte, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tracy Morgan, Chris Parnell, Maya Rudolph, and Kristen Wiig. Darrell Hammond is the longest serving cast member, having been a part of the cast for fourteen years between 1995 and 2009.[46] Those selected to join the cast of SNL are normally already accomplished performers, recruited from improvisational comedy groups such as The Groundlings (Ferrell, Hartman,[47] Lovitz, and Wiig[48]) and The Second City (Aykroyd, Farley, Fey,[49] and Tim Meadows), or established stand-up comedians (Carvey, Sandler, Rock, and Norm MacDonald), who already possess the training or experience necessary for SNL.[50]
Of the many roles available in the show, one of the longest running, and most coveted, is being the host of "Weekend Update", a segment which has alternated between having one or two hosts, and which allows the cast members involved to perform as themselves and be on camera for an extended period of time.[51] Many of the "Weekend Update" hosts have gone on to find greater success outside of the show, including: Chase, Murray,[51] Miller, MacDonald,[52] Fey,[51] Fallon,[53] and Poehler. Since 2008, Seth Meyers has been the solo host of "Weekend Update", having previously co-hosted with Poehler since 2006.[51]
As of the 2011-2012 season, the cast is divided into two tiers: the more established group of repertory players; and newer, unproven cast members known as featured players, who may eventually be promoted to the repertory stable. The show's current cast is listed below:[54]
Current Repertory players | Current Featured players | |||||||
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Cast were often contracted from anywhere between five and six years to the show,[55][56] but starting with the 1999-2000 season, new hires were tied to a rewritten contract that allowed NBC to take a cast member in at least their second year and put them in a NBC sitcom. Cast are given the option of rejecting the first two sitcom offers but must accept the third offer, with the sitcom contract length dictated by NBC and potentially lasting up to six years.[56] The move drew criticism from talent agents and managers who believed that a cast member could be locked into a contract with NBC for twelve years; six on SNL and then six on a sitcom. The contract also optioned the cast member for three feature films produced by SNL Films, a company owned by NBC, Paramount Pictures, and Michaels. The new contracts were reportedly developed after many previously unknown cast, like Myers and Sandler, gained fame on SNL only to leave and make money for other studios.[56] In a 2010 interview, Wiig was reported to be contracted to SNL for a total of seven years.[57] The contracts also contain a network option which allows NBC to remove a cast member at any time.[58] In the first season of the show, cast were paid $750 per episode, rising to $2,000 by season 2, and $4,000 by season 4.[59] By the late 1990s, new cast members received a salary between $5,000[56] and $5,500 per episode,[58] increasing to $6,000 in the second year and up to $12,500 for a cast member in their fifth year.[58] Performers could earn an additional $1,500 per episode for writing a sketch which made it to air.[58] In 2001, Ferrell became the highest paid cast member, being paid $350,000 per season (approximately $17,500 per episode).[60]
As of the 2011-2012 season, Meyers is the show's head writer, having been co-head writer since the 2005-2006 season and becoming the single head writer as of the 2008-2009 season.[61] The "Weekend Update" segment has its own dedicated team of writers led by head writer and producer Alex Baze as of the 2011-2012 season.[62][63] Scenes on "Weekend Update" that involve members of the cast acting in-character alongside the host are often written by staff writers outside of the dedicated team whom know those characters better.[63]
SNL writers are often also performers or experienced in writing and improvisational comedy. Many are hired from similar backgrounds such as The Groundlings, Second City, Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, and ImprovOlympic.[37] Experienced writers with backgrounds in television shows are also sometimes brought into the SNL writing room. Like the SNL cast that step before the cameras, many of the writers have been able to find their own success outside the show such as O'Brien, who was brought into SNL from The Groundlings, went on to writing for The Simpsons, and eventually began hosting his own show,[64] and former head writer Adam McKay who, along with performer Ferrell, founded the successful comedy website Funny or Die.[65] In 2000, Fey became the first female SNL head writer[66][67] and successfully transitioned into starring on the show,[68] as well as writing and starring in feature films,[69][70][71] and ultimately creating and starring in her own show 30 Rock—partly based on her SNL experiences.[72] In 2005, Fey was being paid $1.5 million per season for her dual role as head writer and performer.[73]
Don Pardo served as the announcer for the series when it first began,[74] and has continued in the role for all but season 7 between 1981–1982, when Michaels had left and Mel Brandt and Bill Hanrahan filled the announcing role. In 2004, Pardo announced that he would step down from his position, but then continued in the role before again announcing his retirement in 2009, but then continue into the 2009-2010 season.[74] In 2010, then 92-year old Pardo was reported to be again considering his retirement, but as of the 2011-2012 season he remains as the announcer. Apart from a brief period in 2006 in which Pardo pre-recorded his announcements at his home in Arizona, he has flown to New York City to perform his announcing duties live.[74] Cast member Darrell Hammond also periodically impersonated Pardo and fulfilled his announcing duties when Pardo was unavailable.[75]
The Saturday Night Live Band (also known as "The Live Band") is the house band for SNL. Academy Award-winning composer Howard Shore served as the first musical director, from 1975 to 1980, appearing in many musical sketches, including Howard Shore and His All-Nurse Band and (backing a U. S. Coast Guard chorus) Howard Shore and the Shore Patrol. Over the years, the band has featured several New York studio musicians including Paul Shaffer (1975–1980), Lou Marini (1975–1983), David Sanborn (1975), Michael Brecker (early 1980s), Ray Chew (1980–1983), Alan Rubin (1975–1983), Georg Wadenius (1979–1985), Steve Ferrone (1985), David Johansen (performing as Buster Poindexter), Tom Malone (who took over as musical director from 1981 to 1985), and G. E. Smith (musical director from 1985 to 1995). The band is currently under the leadership of Tower of Power alumnus Lenny Pickett and keyboardists Leon Pendarvis and Katreese Barnes. The number of musicians has varied over the years, but the basic instrumentation has been three saxophones, one trombone, one trumpet, and a rhythm section featuring two keyboards, a guitar, bass, drums, and an extra percussionist, not a permanent part of the band until Valerie Naranjo's arrival in 1995. The 1983–1984 and 1984–1985 seasons featured the smallest band, a six-piece combo. The band plays instrumentals leading in and out of station breaks; affiliates who run no advertising during these interludes hear the band play complete songs behind a Saturday Night Live bumper graphic until the program resumes.[76]
A typical episode of SNL will feature a single host chosen for their popularity, novelty, or because they had a film, album or other work releasing near the time of their show appearance.[77] The host delivers the opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast. Traditionally the host of the show ends the opening monologue by introducing the musical guest for the night. Comedian George Carlin was the first to host SNL in the debut October 1975 episode;[78] three episodes later, Candice Bergen became the first female host[79] and the first to host more than once.[80] Hosts have been drawn from a wide spectrum of backgrounds, from actors, such as Danny DeVito, Buck Henry, and John Goodman,[77] to musicians, like George Harrison,[81] and Dolly Parton,[82], politicians such as former-president Gerald Ford, president Barack Obama, and Hilary Clinton,[83] and political activist Ralph Nader.[77] Guests that have hosted five or more times are sometimes referred to as belonging to the Five-Timers Club, a term that originated on a sketch performed on Tom Hanks' fifth episode. As of September 24, 2011, actor Alec Baldwin holds the record for most times hosting, having performed the duty on sixteen different occasions since 1990; Baldwin took the record from actor Steve Martin who has hosted fifteen times since 1976.[84]
Each episode also features a musical guest, a solo act or a band, who perform two to three musical numbers. Occasionally, the musical guest has also simultaneously served as the host. As of May 19, 2012, Dave Grohl is the most frequent musical guest, performing on eleven shows since 1992.[85] Michaels does not allow musical guests to perform using lip-synching tracks,[86] believing it diminishes the live aspect of the show. Exceptions are only made when the musical act is focused on intense dance routines instead of vocals, where it is difficult to be both heavily physically active and sing simultaneously.[87] A 1975 performance by pop group ABBA was the first and only act to feature lip-synching,[86] until the controversial 2004 performance of Ashlee Simpson.
