My Wife and Kids

Thursday, 27 December 2012

My wife and kids- The Kyles go to Hawaii(Nicole Scherzinger)

My Wife and Kids - S04E01 - From Dummy to Daddy

My Wife and Kids - Michael Kyle 'Ehh.. no!' compilation

My Wife and Kids S02E07 Michael's Garden

My Wife and Kids - S03E13 - Open Your Heart

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Australia
Australia ( /əˈstreɪljə/), officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent as well as the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area. Neighbouring countries include Indonesia, East Timor and Papua New Guinea to the north; the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia to the north-east; and New Zealand to the south-east.
For at least 40,000 years before European settlement in the late 18th century, Australia was inhabited by indigenous Australians, who belonged to one or more of roughly 250 language groups. After discovery by Dutch explorers in 1606, Australia's eastern half was claimed by Great Britain in 1770 and settled through penal transportation to the colony of New South Wales from 26 January 1788. The population grew steadily in subsequent decades; the continent was explored and an additional five self-governing Crown Colonies were established.

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Austria
Austria (ⁱ/ˈɒstriə/ or /ˈɔːstriə/; German: Österreich [ˈøːstɐˌʁaɪç] ( listen)), officially the Republic of Austria (German: Republik Österreich (help·info)), is a landlocked country of roughly 8.47 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Hungary and Slovakia to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. The territory of Austria covers 83,855 square kilometres (32,377 sq mi) and has a temperate and alpine climate. Austria's terrain is highly mountainous due to the presence of the Alps; only 32% of the country is below 500 metres (1,640 ft), and its highest point is 3,798 metres (12,461 ft). The majority of the population speak local Austro-Bavarian dialects of German as their native language, and German in its standard form is the country's official language. Other local official languages are Burgenland Croatian, Hungarian and Slovene.
The origins of modern-day Austria date back to the time of the Habsburg dynasty when the vast majority of the country was a part of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Austria became one of the great powers of Europe and, in response to the coronation of Napoleon I as the Emperor of the French, the Austrian Empire was officially proclaimed in 1804. In 1867, the Austrian Empire was reformed into Austria-Hungary.

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Belgium
Belgium (ⁱ/ˈbɛldʒəm/ BEL-jəm), officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO. Belgium covers an area of 30,528 square kilometres (11,787 sq mi), and it has a population of about 11 million people. Straddling the cultural boundary between Germanic and Latin Europe, Belgium is home to two main linguistic groups, the Dutch-speakers, mostly Flemish (about 60%), and the French-speakers, mostly Walloons (about 40%), plus a small group of German-speakers. Belgium's two largest regions are the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders in the north and the French-speaking southern region of Wallonia. The Brussels-Capital Region, officially bilingual, is a mostly French-speaking enclave within the Flemish Region. A German-speaking Community exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political conflicts are reflected in the political history and a complex system of government.

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Brazil
Brazil ⁱ/brəˈzɪl/ (Portuguese: Brasil, IPA: [bɾaˈziw]), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: República Federativa do Brasil, listen (help·info)), is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people. It is the only Portuguese-speaking country in the Americas and the largest lusophone country in the world.
Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east, Brazil has a coastline of 7,491 km (4,655 mi). It is bordered on the north by Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and the French overseas region of French Guiana; on the northwest by Colombia; on the west by Bolivia and Peru; on the southwest by Argentina and Paraguay and on the south by Uruguay. Numerous archipelagos form part of Brazilian territory, such as Fernando de Noronha, Rocas Atoll, Saint Peter and Paul Rocks, and Trindade and Martim Vaz. It borders all other South American countries except Ecuador and Chile.
Brazil was a colony of Portugal from the landing of Pedro Álvares Cabral in 1500 until 1815, when it was elevated to the rank of kingdom and the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves was formed. The colonial bond was in fact broken in 1808, when the capital of the Portuguese colonial empire was transferred from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro, after Napoleon invaded Portugal.Independence was achieved in 1822 with the formation of the Empire of Brazil, a unitary state governed under a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary system. The country became a presidential republic in 1889, when a military coup d'état proclaimed the Republic, although the bicameral legislature, now called Congress, dates back to the ratification of the first constitution in 1824. Its current Constitution, formulated in 1988, defines Brazil as a Federal Republic. The Federation is formed by the union of the Federal District, the 26 States, and the 5,564 Municipalities.

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Canada
Canada ( /ˈkænədə/) is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean. Spanning over 9,900,000 km² (3,800,000 sq mi), Canada is the world's second-largest country by total area, and its common border with the United States is the longest land border in the world.
The land that is now Canada has been inhabited for millennia by various Aboriginal peoples. Beginning in the late 15th century, British and French colonial expeditions explored, and later settled, along the region's Atlantic coast. France ceded nearly all of its colonies in North America in 1763 after the Seven Years' War. In 1867, with the union of three British North American colonies through Confederation, Canada was formed as a federal dominion of four provinces. This began an accretion of provinces and territories and a process of increasing autonomy; the Canada Act 1982 severed the vestiges of legal dependence on Britain.

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Croatia
Croatia (ⁱ/kroʊˈeɪʃə/ kroh-AY-shə; Croatian: Hrvatska pronounced [xř̩ʋaːtskaː]), officially the Republic of Croatia (Croatian: Republika Hrvatska listen (help·info)), is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of Central Europe, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers 56,594 square kilometres (21,851 square miles) and has diverse, mostly continental and Mediterranean climates. Croatia's Adriatic Sea coast contains more than a thousand islands. The country's population is 4.29 million, most of whom are Croats, with the most common religious denomination being Roman Catholicism.
In the early 7th century the Croats arrived in area of present-day Croatia. They organised the state into two dukedoms by the 9th century. Tomislav became the first king by 925 AD, elevating Croatia to the status of a kingdom. The Kingdom of Croatia retained its sovereignty for nearly two centuries, reaching its peak during the rule of Kings Peter Krešimir IV and Dmitar Zvonimir. Croatia entered a personal union with Hungary in 1102. In 1527, faced with Ottoman conquest the Croatian Parliament elected Ferdinand I of the House of Habsburg to the Croatian throne. In 1918, after World War I, Croatia was included in the short-lived State of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs that declared independence from Austria–Hungary and co-founded the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. A Croatian state briefly existed during World War II as a fascist puppet state. After the war, Croatia became a founding member and a federal constituent of the Second Yugoslavia, a socialist state. In June 1991, Croatia declared independence, which came into effect on 8 October of the same year. The Croatian War of Independence was fought successfully during the four years following the declaration.

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Egypt
Egypt ⁱ/ˈiːdʒɪpt/ (Arabic: مصر, Miṣr, Egyptian Arabic: [mɑsˤɾ] ; Coptic: Ⲭⲏⲙⲓ, Kīmi ; Sahidic Coptic: ⲕⲏⲙⲉ, Kēme), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: جمهوريّة مصر العربيّة (help·info), is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world. Covering an area of about 1,010,000 square kilometers (390,000 sq mi), Egypt is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northeast, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south and Libya to the west.
Egypt is one of the most populous countries in Africa and the Middle East. The great majority of its over 81 million people live near the banks of the Nile River, in an area of about 40,000 square kilometers (15,000 sq mi), where the only arable land is found. The large areas of the Sahara Desert are sparsely inhabited. About half of Egypt's residents live in urban areas, with most spread across the densely populated centres of greater Cairo, Alexandria and other major cities in the Nile Delta.

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Estonia
Estonia ⁱ/ɨsˈtoʊniə/ (Estonian: Eesti), officially the Republic of Estonia (Estonian: Eesti Vabariik), is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia (343 km), and to the east by Lake Peipus and the Russian Federation (338.6 km). Across the Baltic Sea lies Sweden in the west and Finland in the north. The territory of Estonia covers 45,227 km² (17,462 sq mi), and is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. The Estonians are a Finnic people, and the official language, Estonian, is closely related to Finnish.
Estonia is a democratic parliamentary republic divided into 15 counties. The capital and largest city is Tallinn. With a population of 1.29 million, it is one of the least-populous members of the European Union, Eurozone and NATO. Estonia has the highest GDP per person among former Soviet republics. Estonia is listed as a "High-Income Economy" by the World Bank and as an "advanced economy" by the International Monetary Fund; the country is an OECD member. The United Nations lists Estonia as a developed country with a Human Development Index of "Very High". The country is also ranked highly for press freedom, economic freedom, democracy and political freedom and education.

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Finland
Coordinates: 65°N 27°E / 65°N 027°E / 65; 027
Finland ⁱ/ˈfɪnlənd/ ( Finnish: Suomi; Swedish: Finland (help·info)), officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.
Around 5.4 million people reside in Finland, with the majority concentrated in the southern region. It is the eighth largest country in Europe in terms of area and the most sparsely populated country in the European Union. Finland is a parliamentary republic with a central government based in Helsinki and local governments in 336 municipalities, and an autonomous region of the Åland Islands. About one million residents live in the Greater Helsinki area, which consists of Helsinki, Espoo, Kauniainen and Vantaa, and a third of the country's GDP is produced there. Other larger cities include Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Jyväskylä, Lahti and Kuopio.

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France
France (English ⁱ/ˈfræns/ FRANSS or /ˈfrɑːns/ FRAHNSS; French: [fʁɑ̃s] ( listen)), officially the French Republic (French: République française [ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛz]), is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. It is often referred to as l’Hexagone ("The Hexagon") because of the geometric shape of its territory. It is the largest western European country and it possesses the second-largest exclusive economic zone in the world, covering 11,035,000 km² (4,260,000 sq mi), just behind that of the United States (11,351,000 km² / 4,383,000 sq mi).
Over the past 500 years, France has been a major power with strong cultural, economic, military and political influence in Europe and around the world. During the 17th and 18th centuries, France colonised great parts of North America and Southeast Asia; during the 19th and early 20th centuries, France built the second largest colonial empire of the time, including large portions of North, West and Central Africa, Southeast Asia, and many Caribbean and Pacific Islands.

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Germany
Germany (ⁱ/ˈdʒɜrməni/), officially the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland, pronounced [ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant] ( listen)), is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km² and has a largely temperate seasonal climate. With 81.8 million inhabitants, it is the most populous member state and the largest economy in the European Union. It is one of the major political powers of the European continent and a technological leader in many fields.
A region named Germania, inhabited by several Germanic peoples, was documented before AD 100. During the Migration Period, the Germanic tribes expanded southward, and established successor kingdoms throughout much of Europe. Beginning in the 10th century, German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire. During the 16th century, northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation while southern and western parts remained dominated by Roman Catholic denominations, with the two factions clashing in the Thirty Years' War, marking the beginning of the Catholic–Protestant divide that has characterized German society ever since. Occupied during the Napoleonic Wars, the rise of Pan-Germanism inside the German Confederation resulted in the unification of most of the German states into the German Empire in 1871 which was Prussian dominated. After the German Revolution of 1918–1919 and the subsequent military surrender in World War I, the Empire was replaced by the Weimar Republic in 1918, and partitioned in the Treaty of Versailles. Amidst the Great Depression, the Third Reich was proclaimed in 1933. The latter period was marked by Fascism and World War II. After 1945, Germany was divided by allied occupation, and evolved into two states, East Germany and West Germany. In 1990 Germany was reunified.

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Harvard University
Harvard University is an American private Ivy League research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation (officially The President and Fellows of Harvard College) chartered in the country. Harvard's history, influence, and wealth have made it one of the most prestigious universities in the world.
Harvard was named after its first benefactor, John Harvard. Although never formally affiliated with a church, the college primarily trained Congregationalist and Unitarian clergy. Harvard's curriculum and students became secular throughout the 18th century and by the 19th century had emerged as the central cultural establishment among Boston elites. Following the American Civil War, President Charles W. Eliot's forty year tenure (1869–1909) transformed the college and affiliated professional schools into a centralized research university, and Harvard became a founding member of the Association of American Universities in 1900.James Bryant Conant led the university through the Great Depression and World War II and began to reform the curriculum and liberalize admissions after the war. The undergraduate college became coeducational after its 1977 merger with Radcliffe College. Drew Gilpin Faust was elected the 28th president in 2007 and is the first woman to lead the university. Harvard has the largest financial endowment of any academic institution in the world, standing at $32 billion as of September 2011.

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Hungary
Hungary ⁱ/ˈhʌŋɡəri/ (Hungarian: Magyarország [ˈmɒɟɒrorsaːɡ] ( listen)) is a country, which is located in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The country's capital, and largest city, is Budapest. Hungary is a member of the European Union, NATO, the OECD, the Visegrád Group, and is a Schengen state. The official language is Hungarian, also known as Magyar, which is part of the Finno-Ugric group and is the most widely spoken non-Indo-European language in Europe.
Following a Celt (after c. 450 BC) and a Roman (AD 9 - c. 430) period, the foundation of Hungary was laid in the late 9th century by the Hungarian prince Árpád, whose great-grandson Saint Stephen I was crowned with a crown sent by the pope from Rome in 1000 AD. The Kingdom of Hungary lasted for 946 years, and at various points was regarded as one of the cultural centres of the Western world. After about 150 years of partial Ottoman occupation (1541–1699), Hungary was integrated into the Habsburg Monarchy, and later constituted half of the Austro-Hungarian dual monarchy (1867–1918).

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India
India (ⁱ/ˈɪndiə/), officially the Republic of India (Bhārat Gaṇarājya), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the south-west, and the Bay of Bengal on the south-east, it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west;China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the north-east; and Burma and Bangladesh to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives; in addition, India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia.
Home to the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation and a region of historic trade routes and vast empires, the Indian subcontinent was identified with its commercial and cultural wealth for much of its long history. Four of the world's major religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism—originated here, whereas Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam arrived in the 1st millennium CE and also helped shape the region's diverse culture. Gradually annexed by and brought under the administration of the British East India Company from the early 18th century and administered directly by the United Kingdom from the mid-19th century, India became an independent nation in 1947 after a struggle for independence that was marked by non-violent resistance led by Mahatma Gandhi.

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Israel
Coordinates: 31°N 35°E / 31°N 35°E / 31; 35
Israel, officially the State of Israel ( /ˈɪzriːəl/ or /ˈɪzreɪəl/; Hebrew: מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל‎, Medīnat Yisrā'el, IPA: [me̞diˈnät jisʁäˈʔe̞l] ( listen); Arabic: دَوْلَة إِسْرَائِيل‎, Dawlat Isrāʼīl, IPA: [dawlat ʔisraːˈʔiːl]), is a parliamentary republic in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan and the West Bank in the east, Egypt and the Gaza Strip on the southwest, and the Gulf of Aqaba in the Red Sea to the south, and it contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area. Israel is defined as a Jewish and Democratic State in its Basic Laws and is the world's only Jewish-majority state.
Following the adoption of a resolution by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 29 November 1947 recommending the adoption and implementation of the United Nations plan to partition Palestine, on 14 May 1948 David Ben-Gurion, the Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization and president of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, declared the establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz Israel, to be known as the State of Israel, a state independent from the British Mandate for Palestine. Neighboring Arab states invaded the next day in support of the Palestinian Arabs. Israel has since fought several wars with neighboring Arab states, in the course of which it has occupied the West Bank, Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights. Portions of these territories, including east Jerusalem, have been annexed by Israel, but the border with the neighboring West Bank has not yet been permanently defined.^{[neutrality is disputed]} Israel has signed peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan, but efforts to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict have so far not resulted in peace.

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Italy
Italy ⁱ/ˈɪtəli/ (Italian: Italia [iˈtaːlja]), officially the Italian Republic or the Republic of Italy (Italian: Repubblica italiana), is a unitary parliamentary republic in south-central Europe. To the north, it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia along the Alps. To the south, it consists of the entirety of the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Sardinia–the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea–and many other smaller islands. The independent states of San Marino and the Vatican City are enclaves within Italy, while Campione d'Italia is an Italian exclave in Switzerland. The territory of Italy covers some 301,338 km² (116,347 sq mi) and is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. With 60.6 million inhabitants, it is the fifth most populous country in Europe, and the 23rd most populous in the world.
Rome, the capital of Italy, was for centuries a political and religious centre of Western civilisation as the capital of the Roman Empire and site of the Holy See. After the decline of the Roman Empire, Italy endured numerous invasions by foreign peoples, from Germanic tribes such as the Lombards and Ostrogoths, to the Byzantines and later, the Normans, among others. Centuries later, Italy became the birthplace of Maritime republics and the Renaissance, an immensely fruitful intellectual movement that would prove to be integral in shaping the subsequent course of European thought.

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Latvia
Latvia ⁱ/ˈlætviə/ (Latvian: Latvija), officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvian: Latvijas Republika), is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia (border length 343 km), to the south by Lithuania (588 km), to the east by the Russian Federation (276 km), to the southeast by Belarus (141 km), and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden. With 2,067,887 inhabitants and a territory of 64,589 km² (24,938 sq mi) it is one of the least populous and least densely populated countries of the European Union. The capital of Latvia is Riga. The official language is Latvian and the currency is called Lats (Ls). The country has a temperate seasonal climate.
The Latvians are a Baltic people, culturally related to the Lithuanians. Together with the Finno-Ugric Livs (or Livonians), the Latvians are the indigenous people of Latvia.Latvian is an Indo-European language and along with Lithuanian the only two surviving members of the Baltic branch. Indigenous minority languages are Latgalian and the nearly extinct Finno-Ugric Livonian language. In terms of geography, territory and population Latvia is the middle of three Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Latvia and Estonia share a long common history: historical Livonia, times of German (Teutonic Order), Polish-Lithuanian, Swedish, Russian, Nazi German and Soviet rule, 13th century Christianization and 16th century Protestant Reformation. Both countries are home to a large number of ethnic Russians (26.9% in Latvia and 25.5% in Estonia) of whom some are non-citizens. Latvia is historically predominantly Protestant, except for the region of Latgalia in the southeast which is historically predominantly Roman Catholic.

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Mexico
Mexico (ⁱ/ˈmɛksɨkoʊ/; Spanish: México, IPA: [ˈmexiko] ( listen)), officially the United Mexican States (Spanish: Estados Unidos Mexicanos (help·info)), is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States of America; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico. Covering almost two million square kilometres (over 760,000 sq mi), Mexico is the fifth largest country in the Americas by total area and the thirteenth largest independent nation in the world. With an estimated population of over 113 million, it is the eleventh most populous country and the most populous Spanish-speaking country. Mexico is a federation comprising thirty-one states and a Federal District, the capital city.
In Pre-Columbian Mexico many cultures matured into advanced civilizations such as the Olmec, the Toltec, the Teotihuacan, the Zapotec, the Maya and the Aztec before the first contact with Europeans. In 1521, Spain conquered and colonized the territory from its base in México-Tenochtitlan, which was administered as the Viceroyalty of New Spain. This territory would eventually become Mexico as the colony's independence was recognized in 1821. The post-independence period was characterized by economic instability, the Mexican-American War and territorial cession to the United States, a civil war, two empires and a domestic dictatorship. The latter led to the Mexican Revolution in 1910, which culminated with the promulgation of the 1917 Constitution and the emergence of the country's current political system. Elections held in July 2000 marked the first time that an opposition party won the presidency from the Institutional Revolutionary Party.

