Red Dawn is a 1984 American war film directed by John Milius and co-written by Milius and Kevin Reynolds. It stars Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, Lea Thompson, Charlie Sheen and Jennifer Grey. It was the first film to be released with the MPAA rating of PG-13.^[1]

The film is set in an alternate 1980s in which the United States is invaded by the Soviet Union and its Cuban and Nicaraguan allies.^[2] However, the onset of World War III is in the background and not fully elaborated. The story follows a group of American high school students who resist the occupation with guerrilla warfare, calling themselves Wolverines, after their high school mascot.

Plot[link]

An introductory text explains how the USA gradually became strategically isolated when several European nations, save for the United Kingdom, withdrew their membership in NATO. At the same time, the Warsaw Pact nations are aggressively expanding their sphere of influence. In addition, the Ukrainian wheat harvest fails and a communist coup occurs in Mexico.

On a September morning in the small town of Calumet, Colorado, a local high school teacher pauses mid sentence when he sees paratroopers landing in a nearby field. These are Russian Airborne Troops, who promptly open fire when the teacher confronts them. Pandemonium follows as students flee amid heavy gunfire. In downtown Calumet, Cuban and Soviet troops are trying to impose order after a hasty occupation. Shortly thereafter, Colonel Bella (a Cuban officer) instructs the KGB to go to the local sporting goods store and obtain the records of the store's gun sales on the ATF's Form 4473, which includes the names of citizens who have purchased firearms.

Jed Eckert, his brother Matt, and their friends Robert, Danny, Daryl, and Aardvark, flee into the wilderness after hastily equipping themselves at Robert's father's sporting goods store. While on the way to the mountains, they run into a Russian blockade, but are saved by a US Army helicopter gunship that destroys the blockade. After several weeks in the forest, they return to town; Jed and Matt learn that their father has been captured and is being held in a re-education camp. They visit the site and speak to him through the fence; Mr. Eckert orders his sons to abandon him, and to "avenge" his inevitable death. They then visit the Masons and learn that they are behind enemy lines in "Occupied America" (as opposed to Free America, the unoccupied zone) and that Robert's father has been executed because the guns from his store - the ones he gave to the boys - were found to be missing by the occupation authorities. The couple also charge the boys with taking care of their two granddaughters, Toni and Erica. After killing some Soviet soldiers in the woods, the youths begin an armed resistance against the occupation forces calling themselves "Wolverines" after their high school mascot. Initially the occupation forces try reprisal tactics, executing groups of civilians following every Wolverine attack, in hopes of intimidating the local population and compelling the Wolverines to surrender or desist from further attacks. During one of these executions the Eckert brothers' father is killed.^[3] Daryl's father, Calumet's Mayor Bates (who is a collaborator), tries to appease the occupation authorities.

The teenagers find a downed United States Air Force F-15 pilot, Lt. Col. Andrew Tanner and learn about the current state of the war: several cities such as Washington, D.C., Kansas City, and Omaha have been obliterated, America's Strategic Air Command has been crippled in a surprise attack by Cuban saboteurs who had posed as immigrants illegally crossing the US-Mexico border, and the paratroopers the youths have encountered were dropped from fake commercial airliners to seize key positions in preparation for subsequent massive assaults via Mexico and Alaska. The middle third of the US has been taken over, but American counterattacks have halted Soviet progress and the lines have stabilized. Concerned about nuclear fallout, both sides refrain from the further use of nuclear weapons.

Tanner then assists the Wolverines in organizing raids against the Soviets. Soon after, in a visit to the front line, Tanner and Aardvark are killed in a battle between a US and two Soviet tanks. As a result of the escalating attacks, Soviet commanders now view the Wolverines as a serious threat. Using threats of torture, KGB officers force Daryl to swallow a tracking device, then release him to rejoin the guerrillas. Spetsnaz are sent into the mountains following these signals, but are ambushed and killed by the Wolverines. The group discovers that their pursuers are carrying portable radio triangulation equipment and trace the source of the signal to their friend. Daryl confesses and pleads for mercy but is coldly executed by Robert, along with a Soviet soldier captured during the battle.