Since the show's inception, SNL has aired from Studio 8H, located on floors 8 and 9 of the GE Building (30 Rockefeller Plaza, or "30 Rock"). The studio had previously been used as a radio soundstage for Arturo Toscanini and his NBC Symphony Orchestra.[88] Michaels was originally left aghast upon inspecting Studio 8H in 1975, finding it technically limited, outdated, and in need of repair,[89] lacking the capacity to host a live show.[88] Michaels demanded that NBC executives rebuild the studio and improve the acoustics to accommodate the intended musical acts,[88] at a cost of approximately $300,000.[88]
During the summer 2005 shooting hiatus, crews began renovations on Studio 8H. With its thirty-first season premiere in October 2005, the show began broadcasting in high-definition television, appearing letterboxed on conventional television screens. Three of the first four shows of the 1976–77 season were shot at the former NBC Studios in Brooklyn, due to NBC News using Studio 8H for Presidential election coverage.[90] The offices of SNL writers, producers, and other staff can be found on the 17th floor of "30 Rock".[91]
The production process of a typical episode has been documented in several sources including documentaries, interviews, and books. The common elements of the production process, as based on these documents, are as follows:
Production on an SNL episode will normally start on a Monday with a free-form pitch meeting[92][93][94] between the cast, writers, producers including Michaels, and the guest host, in Michaels' office, over two hours. The host is invited to pitch ideas during this meeting. Although some sketch writing may occur on the day, the bulk of the work revolves around pitching ideas. Tuesday is the only day dedicated purely to writing the scripts,[93] a process which can extend through the night into the following Wednesday. Writing may not begin until 8pm on the Tuesday evening.[92][94] At 5pm on Wednesday, the sketches are read during a round-table meeting in the writers room,[94] attended by the writers and producers present during the pitch meeting, technical experts such as make-up artists, who may be required to realize certain sketch ideas such as those using prosthetics, and other producers, resulting in an attendance of approximately fifty people.[95] At this point there may be at least 40 sketch ideas which are read-through in turn, lasting upwards of three hours.[95]
After completion of the read-through, Michaels, the head writer, the guest host, and some of the show producers will move to Michaels' office to decide the layout of the show and decide which of the sketches will be developed for air. Once complete, the writers and cast are allowed into Michaels' office to view the show breakdown and learn whether or not their sketch has survived.[96] Sketches may be rewritten starting the same day,[93] but will certainly commence on Thursday, work focuses on developing and rewriting the remaining sketches,[92] and possibly rehearsals.[94] If a sketch is still scheduled beyond Thursday, it is rehearsed on Friday or Saturday[93] before moving to a rehearsal before a live audience at 8pm, again on Saturday before the live show.[92][94] After the rehearsal, Michaels will review the show lineup to ensure it meets a 90-minute length, and sketches that have made it as far as the live rehearsal may be removed.[97] This often results in less than two days of rehearsal for the eight to twelve sketches that have made it to the stage that then may appear on the live broadcast.[92] The opening monologue, spoken by the guest host, is given low priority and can be written as late as Saturday afternoon.[98]
According to an interview with Fey in 2004, the three to four member dedicated "Weekend Update" writing team will write jokes throughout the week. The host(s) of "Weekend Update" will normally not work with, or read the scripts from, the team until Thursday evening, after the main show sketches have been finalized. The host(s) will then work on contributing to the script where necessary.[99][100]
With onsite facilities housed on floors 8 and 17 of Rockefeller Plaza, post-production duties on live broadcasts of Saturday Night Live include the mixing of audio and video elements by the Senior Audio Mixer, coupled with additional audio feeds consisting of music, sound effects, music scoring and pre-recorded voiceovers. All sources are stored digitally, with shows captured and segregated into individual elements to reorganise for future repeats and syndication. The production tracking system was migrated from primarily analogue to digital in 1998, with live shows typically requiring 1.5 Terabytes of storage, consisting of audio elements and 5 cameras worth of visual elements.[101] Elements of Saturday Night Live that are pre-recorded, such as certain commercial parodies, SNL Digital Shorts, and show graphics are processed off-site in the post-production facilities of Broadway Video.[102][103]
Studio 8H production facilities are maintained by NBC Production Services. Video camera equipment includes four Sony BVP-700 CCD cameras, and two Sony BVP-750 CCD handheld cameras, both using Vinten pedestals. A GVG 4000-3 digital component production switcher, and GVG 7000 digital component routing switcher are used to route visual feeds to the control room, with multiple digital and analogue video recorders used to store footage. Graphics are provided by a Chyron Infinit! character generator and a Quantel PictureBox. Audio facilities consist of a Calrec T Series digitally controlled analogue mixing console, and a Yamaha digital mixing console used for tape playback support and utility audio work.[104]
As of 2009, the opening title sequence and opening montage is shot using the Canon EOS 5D Mark II and Canon EOS 7D digital SLR cameras. Typical elements are recorded at 30 fps, with slow-motion sequences shot at 60 fps, both in full 1080p high definition.[105]
Edie Baskin was the original SNL photographer. She was hired after Michaels saw her photographs of Las Vegas and other work. Baskin helped create the opening title sequence for the show by taking photos of New York City at night.[106] The first episode used publicity photos of Carlin as transitional bumpers between the show and commercial breaks, the second episode used photos Baskin had already taken of then host Paul Simon. It was then that Michaels suggested that Baskin photograph the hosts for the bumpers instead of using publicity photos, beginning a tradition which continues today.[107]
Since 1999, Mary Ellen Matthews has been the official photographer of SNL, responsible for devising distinctive photo layouts and aesthetics for still imagery used on the show. Matthews creates photo portraits of the hosts and musical guests of each episode which are used as commercial bumpers. The limited time frame between the host's involvement in the production process and the Live show requires Matthews to create makeshift photo studios on site at 30 Rock, with Matthews attempting to shoot the host on Tuesday and the musical guest on Thursday, although the availability of either can mean the photoshoot for both occurs as late as Thursday.[108] Matthews employs flattering portrait lighting with hard lights to achieve a Hollywood style. On the lighting, Matthews commented: "I think it just helps the image pop off the screen...If you use soft or flat lighting, it becomes not as dimensional...The [classic Hollywood lighting] gives a little more contrast, and if I use edge lights and then light the background, it goes farther and farther back. I try to achieve that depth as much as I can."[109] Matthews is also responsible for taking cast photos, behind the scenes images, documenting rehearsals, and promotional photos. As of 2010, she has also been involved in directing videos, including the show title sequence.[109]
The show usually begins at 11:29:30 p.m. Eastern Time (10:29:30 p.m. Central Time)[2][not in citation given], unless a delay occurs. The show broadcasts for one and a half hours, ending at 1 a.m. For the Mountain (except for KSNG and KSNK because even though they are counties in Kansas in the Mountain time zone, they are in the Wichita Market, they air at 9:29:30 p.m. Mountain Time) and Pacific time zones, NBC airs the prerecorded live show usually unedited, mistakes notwithstanding. After the intro skit, the show always starts with the words: "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!"
NBC and Broadway Video both hold the underlying rights to the show, while the copyright to every episode lies solely with NBC. From 1990 until 2004, Comedy Central and its predecessor Ha! re-aired reruns of the series, after which E! Entertainment Television signed a deal to reruns.[110] Abbreviated thirty and sixty minute versions of the first five seasons aired as The Best of Saturday Night Live in syndication beginning in the 1980s and later on Nick at Nite in 1988. In September 2010, reruns of most episodes post-1998 began to air on VH1.[111]
Because SNL has been a huge success in America, other countries have created their own versions of the show, including Spain, Italy and Japan.[112] Spain's version of show was short lived, only lasting a few episodes which aired on Thursdays and not Saturdays as the title suggested. This version copied heavily from the American version, in that they did their own versions of sketches that were already done on the original series.[112] Unlike Spain's version, Italy's was a success. Saturday Night Live From Milan, as it is called, is currently airing its fourth season. SNLFM follows the original format, but uses new material not done already on the American version.[112][113] In June 2011, Japan's version debuted. Saturday Night Live: Japan was created in part with Lorne Michaels' production company, Broadway Video and broadcast on Fuji TV networks. The show follows the same format with a few minor differences. SNLJ is only 45 minutes long and (for now) is hosted by a permanent host. The cast is made up of seasoned comedians who take center stage and newcomers who play the background roles.[112][113][114][115] On December 3, 2011, South Korea's Saturday Night Live KOREA debuted on TVN.[116][117] SNL Korea's season will last eight weeks.[118] SNLK follows the format of the original but it has new sketches. It has its own versions of SNL Digital Shorts and Weekend Update. The show features musical guests who appear once at the beginning and once near the end of each episode. SNL is aired in The Middle East and North Africa on OSNComedy every Saturday night, one week after it airs in the U.S.[119]
In 2002, the show was ranked tenth on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time,[123] while in 2007 it was honored with inclusion on Time magazine's list of "100 Best TV Shows of All-TIME."[2][124]
Saturday Night Live has won numerous awards since its debut, including 21 Primetime Emmy Awards,[125] 2 Peabody Awards,[126] and 3 Writers Guild of America Awards.[127] In 2009, it received a total of 13 Emmy nominations for a lifetime total of 126, breaking the record for the most award nominated show in Emmy history, previously set with 124 by hospital drama ER.[128][129] As of January 2012, it has received a total of 142 Emmy nominations.[2]
SNL has also had an effect on elections. Voters had reported that political sketches that were shown on the show had influenced them in the voting booth. The media dubbed this as the The SNL Effect. The so-called SNL Effect was observed during the 2008 presidential campaign according to Mike Dabadie. Two-thirds of voters who responded to a poll said they had seen a broadcast of politically charged content on SNL, with ten percent saying that it had made a difference in their decision. Barack Obama was the beneficiary of the political content, with 59 percent saying they did in fact cast a vote for the then-Democratic nominee.[130]
However in the Democratic presidential primary campaign, Hillary Clinton received more favorable treatment than Barack Obama. During the campaign Fey famously quipped about the then-Senator that "bitches get stuff done" and that "bitch is the new black." [131]
Currently, Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Lions Gate Entertainment hold video rights to the series. Universal has issued complete season DVD sets to the first few seasons, while Lionsgate's share of the rights are a result of prior contracts with NBC struck before the NBC Universal merger. A majority of Lionsgate's SNL DVDs are "Best Of..." compilations.
Saturday Night Live (ISBN 0-380-01801-2), the first authorized book about the series was published by Avon Books in 1977, and edited by Anne Beatts and John Head, with photography by Edie Baskin;[132] all three worked for SNL at the time the book was published. The oversized illustrated paperback included the scripts for several sketches by the 1975-1980 cast.[133] In 1989, Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad authored Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live (ISBN 0-688-05099-9), a behind-the-scenes look at the first ten seasons. Saturday Night Live: The First Twenty Years (ISBN 0-395-75284-1) by Michael Cader was released in 1994, and presented information about the cast, characters, and other memorable moments seen on the show from 1975 to 1994.[134]
Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live, as Told By Its Stars, Writers and Guests (ISBN 0-316-73565-5) was released in 2002. The book, written by Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller, consists of interviews from people who have worked on the show. The interviews reveal personal experiences from what happened back stage and the difficulty of getting the show on air each week.[135] In 2004, former cast member Jay Mohr released his memoir Gasping for Airtime: Two Years in the Trenches of Saturday Night Live (ISBN 1-401-30801-5), about his struggles during his two seasons on the show between 1993 and 1995, dealing with getting sketches on air and the intense work schedule. Cast member Bobby Moynihan described the book as "a handbook on what NOT to do at SNL."[136]
SNL has made several efforts to develop some of the more popular sketches into feature length films, with varying degrees of commercial and critical success. The first foray into film came with the successful Aykroyd and Belushi vehicle, The Blues Brothers (1980), which earned over $115 million on a $27 million budget.[137] However, it was the success of Wayne's World (1992) that encouraged Michaels to produce more film spin-offs, based on several popular sketch characters. Michaels revived 1970s characters for Coneheads (1993), followed by It's Pat (1994); Stuart Saves His Family (1995); A Night at the Roxbury (1998); Superstar (1999) and The Ladies Man (2000). Some did moderately well, though others did not—notably, It's Pat, which did so badly at the box office that the studio which made the film, Touchstone Pictures (owned by The Walt Disney Company, which also owns NBC's rival ABC), pulled it only one week after releasing it,[138] and Stuart Saves His Family, with the latter losing $15 million. Many of these films were produced by Paramount Pictures. The films based on The Blues Brothers were produced by Universal Studios, which merged with NBC in 2004 to form NBC Universal (Universal also has a joint venture with Paramount for international distribution of the two studios' films).
Film | Release date (United States) |
Budget (estimated) |
Box office revenue | Distributor | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
United States | Elsewhere | Worldwide | ||||
The Blues Brothers | June 20, 1980 | $27 million | $57,229,890 | $58,000,000 | $115,229,890 | Universal |
Wayne's World | February 14, 1992 | $20 million | $121,697,323 | $61,400,000 | $183,097,323 | Paramount |
Coneheads | July 23, 1993 | N/A | $21,274,717 | N/A | $21,274,717 | Paramount |
Wayne's World 2 | December 10, 1993 | $40 million | $48,197,805 | N/A | $48,197,805 | Paramount |
It's Pat | August 26, 1994 | N/A | $60,822 | N/A | $60,822 | Touchstone |
Stuart Saves His Family | April 14, 1995 | $15 million | $912,082 | $912,082 | Paramount | |
Blues Brothers 2000 | February 6, 1998 | $28 million | $14,051,384 | N/A | $14,051,384 | Universal |
A Night at the Roxbury | October 2, 1998 | $17 million | $30,331,165 | N/A | $30,331,165 | Paramount |
Superstar | October 8, 1999 | $14 million | $30,636,478 | N/A | $30,636,478 | Paramount |
The Ladies Man | October 13, 2000 | $24 million | $13,743,212 | $126,602 | $13,616,610 | Paramount |
MacGruber | May 21, 2010 | $10 million | $8,525,600 | $797,295 | $9,259,314 | Universal |
In addition, the 1999 comedy film Office Space originated from a series of Mike Judge animated short films that aired on SNL in 1993.[139]
The character Bob Roberts from the Tim Robbins film of the same name, first appeared on SNL in a short film about the conservative folk singer.