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Netherlands
The Netherlands (ⁱ/ˈnɛðərləndz/; Dutch: Nederland [ˈneːdə(r)lɑnt] or [ˈneɪ̯də(r)lɑnt] ( listen); West Frisian: Nederlân; Papiamento: Hulanda) is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with some islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders with Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom. It is a parliamentary democracy organised as a unitary state. The country capital is Amsterdam and the seat of government is The Hague. The Netherlands in its entirety is often referred to as Holland, although North and South Holland are actually only two of its twelve provinces (a case of pars pro toto; see terminology of "the Netherlands").

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New Zealand
New Zealand (Māori: Aotearoa) is an island country located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The country geographically comprises two main landmasses ‒ that of the North and South Islands ‒ as well as numerous smaller islands. New Zealand is situated some 1,500 kilometres (900 mi) east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and roughly 1,000 kilometres (600 mi) south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. Because of its remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans.
During its long isolation, New Zealand developed a distinctive biodiversity of both animal and plant life. Most notable are the large number of unique bird species, many of which became extinct after the arrival of humans and introduced mammals. With a mild maritime climate, the land was mostly covered in forest. The country's varied topography and its sharp mountain peaks owe much to the tectonic uplift of land and volcanic eruptions caused by the Pacific and Indo-Australian Plates clashing beneath the earth's surface.

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Norway
Norway ⁱ/ˈnɔrweɪ/ (Norwegian: Norge (Bokmål) or Noreg (Nynorsk)), officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and the subantarctic Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of 385,252 square kilometres (148,747 sq mi) and a population of about 5 million. It is the second least densely populated country in Europe. The majority of the country shares a border to the east with Sweden; its northernmost region is bordered by Finland to the south and Russia to the east; in its south Norway borders the Skagerrak Strait across from Denmark. The capital city of Norway is Oslo. Norway's extensive coastline, facing the North Atlantic Ocean and the Barents Sea, is home to its famous fjords.

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Pakistan
Pakistan (ⁱ/ˈpækɨstæn/ or ⁱ/pɑːkiˈstɑːn/; Urdu: پاکستان) (Urdu pronunciation: [paːkɪˈst̪aːn] ( listen)), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan (Urdu: اسلامی جمہوریۂ پاکستان), is a sovereign country in South Asia. It sits at the crossroads of the strategically important regions of South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. It has a 1,046-kilometre (650 mi) coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by India to the east, Afghanistan to the west and north, Iran to the southwest and China in the far northeast. It is separated from Tajikistan by Afghanistan's narrow Wakhan Corridor in the north, and it shares a marine border with Oman.
The territory of modern Pakistan was the site of several ancient cultures, including the Neolithic Mehrgarh and the Bronze Age Indus Valley Civilisation, and has undergone invasions or settlements by Hindu, Persian, Indo-Greek, Islamic, Turco-Mongol, Afghan and Sikh cultures. Thus the area has been ruled by numerous empires and dynasties, including the Indian Mauryan Empire, the Persian Achaemenid Empire, the Arab Umayyad Caliphate, the Mongol Empire, the Mughal Empire, the Durrani Empire, the Sikh Empire and the British Empire. As a result of the Pakistan Movement led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah and India's struggle for independence, Pakistan was created in 1947 as an independent nation for Muslims from the regions in the east and west of India where there was a Muslim majority. Initially a dominion, Pakistan adopted a new constitution in 1956, becoming an Islamic republic. A civil war in 1971 resulted in the secession of East Pakistan as the new country of Bangladesh.

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Philippines
The Philippines ⁱ/ˈfɪlɨpiːnz/ FI-lə-peenz (Filipino: Pilipinas [ˌpɪlɪˈpinɐs]), officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (Filipino: Republika ng Pilipinas) is a sovereign country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam. The Sulu Sea to the southwest lies between the country and the island of Borneo, and to the south the Celebes Sea separates it from other islands of Indonesia. It is bounded on the east by the Philippine Sea. Its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire and its tropical climate make the Philippines prone to earthquakes and typhoons but have also endowed the country with natural resources and made it one of the richest areas of biodiversity in the world. An archipelago comprising 7,107 islands, the Philippines is categorized broadly into three main geographical divisions: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Its capital city is Manila.
With an estimated population of about 98 million people, the Philippines is the 7th most populated Asian country and the 12th most populated country in the world. An additional 12.5 million Filipinos live overseas. Multiple ethnicities and cultures are found throughout the islands. In prehistoric times, Negritos were some of the archipelago's earliest inhabitants. They were followed by successive waves of Austronesian peoples who brought with them influences from Malay, Hindu, and Islamic societies. Trade introduced Chinese cultural influences which remain to this day.

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Poland
Poland ⁱ/ˈpoʊlənd/ (Polish: Polska), officially the Republic of Poland (Polish: Rzeczpospolita Polska; Kashubian: Pòlskô Repùblika; Silesian: Polsko Republika), is a country in Central Europe, bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north. The total area of Poland is 312,679 square kilometres (120,726 sq mi), making it the 69th largest country in the world and the 9th largest in Europe. Poland has a population of over 38 million people, which makes it the 34th most populous country in the world and the sixth most populous member of the European Union, being its most populous post-communist member. Poland is a unitary state made up of 16 voivodeships. Poland is a member of the European Union, NATO, the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), European Economic Area, International Energy Agency, Council of Europe, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, International Atomic Energy Agency, G6, Council of the Baltic Sea States, Visegrád Group, Weimar Triangle and Schengen Agreement.

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Portugal
Portugal ⁱ/ˈpɔrtʃʉɡəl/ (Portuguese: Portugal, IPA: [puɾtuˈɣaɫ]), officially the Portuguese Republic (Portuguese: República Portuguesa) is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula . Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira are part of Portugal. The country is named after its second largest city, Porto, whose Latin name was Portus Cale.
The land within the borders of the current Portuguese Republic has been continuously settled since prehistoric times: occupied by Celts like the Gallaeci and the Lusitanians, integrated into the Roman Republic and later settled by Germanic peoples such as the Suebi, Swabians, Vandals and the Visigoths. In the 8th century most of the Iberian Peninsula was conquered by Moorish invaders professing Islam, which were later expelled by the Knights Templar under the Order of Christ. During the Christian Reconquista, Portugal established itself as an independent kingdom from León in 1139, claiming to be the oldest European nation state.

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Republic of Ireland
Ireland (/ˈaɪərlənd/ or /ˈɑrlənd/; Irish: Éire, pronounced [ˈeːɾʲə] ( listen)) is a sovereign state in Europe occupying about five-sixths of the island of Ireland. Its capital is Dublin. The population of the state was 4.59 million in 2011. It is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy, with an elected president serving as head of state. In the 1937 constitution, the name of the state is given as simply "Ireland". The Constitution of Ireland (Article 4) and the Republic of Ireland Act 1948 provides that the "Republic of Ireland" (Irish: Poblacht na hÉireann) is "the description of the state".
Ireland is a member of the European Union, the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the World Trade Organisation and the United Nations. A developed country with the seventh highest Human Development Index, Ireland is also highly ranked for press freedom, economic freedom and democracy and political freedom.
The modern Irish state was established in 1922 as the Irish Free State, a dominion within the British Empire, following the Anglo-Irish Treaty which brought an end to the Irish War of Independence. The partition of Ireland had already been provided for in previous British legislation in 1921 in response to opposition to Irish Home Rule or independence by Unionists, who formed a majority in the north-eastern part of the country. Six of the nine counties in the northern province of Ulster were established under that legislation as Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom, with which the Irish state shares its only land border. The state is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the Celtic Sea to the south, St George's Channel to the south east, and the Irish Sea to the east.

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Russia
Russia ⁱ/ˈrʌʃə/ or /ˈrʊʃə/ (Russian: Россия, tr. Rossiya; IPA: [rɐˈsʲijə] ( listen)), also officially known as the Russian Federation (Russian: Российская Федерация, tr. Rossiyskaya Federatsiya; IPA: [rɐˈsʲijskəjə fʲɪdʲɪˈratsɨjə] ( listen)), is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects. From northwest to southeast, Russia shares borders with Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland (both via Kaliningrad Oblast), Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, and North Korea. It also has maritime borders with Japan by the Sea of Okhotsk, and the US state of Alaska by the Bering Strait. At 17,075,400 square kilometres (6,592,800 sq mi), Russia is the largest country in the world, covering more than one eighth of the Earth's inhabited land area. Russia is also the eighth most populous nation with 143 million people. It extends across the whole of northern Asia and 40% of Europe, spanning nine time zones and incorporating a wide range of environments and landforms. Russia has the world's largest reserves of mineral and energy resources and is the largest producer of oil and natural gas globally. Russia has the world's largest forest reserves and its lakes contain approximately one-quarter of the world's fresh water.

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Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia (ⁱ/ˌsaʊdi əˈreɪbi.ə/ or ⁱ/ˌsɔːdiː əˈreɪbi.ə/; Arabic: السعودية‎ as-Su‘ūdīyah^{[citation needed]} or incorrectly as-Sa‘ūdīyah, officially known as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Arabic: المملكة العربية السعودية‎ al-Mamlakah al-‘Arabīyah as-Su‘ūdīyah Arabic pronunciation (help·info)), is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab world, after Algeria. It is bordered by Jordan, and Iraq on the north and northeast, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates on the east, Oman on the southeast, and Yemen on the south. The Red Sea lies to its west, and the Persian Gulf lies to the east. Saudi Arabia has an area of approximately 2,250,000 km² (870,000 sq mi), and it has an estimated population of 27 million, of which 9 million are registered foreign expatriates and an estimated 2 million are illegal immigrants. Saudi nationals comprise an estimated 16 million people.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded by Abdul-Aziz bin Saud (known for most of his career as Ibn Saud) in 1932, although the conquests which eventually led to the creation of the Kingdom began in 1902 when he captured Riyadh, the ancestral home of his family, the House of Saud, referred to in Arabic as the Al Saud. The Saudi Arabian government, which has been an absolute monarchy since its inception, refers to its system of government as being Islamic, though this is contested by many due to its strong basis in Salafism, a minority school of thought in Islam. The kingdom is sometimes called "The Land of the Two Holy Mosques" in reference to Al-Masjid al-Haram (in Mecca), and Al-Masjid al-Nabawi (in Medina), the two holiest places in Islam.

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South Africa
Coordinates: 30°S 25°E / 30°S 25°E / -30; 25
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa, is a country located at the southern tip of Africa. It is divided into nine provinces and has 2,798 kilometres (1,739 mi) of coastline. To the north of the country lie the neighbouring territories of Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe; to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland; while Lesotho is an enclave surrounded by South African territory.
South Africa is multi-ethnic and has diverse cultures and languages. Eleven official languages are recognised in the constitution. Two of these languages are of European origin: South African English and Afrikaans, a language which originated mainly from Dutch that is spoken by the majority of white and Coloured South Africans. Though English is commonly used in public and commercial life, it is only the fifth most-spoken home language. All ethnic and language groups have political representation in the country's constitutional democracy comprising a parliamentary republic; unlike most parliamentary republics, the positions of head of state and head of government are merged in a parliament-dependent President.

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South Korea
South Korea ( listen), officially the Republic of Korea (Hangul: 대한민국; Hanja: 大韓民國; Daehan Minguk listen), is a sovereign state in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. The name "Korea" is derived from Goryeo, a dynasty which ruled in the Middle Ages (an initial "G" in Korean is pronounced like an English "K").
Its neighbors are China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the Korea Strait to the south. South Korea lies in the north temperate zone with a predominantly mountainous terrain. It covers a total area of 99,392 square kilometers and has a population of almost 50 million. The capital and largest city is Seoul, with a population of 9,794,304.
Archaeological findings show that the Korean Peninsula was occupied by the Lower Paleolithic period.Korean history begins with the founding of Gojoseon in 2333 BC by the legendary Dan-gun. Following the unification of the Three Kingdoms of Korea under Silla 668 AD, Korea went through the Goryeo Dynasty and Joseon Dynasty as one nation until the end of the Korean Empire in 1910, when it was annexed by Japan. After liberation and occupation by Soviet and U.S. forces at the end of World War II, the nation was divided into North and South Korea. The latter was established in 1948 as a democracy, though political turmoil and times of military rule and martial law characterized much of the period until the foundation of the Sixth Republic in 1987.

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Tanzania
Coordinates: 6°18′25″S 34°51′14″E / 6.307°S 34.854°E / -6.307; 34.854 Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( /ˌtænzəˈniːə/ Swahili: Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern border lies on the Indian Ocean.
Tanzania is a state composed of 26 regions (mikoa), including those of the semi-autonomous region of Zanzibar. The head of state is President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, elected in 2005. Since 1996, the official capital of Tanzania has been Dodoma, where Parliament and some government offices are located. Between independence and 1996, the main coastal city of Dar es Salaam served as the country's political capital. Today, Dar es Salaam remains the principal commercial city of Tanzania and the de facto seat of most government institutions. It is the major seaport for the country and its landlocked neighbours.

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United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK, or Britain) is a sovereign state located off the north-western coast of continental Europe. The country includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that shares a land border with another sovereign state—the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea.
The United Kingdom is a unitary state governed under a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary system, with its seat of government in the capital city of London. It is a country in its own right and consists of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. There are three devolved administrations, each with varying powers, based in Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff, the capitals of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Associated with the UK, but not constitutionally part of it, are three Crown Dependencies. The United Kingdom has fourteen overseas territories. These are remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in 1922, encompassed almost a quarter of the world's land surface and was the largest empire in history. British influence can still be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former territories.

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United States
The United States of America (commonly abbreviated to the United States, the U.S., the USA, America, and the States) is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The state of Alaska is in the northwest of the continent, with Canada to the east and Russia to the west, across the Bering Strait. The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific. The country also possesses several territories in the Pacific and Caribbean.
At 3.79 million square miles (9.83 million km²) and with over 312 million people, the United States is the third or fourth largest country by total area, and the third largest by both land area and population. It is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many countries. The U.S. economy is the world's largest national economy, with an estimated 2011 GDP of $15.1 trillion (22% of nominal global GDP and over 19% of global GDP at purchasing-power parity). Per capita income is the world's sixth-highest.

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Venezuela
Venezuela (ⁱ/ˌvɛnɨˈzweɪlə/ VEN-ə-ZWAY-lə), officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish: República Bolivariana de Venezuela [repuˈβlika βoliβaˈɾjana ðe βeneˈswela]), is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south. Its northern coastline of roughly 2,800 kilometres (1,700 mi) includes numerous islands in the Caribbean Sea, and in the north east borders the northern Atlantic Ocean. Caribbean islands such as Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, Curaçao, Bonaire, Aruba and the Leeward Antilles lie near the Venezuelan coast. Venezuela's territory covers around 916,445 square kilometres (353,841 sq mi) with an estimated population of 29,105,632. Venezuela is considered a state with extremely high biodiversity, with habitats ranging from the Andes mountains in the west to the Amazon Basin rainforest in the south, via extensive llanos plains and Caribbean coast in the center and the Orinoco River Delta in the east.

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Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe (/zɪmˈbɑːbweɪ/ zim-BAHB-way; officially the Republic of Zimbabwe) is a landlocked country of southern Africa. It shares a 125-mile (200-kilometre) border on the south with the Republic of South Africa and is bounded on the southwest and west by Botswana, on the north by Zambia, and on the northeast and east by Mozambique. The capital is Harare (formerly called Salisbury). Zimbabwe achieved majority rule and internationally recognised independence in April 1980 following a long period of colonial rule and a 15-year period of white-dominated minority rule, instituted after the minority regime’s so-called Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) in 1965.
Zimbabwe has three official languages: English, Shona and Ndebele. Zimbabwe began as the British self-governing colony of Southern Rhodesia, created from land held by the British South Africa Company. President Robert Mugabe is the head of State and Commander in Chief of the armed forces. Morgan Tsvangirai is the Prime Minister. Mugabe has been in power since the country's internationally recognised independence in 1980.

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Andy Cadiff
Andy Cadiff is an American film, television director and television producer, Broadway Director.
He has directed episodes for number of notable television series including, Home Improvement, Spin City, My Wife and Kids, Growing Pains, According to Jim, The War at Home, Quintuplets and number of other series.
He also directed the feature films Leave It to Beaver (1997) and Chasing Liberty (2004) starring Mandy Moore.
He also directed the audience pleasing Broadway musical "MAIL" with Michael Rupert and Jerry Colker.
He married actress Susan Diol on December 6, 2003 and is the stepfather of Juliet Jones-Diol Cassidy, Diol's child from her previous marriage to Shaun Cassidy.

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Austria
Austria (ⁱ/ˈɒstriə/ or /ˈɔːstriə/; German: Österreich [ˈøːstɐˌʁaɪç] ( listen)), officially the Republic of Austria (German: Republik Österreich (help·info)), is a landlocked country of roughly 8.47 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Hungary and Slovakia to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. The territory of Austria covers 83,855 square kilometres (32,377 sq mi) and has a temperate and alpine climate. Austria's terrain is highly mountainous due to the presence of the Alps; only 32% of the country is below 500 metres (1,640 ft), and its highest point is 3,798 metres (12,461 ft). The majority of the population speak local Austro-Bavarian dialects of German as their native language, and German in its standard form is the country's official language. Other local official languages are Burgenland Croatian, Hungarian and Slovene.
The origins of modern-day Austria date back to the time of the Habsburg dynasty when the vast majority of the country was a part of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Austria became one of the great powers of Europe and, in response to the coronation of Napoleon I as the Emperor of the French, the Austrian Empire was officially proclaimed in 1804. In 1867, the Austrian Empire was reformed into Austria-Hungary.

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Betty White
Betty Marion White Ludden (born January 17, 1922), better known as Betty White, is an American actress, comedienne, singer, author, and television personality. With a career spanning over seven decades, she is best known to contemporary audiences for her television roles as Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls. Since the death of co-star Rue McClanahan in 2010, she is now the only living Golden Girl. She currently stars as Elka Ostrovsky in the TV Land sitcom Hot in Cleveland and hosts the practical-joke show Betty White's Off Their Rockers.
White has won seven Emmy Awards (six for acting) and has received 20 Emmy nominations over the course of her career, including being the first woman ever to receive an Emmy for game show hosting (for the short-lived Just Men!) and is the only person to have an Emmy in all female performing comedic categories. In May 2010, White became the oldest person to guest-host Saturday Night Live, for which she also received a Primetime Emmy Award. White also holds the record for longest span between Emmy nominations for performances – her first was in 1951 and her most recent was in 2011, a span of 60 years – and has become the oldest nominee as of 2012^[update], aged 90. She has made regular appearances on the game shows Password and Match Game and played recurring roles on Mama's Family, Boston Legal, The Bold and the Beautiful, and Community.