The Wolverines' morale erodes as the war of attrition takes its toll. The remaining members are ambushed by three helicopter gunships after being baited by a truck dropping supplies on the road, and Robert and Toni are killed, leaving the group reduced to four.

Determined to save at least some of their number, Jed and Matt attack the Soviet headquarters in Calumet to distract the troops while Danny and Erica escape to liberated territory. The plan works as Danny and Erica escape, while Jed and Matt are wounded. Though Colonel Bella encounters the brothers, he cannot bring himself to kill them and lets them go. Still, it is implied that the brothers die in the park where the two spent time as kids.

The film's epilogue is narrated by Erica and suggests that the United States repelled the invasion some time later. A plaque is displayed with "Partisan Rock" in the background, which has been a recurring motif throughout the film as each dead comrade's name has been inscribed upon it. The plaque reads:

...In the early days of World War III, guerrillas - mostly children - placed the names of their lost upon this rock. They fought here alone and gave up their lives, so that this nation shall not perish from the earth.

Cast[link]

• Patrick Swayze as Jed Eckert
• C. Thomas Howell as Robert Morris
• Lea Thompson as Erica Mason
• Charlie Sheen as Matt Eckert
• Darren Dalton as Daryl Bates
• Jennifer Grey as Toni Mason
• Brad Savage as Danny Bates
• Doug Toby as Arturo "Aardvark" Mondragón
• Powers Boothe as Lt. Col. Andrew "Andy" Tanner, USAF
• Harry Dean Stanton as Tom Eckert, Jed and Matt's father
• Ron O'Neal as Col. Ernesto Bella
• William Smith as Col. Strelnikov (The Hunter)
• Vladek Sheybal as Gen. Bratchenko
• Ben Johnson as Mr. Jack Mason, Toni and Erica's grandfather
• Roy Jenson as Mr. Samuel Morris, Robert's father
• Pepe Serna as Mr. Mondragón, Aardvark's father
• Lane Smith as Mayor Bates, Daryl's father
• Radames Pera as Sgt. Stepan Gorsky

Development[link]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2011)

The script for Red Dawn was written by John Milius and Kevin Reynolds from a story by Reynolds. The original story, called Ten Soldiers, was more akin to Lord of the Flies, the classic novel about the aggressive nature of man, than to the action film it eventually became. Some of the changes included a shift in focus from conflict within the group to conflict between the teens and their oppressors, and the acceleration of the ages of some of the characters from early teens to high school age and beyond.

The movie was filmed in and around the town of Las Vegas, New Mexico. Many of the buildings and structures which appeared in the film, including a historic Fred Harvey Company hotel adjacent to the train depot, the train yard, and a building near downtown, which was repainted with the name of "Calumet, Colorado", are still there today. An old Safeway grocery store was converted to a sound stage and used for several scenes in the movie.^[4]

Before starting work on the movie, the cast underwent a realistic intensive eight-week military training course. During that time, production crews designed and built special combat vehicles in Newhall, California. Soldier of Fortune reported that the movie's T-72 tank was such a precise replica that "while it was being carted around Los Angeles, two CIA officers followed it to the studio and wanted to know where it had come from".

Reception[link]

Red Dawn was the 20th highest grossing film of 1984, opening on 10 August 1984 in 1,822 theatres and taking in $8,230,381 on its first weekend. Its box office gross is $38,376,497.^[5] It was the first film to be released in the US with a Motion Picture Association of America PG-13 rating.^[3]

Red Dawn received mixed reviews, receiving a score of 53% on Rotten Tomatoes.^[6]

At the time it was released, Red Dawn was considered the most violent film by the Guinness Book of Records and The National Coalition on Television Violence, with a rate of 134 acts of violence per hour, or 2.23 per minute.^[7] The DVD Special Edition (2007) includes an on-screen "Carnage Counter" in a nod to this.^[8]