The group The Folksmen first appeared on SNL, performing the song "Old Joe's Place" before later appearing in the film A Mighty Wind. The three members of the Folksmen were the same three comedians: Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, and Christopher Guest, who also appeared on the same episode as the rock group Spinal Tap. At the time of the appearance (the 1984–85 season), Shearer and Guest were cast members.
In 2005, the comedy troupe The Lonely Island, consisting of SNL members Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma Taccone, gained national exposure after joining the show and debuting their skit music video "Lazy Sunday", written with fellow cast member Chris Parnell. The song became a surprise hit,[140] and convinced Michaels to encourage the troupe to develop more comedy songs. Further successes with songs including "Like A Boss, "Jizz in My Pants," "I'm on a Boat," "We Like Sportz", "Boombox," and "Dick in a Box"—which won an Emmy for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics in 2007[141]—saw The Lonely Island go on to release two albums, Incredibad (2009)[142] and Turtleneck & Chain (2011), containing SNL-developed songs and original works. The albums were released by Universal Republic Records who were provided with a license to the SNL songs by NBC and Broadway Video.
Several programs have documented the behind-the-scenes events of the show. A 60 Minutes report taped in October 2004 depicted the intense writing frenzy that goes on during the week leading up to a show, with crowded meetings and long hours. The report particularly noted the involvement of the guest host(s) in developing and selecting the sketches in which they will appear. Similarly, there has been an A&E episode of Biography which covered the production process, as well as an episode of TV Tales in 2002 on E!. In 2010, Saturday Night, a 94-minute documentary by actor James Franco in his directorial debut, was released which follows the production process of the December 6, 2008, episode hosted by John Malkovich, from the concept stage to the episode actually airing live. Although it originated as a 5-minute short film for his New York University film class, Michaels granted Franco access to the process, allowing the project to be expanded.[94]
In September 2011, ice-cream company Ben & Jerry's released a limited-edition ice cream called "Schweddy Balls", inspired by a late 1990s sketch of the same name starring Alec Baldwin, Ana Gasteyer and Molly Shannon.[143] The ice cream became the fastest-selling Ben & Jerry's limited-edition flavor. The ice cream was also subject to criticism and boycotts by the One Million Moms organization over the "vulgar"[144] name. Some retail chains chose not to sell the flavor, but declined to say if the decision was of their own discretion or based on the One Million Moms boycotts.[145][144]
In some cases, a sketch was censored in repeat broadcasts.
Andrew Dice Clay was scheduled as host on the May 12, 1990, episode. Cast member Nora Dunn immediately announced to the press that she was boycotting the show in protest at Clay's perceived misogynistic, politically incorrect act, doing so without informing Michaels, the cast or most of the crew about her intent.[154] The backlash was immediate; casting Clay was compared to the Holocaust by an audience member during an interview with Michaels,[155] female members of the cast and crew were harassed by phone and mail for sticking with the show, and metal detectors were installed at the show to enhance security. NBC censors insisted that the episode be placed on a delay to compensate for anything Clay might say on air.[156] During the live show, some audience members heckled Clay and were immediately removed by the increased security detail.[157] Dunn's contract was already coming to an end, and with one episode left in the season, the staff voted against having her take part in the final episode or return.[158] Sinéad O'Connor was scheduled to be the musical guest for the episode, but she boycotted the show because of Clay's involvement, forcing the producers to find musical replacements.[159]
On October 3, 1992, O'Connor was scheduled to appear, performing an a cappella performance of Bob Marley's "War". During the dress rehearsal, O'Connor held up a photo of a Balkan child as a protest for child abuse in war before bowing and leaving the stage, which the episode's director Dave Wilson described as a "very tender moment".[160] However, during the live show, O'Connor altered the "War" lyric "fight racial injustice" to "fight child abuse" as a protest against the cases of sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church. She presented a photo of Pope John Paul II while singing the word "evil", before tearing the image into pieces and saying "Fight the real enemy".[160][161] NBC had no foreknowledge of O'Connor's plan, and Wilson purposely failed to use the "applause" button, leaving the audience to sit in silence. Michaels made the decision to allow O'Connor to take the stage with the rest of the cast at the end of the show, for which he was later punished.[why?] NBC received thousands of irate calls in the aftermath of the incident, and protests against O'Connor occurred outside of the 30 Rock building, where a steamroller crushed dozens of her tapes, CD's and LP's.[160] In the following weeks on SNL, guests Joe Pesci and Madonna both voiced their lack of support for O'Connor.[160][161]
As of 2012, NBC still declines to rebroadcast the sequence with the exception of an interview with O'Connor on MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show, which aired on April 24, 2010, when the clip was aired in full. In reruns the incident is replaced with the dress rehearsal performance. The original episode was made available on volume four of the SNL DVD special Saturday Night Live - 25 Years of Music, with an introduction by Michaels about the incident. On February 20, 2011, the clip was aired on the SNL special "Backstage" showing footage of the dress rehearsal and live performance side by side. The footage cuts to interviewees during the moment the photo was ripped.[citation needed]
The incident was mocked during an episode of the television show 30 Rock, in which a woman in the role of an NBC page comes onto stage and tears a picture of O'Connor in half.[162]
On April 13, 1996, musical guests Rage Against the Machine (RATM) were scheduled to perform two songs. The show was hosted that night by ex-Republican presidential candidate and billionaire Steve Forbes. According to RATM guitarist Tom Morello, "RATM wanted to stand in sharp juxtaposition to a billionaire telling jokes and promoting his flat tax by making our own statement."[163] To this end, the band hung two upside-down American flags from their amplifiers. Seconds before they took the stage to perform "Bulls on Parade", SNL and NBC sent stagehands in to pull the flags down.[164] Following the removal of the flags during the first performance, the band was approached by SNL and NBC officials and ordered to immediately leave the building. Upon hearing this, bassist Tim Commerford reportedly stormed Forbes' dressing room, throwing shreds from one of the torn down flags. Morello noted that members of the SNL cast and crew, whom he declined to name, "expressed solidarity with our actions, and a sense of shame that their show had censored the performance."[163]
Ashlee Simpson appeared as a musical guest on October 23, 2004. Her first performance, "Pieces of Me," was performed without incident, but when she began her second song, "Autobiography," the vocals for "Pieces of Me" were heard again—before she had even raised the microphone to her mouth. Simpson began to do an impromptu jig, and then left the stage.[165] During the closing of the show Simpson appeared with the guest host Jude Law and said: "I'm so sorry. My band started playing the wrong song, and I didn't know what to do, so I thought I'd do a hoedown."[166][167]
On October 25, Simpson called in to the music video show Total Request Live and explained that due to complications arising from severe acid reflux disease, which had previously been seen bothering her in The Ashlee Simpson Show, she had completely lost her voice and her doctor had advised her not to sing. She said that because of the acid reflux, her father wanted her to use a vocal guide track for the performance after Simpson had suffered vocal issues during an earlier rehearsal.[87] Simpson stated of the incident, "I made a complete fool of myself." According to Simpson, the drummer hit the wrong button, which caused the wrong track to be played.[168] Michaels had been unaware of the plan to use lip synching, saying in an interview with 60 Minutes that he would not have allowed it.[87] Simpson is the only musical guest to ever walk off stage during a live performance.[87]
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Daniel Craig | |
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Craig at Quantum of Solace premiere in New York, on 11 November 2008 |
|
Born | Daniel Wroughton Craig 2 March 1968 [1] Chester, Cheshire, England |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1992–present |
Spouse | Fiona Loudon (m. 1992–94, divorced) Rachel Weisz (m. 2011) |
Children | Ella Craig |
Daniel Wroughton Craig[2] (born 2 March 1968) is an English actor best known for playing British secret agent James Bond in a 2006 reboot of the film series and its sequels.
Craig is an alumnus of the National Youth Theatre and graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and began his career on stage. His early on screen appearances were in the films Elizabeth, The Power of One and A Kid in King Arthur's Court, and on Sharpe's Eagle and Zorro in television. His appearances in the British films Love Is the Devil, The Trench and Some Voices attracted the industry's attention, leading to roles in bigger productions such as Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Road to Perdition, Layer Cake and Munich.
Craig achieved international fame when chosen as the sixth actor to play the role of Bond, replacing Pierce Brosnan. His debut in Casino Royale was highly acclaimed and earnt him a BAFTA award nomination, with the film becoming the highest grossing in the series to date. Quantum of Solace followed two years later, with the third film Skyfall set for release in 2012, having been delayed due to MGM's financial troubles.[3]
Craig is married to actress Rachel Weisz, his second wife. He has a daughter Ella by his first wife, Fiona Loudon. In 2006 he joined the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Since taking the role of Bond, Craig has continued to appear in other films, most recently starring in the English language adaptation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
Contents |
Craig was born in Chester, Cheshire, England.[4] His mother, Carol Olivia (née Williams), was an art teacher, and his father, Timothy John Wroughton Craig, was the landlord of the pubs "Ring o' Bells" (in Frodsham) and the "Boot Inn" (Willington, Tarporley), and also served as a midshipman in the Merchant Navy.[5][6][7] Both of Craig's parents were of half-Welsh descent.[8] He was brought up on the Wirral Peninsula,[9] and attended a primary school in Frodsham and Hoylake called Holy Trinity Primary School. He attended Hilbre High School in later years.[10] He began acting in school plays at age six.
Craig moved to London when he was sixteen to join the National Youth Theatre after a stay at Calday.[7] He and his older sister, Lea, attended Hilbre High School and Calday Grange Grammar School in West Kirby. He played for Hoylake RFC Rugby Union Club.[11] He attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama at the Barbican and graduated in 1991 after three years of study under Colin McCormack.
Craig appeared as Joe in the Royal National Theatre's production of Tony Kushner's Angels in America in November 1993. Also in 1993, Craig appeared in an episode of Yorkshire Television's Heartbeat, which aired on 31 October 1993.[12] An early starring role was as 'Geordie' in the BBC's 1996 drama Our Friends in the North, with early film roles being as Angelina Jolie's rival and love interest in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), before appearing in Sam Mendes's movie Road to Perdition (2002), with Tom Hanks and Paul Newman. Other leading film roles include Sword of Honour (2001), The Mother (2003) with Anne Reid, Sylvia (2003) with Gwyneth Paltrow, Layer Cake (2004) with Sienna Miller, Enduring Love (2004) with Rhys Ifans, Steven Spielberg's Munich (2005) with Eric Bana, Infamous and Casino Royale (2006), The Golden Compass (2007), Quantum of Solace, Defiance (2008), and Cowboys & Aliens (2011).
In 2005, Craig was contracted by EON Productions to portray James Bond. He stated that he "was aware of the challenges" of the James Bond franchise which he considers "a big machine" that "makes a lot of money". He aimed at bringing more "emotional depth" to the character.[13] Being born in 1968, Craig is the first actor to portray James Bond to have been born after the Bond series already started, and Ian Fleming, the novels' writer, had died.