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Bill Cosby
William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. (born July 12, 1937) is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show, I Spy. He later starred in his own series, the situation comedy The Bill Cosby Show. He was one of the major characters on the children's television series The Electric Company for its first two seasons, and created the educational cartoon comedy series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, about a group of young friends growing up in the city. Cosby has also acted in a number of films.
During the 1980s, Cosby produced and starred in what is considered to be one of the decade's defining sitcoms, The Cosby Show, which aired eight seasons from 1984 to 1992. The sitcom highlighted the experiences and growth of an affluent African-American family. He also produced the spin-off sitcom A Different World, which became second to The Cosby Show in ratings. He starred in the sitcom Cosby from 1996 to 2000 and hosted Kids Say the Darndest Things for two seasons.

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Brian McKnight
Brian McKnight (born June 5, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, producer, and R&B musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist who plays eight instruments including piano, guitar, bass guitar, percussion, trombone, tuba, flugelhorn and trumpet.. McKnight is perhaps most recognized for his strong falsetto range, and is widely regarded as one of the strongest talents in the adult urban contemporary R&B genre, although his recent efforts have received mixed reviews.
McKnight's work has earned him 16 Grammy Awards nominations, but currently holds the record for having won none.
McKnight was born in Buffalo, New York. His musical career began in childhood when he became a member of his church choir and a band leader for his high school, Sweet Home High School..
In 1987, McKnight's older brother, Claude McKnight III, and his band, Take 6, signed a record deal with Warner Brothers. This encouraged McKnight to shop his own demo tapes and by the age of 19, he'd signed his first recording deal with Mercury Records subsidiary, Wing Records. In 1992, Brian McKnight was released, and his self-titled debut peaked at fifty-eight in the Billboard 200 chart, which primarily featured the ballad (and top twenty single) "One Last Cry". It was followed by two more albums for Mercury, 1995's I Remember You and 1997's Anytime. Anytime, McKnight's final album with Mercury, sold over two million copies and was nominated for a Grammy. The video for "Anytime", directed by Darren Grant, was nominated for Best Male Video at the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards.

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Brooklyn Sudano
Brooklyn Sudano (born January 5, 1981) is an American actress, singer and dancer. She is best known for playing the role of Vanessa Scott on the ABC sitcom My Wife And Kids and Felicia on the tv series Cuts. Sudano is the daughter of Grammy Award winning singer Donna Summer and songwriter Bruce Sudano. She is also the older sister of Amanda Sudano of the music duo Johnnyswim.
Sudano was born in Los Angeles, California to Grammy Award winning singer Donna Summer and songwriter Bruce Sudano. She has a younger sister, singer-songwriter Amanda Sudano of Johnnyswim, and an older half-sister, Mimi Sommer from her mother's first marriage to Helmut Sommer. She was in honor of her father's hometown of Brooklyn, New York.
Sudano spent the early part of her childhood on a 56-acre ranch in Thousand Oaks, California until her family moved to Connecticut when she was 10 years old. When she was 14, her family relocated to Nashville, Tennessee. Here, Sudano gravitated toward the arts and flourished. She sang in the Gospel Choir at church. Sudano and her sister's spent summers touring and singing backing vocals for their famous mother. In her leisure, she studied dance and wrote songs.

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Damon Wayans
Damon Kyle Wayans ( /ˈdeɪmən ˈweɪ.ənz/; born September 4, 1960) is an American stand-up comedian, writer and actor, one of the Wayans family.
Wayans was born in New York City, New York, the son of Elvira, a homemaker and social worker, and Howell Wayans, a supermarket manager. He has five sisters, Elvira, Vonnie, Nadia, Kim, Diedre, and four brothers, actors Marlon Wayans, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Shawn Wayans, and Dwayne Wayans. He had a clubbed foot as a child. This attribute would also be given to his character in My Wife and Kids and his character on the cartoon series Waynehead. Wayans attended Murry Bergtraum High School.
Damon started doing stand-up comedy in 1982. His earliest film appearance was a brief cameo as an effeminate hotel employee in the 1984 Eddie Murphy film Beverly Hills Cop. He was briefly on Saturday Night Live as a featured performer, before getting fired for playing his character as a flamboyant gay cop instead of a straight cop. He went against the script during the live performance. In the SNL book Live From New York, it was stated that Wayans did this largely due to growing frustrations that his sketches were not being considered for the show and increasing stress. He also appeared in the syndicated TV series Solid Gold during the 1980s as a stand-up comedian. After that, he went on to co-create and appear in the TV-show In Living Color from 1990 to 1992, part of a team that was nominated for Emmy Awards all three years.

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Dean Lorey
Dean Lorey (born November 17, 1967) is an American writer whose projects include movies such as Major Payne, television shows which include My Wife and Kids and Arrested Development, and most recently a children’s book, the first of a series, entitled Nightmare Academy.
Lorey grew up in Conyers, Georgia before attending New York University's film school, where he wrote book cover copy for Simon and Schuster and Bantam as well as writing commercials for MTV and Nickelodeon. In 1990. he moved to California and wrote a script for the movie that would become My Boyfriend's Back, collaborating with Adam Marcus and Sean S. Cunningham. Afterward, Sean asked him to finish the screenplay for Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday, in which he also had a cameo appearance. From there, he continued to write screenplays for movies as well as working on writing, directing, and producing for television.
Dean Lorey currently lives in Calabasas, California, with his wife, Elizabeth, and their sons, Chris and Alex. His first book came out on August 21, 2007. Universal has purchased the film rights to the book and the producers will be Stephen Sommers and Bob Ducsay, who worked on movies such as The Mummy.

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DeRay Davis
DeRay Davis (born Antwan DeRay Davis) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. DeRay began his career in the comedy clubs. Shortly after moving to Los Angeles, He won the Comedy Central Laugh Riots Competition and was a standout on the Cedric the Entertainer Tour. Best known for his role as Ray-Ray the Hustle Guy in Barbershop and Barbershop 2: Back in Business, Davis has also appeared in other films, including Semi-Pro (2008). Davis' television roles and appearances have included programs such as BET's ComicView, MTV's Nick Cannon's Wild 'N Out and 'Short Circuitz, and HBO's Entourage.
The comedian also sounds on several skits on rapper Kanye West's albums The College Dropout and Late Registration, and also appeared in West's music video for "Through the Wire." Other music video appearances for Davis include Lil' Flip's "Game Over", Chris Brown's "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)," and Three 6 Mafia's "Doe Boy Fresh."
Davis is the play older brother of R&B singer Steph Jones.^{[citation needed]}

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Don Reo
Don Reo is an American television writer and producer. He created such shows as Blossom and The John Larroquette Show for NBC and My Wife and Kids for ABC.
Other shows for which he has written include Everybody Hates Chris, M*A*S*H, Rhoda and The Golden Girls. He was also the executive producer and the main writer for the FOX show Action.
Recently he created the FOX show with Lee Nabbs Brothers and is currently a consulting producer on Two and a Half Men.
He also co-wrote the book Big Man with Clarence Clemons.

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Dwayne Wayans
Dwayne Kim Wayans (born July 20, 1956-d.2000) is an American writer and film score composer. He is a member of the Wayans Family.
Wayans was born in New York City, New York, the son of Elvira, a homemaker and social worker, and Howell Wayans, a supermarket manager. His family was involved in the Jehovah's Witnesses religion. He and his family lived in New York's Chelsea neighborhood. He is the brother of Keenen, Kim, Elvira Wayans (who was named after her mother), Nadia, Damon, Shawn and Marlon.
He worked as production assistant and performed as background characters and in sketches on the shows of brothers Keenan Ivory Wayans (In Living Color) and Damon Wayans (My Wife and Kids).
Dwayne's son has also composed original music for My Wife and Kids (2003–2005), Thugaboo: Sneaker Madness (2006), and television series the Underground (2006).

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Ella Joyce
Ella Joyce (born June 12, 1956) is an American actress.
Born Cherron Hoye in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Joyce graduated from the Performing Arts Curriculum at Cass Technical High School, and went on to attend the Dramatic Arts program at Eastern Michigan University. She has studied with several professional mentors, and worked in many regional theaters across America and overseas.
Her many theater credits include Fences (at the National Black Theater Festival), as well as Medea and the Doll, Steppin' into Tomorrow; she was the first to play the roles of Risa at the Yale world premiere production of Two Trains Running, Tonya in the world premiere production of King Hedley II, and Lily Ann Green in Crumbs from the Table of Joy.
Other stage plays in which she has appeared include Last Street Play (The Mighty Gents), Checkmates, Brothers, Sisters, Husbands and Wives, Don't Get God Started!, Louis and Ophelia, Split Second, Home, Not a single Blade of Grass, Odessa, and Anna Lucasta.

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Jamia Simone Nash
Jamia Simone Nash (born August 21, 1996), also known simply as Jamia, is an American singer and actress.
Nash's first national appearance was on Showtime at the Apollo in 2002, where she sang the Alicia Keys song "Fallin'". She performed at the 2003 Essence Awards, singing Michael Jackson's song "Who's Lovin' You" in honor of Mary J. Blige. She and her younger sister Olivia sing the hook in the song "Black Girl Pain" on Talib Kweli's 2004 album The Beautiful Struggle.
She played a ten-year-old Fantasia Barrino in the 2006 Lifetime Original Movie Life Is Not a Fairytale: The Fantasia Barrino Story, a biopic about the 2004 American Idol winner.
In the 2007 film August Rush, Nash's character "Hope" is the lead vocalist on the song "Raise It Up", which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Nash performed "Raise It Up" from the film August Rush at the 2008 Academy Awards, making her the youngest ever to perform on an Academy Awards telecast.^{[citation needed]} Also at the Academy Awards, she was shown on stage playing tennis via Wii Sports with the host Jon Stewart until he noticed the crowd behind her and she ran off stage. Her latest appearance was on July 18, 2009, in the Kennedy Center. She sang Celine Dion's song "Let's Talk About Love" as a tribute for the Apollo program's 40th anniversary.

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Jazz Raycole
Jazz Raycole is the stage name of Jazzmine Raycole Dillingham (born February 11, 1988), an American actress and dancer. She is probably best known for her role as Claire Kyle on the sitcom My Wife and Kids during its first season.
Raycole was born in Stockton, California, US. She is a trained dancer who was involved in competition by the age of four.
Raycole appeared in the first dozen episodes of My Wife and Kids. However she was subsequently replaced on the show by Jennifer Freeman when the second season began. It is reported that Raycole was removed from the show by her mother, who was concerned about a storyline involving the pregnancy of a friend.
She has since appeared on other television series, including Everybody Hates Chris, Monk, iCarly and The Office. She also once featured as the voice of a one-time appearing character named Chloe on Hey Arnold! in 2000. Raycole made her first appearance in the 1995 movie Waiting to Exhale. She played Allison Hawkins in the post-apocalyptic drama Jericho in 2007 and 2008.

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Jennifer Freeman
Jennifer Nicole Freeman (born October 20, 1985) is an American actress, often credited as Jennifer N. Freeman. She was born in Los Angeles, California.
Freeman is best known for playing the role of Claire Kyle in the ABC sitcom My Wife and Kids. She has also made guest appearances on television (such as the shows 7th Heaven, Switched, One on One, and The OC). She is a spokesmodel for the Neutrogena skin care products company. Freeman's television credits include My Wife and Kids, 7th Heaven, All That, Lizzie McGuire, Disney's Even Stevens and Disney movie Surfers. Her movie credits include feature roles in Johnson Family Vacation, You Got Served and Mercy Street. She also appeared in the movies The Seventies and the independent film The Visit. Her stage credits include the Los Angeles-area productions of The Wiz, in which she played Dorothy, and Billa in The Gift.
She appeared in the B2K videos Girlfriend and What A Girl Wants, which led to her dating B2K lead singer Omarion from 2003 to 2007. She also played his love interest in the movie You Got Served and most recently in Drake's new video HYFR (Hell Yeah F*cking Right) featuring Lil Wayne.

wn.com/Jennifer_Freeman
Jessica Sara
Jessica Sara (born April 7, 1992) is an American actress. Her three appearances as Melissa in My Wife and Kids was nominated for a 2002 Young Artist Award, "Best Young Actress Guest Star (Ten or Under) - Television Comedy or Drama Series".
Sara's career began in 1996 at age four, appearing various commercials, and in an episode of Sesame Street. In 1998 she appeared in Party of Five, and by 1999 in ER. After appearances in The Next Best Thing, Gepetto, and The Amati Girls, Sara appeared as Sophie in the film adaptation of How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
She continued with guest appearances in The Drew Carey Show and Touched by an Angel, before co-starring in Always Greener with Dom Deluise, and as lead actor Matt Keeslar's daughter in Thank Heaven. Sara has continued to make guest appearances on series, including Becker, Unfabulous, and Just for Kicks, as well as a role in Winter Break.

wn.com/Jessica_Sara
Katt Williams
Micah S. Katt Williams (born September 2, 1973) is a U.S. comedian, rapper, and actor. He is best known for his role as Money Mike in Friday After Next. He is also known for his stint on Nick Cannon’s MTV improv show, Wild 'n Out, for playing the fictional character Bobby Shaw on the program My Wife and Kids, as well as providing the voice for the character "A Pimp Named Slickback" in The Boondocks.
Williams started being a comedian in his neighborhood, Avondale, most notably appearing on BET's Comic View. He has also played supporting characters in movies such as First Sunday and Norbit, but is probably more widely recognized for his character Money Mike in the movie Friday After Next. He has also used the Money Mike stage name when rapping for songs by such artists as Baby Bash, The Game, and Suga Free.
Williams has provided numerous skits and video appearances for artists such as Nick Cannon, DJ Drama, E-40, The Game, Lyfe Jennings, Lil Jon, Lil’ Kim, Lil' Scrappy, Ludacris, Outkast, T.I., Cyrano Williams, Oprah Winfrey, Machine Gun Kelly, and others. He was a cast member on Wild 'n Out for several seasons; he voices "A Pimp Named Slickback" on the Adult Swim's The Boondocks; he plays himself as an onstage comedian in Grand Theft Auto IV; and Williams has appeared in several episodes of My Wife and Kids as character Bobby Shaw. He was also on Comedy Central Roast of Flavor Flav.

wn.com/Katt_Williams
Keenen Ivory Wayans
Keenen Ivory Wayans (born June 8, 1958) is an American actor, comedian, director and writer known as the host and creator of the FOX sketch comedy series In Living Color. Wayans is the director/creator of Scary Movie, the highest grossing movie ever directed by an African-American. He briefly hosted his own show called The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show.
Wayans was born in New York City, son of Howell Wayans, a supermarket manager, and his wife Elvira, a homemaker and social worker. His dad was a devout Jehovah's Witness. Wayans attended Tuskegee University, where he became a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity through the Gamma Phi chapter. However, he dropped out in his final year to become a comedian.
In 1990, Wayans and his brother Damon created, wrote and starred in In Living Color. an American sketch comedy television series which originally ran on the Fox Network from 1990 to 1994. The show was notable for producing comedy with a strong emphasis on modern black culture. The show also starred Jim Carrey, Kelly Coffield, Kim Coles, Jamie Foxx, brothers Damon Wayans, Shawn Wayans and Marlon Wayans, sister Kim Wayans, David Alan Grier, Tommy Davidson and featured Rosie Perez, Jennifer Lopez, Carrie Ann Inaba and Laurie Ann Gibson.

wn.com/Keenen_Ivory_Wayans
Lauren Tom
Lauren Tom (born August 4, 1961) is an American actress and voice actress perhaps best known for her roles as Lena St Clair in The Joy Luck Club, Julie in the TV series Friends, and for providing the voices for both mother and daughter characters on two animated TV comedy series: on Futurama she voices Amy Wong and her mother Inez, and on King of the Hill she voiced Minh & Connie Souphanousinphone.
Lauren Tom was born in Chicago, Illinois, the Chinese American daughter of Nancy (née Dare) and Tom Chan, Jr. who worked in the frozen food business. In an article for Detour magazine Tom described how being teased as a child about her Chinese heritage made her introverted and is what originally inspired her to study dance.
At the age of 17, Lauren Tom landed a spot with a touring company of A Chorus Line and was cast in the Broadway production of the show less than a year later. She won an Obie Award for her Off-Broadway acting and was cast in the Broadway shows Hurlyburly and Doonesbury.
Tom had several small parts in movies including Nothing Lasts Forever, Wall Street, See No Evil, Hear No Evil and Blue Steel; but her biggest role to date was as a waitress in the Robin Williams/Tim Robbins film Cadillac Man. This role led to being a guest on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Tom landed a starring role in the film The Joy Luck Club in 1993, which led to roles in such other films such as When a Man Loves a Woman and North.

wn.com/Lauren_Tom
LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James (/ləˈbrɒn/; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a sophomore at St. Vincent – St. Mary High School. He was selected with the number one pick in the 2003 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Listed as a small forward, James has set numerous youngest player records since joining the league. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2003–04, was named the NBA Most Valuable Player in 2009, 2010, and 2012 and has been both an All-NBA selection and an All-Star every season since 2005. In 2010, a much-publicized free agency process ended with James signing with the Miami Heat.
James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to consecutive playoff appearances from 2006 through 2010. In 2007, the Cavaliers advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history, but lost to the San Antonio Spurs. In 2011, James and the Miami Heat advanced to the NBA Finals but lost to the Dallas Mavericks. James has been a member of the USA national team, winning a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics and gold at the 2008 Olympics.

wn.com/LeBron_James
Lester Speight
Lester Rasta Speight (born January 7, 1971) is a former American football player who has had subsequent careers as a professional wrestler and then actor. Speight achieved significant recognition for his portrayal of Terry Tate: Office Linebacker in a series of Reebok commercials that first debuted during Super Bowl XXXVII.
Speight spent time at Morgan State University as a Division 1 All American Linebacker. In 1985 he signed with the Baltimore Stars of the USFL. The USFL, however, folded before he even played one season. He never made it into the NFL.
Speight moved on to professional wrestling working for Global Wrestling Federation and Catch Wrestling Association as "Rasta the Voodoo Man". It was not long, however, before he quit wrestling in 1997, to pursue an acting career.
From there he went on to appear in other minor roles in many films including Any Given Sunday, 13 Moons and as the club doorman, in Cradle 2 the Grave. Speight has also appeared in many television shows such as Malcolm in the Middle, NYPD Blue, Arli$$, Prison Break and My Wife and Kids.