National Review Online has named the film #15 in its list of "The Best Conservative Movies."^[9]

Adam Arseneau at the website DVD Verdict opined that the film "often feels like a Republican wet dream manifested into a surrealistic Orwellian nightmare".^[8]

According to Jesse Walker of Reason:

The film outraged liberal critics, but further to the left it had some supporters. In a piece for The Nation, Andrew Kopkind called it "the most convincing story about popular resistance to imperial oppression since the inimitable Battle of Algiers," adding that he'd "take the Wolverines from Colorado over a small circle of friends from Harvard Square in any revolutionary situation I can imagine."^[10]

Libertarian theorist Murray Rothbard argued that the film was "not so much pro-war as it is anti-State."^[11] Rothbard gave the film a generally positive review, while expressing some reservations with the story:

References in the film[link]

• The NRA slogan "I'll give you my gun when you take it from my cold, dead fingers" is seen on a truck's bumper sticker as the paratroopers take over Calumet before a dead man's M1911 pistol is taken from him.^[12]
• The movie being shown to American prisoners at the Soviet camp near Calumet is Alexander Nevsky (1938),^[13] Eisenstein's Soviet anti-Nazi classic. It is also playing for free in the town cinema across from the drugstore.^[14]
• One of the radio announcements is "John has a long mustache", which is the same message the French resistance gets before D-Day in The Longest Day (1962).
• Much of the story is set in the Arapaho National Forest and before the Soviet invasion, a group of characters refer specifically to the Colorado War, which was fought there between the Arapaho and Cheyenne Indian insurgencies and the occupying U.S. government.^[15]

In popular culture[link]

• In the Family Guy episode "Hell Comes to Quahog" Peter stars in Red Dawn: The Musical.^[16]
• Numerous references occur in the movie Hot Tub Time Machine.^[17]
• In the television show Scrubs, Elliot and Turk watch and discuss Red Dawn in the episode "My Heavy Meddle".^[18]
• "Grey Dawn", a South Park episode which parodies Red Dawn.^[19]
• "South of the Border (Part 2)" the 11th episode in the comedic My Name Is Earl TV sitcom has Catalina's Uncle (a south-american 'bandido' obsessed with 1980s-vintage U.S. pop culture who was briefly redeemed from his villainous ways by the titular character during his latin american trip) yell "Wolverineeeees!" while brandishing automatic weapons declaring his return to armed banditry in revenge for former rivals having mutilated one of his lackeys of the tongue "since he had gone soft".
• In the made for tv film "Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension" after attacking and destroying an invading enemy robot, the character Irving gets up and shouts "Wolverines!", an homage to Red Dawn.^{[citation needed]}

Video games[link]

• The plot of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 includes an invasion of the United States by an ultra-nationalist Russia, where members of the United States Army's 75th Ranger Regiment have to repel the attack. The achievement "Red Dawn" is awarded for completing the American "Wolverines!" and "Exodus" missions in Veteran difficulty. "Wolverines!" itself is a reference to the movie.^[20]
• Freedom Fighters is a 2003 video game that takes place during a Soviet invasion of New York. This game is based heavily on Red Dawn in terms of characters, costumes and design, and the last mission closely resembles one of the final scenes when the Wolverines attack the Soviet base.^[21]
• Grand Theft Auto: Vice City has several references to the film, including someone mocking the film on the radio, asking if people would go hide and call themselves Wolverines in the midst of a Soviet invasion.^[22]
• Homefront, a video game also written by John Milius, is about a North Korean invasion of America.^[23] One notable "easter egg" relating to the film is a large billboard at a school sport stadium which reads "Go Wolverines!!!".
• Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis is a 2001 tactical shooter that takes place in a fictional conflict between the United States Army and unknown invaders presumed to be Russian Soviets on several fictitious islands. The final, climactic chapter in the game is called "Red Dawn."^[24]

[edit] Operation Red Dawn

The operation to capture former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was named Operation Red Dawn and its targets were dubbed Wolverine 1 and Wolverine 2. Army Captain Geoffrey McMurray, who named the mission, said the naming "was so fitting because it was a patriotic, pro-American movie." Milius approved of the naming: "I was deeply flattered and honored. It's nice to have a lasting legacy."^[25]

Remake[link]

The remake will take place in modern day, with North Korea invading the United States.