Significant controversy followed the decision, as it was doubted if the producers had made the right choice. Throughout the entire production period Internet campaigns expressed their dissatisfaction and threatened to boycott the film in protest.[14] Craig, unlike previous actors, was not considered by the protesters to fit the tall, dark, handsome image of Bond to which viewers had been accustomed.[15] The Daily Mirror ran a front page news story critical of Craig, with the headline, "The Name's Bland – James Bland."[16] Although the choice of Craig was controversial, numerous actors publicly voiced their support, most notably, four of the five actors who had previously portrayed Bond – Pierce Brosnan,[17] Timothy Dalton, Sean Connery and Roger Moore – called his casting a good decision. Clive Owen, who had been linked to the role, also spoke in defence of Craig.[18]
The first film, Casino Royale, premièred on 14 November 2006 and grossed a total of US$594,239,066 worldwide, which makes the film the highest grossing Bond film to date.[19] After the film was released, Craig's performance was highly acclaimed.[20] As production of Casino Royale reached its conclusion, producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli announced that pre-production work had already begun on the 22nd Bond film. After several months of speculation as to the release date, Wilson and Broccoli officially announced on 20 July 2006 that the follow-up film, Quantum of Solace,[21] was to be released on 7 November 2008 and that Craig plays Bond with an option for a third film.[22] On 25 October 2007, MGM CEO Harry Sloan revealed at the Forbes Meet II Conference that Craig had signed on for four more Bond films, through to Bond 25.[23]
In 2006, Craig was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[24] On 12 June 2008, Craig sliced the top of one of his fingers off while filming Quantum of Solace.[25] The accident was the latest in a string of incidents surrounding the shoot, including a fire at one of the sets in Pinewood Studios, a car crash that left the stunt driver in a serious condition, and an Aston Martin skidding off the roads while being transported to the set in Italy and plunging into Lake Garda.[26]
Craig describes his portrayal of Bond as an anti-hero: "The question I keep asking myself while playing the role is, 'Am I the good guy or just a bad guy who works for the good side?' Bond's role, after all, is that of an assassin when you come down to it. I have never played a role in which someone's dark side shouldn't be explored. I don't think it should be confusing by the end of the film, but during the film you should be questioning who he is."[27] Craig also states that his favourite previous Bond actor was Sean Connery, but says, "I'd never copy somebody else. I would never do an impression of anybody else or try and improve on what they did. That would be a pointless exercise for me".[28] His favourite Bond film is From Russia with Love.[29] On a James Bond-centric episode of The South Bank Show, Connery divulged his thoughts on Craig's casting as Bond, whom he described as "fantastic, marvelous in the part." When he was told that Craig had taken particular note of his performances, Connery said that he was "flattered" and that Craig really gets the "danger element" to Bond's character.[30]
On 19 April 2010, Craig's expected third Bond film (the 23rd overall in the series) was announced to have been suspended indefinitely due to the crippling debt and uncertain future of MGM.[31] However, both Craig and Sam Mendes hoped to resume work on the film soon. The film has since resumed and Craig will return as Bond once again,[32] with the film (now called Skyfall) due for release on 9 November 2012. Skyfall is expected to be part of year-long celebrations of the 50th anniversary of Dr. No.[33] On 19 December 2011, it was announced that Daniel Craig has signed on for five future Bond films, bringing his total to eight films which would break by one film Roger Moore's record of the longest running actor to portray the character.[34]
In 1999, Craig starred as Richard in a TV drama called Shockers: The Visitor. In 2007, he portrayed Lord Asriel in The Golden Compass, the film adaptation of Philip Pullman's novel.[35] Eva Green, who played Bond girl Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale, also starred in the film, although she did not appear in any scenes with Craig. In a stage version of the book, Asriel had previously been played by Timothy Dalton, one of Craig's predecessors in the role of James Bond.
In early 2001, Craig expressed an interest in being a part of the Star Trek franchise, professing his love of the series to the World Entertainment News Network and a desire to have a "stint in the TV show or a film. It's been a secret ambition of mine for years."[36] On 16 March 2007, Craig made a cameo appearance as himself in a sketch with Catherine Tate who appeared in the guise of her character Elaine Figgis from The Catherine Tate Show. The sketch was made for the BBC Red Nose Day 2007 fundraising programme.[37]
In 2008's Defiance, he played Tuvia Bielski, a Jewish resistance fighter in the forests of Belarus during World War II who saved 1,200 people[38] The shot in Casino Royale of Craig sporting swimming trunks has often topped many sexiest male celebrity polls,[39] and in 2009 Del Monte Foods launched an ice pop moulded to resemble Craig emerging from the sea.[40] He co-starred with Hugh Jackman, in a limited engagement of the play A Steady Rain, on Broadway at the Schoenfeld Theatre, which opened on 10 September 2009 and closed on 6 December 2009.[41]
Craig lent his voice and likeness as James Bond for both the Wii game GoldenEye 007, an enhanced remake of the 1997 game for the Nintendo 64, and James Bond 007: Blood Stone, an original game for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo DS, and Microsoft Windows.[42] In August 2010, Craig was cast as crusading journalist Mikael Blomkvist in David Fincher's 2011 adaptation of Stieg Larsson's novel The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.[43] Craig co-starred with Harrison Ford and Olivia Wilde in Cowboys & Aliens, an American science fiction Western film, based on Scott Mitchell Rosenberg's 2006 graphic novel of the same name.[44][45]
In 1992, Craig married Scottish actress Fiona Loudon, with whom he has a daughter, Ella. The marriage ended in divorce in 1994.[46]
After his divorce, he was in a seven-year relationship with German actress Heike Makatsch, ending in 2001.[47] He subsequently dated film producer Satsuki Mitchell from 2004 until 2010.[48]
Craig and actress Rachel Weisz began dating in December 2010.[49] Craig and Weisz married on 22 June 2011[48][50] in a private New York City ceremony, with only four guests in attendance, including Craig's 18-year-old daughter Ella, and Weisz's four-year-old son Henry.[51] Craig and Weisz had been friends for many years and had worked together on the movie Dream House shortly before they began dating in late 2010.
In October 2008, Craig paid £4 million for a flat near Regent's Park, London.[52] He is a Liverpool F.C. supporter.[53]
Craig is rumoured to have bought a property in the Hertfordshire community of Barkway.[54]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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1992 | The Power of One | Sgt. Botha, a.k.a. The Judge | |
1993 | Between the Lines | Undercover Detective | Second series, part 1 (part 14 in all) |
1993 | Heartbeat | Peter Begg | |
1993 | Zorro | Lt. Hidalgo | Two episodes of a US TV series filmed in Madrid |
1993 | Sharpe's Eagle | Lt. Berry | Television drama |
1995 | A Kid in King Arthur's Court | Master Kane | |
1996 | Kiss And Tell | Matt Kearney | TV film |
1996 | The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders | James "Jemmy" Seagrave | Television drama |
1996 | Our Friends in the North | George "Geordie" Peacock | Television drama: 8 episodes |
1997 | Obsession – Besessene Seelen | John McHale | |
1997 | The Ice House | D.S. Andy McLoughlin | TV mystery/drama from the novel by Minette Walters |
1997 | The Hunger | ||
1998 | Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon | George Dyer | Edinburgh International Film Festival Award for Best British Performance |
1998 | Love and Rage | James Lynchehaun | |
1998 | Elizabeth | John Ballard | |
1999 | The Trench | Sgt. Telford Winter | Nominated – British Independent Film Award for Best Actor |
1999 | The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Daredevils of the Desert | Schiller | |
2000 | Some Voices | Ray | British Independent Film Award for Best Actor |
2000 | Hotel Splendide | Ronald Blanche | |
2000 | I Dreamed of Africa | Declan Fielding | |
2001 | Lara Croft: Tomb Raider | Alex West | |
2001 | Sword of Honour | Guy Crouchback | |
2002 | Copenhagen | Werner Heisenberg | Television drama (stage adaptation) |
2002 | Ten Minutes Older: The Cello | Cecil | |
2002 | Road to Perdition | Connor Rooney | |
2003 | Sylvia | Ted Hughes | |
2003 | The Mother | Darren | Nominated—British Independent Film Award for Best Actor Nominated—European Film Audience Award for Best Actor Nominated—London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor |
2004 | Layer Cake | Mr. X | Nominated—Empire Award for Best Actor Nominated—European Film Awards Audience Award for Best Actor also for Enduring Love |
2004 | Enduring Love | Joe | Nominated – British Independent Film Award for Best Actor Nominated – European Film Awards Audience Award for Best Actor also for Layer Cake |
2005 | Munich | Steve | |
2005 | Archangel | Christopher Kelso | Television drama |
2005 | Fateless | American Soldier | |
2005 | The Jacket | Rudy Mackenzie | |
2006 | Casino Royale | James Bond | Empire Award for Best Actor Evening Standard British Film Awards Award for Best Actor Sant Jordi Award for Best Foreign Actor Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Actor |
2006 | Renaissance | Barthélémy Karas | Voice role |
2006 | Infamous | Perry Smith | Nominated—Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male |
2007 | The Golden Compass | Lord Asriel | |
2007 | The Invasion | Ben Driscoll | |
2008 | Flashbacks of a Fool | Joe Scot | Also Executive Producer |
2008 | Quantum of Solace | James Bond | Nominated—Empire Award for Best Actor |
2008 | Defiance | Tuvia Bielski | |
2011 | Cowboys & Aliens | Jake Lonergan | Nominated—Scream Award for Best Science Fiction Actor |
2011 | Dream House | Will Attenton | |
2011 | The Adventures of Tintin | Ivan Ivanovitch Sakharine/Red Rackham | |
2011 | The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo | Mikael Blomkvist | Nominated—Empire Award for Best Actor |
2012 | Skyfall | James Bond | Post-Production |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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2008 | Quantum of Solace | James Bond | voice-over |
2010 | GoldenEye 007 | James Bond | voice-over |
2010 | James Bond 007: Blood Stone | James Bond | voice-over |
Preceded by Pierce Brosnan 1995–2004 |
Eon Productions James Bond actor 2006–present |
Incumbent |
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Jimmy Fallon | |
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Jimmy Fallon, 2010 |
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Birth name | James Thomas Fallon, Jr. |
Born | Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
September 19, 1974
Medium | Stand-up, music, television, film |
Nationality | American |
Years active | 1990–present |
Genres | Satire/political satire/news satire, observational comedy, musical comedy, surreal humor, awkward |
Subject(s) | American culture, American politics, pop culture, current events, mass media/news media |
Influences | Dana Carvey, Robin Williams |
Spouse | Nancy Juvonen (2007–present) |
Notable works and roles | Saturday Night Live Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (host, 2009–present) |
James Thomas "Jimmy" Fallon, Jr. (born September 19, 1974) is an American actor, comedian, singer, musician and television host. He currently hosts Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, a late-night talk show that airs Monday through Friday on NBC. Prior to that he appeared in several films, and was best known as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1998–2004.
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James Thomas Fallon, Jr., was born in Brooklyn, New York. Jimmy is the son of Gloria and James Fallon, Sr.,[1] who is a Vietnam War veteran.[2] His family later settled in Saugerties, New York, while his father worked at IBM in nearby Kingston, New York. He is of Irish descent.[3] As a child, he and his older sister, Gloria, would reenact the “clean parts” of Saturday Night Live that his parents had taped for him.[4] Fallon was such a fan of Saturday Night Live that he made a weekly event of watching it in his dormitory during college. In his teens, he impressed his parents with different impersonations, the first being of James Cagney.[5][6] He was also musically inclined, and started playing guitar at age 13. He would go on to mix comedy and music in contests and shows.[6]
Fallon attended St. Mary of the Snow, a Roman Catholic parochial school, and Saugerties High School, from which he graduated in 1992. He attended The College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York. He was a Computer Science major, but switched to Communications in his senior year, dropping out a semester shy of a degree.[7][8] "I was a Computer Science major. I got out once it got really hard. I made it up to C++. Then I couldn't do the math – it got really confusing. I switched to Communications, which is a ridiculous major – let's be honest," he recalls.[9] On May 9, 2009, Fallon received a B.A. in Communications and[10] an honorary doctorate degree from The College of Saint Rose after presenting college officials with his portfolio, which satisfied all requisites for his degree.[7] In addition to receiving a BA, Fallon spoke at the school's 86th commencement. That night, on Saturday Night Live, he held up his diploma during the closing of the show. Additionally, he showed excerpts from the ceremony on his late night show May 11, 2009.