wn.com/Lester_Speight
Liliana Mumy
Liliana Berry Davis Mumy (born April 16, 1994) is an American actress. Her most notable roles are as Jessica Baker in the Cheaper by the Dozen movies with Steve Martin, Lucille Miller in The Santa Clause 2 & 3 with Tim Allen, Mertle Edmonds on the Disney Channel original series Lilo & Stitch: The Series, Panini on the Cartoon Network original series Chowder and Wadi on another Cartoon Network original series The Secret Saturdays. Her father is actor Bill Mumy, famous for his roles in the classic science fiction TV series Lost in Space and Babylon 5.
Mumy was born in San Marcos, California, the daughter of Eileen Joy (née Davis), a childbirth educator, and former child star Bill Mumy. She is the sister of child actor Seth Mumy. Mumy is close friends with Cheaper by the Dozen co-star Morgan York. She graduated from Laurel Hall School in North Hollywood, CA and attended Campbell Hall School. She left there and now attends Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, CA and is now in the 12th grade.

wn.com/Liliana_Mumy
Lou Ferrigno
Louis Jude "Lou" Ferrigno (born November 9, 1951)) is an American actor, fitness trainer/consultant, and retired professional bodybuilder. As a bodybuilder, Ferrigno won an IFBB Mr. America title and two consecutive IFBB Mr. Universe titles, and appeared in the bodybuilding documentary Pumping Iron. As an actor, he is best known for portraying the titular role in the CBS television series The Incredible Hulk and for voicing the character in subsequent animated and computer-generated incarnations. He has also appeared in European-produced fantasy-adventures such as Sinbad of the Seven Seas and Hercules, and as himself in the sitcom The King of Queens and the 2009 comedy I Love You, Man.
Lou Ferrigno was born in Brooklyn, New York to Victoria and Matt Ferrigno, a police lieutenant. He is of Italian descent. Soon after he was born, Ferrigno says he believes he suffered a series of ear infections and lost 75 to 80% of his hearing, though his condition was not diagnosed until he was three years old. Ferrigno started weight training at age 13, citing body builder and Hercules star Steve Reeves as one of his role models. He was also a fan of the Hercules films that starred Reeves—and would later play Hercules as well. Ferrigno's other personal heroes as a child were Spider-Man and the Hulk. Ferrigno attended St. Athanasius Grammar School and Brooklyn Technical High School, where he learned metal working.

wn.com/Lou_Ferrigno
Marlene Forte
Marlene Forte is a Cuban-American actress and producer.
Marlene Forte appeared on the many independent films since early 1990's. She received Imagen Foundation Awards nomination for performance on the 2008 movie Little Girl Lost: The Delimar Vera Story. On television, Forte appeared in a recurring roles on House of Payne and Crossing Jordan. Her film appearances include the transporter chief in the 2009 Star Trek reboot and Mrs. Glass in Real Women Have Curves.
In 2012, she will be a series regular on TNT's revamped Dallas, playing Carmen Ramos, longtime Ewing family housekeeper and mother to Elena (played by Jordana Brewster).
Her younger sister is television journalist Lesley Ann Machado. Her daughter is actress Giselle Rodriguez. She married writing instructor Oliver Mayer on July 2, 2006.

wn.com/Marlene_Forte
Meagan Good
Meagan Monique Good (born August 8, 1981) is an American film and television actress and occasional film producer. Beginning her career at the age of four, Good has appeared in numerous commercials, television shows, feature films, and music videos.
Good was born in Panorama City, Los Angeles, the daughter of Tyra Doyle (who worked as Good's manager into her teens), and Leon Good, an LAPD police officer. According to Good, her maternal grandmother is "Jewish and African, so I guess that would be considered Creole. My mother's father was Cherokee and something else. My dad's mother's Puerto Rican and black, and his father was from Barbados." Good was raised in Canyon Country (now known as Santa Clarita), California with her three siblings. She began her acting career around the age of four or five. In the early stages of her career, Good started out doing work as an extra on television shows such as Doogie Howser, M.D. and Amen. When she was thirteen, Good was cast in her first film in the 1995 hit Friday. Good first began to gain recognition for her performance as troubled teen Cisely Batiste in Kasi Lemmons' critically acclaimed 1997 film Eve's Bayou, which earned Good two award nominations, including her first NAACP Image Award nomination.

wn.com/Meagan_Good
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963) is a retired American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats. His biography on the National Basketball Association (NBA) website states, "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time." Jordan was one of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation and was considered instrumental in popularizing the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s.
After a three-season career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a member of the Tar Heels' national championship team in 1982, Jordan joined the NBA's Chicago Bulls in 1984. He quickly emerged as a league star, entertaining crowds with his prolific scoring. His leaping ability, illustrated by performing slam dunks from the free throw line in slam dunk contests, earned him the nicknames "Air Jordan" and "His Airness". He also gained a reputation for being one of the best defensive players in basketball. In 1991, he won his first NBA championship with the Bulls, and followed that achievement with titles in 1992 and 1993, securing a "three-peat". Although Jordan abruptly retired from basketball at the beginning of the 1993–94 NBA season to pursue a career in baseball, he rejoined the Bulls in 1995 and led them to three additional championships (1996, 1997, and 1998) as well as an NBA-record 72 regular-season wins in the 1995–96 NBA season. Jordan retired for a second time in 1999, but returned for two more NBA seasons from 2001 to 2003 as a member of the Washington Wizards.

wn.com/Michael_Jordan
Parker McKenna Posey
Parker McKenna Posey (born August 18, 1995) is an American teen actress, best known for her performance as "Kady Kyle" on the ABC sitcom My Wife and Kids.
Parker McKenna Posey was born in Los Angeles, California, at Cedars Sinai Hospital on August 18, 1995. Her father is African American and her mother is caucasian. She keeps her middle name professionally so as not to be confused with actress Parker Posey. Posey has two God Sisters Khristian and Pahge, three half-siblings, two brothers, Khari and Jake, and a sister Dilynne, and lives with her mother in Los Angeles. She also has a baby brother from her mother's side named Hendrix.
At the age of 2, Parker appeared in a Kodak commercial before going on to model for Disney catalogs and star in ad campaigns for Old Navy. Posey is best known for her performance as "Kady Kyle" on the ABC sitcom My Wife and Kids. She has also performed onstage at the Blank Theatre Company in productions of Restless Peace by Jessica Juhrend and Shock Therapy by Rachel Leopold. She appeared in Macy Gray's video Sweet Baby and appeared in the movie Alice Upside Down with Alyson Stoner and Lucas Grabeel. In recent years, she has modeled for Limited Too, which is now known as Justice. Posey guest starred as Kathy on the hit Nickelodeon show, iCarly, which premièred on March 21, 2009. The episode is called "iWant My Website Back".

wn.com/Parker_McKenna_Posey
Sean Whalen
Sean M. Whalen (born May 19, 1964) is an American film, television, and stage actor.
Whalen was born in Washington D.C. in 1964, the youngest of four children, he was raised in Silver Spring/Olney, Maryland. He attended Sherwood High School and graduated from UCLA. He worked as a waiter while studying and performing at The Groundlings Theater. He appeared in commercials and in 1991, his first film, The People Under the Stairs.
Whalen may be best known for the first "Got Milk?" commercial, in which his character tries in vain, after taking a large bite of a peanut butter sandwich, to answer a radio host's question about the famous Burr-Hamilton duel. Whalen also starred in a DiGiorno pizza commercial, in which his character and a friend enjoy a Chicago-style pizza in Tucson, Arizona, as well as the short-lived 2001 television program, Special Unit 2.
Whalen has appeared in several television shows, including The Suite Life of Zack and Cody as a radio station host, Hannah Montana as a worker at a Make A Moose store in a Moose Costume, Scrubs as an X-ray technician. He appeared in the film, The Last Day of Summer and as a ghost on a Wizards of Waverly Place episode called "Halloween".

wn.com/Sean_Whalen
Taylor Lautner
Taylor Daniel Lautner (pronounced /ˈlaʊtnər/, LOWT-ner; born February 11, 1992) is an American actor, voice actor, model, and martial artist. As a child, Lautner took up martial arts at Fabiano's Karate in Holland, Michigan and was ranked number one in his category by the American Sports Karate Association. Lautner soon thereafter began his acting career, appearing in bit roles in comedy series such as The Bernie Mac Show (2003) and My Wife and Kids (2004), before having voice roles in television series like What's New, Scooby-Doo? (2005) and Danny Phantom (2005). In 2005, he appeared in the film Cheaper by the Dozen 2 and starred in The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D.
Lautner is best known for playing Jacob Black in The Twilight Saga film series based on the novels of the same name by Stephenie Meyer. He also starred in the action film, Abduction, which became a sleeper hit.
The late 2000s saw Lautner become a teen idol and rise as a sex symbol, after extensively changing his physique to keep the role of Jacob Black in further Twilight installments, and thereafter generating media attention for his looks. In 2010, he was ranked second on Glamour's "The 50 Sexiest Men of 2010" list, and fourth on People's "Most Amazing Bodies" list. Also in the same year, Lautner was named the highest-paid teenage actor in Hollywood.

wn.com/Taylor_Lautner
Terry Crews
Terrence Alan "Terry" Crews (born July 30, 1968) is an American actor, comedian, voice artist and a former player in the National Football League. He is perhaps best known for his role as family patriarch Julius on the UPN/CW sitcom Everybody Hates Chris. Currently, he stars in the TBS sitcom Are We There Yet? as Nick Kingston-Persons. Additionally, he stars in the BET reality series The Family Crews, and has appeared in such films as The 6th Day, Friday After Next, White Chicks, Idiocracy and The Expendables.
In 2010 Crews was featured in several Old Spice TV commercials for their "Odor Blocker Body Wash", and in 2012 for their body spray, directed by Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim.
Crews was born in Flint, Michigan, the son of Patricia and Terry Crews, Sr. He attended Flint Southwestern Academy. He earned an Art Excellence Scholarship to attend the Interlochen Center for the Arts and then Western Michigan University.
While completing his studies as hop an Art major, Crews was a key member of the WMU football team, where he earned all-conference honors as a defensive end. Crews was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL in the 11th round of the 1991 NFL Draft. He carved out a career that lasted seven seasons, including stints with the Rams, San Diego Chargers, the Washington Redskins and the Philadelphia Eagles.

wn.com/Terry_Crews
The Nanny
The Nanny is an American television sitcom originally broadcast 1993–1999, starring Fran Drescher as Fran Fine, a Jewish Queens native who becomes the nanny of three children from the New York/British high society.
Created and executive produced by Drescher and her then-husband Peter Marc Jacobson, The Nanny took much of its inspiration from Drescher's personal life growing up in Queens, involving names and characteristics based on her relatives and friends. The show earned a Rose d'Or and one Emmy Award, out of a total of thirteen nominations, and Drescher was twice nominated for a Golden Globe and an Emmy. The sitcom has also spawned several foreign adaptations, loosely inspired by the original scripts.
Jewish-American Fran Fine, fresh out of her job as a bridal consultant in her fiance's shop, first appears on the door step of Broadway producer Maxwell Sheffield (Charles Shaughnessy) peddling cosmetics, and quickly stumbles upon the opportunity to become the nanny for his three children. Soon Fran, with her off-beat nurturing and no-nonsense honesty, touches the whole family as she gives the prim-and-proper Maxwell and his children a dose of 'Queens logic,' helping them to become a healthy, happy family; a family that she later fully joins when she becomes engaged and then married to Maxwell. She then adds to this family of five when she and Maxwell have fraternal twins.

wn.com/The_Nanny

my wife and kids-rap battle

michael challenges bobby shaw to a rap battle in order to get control of a contract that j...

published: 26 Jan 2007

author: endlessdreamsforever

My Wife And Kids Jr's Cartoon Part 1

Part 1...

published: 24 Jul 2009

author: DoUgFaN92

My wife and kids- The Kyles go to Hawaii(Nicole Scherzinger)

Kind of a TV show: "My Wife and kids"...

published: 18 Jul 2006

author: macario07

My Wife and Kids

Girl sings her ass Off Since everyone is asking this is from episode 506 "The Proposal" an...

published: 13 May 2006

author: jnealy05

My Wife and Kids - S04E01 - From Dummy to Daddy

No violation of copyright intended. After hearing the shocking news that their son Junior ...

published: 05 Jan 2012

author: TheBlogMan12

My Wife and Kids - Michael Kyle 'Ehh.. no!' compilation

A compilation of Michael Kyle's catchphrase that he uses throughout the series. If you hav...

published: 09 Mar 2010

author: FrancescoMumfordi

Taylor Lautner on My Wife and Kids

Taylor from Twilight guest starring on My Wife and Kids...

published: 19 Dec 2008

author: jobrosrokmysocks

My Wife and Kids - S01E01 - Pilot

No violation of copyright intended. Michael Kyle has been used to having his wife at home,...

published: 24 Mar 2012

author: TheBlogMan12

My Wife and Kids S02E07 Michael's Garden

...

published: 05 Mar 2012

author: Auumz

My Wife and Kids - S05E05 - Poker Face

No violation of copyright intended. Michael advises Jr. that it's ok to spend some time aw...

published: 02 Mar 2012

author: TheBlogMan12

My Wife And Kids The Bahamas Part 1

Part 1/5...

published: 15 Jul 2009

author: DoUgFaN92

My Wife and Kids - S03E13 - Open Your Heart

No violation of copyright intended. Jay decides to attend an "Open Your Heart" seminar for...

published: 21 Jul 2012

author: TheBlogMan12

My Wife and Kids - S04E10 - While Out

No violation of copyright intended. Much to Claire's delight, Michael and Jay forget to re...

published: 06 Jan 2012

author: TheBlogMan12

My Wife and Kids - S05E06 - The Proposal

No violation of copyright intended. Jr. is finally ready to propose to Vanessa, but every ...

published: 03 Mar 2012

author: TheBlogMan12

Dubai to Thailand

Inspired by Keith Loutit and Philip Bloom's 'Sky'. Captured solely from my iPhone 4S, a st...

published: 30 Nov 2011

author: The Film Artist

Gotye - State Of The Art - official film clip

Film clip for the Gotye song State Of The Art, from the album Making Mirrors Buy Making M...

published: 10 Aug 2011

author: Gotye

CAROLINE - A film by Mani Nasry

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1421199/ Director/Producer/Writer -MANI NASRY http://twitter...

published: 03 Dec 2009

author: MANI NASRY

Absolute Body Control

Epopoeia of the Food and Drink of the United States (A Dream in Hell) 1 Beautiful like a ...

published: 08 Sep 2010

author: soonaspossible

My Wife And Kids Michael's Sandwich Part 1

Part 1...

published: 23 Nov 2009

author: xAngelex

My Wife And Kids Michael's Sandwich Part 2

Part 2...

published: 23 Nov 2009

author: xAngelex

My Wife And Kids Sweethearts Day Part 1

Part 1...

published: 23 Nov 2009

author: xAngelex

My Wife And Kids Sweethearts Day Part 2

Part 2...

published: 23 Nov 2009

author: xAngelex

My Wife And Kids No Rules Part 1

Part 1...

published: 23 Nov 2009

author: xAngelex

My Wife And Kids No Rules Part 2

Part 2...

published: 23 Nov 2009

author: xAngelex

My Wife And Kids Fantasy Camp Part 1

Part 1/4...

published: 23 Nov 2009

author: xAngelex

My Wife And Kids Fantasy Camp Part 2

Part 2/4...

published: 23 Nov 2009

author: xAngelex

My Wife And Kids Fantasy Camp Part 3

Part 3/4...

published: 23 Nov 2009

author: xAngelex

My Wife And Kids Fantasy Camp Part 4

Part 4/4...

published: 23 Nov 2009

author: xAngelex

My Wife And Kids Resolutions Part 1

Part 1...

published: 23 Nov 2009

author: xAngelex

My Wife And Kids Resolutions Part 2

Part 2...

published: 23 Nov 2009

author: xAngelex

My Wife And Kids Jr's Cartoon Part 1

Part 1...

published: 23 Nov 2009

author: xAngelex

My Wife And Kids Jr's Cartoon Part 2

Part 2...

published: 23 Nov 2009

author: xAngelex

Dubai to Thailand

Inspired by Keith Loutit and Philip Bloom's 'Sky'. Captured solely from my iPhone 4S, a st...

published: 30 Nov 2011

author: The Film Artist

Gotye - State Of The Art - official film clip

Film clip for the Gotye song State Of The Art, from the album Making Mirrors Buy Making M...

published: 10 Aug 2011

author: Gotye

CAROLINE - A film by Mani Nasry

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1421199/ Director/Producer/Writer -MANI NASRY http://twitter...

published: 03 Dec 2009

author: MANI NASRY

Absolute Body Control

Epopoeia of the Food and Drink of the United States (A Dream in Hell) 1 Beautiful like a ...

published: 08 Sep 2010

author: soonaspossible

My Wife And Kids Fantasy Camp Part 1

Part 1/4...

published: 17 Mar 2011

author: MrKarioke

My Wife And Kids Fantasy Camp Part 2

Part 2/4...

published: 17 Mar 2011

author: MrKarioke

My Wife And Kids Fantasy Camp Part 3

Part 3/4...

published: 17 Mar 2011

author: MrKarioke

My Wife And Kids Fantasy Camp Part 4

Part 4/4...

published: 17 Mar 2011

author: MrKarioke

My Wife And Kids Resolutions Part 1

Part 1...

published: 17 Mar 2011

author: MrKarioke

My Wife And Kids Resolutions Part 2

Part 2...

published: 17 Mar 2011

author: MrKarioke

My Wife And Kids Poker Face Part 1

Part 1...

published: 17 Mar 2011

author: MrKarioke

My Wife And Kids Poker Face Part 2

Part 2...

published: 17 Mar 2011

author: MrKarioke

My Wife And Kids The Return Of Bobby Shaw Part 1

Part 1...

published: 17 Mar 2011

author: MrKarioke

My Wife And Kids The Return Of Bobby Shaw Part 2

Part 2...

published: 17 Mar 2011

author: MrKarioke

My Wife And Kids The Wedding Part 1

the wedding...

published: 17 Mar 2011

author: MrKarioke

My Wife And Kids The Wedding Part 2

wedding...

published: 17 Mar 2011

author: MrKarioke

My Wife And Kids Study Buddy Part 1

Part 1...

published: 17 Mar 2011

author: MrKarioke

My Wife And Kids Study Buddy Part 2

Part 2...