See also[link]

• Culture during the Cold War
• World War III in popular culture

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Red Dawn

• Red Dawn at the Internet Movie Database
• Red Dawn at AllRovi
• Red Dawn at the TCM Movie Database

Chris Hemsworth
Hemsworth in London in April 2011 promoting Thor
Born	(1983-08-11) 11 August 1983 (age 28) Melbourne, Australia
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2002–present
Spouse	Elsa Pataky (m. 2010) «start: (2010)»"Marriage: Elsa Pataky to Chris Hemsworth" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Chris_Hemsworth)
Children	India Rose (2012)
Relatives	Liam Hemsworth Luke Hemsworth

Chris Hemsworth (born 11 August 1983) is an Australian actor best known for portraying Thor in the Marvel Studios films Thor (2011) and The Avengers (2012), and Curt Vaughan in The Cabin in the Woods (2012). Hemsworth is set to continue his role as Thor in the upcoming film Thor 2 in 2013. He also starred as Kim Hyde in the Australian soap opera Home and Away. He is the older brother of Liam Hemsworth and the younger brother of Luke Hemsworth, both actors.

Early life[link]

Hemsworth was born in Melbourne,^[1] the son of Leonie, an English teacher, and Craig Hemsworth, a social-services counselor.^[2][3] He was raised both there and in the Northern Territory, in a little Aboriginal community in the Outback, called Bulman. He has stated, "My earliest memories were on the cattle stations up in the Outback, and then we moved back to Melbourne and then back out there and then back again. Certainly most of my childhood was in Melbourne but probably my most vivid memories were up there in Bulman with crocodiles and buffalo. Very different walks of life."^[1] He attended primary school at Southwood Primary school and high school at Heathmont College,^[1] before his family again returned to the Northern Territory, and then moved a few years later, to Phillip Island.^[4]

Career[link]

In 2004, he auditioned for the show Home and Away role of Robbie Hunter (played by Jason Smith), but did not receive the part. He was subsequently recalled for the part of Kim Hyde and moved to Sydney to join the cast, appearing in 171 episodes of the series.^[5] He left the cast of Home and Away on 3 July 2007. He has received two Logie Award nominations and has won one for Most Popular New Talent on Home and Away back in 2005.

Hemsworth portrayed James T. Kirk's father, George Kirk, in the opening scenes of J. J. Abrams' 2009 film Star Trek. He played the character Kale in the thriller A Perfect Getaway the same year. Those movies were released before CA$h, the first film he shot upon his arrival in the United States. The film's director, Stephen Milburn Anderson, said Hemsworth had only been in the United States for six weeks when he had auditioned for the role, recalling, "Here's a guy who is young, has the right look, is a very good actor and, let's face it, he's beautiful. So I say, we need to get this guy in. I was very impressed".^[6] 2010 saw Hemsworth receive the coveted GQ Australia 'Breakthrough of the Year' award.^[7] In November 2010 The Hollywood Reporter named Hemsworth as one of the young male actors who are "pushing – or being pushed" into taking over Hollywood as the new "A-List".^[8] MTV Networks' NextMovie.com named him one of its "25 Breakout Stars to Watch for in 2011".^[9]