Fallon gives credit to troll dolls for his big break. He was given a troll doll with a graduation cap in his senior year of high school. His mother heard about an impression contest at Bananas Comedy Club in Poughkeepsie, NY. Fallon came up with a stand-up routine that was a commercial for troll dolls. He would impersonate various celebrities auditioning to be the spokesperson. He won the contest and after college he began to do stand-up tours across the country. When he was in Los Angeles, he took improv classes with The Groundlings.[5]
Fallon appeared in the feature film The Scheme (originally entitled The Entrepreneurs). His one line in Father's Day was cut but he can still be seen in the background. In 1998 Fallon appeared briefly on the show Spin City in the second season as a man selling photographs. By late 1998, Fallon was studying at the Groundlings Theater in Los Angeles, making $7.50 a set at The Improv Theater, when he was summoned to New York to audition for the long-running late night sketch comedy show, Saturday Night Live. Fallon did his impersonations of Jerry Seinfeld,[11] French Stewart, Pat O'Brien, Chris Rock, Hilary Swank, Gilbert Gottfried, Enrique Iglesias, Adam Sandler, Jeff Foxworthy, Eddie Murphy, Larry the Cable Guy, many of which drew laughter from producer Lorne Michaels, which is generally unheard of. Fallon also did musical impersonations of Bono of U2, Adam Duritz of Counting Crows, Alanis Morissette, and Robert Smith of The Cure.[4]
Fallon's impersonations helped land him on Saturday Night Live as a featured player in the 1998–1999 season,[12] and he was promoted to full cast member in the summer of 1999.[4] Among his signature bits were his song parodies, which he performed when Colin Quinn was doing Update and continued to showcase on special occasions after he had replaced him. He became co-anchor of Weekend Update with Tina Fey with the October 7, 2000 season premiere.[13] Fallon left SNL in 2004 and began pursuing a film career.
Fallon returned to SNL, hosting the December 17, 2011 episode, having made several cameos in episodes in the years since his departure.[14]
Fallon succeeded fellow Saturday Night Live alumnus Conan O'Brien as the host of NBC's Late Night after O'Brien left the show to prepare to take over The Tonight Show from Jay Leno in 2009.[16] The deal for the long-expected succession was confirmed April 24, 2008, with an official announcement made on May 12, 2008 at NBC's upfront presentation.[17][18] The official press conference was released on Hulu.com.[19]
The show, titled Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, first aired on March 2, 2009 with guests Robert De Niro, Justin Timberlake, Nick Carter, and musical guest Van Morrison. Guests on the show's first week included Tina Fey, Jon Bon Jovi, Cameron Diaz, Donald Trump, and Drew Barrymore.
"Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" sometimes features parodies by Fallon impersonating various musicians, and he has been praised for his ability to pull off spot-on impressions. Fallon often changes the lyrics to honour a recent event in popular culture and videos of these performances tend to go viral. In one segment, on May 26, 2011, Fallon impersonated Neil Young, singing along with guests Graham Nash and David Crosby, of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Recent victims include Fallon making parodies of Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam performing "Jeremy (Lin)" in light of the hysteria surrounding New York Knicks shocking standout Jeremy Lin, the Doors singing the theme song to the PBS children's show "Reading Rainbow", Neil Young's version of the "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" theme song, and David Bowie's "Space Oddity" with inspiration by Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow. First appearing in January 2012, and dubbing himself as "Tebowie", Fallon's impersonation of the famously-religious quarterback went viral. Due to overwhelmingly positive acclaim from the public, Fallon revived the act on March 20, 2012 after the Denver Broncos acquired superstar and future hall of fame quarterback Peyton Manning, and revealed their intentions to trade Tebow. Fallon continues to do impersonations, in some of the show's comedy segments, especially impersonations of famous singers.
To celebrate the second anniversary on March 2, 2011, Ben & Jerry's launched a personalized "Late Night Snack" ice cream. This was immediately parodied on The Colbert Report the next day and the two show hosts engaged in a brief ice cream personality war. Colbert used numerous "fecal matter" jokes to describe the flavor of the ice cream named after Jimmy Fallon.[20]
On November 21, 2011 U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann, who was active in the Republican Presidential Primaries at the time, appeared as a guest on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. As she walked onto the stage, the band played a funk song titled "Lyin' Ass Bitch," without any lyrics. Hours earlier, the band's drummer Questlove had sent a tweet about the song choice: “late night walkon song devotees: you love it when we snark: this next one takes the cake. ask around cause i aint tweeting title.” After a prominent Democratic Congress woman complained, Fallon made a general apology by tweet.[21] Fallon began his tweet with the words: "I'm honored that @michelebachmann was on our show yesterday and I'm so sorry about the intro mess."[22] Fallon also used his Twitter account to tease his Roots bandleader Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson that he was "grounded".[22]
Fallon has appeared in Taxi, Anything Else, Almost Famous, Fever Pitch, Band of Brothers, Doogal, Factory Girl and Whip It. He occasionally does stand up comedy at the Comedy Club in New York City and has also performed at the House of Blues in Boston, Massachusetts on occasions.
In 2002, Fallon released the comedy album The Bathroom Wall. In a mixed review, Rolling Stone praised the album's songs, calling the album the "second-best Prince parody ever, after Beck's 'Debra'." However the magazine panned the album's comedy routines, ultimately giving it two-out-of-five stars.[23] The album was nominated for a Grammy in 2003 for Best Spoken Comedy Album. Fallon co-hosted the 2001 MTV Movie Awards with Kirsten Dunst on June 7, 2001.[24] Fallon has played Neo in Sex and the Matrix, a comedic two-in-one parody of Sex and the City and The Matrix.[25] He hosted the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards alone that year.[26] His opening number included parodies of videos by Eminem, Avril Lavigne, Nelly, The White Stripes, Dave Matthews and Enrique Iglesias.
Also in 2002, Fallon appeared in The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch as the son of Melvin Hall, and constantly pesters his father, often stealing his mike, claiming that the film is "his documentary."[27]
Fallon also hosted the 2005 MTV Movie Awards and played Anakin Skywalker in comedic parody of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith's Mustafar scene, in which Anakin and Padme have their last conversation. Fallon was named one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People in 2002, an honor Fallon found embarrassing.[28]
Following the Boston Red Sox's World Series clinching game over the St. Louis Cardinals in 2004, Fallon ran onto the field at Busch Stadium with Drew Barrymore to film a scene for their movie Fever Pitch.
In 2006, Fallon starred in "Spontaneous Combustion", a Traktor-directed Pepsi television commercial with actress Parker Posey. In the ad, Fallon and Posey can be seen dancing and jumping around to the song Streamline by Newton. In October of that year, Fallon appeared on stage in The Secret Policeman's Ball, a charity gig filmed to raise awareness of Amnesty International at the Royal Albert Hall. Fallon made three appearances during the show, the first in a sketch in which he performed impressions of people such as David Bowie, Jerry Seinfeld and David Blaine in order to get past a doorman (Shaun Williamson) who claims Fallon is not on the list. The doorman finally recognizes him for his role in Taxi, but still will not let him in. He later masqueraded as Russell Brand before being led off by Williamson, and made one final appearance in a cameo role as the front of a pantomime horse in the Al Murray "pub landlord" routine. He also provided the voice of Dylan in Doogal.
In 2007, Fallon wrote the song "Car Wash for Peace" and donated all proceeds to charity. He performed the song on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The View and dedicated a MySpace page to the cause. Around the same time, a video circulated on various Internet sites called lonelyfallon32, in which Fallon parodied YouTube celebrity Jessica Rose (a.k.a. lonelygirl15) and later performed the song.
Fallon, along with his sister Gloria, wrote I Hate This Place: The Pessimist's Guide to Life for TV Books in 1999. A second book is anticipated but has not yet been released, to be titled "I Hate This Place 2: Tokyo Drift."[4] Fallon has also written a children's book, illustrated by Adam Stower, entitled Snowball Fight.
Fallon also appeared on Diggnation's 185th show.[29]
On May 4, 2010, NBC announced that Fallon would host the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards.[30] With Fallon as host, viewership of the 2010 Emmy Awards increased by over 200,000 viewers from the year before.[31]
On April 24, 2012, Jimmy Fallon filmed his live show in Chapel Hill, NC on the campus of the University of North Carolina. His guest was President Barack Obama, who spoke primarily about Congress potentially doubling the interest rates of student loans. His musical guest was Dave Matthews.
Fallon married Nancy Juvonen on December 22, 2007.[32] Juvonen and Drew Barrymore own the production company Flower Films.
On February 22, 2011, Fallon was on The Dr. Oz Show. He had a mole removed from his left hand in front of a live studio audience by visiting cosmetic surgeon Arthur Perry.[33][34]
This article's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links, and converting useful links where appropriate into footnote references. (May 2011) |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jimmy Fallon |
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Media offices | ||
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Preceded by Colin Quinn |
Weekend Update Anchor (with Tina Fey) 2000–2004 |
Succeeded by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler |
Preceded by Sarah Jessica Parker Lindsay Lohan |
MTV Movie Awards host 2001 (with Kirsten Dunst) 2005 |
Succeeded by Jack Black and Sarah Michelle Gellar Jessica Alba |
Preceded by Jamie Foxx |
MTV Video Music Awards host 2002 |
Succeeded by Chris Rock |
Preceded by Conan O'Brien |
Host of Late Night 2009–present |
Succeeded by – |
Preceded by Neil Patrick Harris |
Host of Emmys 2010 |
Succeeded by Jane Lynch |
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Bruno Mars | |
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Bruno Mars performing in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 19, 2010 |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Peter Gene Hernandez |
Born | [1] Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. |
October 8, 1985
Genres | Reggae fusion, pop, soul, R&B |
Occupations | Singer-songwriter, record producer, model, dancer |
Instruments | Vocals, drums, guitar, keyboard, bass, piano, harmonica |
Years active | 2005–present |
Labels | Atlantic, Elektra |
Associated acts | The Smeezingtons |
Website | www.brunomars.com |
Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), better known by his stage name Bruno Mars, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii by a family of musicians, Mars began making music at a young age. He performed in various musical venues in his hometown throughout his childhood. He graduated from high school and then moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue a musical career. Mars produced songs for other artists, joining production team The Smeezingtons.