published: 17 Mar 2011

author: MrKarioke

Dubai to Thailand

Inspired by Keith Loutit and Philip Bloom's 'Sky'. Captured solely from my iPhone 4S, a st...

published: 30 Nov 2011

author: The Film Artist

Gotye - State Of The Art - official film clip

Film clip for the Gotye song State Of The Art, from the album Making Mirrors Buy Making M...

published: 10 Aug 2011

author: Gotye

CAROLINE - A film by Mani Nasry

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1421199/ Director/Producer/Writer -MANI NASRY http://twitter...

published: 03 Dec 2009

author: MANI NASRY

Absolute Body Control

Epopoeia of the Food and Drink of the United States (A Dream in Hell) 1 Beautiful like a ...

published: 08 Sep 2010

author: soonaspossible

My Wife and Kids S02E01 Mom's Away (1)

...

published: 12 Mar 2012

author: Auumz

My Wife and Kids S02E02 Mom's Away (2)

...

published: 12 Mar 2012

author: Auumz

My Wife and Kids S02E03 No Rules

...

published: 12 Mar 2012

author: Auumz

My Wife and Kids S02E04 Perfect Dad

...

published: 12 Mar 2012

author: Auumz

My Wife and Kids S02E05 Thru Thick and Thin

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published: 12 Mar 2012

author: Auumz

My Wife and Kids S02E06 He Heard, She Heard

...

published: 12 Mar 2012

author: Auumz

My Wife and Kids S02E07 Michael's Garden

...

published: 12 Mar 2012

author: Auumz

My Wife and Kids S02E08 Let Them Eat Pie

...

published: 12 Mar 2012

author: Auumz

My Wife and Kids S02E09 Jay Gets Fired

...

published: 12 Mar 2012

author: Auumz

My Wife and Kids S02E10 The Whole World is Watching

...

published: 12 Mar 2012

author: Auumz

My Wife And Kids S02E11

...

published: 13 Mar 2012

author: Auumz

My Wife And Kids S02E12

...

published: 13 Mar 2012

author: Auumz

My Wife And Kids S02E13

...

published: 13 Mar 2012

author: Auumz

My Wife And Kids S02E14

...

published: 13 Mar 2012

author: Auumz

Dubai to Thailand

Inspired by Keith Loutit and Philip Bloom's 'Sky'. Captured solely from my iPhone 4S, a st...

published: 30 Nov 2011

author: The Film Artist

Gotye - State Of The Art - official film clip

Film clip for the Gotye song State Of The Art, from the album Making Mirrors Buy Making M...

published: 10 Aug 2011

author: Gotye

CAROLINE - A film by Mani Nasry

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1421199/ Director/Producer/Writer -MANI NASRY http://twitter...

published: 03 Dec 2009

author: MANI NASRY

Absolute Body Control

Epopoeia of the Food and Drink of the United States (A Dream in Hell) 1 Beautiful like a ...

published: 08 Sep 2010

author: soonaspossible

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photo: Creative Commons / Axou

Aviva is a 68 metres (223 ft) length motor yacht, currently the 80th longest motor yacht in the world.

Steve Jobs' Mega-Yacht Free To Sail After Temporary Reprieve

Newsfactor

24 Dec 2012

Steve Jobs was controversial in life, and now his high-tech mega-yacht is associated with a controversy long after his death. The former Apple CEO's ship was impounded in Amsterdam in the middle of a financial battle over a disputed bill. Phillippe Starck, a French product designer and architect, has alleged that Jobs' heirs owe him 3 million euros for his work on Venus, the 256-foot yacht Jobs commissioned before his death ...   ... ....(size: 2.6Kb)

photo: WN / Janice Sabnal

Six dead as winter snowstorms pound US

Zeenews

27 Dec 2012

Washington. Six people, including two young children, were left dead in weather-related accidents, as winter snowstorms complicated travel for many Americans in the Midwest and Northeast on Wednesday. Snow totals in parts of Indiana ranged from 6 to 12 inches, CNN reported. About 350 snowploughs were clearing roads throughout the city. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo told residents they should avoid nonessential travel ... IANS ... ....(size: 2.2Kb)

photo: AP

Members of Myanmar Fire Brigade team gather near a damaged Air Bagan passenger plane in Heho, Shan State, Myanmar, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012.

Two killed and 11 injured in Burma emergency landing

BBC News

25 Dec 2012

Two people, including a young child, have been killed and another 11 injured during an emergency landing in Burma, officials say. The Air Bagan plane was carrying more than 60 passengers, many of whom were foreign nationals ... "The cause of the accident is not clear yet ... ....(size: 1.4Kb)

photo: AP / Khalil Hamra, File

FILE - In this Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012 file photo, an elderly Egyptian man shows his inked finger after casting his vote on the second round of a referendum on a disputed constitution drafted by Islamist supporters of President Mohammed Morsi in Fayoum, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) south of Cairo , Egypt.

Egypt constitution passes, economic crunch looms

The Salt Lake Tribune

26 Dec 2012

Cairo • The official approval of Egypt’s disputed, Islamist-backed constitution Tuesday held out little hope of stabilizing the country after two years of turmoil and Islamist President Mohammed Morsi may now face a more immediate crisis with the economy falling deeper into distress ... Join the Discussion. The battle over the constitution left Egypt deeply polarized at a time when the government is increasingly cash-strapped ... The U.S ... " ... ....(size: 5.7Kb)

photo: AP

Free Syrian Army soldiers stand guard at a checkpoint in the northern town of Ariha, on the outskirts of Idlib, Syria, Sunday, June 10, 2012.

Syria military police chief defects to rebels

The Guardian

26 Dec 2012

News of defection comes as activists say 20 people, including eight children, have been killed by shelling in north of country. Assad’s forces are hitting back at a string of rebel advances across the country. Photograph. Abdalghne Karoof/REUTERS. The head of Syria's military police has defected from the army and declared allegiance to the uprising against the president, Bashar al-Assad, according to a video and a Syrian security source....(size: 3.4Kb)

timeline:
2012
2011
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2009
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2006
2005
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2001

Agent sells my wife & 2 kids, says Ajsu leader

The Times of India

27 Sep 2012

Officer in charge of the police station D K Verma said, "Tameda had blamed an agent for selling his wife and two daughters and we are investigating the case."...(size: 0.9Kb)

Injured Officer Eric Kelly: 'Tell My Wife, Kids I Love Them'

WPXI

21 Jun 2011

He said that he tried saving Officer Kelly, who asked him to tell his wife and kids that he loved them ... "Tell my wife and kids I love them," Kelly told Officer Timothy McManaway, a colleague from the Zone 5 police station in Highland Park ... "I saw a muzzleflash and I aimed for that and fired my weapon," Sarver said ... Lejpras said he yelled for his wife ... "I heard noises hitting against my house....(size: 15.4Kb)

timeline:
2012
2011
2010
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2001

This article describes a work or element of fiction in a primarily in-universe style. Please help rewrite it to explain the fiction more clearly and provide non-fictional perspective. (May 2011)

My Wife and Kids
250px Screenshot from the first episode of the show, showing the titlecard and the character Michael Kyle in the background.
Format	Sitcom
Created by	Don Reo Damon Wayans
Starring	Damon Wayans Tisha Campbell-Martin George O. Gore II Jennifer Freeman (season 2-5) Jazz Raycole (season 1) Parker McKenna Posey Noah Gray-Cabey (season 3-5) Andrew McFarlane Brooklyn Sudano (season 4-5)
Composer(s)	Derrick "Big Tank" Thornton (seasons 1–3) Dwayne Wayans (seasons 4–5)
Country of origin	United States
Language(s)	English
No. of seasons	5
No. of episodes	122 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Don Reo Damon Wayans David Himelfarb (seasons 1–4) Andy Cadiff (season 3) Dean Lorey (seasons 4–5)
Camera setup	Film; Multi-camera
Running time	23 minutes
Production company(s)	Wayans Bros. Entertainment Impact Zone Productions Touchstone Television
Broadcast
Original channel	ABC
Picture format	480i 4:3 (SDTV) 720p 16:9 (HDTV)
Original run	March 28, 2001 – May 17, 2005

My Wife and Kids is an American television family sitcom that ran on ABC from March 28, 2001, until May 17, 2005. Produced by Touchstone Television (now ABC Studios), it starred Damon Wayans and Tisha Campbell-Martin, and centers on the character of Michael Kyle, a loving husband and modern-day patriarch who rules his household with a unique and distinct parenting style. As he teaches his three children some of life's lessons, he does so with his own brand of humor. Wayans and veteran television writer/producer Don Reo co-created and executive produced the series.

1 Premise
2 Episodes
- 2.1 Series finale
- 2.2 Season ratings
3 Characters
4 Syndication
- 4.1 U.S. syndication
- 4.2 International syndication
  - 4.2.1 International broadcasts
5 DVD releases
6 Awards and nominations
7 References
8 External links

Premise [link]

The series revolves around the experiences of a man named Michael Kyle and his family. After impregnating his wife Janet as a teenager, Michael has grown paranoid of his children eventually spoiling their own virginity, but aside from these concerns he possesses a number of odd, often irritating eccentricities that he virtually never avoids concealing regardless of the severity of the situation. Among his children are Michael Kyle, Jr. (nicknamed "Junior"), Michael's dimwitted eldest son; Claire, his vain, conceited teenage daughter; and Kady, his loveably endearing youngest daughter. Later on in the series, Michael's nightmares come true when Junior impregnates his girlfriend Vanessa, resulting in the addition of a son for Junior in the cast of characters in the series.

Episodes [link]

Main article: List of My Wife and Kids episodes

One interesting note about the series is that, unusual for a sitcom of the show's length, at no point during My Wife and Kids' five-season run did the series have an episode centering on a major holiday (e.g., Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc.). There also is no proper opening theme song, although the series did have two closing themes (one of which was also used at the very beginning of certain episodes during the first season) throughout its run.

Series finale [link]

Michael craves for sexual pleasure from his wife, but Jay fears that having sexual relations could trigger another pregnancy for her and requests that Michael receive a vasectomy. He fears the upcoming surgery, but lusts for Jay enough to try and have it performed on him. Meanwhile, Tony requests that Claire craft a hat for him in order to attract the attention of God, only for it to be struck by a lightning bolt while he is dancing in the middle of the forest one night. In order to avoid having the operation, Michael lies about having had a vasectomy, but Jay is infuriated when she learns the truth and urges him to have it done anyway, only to reveal herself to be pregnant to her husband at the end of the episode.

Season ratings [link]

Season	TV Season	Ratings Rank	Viewers (in millions)
1	2001	#43^[1]	8.0^[1]
2	2001–2002	#41^[2]	11.0^[2]
3	2002–2003	#42^[3]	11.3^[3]
4	2003–2004	#60^[4]	10.0^[4]
5	2004–2005	#79^[5]	7.2^[5]

Characters [link]

Main characters [link]

Michael Richard Kyle, Sr. (Damon Wayans) – Michael is a father of three children and the patriarch of the family. He has been married to Janet "Jay" Kyle since age 17, as a result of having gotten her pregnant with their first child Michael Kyle, Jr. Michael owns an eponymous trucking business that he built from the ground up. He often exhibits a very interesting sense of humor, and occasionally does impressions of famous people such as Bill Cosby and Don King. He commonly teaches his kids valuable lessons, using the method of what he refers to as "Michael Kyle Signature Moments", which often involve trickery (e.g., taking the family car in order to make Claire think that it was stolen after he catches Claire driving it without permission, having him and Jay make Junior think he is hallucinating after they discover he had smoked marijuana, etc.) in order to teach his kids a lesson; Kady is the only one of Michael's children to have never been taught a lesson in this manner. He also shows some impatience with not getting to a particular place on time, as seen in the season two episode "Get Out". A running gag in the third and fourth seasons involved Michael saying; "Eh, no", in a nasal voice as a catchphrase, sometimes used by other characters, with different variations of this phrase used. Many jokes poking fun at Michael's lack of hair and baldness were also made during the show's run. As the series progressed, Michael became involved in increasingly outlandish situations, and often sought the advice of Kady's boyfriend Franklin Mumford when getting into a tight situation; also around this time Michael often took the suggestion by Jay that he cannot do something as a challenge, making a mess of the situation in the process. Michael often mocks Junior.

Janet Marie 'Jay' Kyle (née Johnson) (Tisha Campbell-Martin) – Janet, usually referred to by her nickname "Jay", is the mother of three children. Jay's role in the series is typically to be the voice of reason for the family, including Michael; for example, when Michael evicted Junior from the house in season three's "Jr.'s Risky Business" after catching him and his girlfriend Vanessa in Jay and Michael's bed after having sex, she is the one who tries to have Michael to rethink his decision. During the series, Jay's maiden name is contradicted as in the season two episode "Make Over", in which a frumpy-feeling Jay gets a new look, her maiden name is said to be Thomas (an earlier episode stated her maiden name as Johnson, by Michael). In the pilot, Jay gets a job at a stock broker firm, much to Michael's chagrin, a job which she is subsequently fired from in the season two episode "Jay Gets Fired". In the fourth and fifth seasons, a running gag featured Jay often uttering a devilish laugh when she has a plan or when she thinks something is funny. When the other Kyles witness her laughing at something that's really not funny, they sometimes gave her a "not funny" gesture to make her stop. She was around 32 years old in season 1. 33 to 34 in season 2. 34 to 35 in season 3. 35 to 36 in season 4. 36 to 37 in season 5.

Michael Richard Kyle, Jr. (George O. Gore II) – Junior is the only son and first child of Michael and Jay Kyle; initially, Junior was depicted as being simply an underachieving student and in the first season, his ascent into puberty was a recurring theme (ex., in season one's "Breaking Up and Breaking It", Junior locks himself in the bathroom repeatedly, bringing along some unusual reading material like Field & Stream (though not mentioned it is possible he was hiding porn magazines in them, though the hidden magazines are never shown). While in the bathroom, Junior suffers a muscle spasm to his "joystick" while masturbating, much to his embarrassment when he is told this by the doctor treating him, when he ends up in the hospital). One of his greatest ambitions in the early seasons was to lose his virginity, which after a few failed attempts, does occur in the season three premiere "The Kyles Go to Hawaii"; later on in "Jr.'s Risky Business" from the same season, he and his girlfriend Vanessa Scott have sex for the first time—in Michael and Jay's bed—which gets Junior evicted from his bedroom and the Kyle house, though after some prodding by Jay to get him to change his mind, Michael allows Junior to live in the house again but he winds up living in a makeshift bedroom in the garage (Michael turned Junior's old room into a personal room for himself). Junior, himself served as a recurring gag as many of his physical, personal and mental traits are mined for comedy on the show. From season two onwards, the size of Junior's head becomes the subject of jokes by the family (ironically, Tisha Campbell-Martin's character Jay Kyle was the subject of many "big-head" jokes on her previous sitcom Martin, perhaps suggesting Jr. inherited it from his mother. In the season 3 episode "Sister Story", Michael's sister says Jr. has his mother's head). From season three onward, Junior is usually portrayed as an imbecile (in the season two episode "Junior Kyle, Boy Genius", in which his idiocy first becomes a major plot point, Junior loses points on his actual SAT exam, which was mistakenly switched with that of an unrelated higher-scoring classmate named Michelle Kyle, by misspelling his name as 'Junyor' instead of 'Junior'); other examples of Junior's less-than-intelligent moments include his mispronouncing words such as dumb, psychology and Hors d'œuvres as "dum-bee", "pizzi-chology" and "Horse de ovaries" respectively, his ability to misinterpret certain comments (such as Michael suggesting that he should name his baby after him once he is born, asking him "why would I name it 'Dad'?") and mistakenly thinking that salmonella is the name of a woman. Michael's impatience with Junior's lack of intelligence often got him slapped on the back of the head, though occasionally other family members did this to him as well. Despite this, he does display some savant-like characteristics, as he knew that the fact that humans have an opposable thumb separates the human species from animals, he was able to successfully build a jungle gym for Kady (though he accidentally got his head stuck between the bars after it was completed) and Junior has a talent for drawing, which catches the interest of ABC to develop an animated series that itself is a parody of the series (though Michael's negotiation tactics with ABC executives backfire, but it ends up getting a life as series of webisodes). In the season three episode "Graduation", Junior reveals to Michael and Jay that he and his girlfriend Vanessa were going to become teenage parents, much like what occurred with Michael and Jay when they were 17-years-old; their child, a boy named Michael Richard Kyle III (or Junior, Jr.) was born in the season four episode "The Baby". He was 15 to 16 in season 1. 16 to 17 in season 2. 17 to 18 in season 3. 18 to 19 in season 4. 19 to 20 in the final season.

Claire Marie Kyle (Jazz Raycole in Season 1; Jennifer Freeman Seasons 2–5) – Claire was the middle of Michael and Janet Kyle. In the first season, Claire went through the typical growing pains of a pre-teen, such as having her first crush, wanting her first bra and feeling embarrassed or irritated by her parents. After Jennifer Freeman took over the role in the series' second season, Claire was rapidly aged from 12 to 14, and her personality noticeably changed, eventually behaving in a superficial and vain way, while she is never vicious or intentionally mean, she became depicted rather as an innocent and naive young woman. In the season two episode "Letting Go", Claire begins dating Tony Jeffers, whom with the exception of a short-lived breakup in the season three episode "Claire's New Boyfriend", after Michael says that he approves of Tony leading Claire to briefly date a boy nicknamed "1040-EZ", she remains with Tony for the rest of the series. Starting with the season three episode "A Samba Story", a running gag involving Claire involved her running into things, falling down stairs or generally being ditsy. In season three's "Here Comes Da Judge", Claire, at the inducing of Tony, becomes a vegetarian, although this is not referenced in future episodes. Claire's middle name was revealed to be Marie (after her mother) in the episode "He Said, She Said." She was 12 to 13 in season 1. 13 to 14 in season 2. 14 to 15 in season 3. 15 to 16 in season 4. 16 to 17 in season 5.

Kady Jay Kyle (Parker McKenna Posey) – The youngest daughter and youngest child overall of the Kyle children, Kady is the precocious one out of the kids, and is commonly referred to as "the cute one". In season one's "Making the Grade", Kady is shown to be able to speak multiple languages as the then 5-year-old sings Itsy Bitsy Spider in Spanish and Swahili as well as English. At times, Kady aspired to be like Claire, doing all sorts of things like wanting to spend time with her at the mall. Although Kady is very cute and portrayed as nice and polite, she can also be quite cunning and mischievous (e.x., spitting in Junior's drink when he is being rude to her or letting Claire be falsely accused of stealing nail polish from a department store when in fact, Kady was the one who took it.) In season three, Kady tries to hang on to her status as the baby of the family by acting younger than her age, which Michael and Jay explain to her in the episode "Blackout", that it is actually more irritating than cute. That same season, she begins "dating" child prodigy Franklin Mumford. She was 4 to 5 in season 1. 5 to 6 in season 2. 6 to 7 in season 3. 7 to 8 in season 4. 8 to 9 in season 5.