He then filmed the horror film The Cabin in the Woods (released in April 2012) and played the role of Jed Eckert in a Red Dawn remake (scheduled for November 2012).^[10] His next released film was Thor (2011), in which he starred as the Marvel Comics superhero of the same name, the Norse god of thunder banished to Earth to learn humility. Initially, his brother Liam reached the final four for the role while Chris did not, but he won the role after director Kenneth Branagh reevaluated earlier candidates.^[11] Chris Hemsworth received advice from his brother, saying "We're competitive, but in the best way."^[11] His mother helped him with his audition tape by playing Odin.^[12] Hemsworth reprised his role as Thor in The Avengers, also based on a Marvel comic, in which the superheroes of Marvel Studios' cinematic universe form a team to protect the Earth, which was released in 2012.^[13]

Hemsworth starred opposite Kristen Stewart in the film Snow White and the Huntsman, released in 2012.^[14] Hemsworth is also set to star in Shadow Runner, a thriller involving elite commandos.^[15] In June 2011, it was announced that Hemsworth would reprise his role as the titular character in Thor 2, planned for a mid-2013 release.^[16] In July 2011, he was in talks to appear in director Ron Howard's film Rush.^[17]

Personal life[link]

Hemsworth began dating Spanish actress Elsa Pataky in early 2010 after meeting through their mutual representatives.^[18] They married during the 2010 Christmas holiday.^[19] The couple have a daughter, India Rose Hemsworth, born May 11, 2012.^[18]

His older brother Luke and younger brother Liam are also actors, and have had recurring roles as Nathan Tyson and Josh Taylor respectively, on the Australian soap opera Neighbours.

Filmography[link]

Hemsworth at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International

Film[link]

Television[link]

Video games[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

Awards

• 2011 CinemaCon Awards, Male Star of Tomorrow
• 2011 ShoWest Convention, Male Star of Tomorrow
• 2010 Australians in Film Awards, Breakthrough Award
• 2005 Logie Awards, Most Popular New Male Talent

Nominations

• 2012 Teen Choice Awards, Choice Movie Actor - Sci-Fi/Fantasy (Pending)
• 2012 BAFTA, Rising Star Award ^[21]
• 2011 38th People's Choice Awards, Favorite Movie Superhero
• 2011 Scream Awards, Best Superhero, Best Male Breakthrough Performance
• 2011 Teen Choice Awards, Choice Movie Breakout Male
• 2006 Logie Awards, Most Popular Actor
• 2005 Logie Awards, Most Popular Actor

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Chris Hemsworth

• Chris Hemsworth at the Internet Movie Database
• Chris Hemsworth at AllRovi
• Chris Hemsworth at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)

Josh Hutcherson
Hutcherson at the Sydney premiere of Journey 2: The Mysterious Island in 2012.
Born	Joshua Ryan Hutcherson (1992-10-12) October 12, 1992 (age 19) Union, Kentucky, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2002–present
Website
www.joshhutcherson.com

Joshua Ryan "Josh" Hutcherson^[1] (born October 12, 1992) is an American film and television actor. He began working in the early 2000s, appearing in several minor film and television roles. He gained wider exposure with major roles in the 2005 films Little Manhattan and Zathura, the 2006 comedy RV, the 2007 family adventure film Firehouse Dog, and the film adaptations of Bridge to Terabithia, Journey to the Center of the Earth and Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant. On March 30, 2008, Hutcherson won a Young Artist Award (for Leading Young Actor). Hutcherson was also featured on a Celebrity Teens edition of the hit show MTV Cribs, and portrayed Peeta Mellark in the 2012 film The Hunger Games. He will appear in the Red Dawn remake.

Early life[link]

Josh Hutcherson was born in Union, Kentucky. His mother, Michelle, is a former Delta Air Lines employee who now assists Josh, and his father, Chris Hutcherson, is an analyst for the EPA.^[2] He has a younger brother, Connor, as well as many pets, including two dogs, Diesel and Nixon (a boxer).^[3] He has wanted to be an actor since he was four years old,^[4] but had only begun auditioning for roles in 2002, at the age of 9.^[5] He moved from Union to California, due to limited acting opportunities.^[6]

Career[link]

Hutcherson at the premiere of Cirque du Freak in 2009.