Mars had an unsuccessful stint with Motown Records, but then signed with Atlantic Records in 2009. He became recognized as a solo artist after lending his vocals and co-writing the hooks for the songs "Nothin' on You" by B.o.B, and "Billionaire" by Travie McCoy. He also co-wrote the hits "Right Round" by Flo Rida featuring Ke$ha, and "Wavin' Flag" by K'naan. In October 2010, he released his debut album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans. Anchored by the worldwide number-one singles "Just the Way You Are" and "Grenade", the album peaked at number three on the Billboard 200.[2] Mars was nominated for seven Grammys at the 53rd Grammy Awards, winning Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Just the Way You Are".
Mars' music is noted for displaying a wide variety of styles and influences, and contains elements of many musical genres. He has worked with an assortment of artists from various genres. Mars acknowledges the influences that his collaborations have had on his own music. As a child, he was highly influenced by artists such as Little Richard,[3] Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson and would often impersonate these artists from a young age. Mars also incorporates reggae and Motown inspired sounds into his work. Jon Caramanica of The New York Times referred to Mars as "one of the most versatile and accessible singers in pop."[4] Worldwide, Mars became the best-selling digital artist in 2011. He had three singles in the top ten, including first place with "Just The Way You Are," which sold 12.5 million copies.[5] Mars won Best International Male Solo Artist at the BRIT Awards in 2012.[6] Bruno Mars has sold 5 million albums and 36 million singles worldwide.[7]
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Bruno Mars was born Peter Gene Hernandez on October 8th, 1985, and raised in the Waikiki neighborhood of Honolulu, Hawaii, by parents Pete Hernandez, of Puerto Rican descent, and Bernadette "Bernie," a Filipina.[8][9][10][11] His mother emigrated to Hawaii from the Philippines as a child and his father moved to the island from Brooklyn, New York.[12] Mars' parents met while performing in a show, where his mother was a hula dancer and his father played percussion.[12] At the age of two, he was nicknamed "Bruno" by his father, because of his resemblance to legendary professional wrestler Bruno Sammartino.[13]
Mars was one of six children and came from a musical family who exposed him to a diverse mix of reggae, rock, hip hop, and R&B.[14][15] In addition to being a dancer, his mother was a singer and his father used his musical ability to perform Little Richard rock n roll music.[3] Mars' uncle was an Elvis impersonator. By the age of three his uncle had Mars up on the stage performing. He also performed songs by artists such as Michael Jackson, The Isley Brothers, and The Temptations.[10] At age four, Mars began performing five days a week with his family's band, The Love Notes, in which he became known on the island for his impersonation of Presley.[16]
In 1990, Mars was featured in MidWeek as "Little Elvis", going on to have a cameo in the film Honeymoon in Vegas in 1992.[10][17] He later reflected on the influence Presley had on his music: "I watch the best. I'm a big fan of Elvis. I'm a big fan of 1950s Elvis when he would go on stage and scare people because he was a force and girls would go nuts! You can say the same thing for Prince or The Police. It's just guys who know that people are here to see a show, so I watch those guys and I love studying them because I'm a fan."[18] In 2010, he also acknowledged his Hawaiian roots and musical family as an influence, explaining, "Growing up in Hawaii made me the man I am. I used to do a lot of shows in Hawaii with my father's band. Everybody in my family sings, everyone plays instruments...I've just been surrounded by it."[19] In 2003, shortly after graduating from President Theodore Roosevelt High School at the age of seventeen, Mars moved to Los Angeles, California, to pursue a musical career.[10][17] He adopted his stage name from the nickname his father gave him, adding "Mars" at the end because "I felt like I didn't have [any] pizzazz, and a lot of girls say I’m out of this world, so I was like I guess I'm from Mars."[20]
Shortly after moving to Los Angeles, Mars signed to Motown Records in 2004, in a deal that "went nowhere".[21] However, Mars' experience with Motown proved to be beneficial to his career when he met songwriter and producer Philip Lawrence, who was also signed to the label. Mars, Lawrence, and engineer Ari Levine began writing songs together, and formed the production team The Smeezingtons.[21] In 2006, Lawrence introduced Mars to his future manager at Atlantic Records, Aaron Bay-Schuck.[22] After hearing him play a couple of songs on the guitar, Bay-Schuck wanted to sign him immediately, but it took about three years for Atlantic records to finally sign Mars to the label.[22] In the meantime, Bay-Schuck hired Mars and the Smeezingtons to write and produce songs for the label's artists.[22] According to Bay-Schuck in an interview with HitQuarters, Mars had stated that although his ultimate goal was to be a solo artist, he was willing to write and produce for other artists, both to help improve his songwriting and help him discover the type of artist he ultimately wanted to be.[22] Bay-Schuck credits this as a period of "self-discovery" that contributed significantly to Mars' later success.[22]
Before becoming a successful solo artist, Hernandez was an acknowledged music producer, writing songs for Alexandra Burke, Travie McCoy, Adam Levine, Brandy, Sean Kingston, and Flo Rida.[14][23] He also co-wrote the Sugababes' hit song "Get Sexy" and provided backing vocals on their album Sweet 7.[24][25] His first musical appearance as a singer was in Far East Movement's second studio album Animal, featured on the track "3D".[26] He was also featured on pastor and hip hop artist Jaeson Ma's debut single "Love" in August 2009.[27][28] He reached prominence as a solo artist after being featured on and co-writing B.o.B's "Nothin' on You" and Travie McCoy's "Billionaire"; both songs peaked within the top ten of many charts worldwide.[29][30][31][32] He said of them, "I think those songs weren't meant to be full-sung songs. If I'd sung all of "Nothin' on You", it might've sounded like some '90s R&B." Following this success, Mars released his debut extended play (EP), titled It's Better If You Don't Understand, on May 11, 2010.[33] The EP peaked at the 99th position on the Billboard 200 and produced one single, "The Other Side", featuring singers Cee Lo Green and B.o.B.[34][35] Mars collaborated with Green once more in August 2010 by co-writing his single "Fuck You!". He performed a medley of "Nothin' on You" and "Airplanes" with B.o.B and Hayley Williams at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards on September 12, 2010.[36]
Bruno Mars' debut album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, was released digitally on October 4, and saw its physical release on October 5, 2010.[37][38] The lead single, "Just the Way You Are", was released on July 19, 2010,[39] and has reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 as well as several other charts worldwide.[40][41] The music video was released on September 8, 2010.[42] The second single, "Grenade", was released September 28, 2010, and has also seen successful international chart performance.[43][44] In the United States, Doo-Wops & Hooligans debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 for the week of October 13, 2010, selling 55,000 copies.[2] The album also received generally positive reviews from critics. Entertainment Weekly's Leah Greenblatt praised Mars for his "instant-access melodies" and "sly snatches of dance-floor swagger", but noted weaknesses in songs deviant from his conventional pop and soul genres.[45] He opened for Maroon 5 on the fall leg of the Hands All Over Tour starting October 6, 2010 and co-headlined with McCoy on a European tour starting October 18, 2010.[38]
On September 19, 2010, Mars was arrested in Las Vegas for possession of cocaine.[46] When talking to a police officer, Mars reportedly stated that what he did was "foolish" and that "he has never used drugs before".[47][48] Mars pled guilty to felony drug possession, and in return for his plea, he was told that the charges would be erased from his criminal record as long as he stayed out of trouble for a year, paid a $2,000 fine, did 200 hours of community service and completed a drug counseling course.[49]
On February 13, 2011, Mars won his first Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, having received six nominations; Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Nothin' on You", Record of the Year for "Nothin' on You" and "Fuck You", Song of the Year for "Fuck You", and Producer of the Year, Non-Classical at the 53rd Grammy Awards.
On September 16, 2011, Bad Meets Evil released their single, "Lighters", which featured Mars in the song. The song was met with mixed reviews from critics and many criticized Mars for doing this type of song.[50] On September 22, 2011, it was announced on Mars' website that his new song "It Will Rain" will appear on The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack which was released on November 8.[51] On October 30, 2011, Mars gave an exclusive performance of "Runaway Baby" on the results show of The X Factor UK, the same day that Mars received six nominations for a Grammy Award; Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album for Doo-Wops & Hooligans, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance for "Grenade", and Producer of the Year, Non-Classical at the 54th Grammy Awards. During the ceremony, Mars performed "Runaway Baby" but he did not win any awards as Adele won in all the categories he was nominated in and also lost to Paul Epworth for Producer of the Year.
Mars has confirmed on Twitter that his work on his second album has begun.[52] On March 22, 2012, it was announced that Mars had signed a worldwide publishing deal with BMG Chrysalis US.[53]
Mars' music has been noted for displaying a wide variety of styles and influences, including pop,[55] rock,[55] reggae,[55] R&B,[56] soul,[45] and hip hop.[57] His co-producer Philip Lawrence says, "What people don't know is there's a darker underbelly to Bruno Mars." Mars himself says, "I blame that on me singing to girls back in high school."[58] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times called him "one of the most versatile and accessible singers in pop, with a light, soul-influenced voice that’s an easy fit in a range of styles, a universal donor."[4] Mars was initially influenced by R&B artists such as Keith Sweat, Jodeci and R. Kelly, as well as 1950s rock 'n' roll and Motown.[59] In high school, he began listening to classic rock groups such as The Police, Led Zeppelin, and the Beatles.[59] All of these genres of music have influenced Mars' musical style; he observed that "It’s not easy to [create] songs with that mixture of rock and soul and hip-hop, and there’s only a handful of them."[59] Mars also stated that he is a fan of Alicia Keys, Jessie J, Jack White and The Saturdays.[60]
In addition, Mars claims that his work with other artists influenced his musical style, saying that "'Nothin' on You' had a Motown vibe, 'Billionaire' was a reggae acoustic guitar-driven song, though one of my favorites is the Cee-Lo [Green] song ['Fuck You']. I don't think anyone else could've sung that song. And there's 'Just the Way You Are.' If you know my story, you know I love all different genres of music."[61] He cites doo-wop as a major influence on his music, referring to the genre as "just straightforward love songs – so charming and simple and romantic."[61] In addition, Mars states that growing up in Hawaii influenced his music, giving the songs a reggae sound. He explains that "In Hawaii some of the biggest radio stations are reggae. The local bands are heavily influenced by Bob Marley. That music brings people together. It's not urban music or pop music. It's just songs. That's what makes it cross over so well. The song comes first."[12] Lyrically, many of Mars' songs have been described as "feel-good", carefree, and optimistic,[62] however, darker subjects are addressed in songs such as "Grenade", "Liquor Store Blues", and "Talking to the Moon", which detail failed relationships and self-destructive behavior.[45][63]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bruno Mars |
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Jim Carrey | |
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Carrey at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival |
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Born | James Eugene Carrey January 17, 1962 Newmarket, Ontario, Canada |
Occupation | Actor, comedian, producer |
Years active | 1979–present |
Height | 6' 2" |
Spouse | Melissa Womer (1987–1995) Lauren Holly (1996–1997) |
Partner | Jenny McCarthy (2005–2010) Anastasia Vitkina (2011–present) |
Children | 1 |
Website | |
JimCarrey.com |
James Eugene "Jim" Carrey (born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian-American actor, comedian, and producer. Carrey has received four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning two. Known for his highly energetic, slapstick performances, he has been described as one of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood.[1]
Carrey first gained recognition in 1990 after landing a recurring role in the sketch comedy In Living Color. His first leading roles in major productions came with Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), Dumb and Dumber (1994), The Mask (1994), and Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995). In 1997, he gave a critically acclaimed performance in Liar Liar, which earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor. He then starred in the critically acclaimed hits The Truman Show (1998) and Man on the Moon (1999), both garnering him two Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor.