Franklin Aloyisious Mumford (Noah Gray-Cabey; seasons 4–5; recurring, season 3) – Franklin is Kady's playmate and "boyfriend" first introduced in season three's "Jay the Artist". Franklin is a child prodigy, who is very skilled at playing the piano, which usually amazes first-time listeners, and is generally very intelligent, so much so that he had accomplished attending and graduating from Harvard University before the age of 7. Franklin has very strong feelings for Kady and sees her as his everything. He loves Kady with all of his heart and often says poetic comments to Kady, which often led Jay to slap Michael across the shoulder asking him "Why can't you be more like Franklin?". Running gags involving Franklin include him uttering "Isn't she great"?, "Anyhoo" or "However" in a drawn-out tone when trying to change the subject or when he sees that he is talking with someone less-than-intelligent, which has also been used by the other Kyle family members, usually Michael, on occasion. When he tells a joke but no one laughs, he says it's funnier in Latin. Franklin has a younger sister named Aretha (Jamia Simone Nash), who herself is an impressive singer; Frankin however does not think Aretha is a good singer however, thinking Kady is a better singer, which Michael tells him in season three's "Sharon's Picture" is because he is in love with Kady and Aretha is just his sister. It is mentioned that, unusual for someone Franklin's age, he is a certified contractor and was able to coach Michael and Junior how to deliver Junior's fiancee Vanessa's baby due to his medical knowledge. However, Franklin did find it hard to fit in with other children his age and even seeks advice from Michael, who is usually the one who seeks advice from Franklin whenever Michael gets himself in a tight situation, on how to act more like a normal kid in the season four episode "Junior Sells His Car".

Vanessa Scott-Kyle (née Scott) (Meagan Good; recurring, season 3; Brooklyn Sudano; seasons 4-5) – Vanessa is Junior's girlfriend, who was first introduced in the season three episode "Jr.'s Risky Business", and whom Junior sees as "the greatest girl in the world", though a disapproving Jay believed Vanessa had an agenda with Junior. At the end of the first part of the two-part episode, Junior and Vanessa decide to make love for the first time, a decision which gets Junior evicted from the house by Michael after he and Jay, who were coming home from watching an opera performance, catch the teen couple in their bed. Vanessa explains to Jay that she is truly in love with Junior. Later in the third season finale "Graduation", she and Junior break the news to Michael and Jay that Vanessa is pregnant, and that they are going to become teenage parents, like Michael and Jay did when they were 17; their child, a boy named Michael Richard Kyle III (or Junior, Jr.) was born in the season four episode "The Baby". In the season five episode "The Wedding", she became Junior's wife.

Honest Tony Jeffers (Andrew McFarlane; seasons 2–5) – Tony is Claire's boyfriend for the majority of the show's run. In season two's "Letting Go", he was depicted as not being very bright, sexually inactive because of the size of his penis, though his subsequent appearances depict him as a nice, Christian teenager, though Michael often thought that Tony had an agenda that he is really using this as a ruse to try to trick Claire into having sex with him; Tony's actual demeanor and what Michael thought Tony was really like had Michael refer to him in the season two episode "Papa Said Knock You Out" as a "religious Eddie Haskell"; although Tony and Claire announce to Michael and Jay that they were thinking about having sex in the season three episode "The Big Bang Theory" (which does not happen as Tony saw that a Bible that was in a drawer in the hotel room they were going to lose their virginity in was a sign from God, not knowing that all hotels have a copy of the Bible), Michael's beliefs about Tony were never the case. Tony often sought ways to prove his devotion to purity and to God using extreme measures, such as fasting for eight days and wearing a handmade religious hat to get the approval of God (which backfires). Whenever Claire is breaking up with him or he falsely thinks she has broken up with him, he often wails. In season three's "Here Come Da Judge", it is revealed that his real first name is Honest and Tony is his middle name. Incidentally, Tony's portrayer Andrew McFarlane played another crush of Claire's, a boy named Roger, in the season one episode "Breaking Up and Breaking It".

Recurring Characters [link]

Jasmine and Calvin Scott (Ella Joyce and Lester Speight) are Vanessa's money-seeking parents. Calvin is feared by the Kyles because he is rather big and it is shown that he eats live meat, but Calvin is a childish, dimwitted, crybaby on the inside married to Jasmine, Calvin's disapproving and wealth-seeking wife.
Katt Williams – Bobby Shaw, a former classmate and rival of Michael and also Jay's first kiss (season 5)
Damon Wayans, Jr. – John, a silly friend of Junior's (seasons 2-4)
Sean Whalen – Larry, nerdy employee of Michael (season 4)

Minor characters [link]

Lauren Tom – Annie Hoo, owner of a local Chinese restaurant who goes into competition with Jay. She, her husband, and the Kyles later decide to try and shut down an restaurant recently built down the street. (season 5)
Liliana Mumy – Rachel, one of Kady's classmates who hates Michael. She is Caucasian. (seasons 3-5)
DeRay Davis – R.J., an employee at Michael's trucking business. (seasons 2-4)
Jamia Simone Nash – Aretha Mumford, Franklin's younger sister. Franklin thinks that she is tone deaf when she really has a good singing voice.
Larry Miller – Stuart Tyler, one of Michael's nemesis for several episodes in season two.
Marlene Forte – Rosa Lopez, the Kyles' Nanny/Housekeeper for several episodes in season one.

Special guest stars [link]

Shaquille O'Neal – Himself
Michael Jordan – Himself
LeBron James – Himself
Lou Ferrigno
Terry Crews - Daryl
Brian McKnight - Himself
Keenen Ivory Wayans – Ken Kyle, Michael's successful brother
Betty White – June, the Kyles' housekeeper after Jay left in "The Maid." She cooks everything great, cleans everything pretty well, and is just perfect which makes Jay jealous especially after her return doesn't seem to matter to the awestruck family. She also had the catchphrase "I've got the eye"; after she said that line she would usually leave and the family would say "wooooow". It is implied that June is a magical 'Mary Poppins' type nanny when Franklin sees her fly in the sky with an umbrella.
Taylor Lautner - Tyrone

Syndication [link]

Currently, Disney-ABC Domestic Television handles the U.S. distribution rights to My Wife and Kids, while Disney-ABC International Television handles syndication rights outside the United States. For U.S. cable and international syndication, all 122 episodes of the series are broadcast in high definition, this is despite the fact that the thirteen episodes that comprised the first season were originally broadcast in 4:3 standard definition (it would not be until September 2001, as the series was entering its second season, before ABC began carrying its scripted primetime series in HD); for the first season episodes, Disney-ABC had previously cropped images on the sides restored, using the 35mm film source, to use the entire 16:9 frame.

U.S. syndication [link]

Reruns aired in the United States on various local stations, primarily Fox, CW and MyNetworkTV affiliates, from September 2005 to August 2011. Teen network The N begin airing reruns of the series from January 28, 2006 until March 28, 2009. ABC Family began airing My Wife and Kids in high definition on September 1, 2008; the episodes aired by ABC Family are the original versions aired on ABC, though like syndication airings, closed captioning sponsorship tags appear before the final act/scene of each episode. The series no longer airs on ABC Family, as of January 2012.

The series also began airing on Nick at Nite on August 30, 2010, though the blooper reels at the end of nearly every episode of the first three seasons and a small few from season four are omitted and replaced with marginalized credits. Thus far, the only episode of the series that has yet to be broadcast by Nick at Nite is the season three two-parter "Jr.'s Risky Business". The premiere episodes of seasons two and three ("Mom's Away" and "The Kyle's Go to Hawaii", respectively) have been relegated to special airings and are also not aired as part of the network's regular cycle of the series. Since October 3, 2011, the show also airs on BET (a sister network to Nick at Nite through parent company Viacom); unlike the Nick at Nite and ABC Family airings, BET broadcasts episodes of the series in a letterboxed format. The series then aired in reruns on Centric on October 12, 2011.

International syndication [link]

In the United Kingdom, reruns of the series aired on Channel One (formally known as Virgin1); however since the channel's closure on February 1, 2011, the show has stopped airing. Sister channel Living also used to air the show in 2001. The show first aired on BBC Two, and in early 2012 the show is set to return to Living which is now known as Sky Living. On March 26th 2012, ABC Spark in Canada started broadcasting re-runs.

International broadcasts [link]

Country / Region	Network(s) / Broadcast run	Title
Australia	FOX8 7mate	My Wife and Kids
Austria	ORF1	What’s Up, Dad?
Belgium	VT4 (in flemish)	My Wife and Kids
Brazil	SBT	Eu, a Patroa e as Crianças (Me, the Mrs. and the Children)
Canada	CTV Vrak.TV ABC Spark	My Wife and Kids (English) Ma Famille D'abord (My Family First; French)
Croatia		Moja žena i djeca
Egypt	Show Comedy
Estonia	Fox Life	Minu naine ja lapsed (My Wife and Kids)
Finland	TV Viisi	Meidän faija (Our Dad)
France	M6 W9	Ma Famille d'Abord (My Family First)
Germany	Kabel 1	What’s Up, Dad?
Hungary	Comedy Central Hungary	Életem értelmei
Italy	Fox TV	Tutto in Famiglia (All in the family)
India	Star World & Zee Cafe	My Wife and Kids
Israel		אשתי והילדים
Ireland	RTE Two	My Wife and Kids
Latvia	Fox Life	My Wife and Kids
Mexico	Sony Entertainment Television
The Netherlands	Veronica
New Zealand	TV2 (TVNZ 2)
Norway	TV Norge	"Liv og Røre"
Pakistan	Star World
Philippines	Star World
Poland	Comedy Central Polska	On, ona i dzieciaki (He, She and Kids)
Portugal	Fox Next	Patriarca com Estilo
Russia	Fox Life Russia	Моя жена и дети (My Wife and Children)
Saudi Arabia	Show Comedy
South Africa	SABC 1 MZANSI 4 SHO Comedy Central	My Wife and Kids
South Korea	Fox Life	Wife and Kids
Tanzania		Mimi, Watoto na mke Wangu
United Kingdom	Channel 5 (2001–2004) Trouble (2004–2009) BBC Two (2004–2007) Virgin1 (2007–2011) Sky Living (2012)	My Wife and Kids
United States	Nick at Nite	My Wife and Kids
Venezuela		Mi esposa e hijos
Zimbabwe	ZBC TV	My Wife and Kids

DVD releases [link]

Lionsgate Home Entertainment has released the first two seasons of My Wife and Kids on DVD in Region 1.^[6]^[7]

DVD Name	Ep #	Release Date
Season 1	11	February 24, 2009
Season 2	28	May 11, 2010

Awards and nominations [link]

Awards	Outcome
ASCAP Awards:
Top TV Series	(Won)
BET Comedy Award:
Outstanding Comedy Series	Nominated^[8]
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series	Nominated
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Damon Wayans)	(Won)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Tisha Campbell-Martin)	(Won)
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series	Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (George O. Gore II)	Nominated
Family Television Award:
Comedy	(Won)
Image Awards:
Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series	Nominated
Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series (Damon Wayans)	Nominated
Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series (Tisha Campbell-Martin)	(Won)
Outstanding Comedy Series	Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (George O. Gore II)	Nominated
Logie Award:
Most Popular Overseas Comedy	Nominated
People's Choice Award:
Favorite Male Performer in a New Television Series (Damon Wayans)	(Won)
Favorite Television New Comedy Series	(Won)
Prism Award:
TV Comedy Series Episode	(Won)
Satellite Awards:
Best Actor in a Series, Comedy or Musical (Damon Wayans)	Nominated
Best Performance by an Actor in a Series, Comedy or Musical (Damon Wayans)	Nominated
Teen Choice Award:
Choice TV Actress – Comedy (Jennifer Freeman)	Nominated
TV – Choice Comedy	Nominated
Young Artist Award:
Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Young Actor Age Ten or Younger (Noah Gray-Cabey)	(Won)
Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Young Actress Age Ten or Younger (Jazz Raycole)	Nominated
Best Performance in a TV Comedy or Drama Series – Guest Starring Young Actress Age Ten or Under (Jessica Sara)	(Won)
Best Ensemble in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama)	Nominated
Best Family Television Series (Comedy or Drama)	Nominated
Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series – Guest Starring Young Actress (Marina Malota)	Nominated
Best Performance in a TV Comedy or Drama Series – Guest Starring Young Actress Age Ten or Under (Liliana Mumy)	Nominated
Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Young Actress Age Ten or Under (Parker McKenna Posey)	Nominated

References [link]

^ ^a ^b "TV Ratings 2001". http://fbibler.chez.com/tvstats/recent_data/2000-01.html. Retrieved January 9, 2010].
^ ^a ^b "How did your favorite show rate?". USA Today. May 28, 2002. http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/2002/2002-05-28-year-end-chart.htm. Retrieved January 9, 2010.
^ ^a ^b "Nielsen's TOP 156 Shows for 2002–03". http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.tv/browse_thread/thread/ee82c0640bcaeb06/82c78e0fe7710443?lnk=st&q=%22practice%22++2002-03+%22primetime%22+friends+survivor&rnum=1&hl=en#82c78e0fe7710443.
^ ^a ^b "Viewership numbers of primetime programs during the 2003–04 television season". Archived from the original on 2007-02-08. http://web.archive.org/web/20070930155240/http://www.abcmedianet.com/Web/progcal/dispDNR.aspx?id=060204_11. Retrieved on 2010-01-09.
^ ^a ^b "2004–2005 TV Ratings". http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000937471. ^{[dead link]} Retrieved on 2010-01-09.
^ http://www.dvdempire.com/Exec/v4_item.asp?item_id=1442333
^ http://www.dvdempire.com/Exec/v4_item.asp?item_id=1522369
^ "Awards for My Wife and Kids (2001)". Imdb.com. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0273855/awards. Retrieved 2008-09-07.

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Nicole Scherzinger
Scherzinger at the The X Factor USA Backstage, December 2011
Background information
Birth name	Nicole Prescovia Elikolani Valiente
Born	(1978-06-29) June 29, 1978 (age 33) Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Genres	Pop/rock, R&B, dance-pop
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, actress, dancer, model, record producer
Instruments	Vocals, piano
Years active	2001–present
Labels	Interscope, A&M, Polydor UK
Associated acts	Eden's Crush, Pussycat Dolls, Days of the New
Website	nicolescherzingermusic.com

Nicole Prescovia Elikolani Valiente Scherzinger (born June 29, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer, model and actress. Scherzinger is well known as the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls. Previously, Scherzinger was a backing vocalist for the late-1990s rock group Days of the New and was a part of reality TV girl group Eden's Crush. After the disbandment of the group, she joined the Pussycat Dolls and became the group's lead vocalist during their transition into a career in music.

The Pussycat Dolls rose to prominence when they enlisted Scherzinger as their lead front woman of the group. When Scherzinger joined the now multi-platinum group, they became a worldwide phenomenon, releasing two albums, PCD (2008) and Doll Domination (2008) and embarked on several concert tours.^[1] With her strong vocal range, Scherzinger scored the group a string of massive hit singles, including the number ones "Don’t Cha" (2005) and "Buttons" (2006), "Stickwitu" (2005), "I Hate This Part" (2008), and "When I Grow Up" (2008), which hit the Top 10 in 16 countries. In 2009, Scherzinger wrote and recorded an adaptation of A.R. Rahman’s "Jai Ho" (from the film "Slumdog Millionaire") which went to number one in 17 countries. Their debut album, PCD, has sold nine million copies worldwide, and their sophomore album, Doll Domination, has sold 5 million copies worldwide to date. The group won three Billboard Music Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards, and toured with Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and The Black Eyed Peas.^[2]^[3] The Dolls have sold 15 million albums, and 37 million singles worldwide, making them one of the best selling girl groups of all time.

After leaving the group in December 2010, Scherzinger began a solo career with the release of her debut studio album Killer Love. The album's second single, "Don't Hold Your Breath" peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart, marking her first number one hit as a solo artist.^[4] Scherzinger became the winner of the tenth season of Dancing with the Stars in early 2010. She was a judge on the first season of the US version of The X Factor, which premiered in September 2011.

Early life [link]

Scherzinger was born Nicole Prescovia Elikolani Valiente in Honolulu, Hawaii, into a staunchly Roman Catholic family.^[5]^[6] Her father, Alfonso Valiente, is of Filipino descent, and her mother, Rosemary, is mixed Hawaiian and Russian descent, as Nicole's grandmother was Russian while her grandfather is Hawaiian.^[7]^[8]^[9]^[10]^[11] Her mother was eighteen at the time of Scherzinger's birth and lived in an inner city neighborhood.^[12] Scherzinger's parents separated when she was still a baby. When she was six years old, her maternal family moved to Louisville, Kentucky,^[13] with her sister, Keala, and her German American stepfather, Gary Scherzinger. She took her stepfather's surname after he adopted her.^[13]

She first attended Bowen Elementary, and later attended Meyzeek Middle School as an adolescent. Scherzinger states that, growing up, her family did not have a lot of money, and she thanks her mother for all the support she gave her to become what she is today. Scherzinger began performing in Louisville, attending the Youth Performing Arts School at duPont Manual High School, and performing with Actors Theatre of Louisville.^[13] As a teenager, Scherzinger was the first runner-up at the 1996 Kentucky State Fair's Coca-Cola Talent Classic contest.^[13]

Music career [link]

2001–02: Career beginnings [link]

In 2001 Scherzinger competed in the premiere season of The WB's television show, Popstars, on which she earned a spot in the all-girl pop group Eden's Crush alongside the other four chosen members Ivette Sosa, Maile Misajon, Ana Maria Lombo and Rosanna Tavarez . Eventually, she became one of the main vocalists for the group. The group's 2001 US single, "Get Over Yourself (Goodbye)", peaked at number one in sales and hit the top ten on Billboard Hot 100. At the time Eden's Crush was touring in support of both *NSync and Jessica Simpson.^[14] Scherzinger was approached to be the fourth member of The Black Eyed Peas, but was forced to decline because she was a member of Eden's Crush and was under contract. The position was given, instead, to Fergie. Later, however, Eden's Crush' record company, London-Sire Records, folded and the group eventually disbanded.^[15] In November 2007 Scherzinger spoke of her time in Eden's Crush:

It was hell... I was in a band with five other girls and every day was torture for me. We were on TV all the time and the atmosphere was awful... Every day I was in that band I cried my eyes out. The band was meant to be fun and frivolous but the reality was that it was miserable... I was too sensitive back then, but I got toughened up. I couldn't have gone into the Dolls without my experience in Crush.^[12]

After the disbanding of Eden's Crush, Scherzinger made a few promotional solo appearances under the stage name of Nicole Kea, including covering "Breakfast in Bed" for the soundtrack to 50 First Dates in 2003.^[16] Scherzinger later worked with Yoshiki of Japanese rock band X Japan on his Violet UK project. She sang the English version of "I'll Be Your Love" live with the Tokyo Symphonic Orchestra. The track also appeared on the 2003 Various Artists album Exposition of Global Harmony.