Hutcherson's first role was in the 2002 pilot episode, House Blend; in the same year, he appeared in an episode of ER. In 2003, he played the lead role in the comedy Miracle Dogs (which was released on Animal Planet), starred opposite Peter Falk and Timothy Daly in the made-for-television film, Wilder Days, and had a minor role in the well-reviewed independent film, American Splendor. He performed for the motion-capture imagery in 2004's The Polar Express.

In 2005, Hutcherson appeared in several Hollywood films: he had a minor role in the Will Ferrell comedy Kicking & Screaming, voiced Markl in the animated film Howl's Moving Castle (June), and played the lead roles in Little Manhattan (September) and Zathura, which was released in November to positive reviews. The following year, Hutcherson appeared in the comedy RV, playing the son of Robin Williams's character, and subsequently played Jesse Aarons in the drama Bridge to Terabithia, which was filmed in New Zealand^[7] and released on February 16, 2007, performing well critically and commercially. He had not read the novel that the film is based on before being cast in the role.^[7][8]

Hutcherson's next role was in Firehouse Dog (released on April 4, 2007), in which he played Shane Fahey, a firefighter's son who befriends a dog.^[9] Hutcherson filmed Firehouse Dog before Bridge to Terabithia, though the latter film was released first.^[10] His next roles were in the "very dark"^[9] independent film drama Winged Creatures,^[11] and playing the nephew of Brendan Fraser's character in Journey to the Center of the Earth,^[7] a new 3-D film version of the novel of the same name; filming on Journey, which was released on July 11, 2008, began in Montreal in June 2006 and ended in October of that year.^[7][9] Hutcherson also appeared in a film adaptation of the book Cirque Du Freak.

Hutcherson and Vanessa Hudgens, his co-star in the film Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, in January 2012.

In 2010, he had a supporting role in the critically acclaimed movie The Kids Are All Right, playing Laser. Hutcherson has said that he would like to appear in every type of film genre.^[9] On April 4, 2011, Lionsgate announced that Hutcherson had been cast as Peeta Mellark in the 2012 film, The Hunger Games.^[12]

Personal life[link]

Hutcherson briefly dated his Journey 2 co-star Vanessa Hudgens but the two are now "good friends".^[13]

Hutcherson has cited actor Jake Gyllenhaal as an inspiration.^[8] On August 11, 2007, Hutcherson served as the Grand Marshal at the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series Meijer Indy 300 at Kentucky Speedway.^[14] In September 2008, he went to Italy for the first time. He visited Rome and Milan, and participated in a local event about kids and cinema.^[15] Hutcherson recorded a video for the "Straight but not narrow" campaign, designed to encourage young, straight men to come out in support of their gay peers.^[16] On Saturday, April 21, 2012, Josh received the Vanguard Award from GLAAD. The Vanguard Award is awarded to one who incases the visibilty and understanding of LGBT folks.^[17]

Growing up near Cincinnati, Ohio, Hutcherson is a lifelong fan of the city's Major League Baseball team, the Reds; and got to throw the first pitch before their April 7, 2012 game against the Miami Marlins at Great American Ball Park.^[18]

In April 2012, Josh adopted a pit bull named Driver from the Hands, Paws, & Hearts rescue organization in Lancaster, CA.^[19]

Being from Kentucky, Hutcherson has been a lifelong Kentucky Wildcats fan. While he was on Conan he admitted to painting his face at a Kentucky Wildcats Basketball game and being a lifelong season ticket holder.^[20]

Filmography[link]

Film[link]

Television[link]

Producer[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Josh Hutcherson at the Internet Movie Database
• Josh Hutcherson on Twitter
• People in Film: Josh Hutcherson - Focus Features
• Josh Hutcherson on Myspace
• Josh Hutcherson's channel on YouTube
• Josh Hutcherson on Facebook

Isabel Lucas
Lucas at the Paris Hilton: Marquee The Star Sydney 2012
Born	(1985-01-29) 29 January 1985 (age 27) Melbourne, Australia
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2003–present

Isabel Lucas (born 29 January 1985) is an Australian actress.^[1] Perhaps best known for her role as Tasha Andrews on the Australian television soap opera Home and Away (2003–2006). Lucas moved to Los Angeles in early 2008 and has since been featured in film and television projects including Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Immortals, The Pacific and Daybreakers.