In 2000, he gained further recognition for his portrayal of the The Grinch in How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Three years later, Carrey starred in the major blockbuster film Bruce Almighty (2003). The following year he starred in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), for which he received another Golden Globe nomination in addition to a BAFTA Award nomination. He then starred in popular productions Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004), Fun with Dick and Jane (2005), Yes Man (2008), A Christmas Carol (2009), and Mr. Popper's Penguins (2011).
He is set to star in Burt Wonderstone in 2013 as Steve Gray, in addition to reprising his role as Lloyd Christmas in Dumb and Dumber 2 in 2014. He is also set to star as Mr. Applegate in a film adaption of the broadway musical Damn Yankees.
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Carrey was born in Newmarket, Ontario, the son of Kathleen (née Oram), a homemaker, and Percy Carrey, a musician and accountant.[2][3] He has three older siblings, John, Patricia, and Rita. He was raised Roman Catholic.[4][5] His mother was of French, Irish, and Scottish descent[6] and his father was of French Canadian ancestry (the family's original surname was Carré).[7][8] After his family moved to Scarborough, Ontario, when Carrey was 14 years old, he attended Blessed Trinity Catholic School, in North York, for two years, enrolled at Agincourt Collegiate Institute for another year, then briefly attended Northview Heights Secondary School for the remainder of his high school career (all together, he spent three years in Grade 10).
Carrey lived in Burlington, Ontario, for eight years and attended Aldershot High School, where he once opened for 1980s new wave band Spoons. In a Hamilton Spectator interview (February 2007), Carrey remarked, "If my career in show business hadn't panned out I would probably be working today in Hamilton, Ontario at the Dofasco steel mill." When looking across the Burlington Bay toward Hamilton, he could see the mills and thought, "Those were where the great jobs were."[9] At this point, he already had experience working in a science testing facility in Richmond Hill, Ontario.
While struggling to obtain work and making a name for himself, Carrey's father decided to help the young comedian put together a stage act, driving him to Toronto to debut at comedy club Yuk Yuk's.[10] Unfortunately, Carrey's impersonations bombed and this gave him doubts about his capability as a professional entertainer. His family, at the time, were struggling financially meaning it was difficult for them to support Carrey's ambitions. Eventually, the family's financial problems were soon dealt with and they moved into a new home.[10] With a now more domestic stability, Carrey worked up the nerve to return to the stage with a more polished act. In a short period of time, Carrey went from open mic nights to regular paid shows; a growing reputation building in the process. One reviewer in the Toronto Star raved that Carrey was "a genuine star coming to life."[11] Carrey was soon noticed by comedian Rodney Dangerfield, who signed the young comedian to open Dangerfield's tour performances.[12] He eventually brought Carrey to Las Vegas, after which he decided to move to Hollywood. Carrey began performing at The Comedy Store and in 1982, appeared on the televised stand-up show An Evening at the Improv.[13] The following year, he debuted his act on The Tonight Show.[14]
Despite his increasing popularity as a stand-up comedian, Carrey turned his attention to the film and television industries, auditioning to be a cast member for the 1980–1981 season of NBC's Saturday Night Live. Carrey was not selected for the position (although he did host the show in May 1996, and again in January 2011[15] ). He was, after a period of time, cast in seveal low-budget films: Rubberface (1981) playing a struggling young comic, and Copper Mountain (1983) playing a sex-starved teen, the latter including his impersonation of Sammy Davis Jr. Since the film had a less than one hour runtime consisting largely of musical performances by Rita Coolidge and Ronnie Hawkins, it was not considered a full-length feature film.
In 1984, Carrey was soon cast, surprisingly, as the lead in the NBC sitcom The Duck Factory, in which he played a quirky young artist alongside Jay Tarses. However, the show was unceremoniously cancelled during its first season. Despite the sudden cancellation, Carrey landed supporting roles in several low-budget films: Once Bitten (1985), Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), and The Dead Pool (1988). When Carrey returned to stand-up, he retired his old act vowing that he didn't want to be famous for imitating other people; "Some nights it was a melee, literally, where I'd be standing trying to defend myself for what I was doing. People would be screaming at me to do my old act, and getting actually violent and angry at me,".[14] While many thought he was "crazy" for retiring his old act, others were increasingly interested in what Carrey was attempting to do, Judd Apatow in particular. The pair struck up a friendship and soon began writing material together.
Carrey continued to land small roles in film and television productions, which led to a friendship with fellow comedian Damon Wayans, who co-starred with Carrey as an extraterrestrial in 1989's Earth Girls Are Easy. Damon soon introduced Carrey to his brother Keenen, who at the time, was creating a sketch comedy show known as In Living Color, for the new Fox network. Carrey eventually landed a recurring role in the show which first aired on April 15, 1990. By the third season, Carrey was one of the few remaining original cast members and was ready to move onto bigger things, after agreeing to take on his first lead role in a Hollywood blockbuster film.
Carrey did not experience true stardom until landing the lead role in the slapstick comedy Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), which premiered only months before In Living Color ended. Despite agreeing to play the title character, Carrey would only take the role if he was allowed to rewrite the script, mostly to suit his over-the-top visions. The film, while dismissed by most critics, was an international hit, and transformed Carrey into a bankable box-office star overnight. In that same year, he landed two lead roles in The Mask and Dumb and Dumber, respectively. The Mask garnered him his first Golden Globe Award for Best Actor nomination, with Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times praising him for his "joyful performance".[16] Well-received by critics, Dumb and Dumber was a commercial success, grossing over $270 million worldwide,[17] and again boosting Carrey's fanbase.
In 1995, Carrey starred in the Joel Schumacher-directed superhero film Batman Forever, in which Batman tries to stop Two-Face and the Riddler (played by Carrey) in their villainous scheme to drain information from all the brains in Gotham City. The feature received reasonable reviews upon release with most criticism aimed towards the movie's "blatant commercialism", as stated by Peter Travers.[18] In that same year, Carrey reprised his role as Ace Ventura in Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls. Like the original film, it was well-received by the public but heavily criticised by critics. However, it was a huge box-office success, earning $212 million worldwide in addition to breaking records, with a $40 million opening weekend.[19] Carrey earned $20 million for his next film, The Cable Guy (1996). Directed by Ben Stiller, Carrey played a lonely, slightly menacing cable TV installer who infiltrates the life of one of his customers (played by Matthew Broderick). The film tested Carrey's boundaries of his tried and true "hapless, hyper, overconfident" characters that he is known for regularly playing. However, it did not fare well with critics, many reacting towards Carrey's change of tone to previous films.[20] Despite the reviews, The Cable Guy grossed $102 million worldwide.[21]
He soon bounced back in 1997 with the critically acclaimed comedy Liar Liar, playing Fletcher Reede, an incredibly successful lawyer who has built his career on lying, regularly breaking promises that he makes to his son Max. Max soon makes a birthday wish that for just one day, his dad can't tell a lie. Carrey was praised for his performance, earning a second Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor. Janet Maslin of The New York Times said, "Well into his tumultuous career, Mr. Carrey finally turns up in a straightforward comic vehicle, and the results are much wilder and funnier than this mundane material should have allowed."[22]
The following year he decided to take a pay cut to play the serious role of Truman Burbank in the satirical comedy-drama film The Truman Show (1998).[23] The film was highly praised and brought Carrey further international acclaim, leading many to believe he would be nominated for an Oscar.[24] However, he did pick up his first Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama. The Truman Show was a commercial success also, earning $264 million worldwide against a budget of $60 million.[25][26] According to a Film4 critic, the film, "...allows Carrey to edge away from broad comedy." but nonetheless called it "A hilarious and breathtakingly conceived satire..."[27] That same year, Carrey appeared as a fictionalized version of himself on the final episode of Garry Shandling's The Larry Sanders Show, in which he deliberately ripped into Shandling's character. In 1999, Carrey had the lead role in Man on the Moon. He portrayed comedian Andy Kaufman to critical acclaim,[28] with many believing that Carrey would finally be nominated for Best Actor. He again received his second Golden Globe Award for the second consecutive year. Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times commented on Carrey's performance stating, "A brilliant, almost terrifying impersonation."
In 2000, Carrey reteamed with the Farrelly Brothers, who had directed him in Dumb and Dumber, in the comedy classic, Me, Myself & Irene, a film that received mixed reviews[29] but enjoyed box office success. Carrey played the role of state trooper Charlie Baileygates, who has multiple personalities and romances a woman portrayed by Renée Zellweger. That same year, Carrey starred in the second highest grossing Christmas film of all time, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, playing the title character, for which he received praise and criticism.[30] The film garnered him his third Golden Globe Award nomination in addition to countless other nominations and several wins.
For his next feature film, Carrey starred opposite Jennifer Aniston and Morgan Freeman in Tom Shadyac's international hit comedy Bruce Almighty (2003). Carrey played a TV newsman who unexpectedly receives God's omnipotent abilities when the deity decides to take a break. The film received mixed reviews upon release[31] but despite this was a financial success, earning over $484 million worldwide, and going on to become the seventeenth highest-grossing live action comedy of all time. The film has since gained a cult following.[19][32] In 2004, Carrey starred in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The film received overwhelming acclaim upon release; Carrey was highly praised for his portrayal of Joel Barish, in addition to his co-star Kate Winslet, who received an Oscar nomination. According to CNN's reviewer Paul Clinton, Carrey's performance was "the best, most mature and sharply focused performance ever."[33] He received his fourth Golden Globe Award nomination, and was also nominated for his first BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.
Carrey's next appearance was in the 2004 black comedy drama film Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, which was based on the popular children's novels of the same name. The film received a positive reception, with Desson Thomson from The Washington Post commenting on Carrey's approach to the character of Count Olaf, stating "Olaf is a humorless villain in the book. He's not amusing like Carrey at all. To which I would counter: If you can't let Carrey be Carrey, put someone boring and less expensive in the role. In his various disguises he's rubbery, inventive and improvisationally inspired. I particularly liked his passing imitation of a dinosaur."[34][35] That same year, Carrey was inducted into the Canadian Walk of Fame.[36] In 2005, Carrey starred in a remake of Fun with Dick and Jane, playing Dick, a husband who becomes a bank robber after he loses his job. The film was dismissed by most critics but did manage to become a box office hit.
In 2007, Carrey reunited with Joel Schumacher, director of Batman Forever, for The Number 23, a psychological thriller co-starring Virginia Madsen and Danny Huston. In the film, Carrey plays a man who becomes obsessed with the number 23, after finding a book about a man with the same obsession. The film was lauded by critics and did not fare well at the box office. The following year Carrey provided his voice for Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! (2008). Carrey voiced the beloved elephant for the CGI-animated feature, which received overwhelmingly positive reviews and delivered family crowds en masse. The film was also a box office success raking in over $290 million worldwide.[37] Later in the year, Carrey returned to live action comedy, starring opposite Zooey Deschanel and Bradley Cooper in Yes Man (2008). Carrey played down-and-out man, Carl Allen, who had gone nowhere in life, thanks to always saying no to everything, until he signs up for a self-help program that teaches him the power of saying yes. Despite reviews being mixed, Rene Rodriquez of The Miami Herald stated, "Yes Man is fine as far as Jim Carrey comedies go, but it's even better as a love story that just happens to make you laugh."[38] The film had a decent performance at the box office, earning $225 million worldwide.