2003–10: The Pussycat Dolls [link]

The Pussycat Dolls in 2006.

In May 2003, Scherzinger joined the Pussycat Dolls burlesque troupe, who were being re-cast as recording artists. She had first seen them performing on The Late Show with David Letterman in November 2002, where Carmen Electra sang "Big Spender" from the Bob Fosse musical Sweet Charity. In 2006, Scherzinger said "It caught my eye because I’d played Velma Kelly in [Fosse's] Chicago in college."^[17] In one interview she spoke of her role with the Pussycat dolls stating that it was a "challenge fronting the group" but that "every girl has something different to bring and add to the success".^[18] The success of PCD brought Scherzinger into the media spotlight and she went on to record a series of duets/guest vocals with a wide array of male vocalists. In 2005, she appeared on recordings by Shaggy, Vittorio Grigolo and Will Smith. In 2006 she sang co-lead vocals with Avant on his single "Lie About Us", and Diddy's hit "Come to Me" (which she also co-wrote). Other appearances are listed in discography. In the biography section of her official website she says that everyone recognises her from the Pussycat Dolls's debut single "Dont Cha" which although amazing does not fulfill her musical desires. When asked what she intended to achieve with her solo career she commented "Some people only have their glasses half full, but there was never a limit to mine."^[19] The purpose of the album was to appeal to younger audiences, show them "the heart of Nicole" and show that she is "not always strong and fearless".

Doubt was cast over the future of the album when the Pussycat Dolls released their second album Doll Domination which featured some of the songs which had initially been recorded for Scherzinger's own album. "Happily Never After" and "Who's Gonna Love You" were placed on the album with no changes whilst additional backing vocals were added to "When I Grow Up" before it was released as the album's lead single.^[20] In 2010 during an interview with X magazine she also revealed that "I Hate This Part", a song which became a top-ten hit in Europe for the Pussycat Dolls, was also intended for her own solo album.^[21] Christopher "Tricky Stewart" and The-Dream were also working with Scherzinger and produced, wrote and recorded at least two songs for the album. Both of the known recordings, "Punch You In Your Sleep" and "I'm a Cheat" were re-allocated to The-Dream's ex-wife Christina Milian who has recorded them for her fourth studio album Elope due in 2010.^[22]

Furthermore it was revealed that Keri Hilson (a writer who has been heavily involved in writing for the Pussycat Dolls) had written a song called "Alienated" for Scherzinger, however when the album was delayed and shelved Hilson reclaimed the song and instead recorded the song with producer Cory Bold for her own debut studio album In a Perfect World...^[23] Reviews later went on to give the song critical acclaim for its "electro-blips and whispery raps that are alluring."^[24]^[25] In September 2009 it was confirmed that the teary ballad, "Just Say Yes" was reclaimed by Gary Lightbody who has since re-tooled and reworked the song.^[26] It was released as the lead single from his band, Snow Patrol's compilation album Up to Now, on November 2, 2009.^[27] Addressing the delayed release of her solo album, in September 2008 Scherzinger said, "Despite what other people might write, it was my decision, ultimately. I actually put some of my solo songs on the Pussycat Dolls' new album Doll Domination. Everything is all about timing. I believe it will come out next year, and it will be able to coexist wonderfully with the Dolls' album. It's completely separate from what you've heard with "Baby Love" and "Whatever U Like," and I'm still working on it — that's what happens when you're a perfectionist."^[28] She was interviewed by Billboard magazine in April 2009 regarding her own career plans as well as what The Dolls were up to. She said "the current incarnation of the album is just in talks and in the writing process. I haven't started recording yet." She plans to enter the studio again after the Pussycat Dolls have finished their World Domination Tour. Speaking about the project Scherzinger said she will be working again with Will.i.am, Timbaland as well as with new associates Lady Gaga and A.R. Rahman.^[29] In April 2008, Scherzinger recorded a cover version of "Rio" by Duran Duran for an advertising campaign for Unilever's Caress brand of body wash. A commercial video was released, and the single was released via download only, after May 2008.^[30] In 2008, in support of Barack Obama, she was one of many musicians to contribute to a track by will.i.am called "Yes We Can".^[31] Also on September 5, 2008, Scherzinger joined an all-star cast to perform the charity song "Just Stand Up" on live TV.^[32] The Pussycat Dolls returned to the Music scene on May 27, 2008 with the new single "When I Grow Up" which reached number nine on the U.S. Hot 100 and number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play. The song topped several European charts and became a worldwide top ten hit. The follow-up single "Whatcha Think About That" with Missy Elliott failed to enter the U.S. charts but managed to reach top 20 in several other countries including the UK with a limited release.

The Pussycat Dolls performing as the opening act during the The Circus Starring Britney Spears.

After a slight delay and with two singles released the album, Doll Domination was finally released as a standard and deluxe edition. The latter featured a disc with a solo song by each of the girls. The album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200, with 79,000 copies sold in its first week beating their debut album by one chart position but selling 20,000 less copies. It only spent seven weeks in the top 100, compared with their debut album which sat in the top 100 for nearly one year. In January 2009 it re-entered the top 100 following several more successful singles. The album in original form spawned two other singles, worldwide top 20 hit "I Hate This Part" and the number-one club song "Bottle Pop" which only received a limited release in the US and Oceania. On January 2009 they embarked their second world tour called Doll Domination Tour to support Doll Domination.^[33] Lady Gaga opened for them in Europe and Australia,^[34]^[35] while Ne-Yo supported the Pussycat Dolls in the UK leg.^[36] In mid-2009 they opened for Britney Spears' tour The Circus Starring Britney Spears on the first leg in North America.^[37] In April 2009 Scherzinger confirmed to Billboard that the album would be re-released to give more people a chance to get their music.^[38] In Europe the album was re-released with three or four new songs.^[39] In Australia a compilation called Doll Domination 2.0 was released with six songs from the original version plus four new songs whereas the UK received a six-song EP called Doll Domination: The Mini Collection released on April 27, 2009 featuring four of the original songs plus a remix and a new song.^[40] In August 2009 the album was repackaged once more, this time as Doll Domination 3.0 to include all of the previously released bonus songs on one CD with the original album. Its release was limited to Europe and the UK where the group's singles had all reached top 20. The repackaged versions spawned two more singles: the worldwide number one "Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)" (featured on the soundtrack for Slumdog Millionaire) and euro-pop remix of "Hush Hush" (retitled "Hush Hush; Hush Hush")^[40] which reached top 20 internationally. Following Scherzinger's over-emphasis in the release of these two singles there were several emotional outbursts to the media including one by Thornton during one of the group's appearances on tour.^[41] In 2009, Billboard ranked the Pussycat Dolls as the 80th most successful musical act of the 2000s.^[42] Scherzinger performed "America the Beautiful" at WWE's WrestleMania XXV in Houston, Texas at the Reliant Stadium on April 5, 2009.^[43] Scherzinger performed with guitarist Slash on October 2 in Las Vegas.^[44]

[edit] 2006–08: Solo guest appearances & Her Name is Nicole

Scherzinger in 2007.

From 2006 until late 2008 Scherzinger had been working on her debut album which was titled Her Name Is Nicole. She recorded/wrote about 75–100 songs for the album which was supposed to be released in 2007 before being pushed to October 16, 2008 and later into 2009 before being shelved.^[45]^[46] She told MTV "I've always said that in the Pussycat Dolls, I kind of feel like Superwoman. But that's just one of my alter egos. I've got the vulnerable, lovesick side of me amongst others which all appear on my record."^[47] The album saw Scherzinger work with a wide roster of producers and song writers some of whom had worked with Scherzinger for albums with the Pussycat Dolls. Sean Garrett and Polow da Don worked on "Whatever U Like" (featuring T.I.) which was released as the album's lead single^[48] on July 24, 2007 but deemed unsuccessful reaching just 57 in Canada. "Baby Love" was the second single released on September 10, 2007. Although well received and compared to the Pussycat Dolls' song "Stickwitu"^[48] the track did not chart well in the United States. Internationally the single fared well reaching Top 15 in most countries including the UK, and mainland Europe. It was remixed to be included on Doll Domination as a bonus track. The third single "Supervillain" was described as having a "danceable jam with a catchy chorus" and featured a reggae–dancehall interlude. Written by Rock City and produced by Mad Scientist it was only released to US iTunes in November 2007. Fourth single "Puakenikeni" (a type of flower in Hawaii) also released to iTunes in November was produced by Akon to as a tribute to Scherzinger's heritage^[19] but failed to chart. Other songs included the critically acclaimed "Just Say Yes", written by Gary Lightbody (of Snow Patrol) which was a soft and slow song with its pulsing, electronic beat.^[48] She told MTV of her excitement to record the song previously rejected by Gwen Stefani. "I'm such a huge fan of Snow Patrol's music, I felt like I was supposed to make it my own. "It's a very honest and truthful song."^[47] Ne-Yo gave Scherzinger two songs, "Happily Never After" a slow ballad of which Scherzinger said she felt it "important for young girls to have an empowering message that they deserve better".^[19] Interestingly the song was originally written for Britney Spears to record for her album Blackout in 2007.^[18] The other song has a tear jerking ballad called "Save Me from Myself" for which Scherzinger helped Ne-Yo in developing the hook before recording the song.^[19] When commenting on another song "March" Scherzinger said she wanted a powerful record. "It's about never giving up on your dreams and it’s about what I went through to get where I am today."^[18] Timbaland produced and featured on the song "Physical"^[19] on which his trademark vocals can be heard over the upbeat melody and thumping baseline.^[48] Part of the song was used in the film Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (which she made a short cameo in). The album sessions also produced a number of other songs including "When Your Falling" (also co-written by Akon)^[19] "Power's Out" a riveting duet with English singer Sting (featured in Revlon adverts with Jessica Alba)^[19] and "I M.I.S.S You" written by Pharrell Williams and produced by The Neptunes.^[48]

[edit] 2010–12: Killer Love and solo European tour

Scherzinger in 2011.

Scherzinger confirmed that she has done one song with Slash for his solo album Slash released in April 2010.^[49] On February 1, 2010 along with other artists Scherzinger had re-recorded "We Are the World", a charity single for the victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.^[50] The song debuted during NBC's coverage of the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics.^[51] It was released as a single on iTunes on February 12, 2010 accompanied by the music video.^[52]

Then in August 2010 Swedish-Moroccan electropop producer RedOne was interviewed by the BBC. In the interview he revealed he had been working on Scherzinger's album. "I just finished her album. Her last one never came out because it was collecting hamburgers, like fast food. One from McDonald's, one from Burger King, and so on. It tasted good, but it wasn't consistent. Her new record – people are really going to go crazy about it because it's the real her."^[53] Scherzinger confirmed these reports in a September 2010 interview with X magazine. In reference to Her Name is Nicole she said "It was actually my decision not to put it out, not the label's". Then she said "I've been working with RedOne, which is an honour. He's an unbelievable producer and musician. He had made some amazing songs with Lady Gaga. Now, there is someone with the 'x factor'. I can't touch GaGa or RedOne in that space, but I know that we've created something unique of our own."^[21] Scherzinger's new single, "Poison", premiered on her official website and YouTube account on October 14, 2010.^[54] It is due for release on November 29, 2010.^[55] A picture from the video shoot was revealed by MTV, showing Scherzinger dressed provocatively.^[56] "Poison" serves as the first single from the album and peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart becoming Scherzinger's most successful single, until her #1 hit with "Don't Hold Your Breath" in Spring of 2011.

On November 18, 2010, she joined Prince on-stage during his concert in Abu Dhabi. While working with RedOne she has also recorded vocals for songs which will be included on Mohombi's debut album. Mohombi is the first signee to RedOne's record label.^[57] Scherzinger appeared at the Jingle Bell Ball at London's O2 Arena on December 4, 2010.^[58] The second single, "Don't Hold Your Breath", was released on March 13, 2011 and preceded the album, Killer Love, which was released March 21, 2011.^[4] The song debuted at #1 on the UK Singles Chart.^[59]

"Right There" impacted UK radio in April 2011 as the third single in the United Kingdom.^[60] For its release in the US, it was remixed to feature two new verses from American rapper 50 Cent, it serves as her first American lead single from her debut album, "Killer Love". "Right There" was released as a digital download in the US on May 17, 2011 and sent to US mainstream radio on May 24, 2011.^[61] On June 12, Scherzinger performed at Capital FM's Summertime Ball at Wembley Stadium in London.

On August 16, 2011, Scherzinger released "Don't Hold Your Breath" in the United States as her second US single. The singles,"Right There (feat. 50 Cent)" & "Don't Hold Your Breath" were to precede her debut album, "Killer Love." This version of Killer Love was originally set to feature an alternate track listing with American hip-hop artist Snoop Dogg to appear on one of the new songs recorded for the album.^[62] On The X Factor USA semi finals, Scherzinger performed a brand new song, "Pretty", which was recorded days before its performance. The album was originally planned for an August release back in 2011, but was later pushed back to November 15. Shortly after, it was confirmed that it would be released on December 6, but the album was then pushed back again to 2012. On March 23, Scherzinger revealed that the US Killer Love release was cancelled for her second album.^[63] Scherzinger has recorded more than 40 songs to be considered for her US solo debut album, but insists that it "will not be finished until the very last minute. I don't know if I will ever feel like I have finished the album."^[64]

Scherzinger also released a music video for "Wet", which was released as a single in the UK in August 2011. On November 14, 2011, Killer Love was re-released in Europe. In October 2011, Scherzinger released a new song titled "Try with Me", it is the lead single from the European re-release.^[65] The music video for "Try with Me" premiered on 18 October 2011 on MSN. Scherzinger and her team, including X Factor choreographer Brian Friedman, were held at gunpoint by a local gang when they were travelling through the mountains to the Xilitla rainforest in Mexico to shoot the video. They were released without harm but shaken by the experience.^[66]^[67] To further promote the album, Scherzinger began her Killer Love Tour on February 13, 2012.^[68]^[69]

2012: Return from music hiatus and sophomore studio album [link]

After being a judge on the The X Factor, Scherzinger was let go from the competition series, as part of a "re-imaginging" Fox Broadcasting Company and Simon Cowell were venturing into. She confirmed that 2012 would be all about her music. Scherzinger had also started her very first solo tour in Europe and Asia in early 2012, promptly titled the Killer Love Tour. When asked about the tour she said, "I'm so excited about this tour. I'm in the process of getting ready for it, doing a lot of research. I know that it's a theatre tour so I want to make sure the show is well rounded and that I draw up the proper set list. There'll be a little bit of everything in there: singing and dancing, a Pussycat Dolls set, a stripped back acoustic set, and my own songs."^[70] Scherzinger also confirmed she is currently working on a new album.^[71]

Supplementary ventures [link]

Acting [link]

Scherzinger has made minor appearances as an actress. She appeared in the TV comedy, Half & Half, My Wife and Kids and the 2003 film, Love Don't Cost a Thing. She also had a role in 2001 as one of the "Pop Stars" in the episode, "Finally!", of the show Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, and also made appearances in Wanda at Large, Chasing Papi, Be Cool and Cane. Scherzinger was intended to be cast in one of the lead roles in the upcoming movie with the Filipino Boxing Champion, Manny Pacquiao, together with professional wrestler, Dave Batista. She was about to play the leading lady of the Filipino Champ, but her audition was cancelled and the role went to the Filipina actress, Ruffa Mae Quinto. She also made an appearance in the Nickelodeon show, Big Time Rush, as herself. In 2010 Scherzinger appeared in the How I Met Your Mother episode "Glitter", as Robin Scherbatsky's former best friend, Jessica Glitter. She has also recorded a version of "GoldenEye" — the theme song of the 1995 Bond film GoldenEye — for the 2010 video game GoldenEye 007. Scherzinger portrayed Lily Poison in the film Men in Black 3, released May 25, 2012.^[72]

Modelling [link]

In 2006 she made a "Bench Body" brand underwear commercial in the Philippines, and in October 2008 she promoted Clear Shampoo and Conditioner. Both commercials were reportedly aired throughout Southeast Asia. She appeared in a Nike shoe commercial with basketball player LeBron James. In 2010 she made a commercial for the C&A campaign.^[73] She appeared on the covers of numerous Cosmopolitan editions (British, Bulgarian, Croatian, Estonian, Italian, Indonesian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Mexican, Mongolian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish and others). Scherzinger frequently has appeared in FHM Magazine's 100 Sexiest Women poll, ranking #49 in 2006, #22 in 2007, #49 in 2008, #60 in 2009, and #73 in 2010. In 2011 she jumped 64 places to rank #9.^[74]

Musical theatre [link]

Scherzinger majored in acting and musical theatre at Wright State University, where she played Velma Kelly in Chicago and Julie La Verne in Show Boat.^[17] She put her studies on hold in 1999 to sing backing vocals for the rock band, Days of the New.^[75]

In late 2009 it was reported that Scherzinger was working closely with Andrew Lloyd Webber on the musical Love Never Dies, the sequel to The Phantom of the Opera.^[76] Although she has not yet appeared in the show, her version of the title song - Love Never Dies - was played on the Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Monday 1 April 2011.^[77]

On June 4, 2010, it was announced that Scherzinger would take on the role of Maureen in the Hollywood Bowl production of the rock musical Rent, directed by Neil Patrick Harris.^[78] She played the role from August 6–8, 2010.

On October 28, 2010, Scherzinger took part in the 35th anniversary of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.^[79]

As part of the 25th Anniversary of The Phantom of the Opera, Scherzinger performed the title song at The Royal Variety Performance - held in The Lowry, Manchester - on Monday 5 December 2011. She performed alongside four former Phantoms (Simon Bowman, Earl Carpenter, John Owen-Jones and Ramin Karimloo). The performance was aired on ITV1 on Wednesday 14 December 2011.^[80] Her performance received critical acclaim.

Reality television [link]

In December 2009 Scherzinger served as a celebrity judge on NBC's reality singing competition, The Sing-Off,^[81] along with singer-songwriter Ben Folds and Boyz II Men bandmember Shawn Stockman. The show was hosted by singer Nick Lachey. Scherzinger's role was to critique performances of the competitors and vote on eliminations in all but the final round, which was determined by audience vote. In the show finale, Scherzinger performed "You Don't Own Me" with competition finalists the Beelzebubs of Tufts University. She returned to her role as judge for a second season of The Sing-Off in December 2010, but did not return for a third season.