Early life[link]

Lucas was born in Melbourne.^[2][3] As a child, Lucas lived in Cairns, Queensland. She also lived in Switzerland and Kakadu, in the Northern Territory.^[4] She has a Swiss mother and an Australian father^[3] and speaks German^[3] and French^[5] in addition to her native English. Lucas went to St. Monica's College in Cairns, Queensland, Australia.

Career[link]

Lucas was involved in drama during her school years and attended courses at Victorian College of Arts and Queensland University of Technology. But Lucas had never pursued commercial roles until Sharron Meissner, a Sydney talent agent, 'discovered' Lucas while she was vacationing in Port Douglas. She auditioned for the role of Kit Hunter in Home and Away (now played by Amy Mizzi); although the producer of the show, Julie McGauran, felt that role was not right for Isabel, she was sufficiently impressed to have a new character, Tasha Andrews, created for her.^[3] Lucas won a Logie Award (for new popular talent) for her performance on the program.^[3] Playing Tasha Andrews on Home and Away was Lucas' first television role. She appeared in an American television commercial for Crest toothpaste.^[3]

Lucas in 2011

Lucas was cast as Gwen in the Steven Spielberg World War II miniseries, The Pacific. She appeared in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen as Alice. Reports^[specify] suggested that although assigned to the William Morris Talent Agency in Los Angeles through the auspices of Meissner Management, Lucas obtained the role of Alice in her native Australia before moving permanently to America. It has been claimed that Lucas was handpicked by Steven Spielberg.^{[citation needed]} Michael Bay, director and producer of Transformers, has denied that Spielberg influenced the decision to cast her.^[6] Her subsequent theatrical releases included Daybreakers (8 January 2010) and Red Dawn (2 November 2012).

In 2010, Lucas appeared in an advertisement for Daylesford tourism.^[7]

In 2011, Isabel Lucas signed on to Terrence Malick's film Knight of Cups.^[8]

Activism[link]

In October 2007, Lucas was part of a group of thirty people from Surfers for Cetaceans, including American actress Hayden Panettiere, surfers David Rastovich and Vaya Phrachanh who took part in a protest against dolphin hunting drive in Taiji, Wakayama, Japan.^[9] The group paddled out on surfboards to the dolphins to attempt to stop the hunt, but they were forced to turn around after being intercepted by one of the fishing boats. They drove straight to Osaka airport and left the country to avoid being arrested for trespassing by the Japanese police. There is still an outstanding arrest warrant for Lucas in Japan.^[4] Many Japanese consider this kind of act as an attack on their culture.^[10] In a news interview, Lucas stated that this was for purely economic reasons, claiming polls show that 70% of Japanese oppose whaling. Taiji's fishery cooperative union argues that these protesters "continue willfully to distort the facts about this fishery" and that the protesters' agendas are "based neither on international law nor on science but rather on emotion for economic self-interest."^[11] Lucas is a spokesperson for the Australian National Breast Cancer Foundation,^[12] and supports many organisations including, World Vision,^[13] The Humour Foundation,^[14] Women Against Violence,^{[15][citation needed]} Oxfam Community Aid Abroad,^[16] Global Green Plan,^[17] Save the Whales Again.^[18] Sea Shepherd.^[19]

Lucas is a vegetarian.^[20]

In 2010, Isabel Lucas and the Summit on the Summit team climbed to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro to raise awareness about the global clean water crisis. ^[21]

Lucas was nominated as one of Australia’s Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrities on PETAAsiaPacific.com for 2010.^[22]

Filmography[link]

References[link]