Since 2009, Carrey's work has included a leading role in Glenn Ficarra and John Requa's I Love You Phillip Morris, premiering in January 2009 at the Sundance Film Festival before receiving a wide release in February 2010. Carrey portrayed Steven Jay Russell, a con artist, imposter and multiple prison escapee who falls in love with his fellow inmate, Phillip Morris (played by Ewan McGregor). The film received largely positive reviews with Damon Wise of The Times giving the film four stars out of five, stating, "I Love You Phillip Morris" is an extraordinary film that serves as a reminder of just how good Carrey can be when he's not tied into a generic Hollywood crowd-pleaser. His comic timing remains as exquisite as ever."[39]
For the first time in his career, Carrey portrayed multiple characters in Disney's 3D animated take on the classic Charles Dickens tale, A Christmas Carol (2009), voicing Ebenezer Scrooge and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the film also starred Robin Wright Penn, Bob Hoskins, Colin Firth, Gary Oldman and Cary Elwes. The film received reasonable reviews and was a financial success. In 2011, Carrey landed the lead role in Mr. Popper's Penguins, playing Thomas "Tom" Popper Jr. a realtor who becomes the caretaker of a family of penguins. The film received a mixed reception upon release.[40] He is set to star alongside former co-star Steve Carell in the Don Scardino-directed comedy film Burt Wonderstone (2013). Carrey will play Steve Gray, a dangerous street magician who overshadows Burt Wonderstone (played by Carell), a formerly successful magician whos partnership with another magician ends; Gray must convince Burts old partner to return to the act. Carrey entered negotiations for the role in October 2011. Principal photography began on January 10, 2012 and concluded on March 13. The film is currently in post-production.
On April 1, 2012 it was confirmed that Carrey, along with Jeff Daniels, would return for Dumb and Dumber 2. Bobby and Peter Farrelly are scheduled to direct and write the script, with the movie going into production in September 2012.[41]
As of April 2012, Carrey's films have grossed over $4.6 billion worldwide, unadjusted for inflation.[42]
Carrey has been married twice. His first marriage was to former actress and Comedy Store waitress Melissa Womer, whom he married on March 28, 1987. The two divorced in 1995. A year later Carrey married his Dumb and Dumber co-star Lauren Holly, on September 23, 1996; the marriage lasted less than a year.[43] In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Carrey was involved in a series of relationships, including Laurie Holden, January Jones, and Anine Bing. In addition, Carrey had a much-publicized yet short-lived romance with his Me, Myself and Irene co-star Renée Zellweger, whom he dated, and at one point engaged, from 1999 to 2000.[44]
Carrey met model and actress Jenny McCarthy in 2005 and made their relationship public in June 2006. In April 2010, the two ended their near five-year relationship.[45] Despite the split and media circulations, McCarthy stated in October 2010 that, "Jim and I are still good friends".[46]
Carrey has one child, a daughter named Jane Erin Carrey (born September 6, 1987 in Los Angeles County) from his first marriage.[47] Carrey announced via his Twitter account on February 27, 2010, in Los Angeles[48] that his daughter had given birth to her first child with musician husband Alex Santana. He announced that his grandson's name was Jackson Riley Santana.
Carrey received U.S. citizenship in October 2004 and remains a dual citizen of both the United States and his native Canada.[49]
Carrey has been a critic of the scientific consensus that no evidence links the childhood MMR vaccination to the development of autism, and wrote an article questioning the merits of vaccination and vaccine research for the Huffington Post.[50] With former partner Jenny McCarthy, Carrey led a "Green Our Vaccines" march in Washington, D.C., to advocate for the removal of toxins from children's vaccines, out of a belief that children had received "too many vaccines, too soon, many of which are toxic".[51]
Title | Year | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
The All-Night Show | 1980 | Additional voices | Television series Voice role |
The Sex and Violence Family Hour | 1983 | Various | |
Rubberface | 1981 | Tony Moroni | Television movie |
Copper Mountain | 1983 | Bobby Todd | |
All in Good Taste | 1983 | Ralph Parker | Speechless role |
Buffalo Bill | 1984 | Jerry Lewis Impersonator | Television series Uncredited |
Finders Keepers | 1984 | Lane Bidlekoff | |
The Duck Factory | 1984 | Skip Tarkenton | Television series 13 episodes |
Once Bitten | 1985 | Mark Kendall | |
Peggy Sue Got Married | 1986 | Walter Getz | |
The Dead Pool | 1988 | Johnny Squares | Credited as James Carrey |
Earth Girls Are Easy | 1989 | Wiploc | |
Mike Hammer: Murder Takes All | 1989 | Brad Peters | Television movie |
Pink Cadillac | 1989 | Lounge Entertainer | Credited as James Carrey |
In Living Color | 1990–1994 | Various | Television series 142 episodes Credited as James Carrey 2012 TV Land Award for Groundbreaking Show |
High Strung | 1991 | Death | Uncredited |
Doing Time on Maple Drive | 1992 | Tim Carter | Television movie |
The Itsy Bitsy Spider | 1992 | The Exterminator | Voice role Credited as James Carrey |
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective | 1994 | Ace Ventura | Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor – Comedy, On Video Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Male Newcomer, On Video Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor London Critics Circle Film Award for Newcomer of the Year (also for The Mask) Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance |
The Mask | 1994 | The Mask / Stanley Ipkiss | London Critics Circle Film Award for Newcomer of the Year (also for Ace Ventura: Pet Detective) Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Dance Sequence (shared with Cameron Diaz) |
Dumb and Dumber | 1994 | Lloyd Christmas | MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss (shared with Lauren Holly) Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo (shared with Jeff Daniels) |
Batman Forever | 1995 | Riddler / Edward Nygma | Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Villain |
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls | 1995 | Ace Ventura | Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance MTV Movie Award for Best Male Performance People's Choice Award for Favorite Actor in a Comedy Movie Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss (shared with Sophie Okonedo) Nominated – American Comedy Award for Funniest Actor (Leading Role) |
The Cable Guy | 1996 | Ernie "Chip" Douglas | Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance MTV Movie Award for Best Villain Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Fight (shared with Matthew Broderick) |
Liar Liar | 1997 | Fletcher Reede | Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor – Comedy MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated – Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor |
The Truman Show | 1998 | Truman Burbank | Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama MovieGuide Award: Grace Award MTV Movie Award for Best Male Performance Nominated – American Comedy Award for Funniest Actor (Leading Role) Nominated – Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor – Drama Nominated – Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor Nominated – Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Actor |
Simon Birch | 1998 | Adult Joe Wenteworth | |
Man on the Moon | 1999 | Andy Kaufman (also as Tony Clifton) | Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated – American Comedy Award for Funniest Actor (Leading Role) Nominated – Canadian Comedy Award for Film – Male Performance Nominated – London Critics Circle Film Award for Actor of the Year (also for How the Grinch Stole Christmas) Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Male Performance Nominated – Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor Nominated – Satellite Award for Best Actor, Musical or Comedy Film Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role |
Me, Myself & Irene | 2000 | Charlie Baileygates/Hank Evans | Teen Choice Award for Wipeout Scene of the Summer Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance Nominated – Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor – Comedy/Romance |
How the Grinch Stole Christmas | 2000 | The Grinch | Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor – Comedy Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor MTV Movie Award for Best Villain People's Choice Award for Favorite Star in a Motion Picture Comedy Teen Choice Award for Choice Hissy Fit Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Actor Nominated – Canadian Comedy Award for Film – Pretty Funny Male Performance Nominated – Empire Award for Best Actor Nominated – London Critics Circle Film Award for Actor of the Year (also for Man on the Moon) |
The Majestic | 2001 | Peter Appleton | |
Pecan Pie | 2003 | The Driver | Short film |
Bruce Almighty | 2003 | Bruce Nolan | Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor MTV Movie Award, Mexico, for Most Divine Miracle in a Movie Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor – Comedy Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss (shared with Jennifer Aniston) Nominated – Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Chemistry (shared with Morgan Freeman) |
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind | 2004 | Joel Barish | San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble Nominated – BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Nominated – Empire Award for Best Actor Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated – Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor Nominated – People's Choice Award for Favorite Leading Man Nominated – People's Choice Award for Favorite On-Screen Chemistry (shared with Kate Winslet) Nominated – Satellite Award for Best Actor – Musical of Comedy Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Actor |
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events | 2004 | Count Olaf | People's Choice Award for Favorite Funny Male Star Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Bad Guy Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Villain Nominated – Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor Nominated – Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor: Action/Adventure/Thriller Nominated – Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Liar |
Fun with Dick and Jane | 2005 | Dick Harper | Nominated – Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor Nominated – Teen Choice Award for Choice Actor: Comedy |
The Number 23 | 2007 | Walter Sparrow / Fingerling | Nominated – Razzie Award for Worst Actor Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor: Horror/ Thriller |
Horton Hears a Who! | 2008 | Horton | Voice role Nominated – Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie |
Yes Man | 2008 | Carl Allen | MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance People's Choice Award for Favorite Funny Male Star Nominated – Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor Nominated – Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor: Comedy Nominated – Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Hissy Fit Nominated – Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Rockstar Moment |
I Love You Phillip Morris | 2009 | Steven Jay Russell | |
A Christmas Carol | 2009 | Ebenezer Scrooge Ghost of Christmas Past Ghost of Christmas Present Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come |
Voice role Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie |
Under the Sea 3D | 2009 | Narrator | |
The Office | 2011 | Finger Lakes guy | Television series Guest star Episode: "Search Committee" Nominated – People's Choice Award for Favorite TV Guest Star |
Mr. Popper's Penguins | 2011 | Tom Popper | Nominated – Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor |
30 Rock | 2012 | Dave Williams | Television series Guest star Episode: "Leap Day" |
Burt Wonderstone | 2013 | Steve Gray | Post-production |
Pierre Pierre | 2013 | TBA | Pre-production December 19, 2013 scheduled release date |
Dumb and Dumber 2 | 2014 | Lloyd Christmas | In development[52][41] |
Damn Yankees | TBA | Mr. Applegate | In development[53] |
Bruce Almighty 2 | TBA | Bruce Nolan | In development[54][55][56] |
Ripley's Believe It or Not! | TBA | Robert Ripley | In development[57][58][59] |
Title | Year | Notes |
---|---|---|
Jim Carrey: The Unnatural Act | 1991 | Producer and writer |
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective | 1994 | Writer (screenplay) |
Bruce Almighty | 2003 | Producer |
Fun with Dick and Jane | 2005 | Producer |
Year | Song | Album |
---|---|---|
1998 | "I Am the Walrus" | In My Life |
1999 | "This Friendly World" | Man on the Moon |
Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2001 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite Motion Picture Star in a Comedy | Won |
2003 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Comedian | Won |
2004 | Nominated | ||
2004 | TV Land Awards | Big Star/Little Screen Favourite | Nominated |
2005 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite Funny Male Star | Won |
Teen Choice Awards | Choice Comedian | Nominated | |
2006 | MTV Movie Awards | MTV Generation Award | Won |
2009 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite Funny Male Star | Nominated |
2010 | People's Choice Awards | Favourite Comedy Star | Won |
2012 | Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Movie Actor | Nominated |
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