On March 1, 2010, it was announced that Scherzinger would be a celebrity contestant on Dancing with the Stars for the tenth season and would be partnered with Season 7 champion Derek Hough.^[82] On May 25, 2010 Scherzinger won Dancing with the Stars season 10.^[83]

On July 1, 2010, MTV reported the media mogul, Simon Cowell, had hired Scherzinger as a guest judge for the seventh series of the UK reality TV series The X Factor after regular judge, Dannii Minogue, went on maternity leave. According to The Daily Mail, she was one of several celebrities being considered for a role on the U.S. version of The X Factor, and so the role on the UK version served as an important screen test and opportunity to impress the producers.^[84] Following praise from the show's producers, Scherzinger was asked to return as a guest judge after it was discovered that Cole had contracted malaria and was unable to film the 'bootcamp' stages of the competition.^[85] Fellow judge and permanent panel member Louis Walsh praised Scherzinger, saying "My favourite though was Nicole who I had never met before. This girl has the X Factor in every way. She just got it, was incredibly impressive and ticked every box."^[86] The host of the show, Dermot O'Leary, also praised Scherzinger, saying she was his favourite guest judge. "She was brilliant, tailor-made for it and hilarious too. We were all stunned by her beauty."^[87] Scherzinger has been credited in the formation of One Direction, which includes: Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, and Harry Styles. She also left her mark on the competition after she persuaded producers to change the ages of the judging categories. An X Factor spokesman told the media that "At Nicole's suggestion, and agreed by Simon and Louis, the boys' and girls' category age limit has been increased to 28. The judges believe this will strengthen the competition and talent."^[88] Additionally, it was reported that Scherzinger would be asked to help Cowell or Walsh during the "judges' houses" stages of the competition where each judge is given a category of acts to mentor and then, with the help of other celebrities and musicians, they choose three acts to take through the live finals.^[89] However, this proved to be wrong as Walsh chose Sharon Osbourne and Cowell chose Sinitta.

On May 5, 2011, Scherzinger was announced as one of two co-hosts of the first season of Cowell's U.S. version of The X Factor alongside Steve Jones. On June 6, a Fox press release announced Scherzinger would replace Cheryl Cole, whose contract had been terminated. As a result, Scherzinger joined the judging panel alongside Cowell, Paula Abdul, and L.A. Reid, leaving Jones to host The X Factor by himself. The show premiered on Fox on September 21, 2011.^[90] Scherzinger mentored the Over 30s category throughout season one where her most successful act was Josh Krajick who came second overall in the competition. During the Judges' Houses stage of the competition, Scherzinger was aided by friend and fellow artist Enrique Iglesias to help decide which of her acts should go through to the Live Shows stage. Her Judges' Houses location was in Malibu, California. Scherzinger created immense controversy on the show when her vote was put to deadlock and the the public vote sent home contestant Rachel Crow on December 8, 2011. Scherzinger also faced backlash from the millions of fans watching the show. A source said: Nicole was hysterical backstage, screaming "I can’t do this anymore." She has also told producers she was terrified to leave her house due to death threats as she was visibly upset by the result. When Steve Jones asked Scherzinger if she had anything to say, she shook her head and turned away, and she was booed by the audience for taking the vote to deadlock.^[91]^[92]

On January 30, 2012, it was confirmed that Scherzinger would not return to The X Factor along with host Steve Jones and fellow judge Paula Abdul due to Cowell and FOX deciding not to renew their contracts.^[93]

On May 29, 2012, it was officially confirmed that Scherzinger will return to The X Factor as a judge for the London Auditions.^[94]

Artistry [link]

Influences [link]

Scherzinger's style has been influenced by rock n' roll ever since her start in the business. She claims that she prefers wearing a "grown up" style of clothing including leather jackets and boots, which can be seen on her very first solo tour. When asked about her trend, she told People: "My style has evolved into being a little bit more grown up. It's rock 'n' roll inspired, but chic. Glam rock." She also added: "If I wear a lace dress, I throw on a leather jacket to toughen things up, or some crazy boots. "I like dresses that are sassy, but have clean lines."^[95]

Scherzinger's idol, Houston.

Scherzinger biggest influence on music has been Whitney Houston. When Scherzinger was growing up, she received a Christmas gift at the age of six. It was a tiny purple boombox and a cassette of Whitney Houston’s chart-topping 1985 self-titled debut album. "My parents had no money, but they got me this player and Whitney’s album, which had ‘Greatest Love of All’ on it," Scherzinger recalls. "That was it for me. From that moment on I wanted to sing. Her voice was so powerful; every note she sang just felt like the truth."^[2] Her other musical influences are Tina Turner, Prince and Michael Jackson.^[96] Scherzinger has also revealed to BANG Showbiz that, "music was a very big part of her inspiration for the character" she plays in her upcoming film debut, Men In Black 3. She said, "I listened to my heavier music and I listened to Led Zeppelin and I kind of got in that frame of mind because music is what inspires me most. I worked with my acting coach a lot and she told me about lots of crazy things to think about while I was in character, but I better not tell you what she said."^[97]

Scherzinger also cites fellow The X Factor USA judge Paula Abdul as one of her biggest influences when she was young. When she spoke of sitting beside Abdul on the judging panel in 2011 she said 'it's really a dream come true for me'.

Public image [link]

Scherzinger admits it's "frustrating" to read about the media's portrayal of her as "a man-eater". Scherzinger split from Lewis Hamilton back in October 2011, and has since been linked to a number of different men, but insists none of the rumours are true. "It annoys me," Nicole told Look magazine. "I'm a very classy girl. I have very strong morals."I've only dated a few men in my life, so to read the news that I've got a new guy every week, it makes me look like I'm easily distracted or that any guy can have me, I'm not like that." Nicole added: "I'm not a man-eater, I'm quite the opposite."^[98]

After appearing as a judge on The X Factor, Scherzinger’s public image has declined, though it has undoubtedly raised her profile. She has confessed, "the elimination process has been really hard… it’s something I could have never prepared for." She has also received death threats after being on the show. Scherzinger said, "To get death threats is like, really scary for me. I was like, 'Now America is going to blame this on me, and it's not in my heart!" Scherzinger went to a deadlock after finding it hard to choose between Marcus Canty and Crow, forcing producers to send Crow home. Upon finding out she was going home, Crow collapsed on the stage. After the emotional moment, Scherzinger revealed, "Rachel came into the room and she was a little angel. She said, 'I'm okay. Everything will be okay."^[99]

Personal life [link]

Scherzinger considers herself to be a devout Roman Catholic.^[100] After a three-year relationship and engagement to 311 singer, Nick Hexum, as well as a brief relationship with reality TV star, Talan Torriero, Scherzinger began dating 2008 Formula One World Champion, Lewis Hamilton in 2008. She had met Hamilton at the European Music Awards in Munich in November 2007. They went public at the Monaco Grand Prix six months later. The couple split in January 2010 when they had been together for 20 months. However, in July 2011 Scherzinger’s father, Alfonso Valiente, confirmed the couple were engaged. On October 21, 2011 it was reported that the couple had split again. Scherzinger and Hamilton continued seeing each other, confirmed their reunion on December 2, 2011. The couple blamed their hectic lifestyles for the on-off relationship.^[101]^[102]^[103]

Over the past five years, Scherzinger has been ranked in Maxim's Hot 100 at 22 and 21 in 2006 and 2007 respectively. In 2008 she ranked at number 19 along with the Pussycat Dolls. In 2009 she ranked at number 49^[104] and in 2010 at number 24.^[105] In 2011, Scherzinger was ranked at 51.^[106]

Discography [link]

Main article: Nicole Scherzinger discography

Tours [link]

As a Pussycat Doll

Honda Civic Tour (2006)
Back to Basics Tour (2007)
PCD World Tour (2006–2007)
Doll Domination Tour (2009)
The Circus Starring Britney Spears (2009)
World Domination (The Re-Visit) (2009)

As a solo artist

Killer Love Tour (2012)

Filmography [link]

Television [link]

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2001	Popstars	Herself	Contestant, Season 1
2003	Half & Half	Jasmine
2003	My Wife & Kids	Veronica	The Kyles Go to Hawaii: Part 1,2
2005	Las Vegas	Herself (with the Pussycat Dolls)
2007	Cane	Nicole	1 episode, "Family Business"
2010	The X Factor (UK)	Guest Judge (in place of Dannii Minogue)	9 episodes (credited with 3) and Xtra Factor 6 episodes (uncredited)^[107]
2008	Gossip Girl	Performer (with the Pussycat Dolls)	uncredited
2009–2010	The Sing-Off	Judge	Seasons 1–2; 9 episodes
2009	Keeping Up With The Kardashians	Herself (with the Pussycat Dolls)	Uncredited
2009	Big Time Rush	Herself	1 Episode
2010	Dancing with the Stars	Herself	Contestant and winner
2010	How I Met Your Mother	Jessica Glitter	1 episode, "Glitter"
2011	Danse avec les stars	Guest	Season 1 Final of Dancing with the Stars (France)
2011	The X Factor	Herself	Judge, Season 1 (September 21, 2011–December 22, 2011)
2012	The X Factor (UK)	Guest Judge	London auditions (May 30, 2012)

Films [link]

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2003	Love Don't Cost a Thing	Champagne Girl
	Chasing Papi	Miss Puerto Rico
	Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle	Dancer/Herself (with the Pussycat Dolls)	uncredited
2005	Be Cool	Dancer/Herself (with the Pussycat Dolls)
2007	Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer	Performer	uncredited
2012	Men in Black 3	Lily Poison	Released (May 25, 2012)

Awards and nominations [link]

Year	Nominated work	Event	Award	Result
2010	Nicole Scherzinger	Virgin Media Music Awards	Hottest Female^[108]	Nominated
2011	Nicole Scherzinger	Italian TRL Awards	Best Look^[109]	Nominated

References [link]

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^ "HOT SHOTS: NICOLE SCHERZINGER LETS LOOSE FOR ‘ELLE’". http://thatgrapejuice.net/category/nicole-scherzinger/. Retrieved 2012-05-18.
^ Germain Lussier (November 5, 2010). "Cameos: Judi Dench in ‘On Stranger Tides,’ Nicole Scherzinger In ‘Men In Black 3,’ Betty White Out". /Film. http://www.slashfilm.com/cameos-judi-dench-on-stranger-tides-nicole-scherzinger-men-black-3-betty-white/. Retrieved November 14, 2010.
^ "Nicole Scherzinger looks hot in new CA ad campaign". London: The Sun. April 12, 2010. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/usa/2929374/Nicole-Scherzinger-looks-hot-in-new-CA-ad-campaign.html. Retrieved April 20, 2010. ^{[dead link]}
^ "Nicole Scherzinger at FHM.com". http://www.fhm.com/girls/covergirls/nicole-scherzinger. Retrieved January 29, 2010.
^ DX Staff (March 21, 2008). "Days Of The New Singer Reveals Past On Nicole Scherzinger". HipHopDX.comm. http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.6599/title.days-of-the-new-singer-reveals-past-on-nicole-scherzinger. Retrieved August 17, 2009.
^ Vena, Jocelyn (October 8, 2009). "Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger To Join Andrew Lloyd Webber Musical". MTV (MTV Networks). http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1640053/20100526/scherzinger__nicole.jhtml. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
^ "Radio 2 Programmes - The Chris Evans Breakfast Show, Happy Birthday Chris! Plus Lord Lloyd Webber and Giorgio Locatelli". BBC. 2011-04-01. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00zq517. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
^ Wada, Karen (June 4, 2010). "'DWTS' champ and Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger joins cast of 'Rent' at the Hollywood Bowl". Los Angeles Times (Tribune Company). http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1632937/20100301/scherzinger__nicole.jhtml. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
^ "The Rocky Horror Picture Show 35th Anniversary To Benefit The Painted Turtle - Show - Pictures". Zimbio. http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/y4YJJEH8QB9/Rocky+Horror+Picture+Show+35th+Anniversary/9L39IAlFj2F. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
^ Rehearsals for the Royal Variety Performance
^ "The Sing Off – NBC Site". Nbc.com. http://www.nbc.com/sing-off/about/nicole.shtml. Retrieved February 28, 2010.
^ Carroll, Larry (April 1, 2010). "'Dancing With The Stars' 2010 Lineup Revealed". MTV (MTV Networks). http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1632937/20100301/scherzinger__nicole.jhtml. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
^ Vena, Jocelyn (May 26, 2010). "Nicole Scherzinger Calls 'Dancing With The Stars' Win 'Surreal'". MTV (MTV Networks). http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1640053/20100526/scherzinger__nicole.jhtml. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
^ "The X Factor show goes on without Cheryl Cole as Nicole Scherzinger provides the glamour". The Daily Mirror (London: Associated Newspapers Ltd). July 9, 2010. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1293406/X-Factor-goes-Cheryl-Cole-Nicole-Scherzinger-provides-glamour.html. Retrieved August 18, 2010.
^ Sherridan, Emily (July 17, 2010). "Nicole Scherzinger returns to X Factor judging panel for boot camp as Cheryl Cole recovers from malaria". The Daily Mirror (London: Associated Newspapers Ltd). http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1295332/Nicole-Scherzinger-returns-X-Factor-judging-panel-boot-camp-Cheryl-Cole-recovers-malaria.html. Retrieved August 18, 2010.
^ "X Factor’s Simon, Louis and Cheryl give the guest judges the thumbs-up". STV. August 18, 2010. http://entertainment.stv.tv/tv/192577-x-factors-simon-louis-and-cheryl-give-the-guest-judges-the-thumbs-up/. Retrieved August 18, 2010.
^ Daniels, Colin (August 15, 2010). "O'Leary: 'Nicole perfect for X Factor'". Digital Spy. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/s103/the-x-factor/news/a261755/oleary-nicole-perfect-for-x-factor.html. Retrieved August 18, 2010.
^ Tobin, Christian (July 26, 2010). "X Factor Changes Age Group Boundaries". Digital Spy. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/s103/the-x-factor/news/a250495/x-factor-changes-age-group-boundaries.html. Retrieved August 18, 2010.
^ Tobin, Christian (August 16, 2010). "Cowell, Walsh 'clash over Scherzinger'". Digital Spy. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/s103/the-x-factor/news/a262170/cowell-walsh-clash-over-scherzinger.html. Retrieved August 18, 2010.
^ "Nicole Scherzinger to Replace Cheryl Cole on 'X Factor': Who's the Hottest Female Judge in Reality TV History?". Fox News. June 7, 2011. http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2011/06/07/nicole-scherzinger-to-replace-cheryl-cole-on-x-factor-whos-hottest-female-judge/.
^ Fitzmaurice, Sarah (December 13, 2011). "Touchy subject? X Factor USA judge Paula Abdul storms off Jimmy Kimmel after being grilled over her role in Rachel Crow's elimination". Daily Mail. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2073396/X-Factor-USA-Rachel-Crow-questioning-causes-Paula-Abdul-storm-Jimmy-Kimmel.html. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
^ "How Simon Cowell fired Paula Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger and Steve Jones from 'X Factor'". January 31, 2012. http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/nicole-scherzinger-faces-the-axe-after-96318.
^ "Nicole Scherzinger faces the axe after US X Factor backlash". May 30, 2012. http://theclicker.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/31/10280858-how-simon-cowell-fired-paula-abdul-nicole-scherzinger-and-steve-jones-from-x-factor.
^ "Nicole Scherzinger Confirmed As Next X Factor Guest Judge". MTV.co.uk. 2012-05-29. http://www.mtv.co.uk/news/the-x-factor/355848-nicole-scherzinger-x-factor-guest-judge. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
^ "Nicole Scherzinger's style influenced by rock and roll". http://entertainment.stv.tv/tv/265781-nicole-scherzingers-style-influenced-by-rock-and-roll/. Retrieved 2012-04-07.
^ "Nicole Scherzinger artist page". http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/artists/0f7534a6-dc5f-46ca-a2e0-13d214cdd52b. Retrieved 2012-04-07.
^ "Nicole Scherzinger: Led Zeppelin Was My Men In Black 3 Inspiration". http://www.entertainmentwise.com/news/76211/Nicole-Scherzinger-Led-Zeppelin-Was-My-Men-In-Black-3-Inspiration. Retrieved 2012-05-20.
^ "Nicole Scherzinger "Frustrated" By Man-Eater Public Image". http://www.capitalfm.com/artists/nicole-scherzinger/news/public-image/. Retrieved 2012-05-12.
^ "Nicole Scherzinger on Crow's 'X Factor' Exit and Death Threats". http://www.extratv.com/2011/12/13/nicole-scherzinger-on-crows-x-factor-exit-and-death-threats/. Retrieved 2012-05-12.
^ "Nicole Scherzinger is a devout catholic". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. August 16, 2011. http://www.rte.ie/ten/2011/0816/scherzingern.html. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
^ "Nicole Scherzinger & Lewis Hamiilton splits". Tabby, Ram. October 21, 2011. http://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/news/nicole-scherzinger-ends-romance-010000473.html. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
^ Emily Nash. "Lewis Hamilton: I Still Love Nicole Scherzinger (The Sun, Friday, 25 November 2011)". London. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/3958732/Lewis-Hamilton-I-still-love-Nicole-Scherzinger.html. Retrieved 2011-11-25.
^ Gordon Smart. "And they’re off ...on! Lewis Hamilton and Nicole Scherzinger are back together (The Sun, Friday, 2 December 2011)". London. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/3973490/Lewis-Hamilton-and-Nicole-Scherzinger-are-back-together.html. Retrieved 2011-12-02.
^ Vena, Jocelyn (May 12, 2009). "'The Hills,' 'Twilight' Ladies Make Maxim's Hot 100 List". MTV (MTV Networks). http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1611160/20090512/the_pussycat_dolls.jhtml. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
^ "Most beautiful women listed". Toronto Sun (Sun Media). May 23, 2010. http://www.torontosun.com/life/2010/05/14/14036236.html. Retrieved June 30, 2010. ^{[dead link]}
^ "Most beautiful women listed". Toronto Sun (Sun Media). May 5, 2011. http://nicole-scherzinger.us/2011/05/maxim-magazine%E2%80%99s-2011-hot-100. Retrieved April 6, 2012. ^{[dead link]}
^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0970122/
^ Name: (November 22, 2010). "Music Awards: Hottest Female – Awards – Music". Virgin Media. http://www.virginmedia.com/music/awards/hottest-female.php. Retrieved January 1, 2011.
^ Name: (April 20, 2011). "TRL Awards Live from Florence (MTV Italy)". MTV. http://www.mtv.it/trlawards/vota-web.asp.

External links [link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Nicole Scherzinger

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Donny Osmond & Kym Johnson	Dancing with the Stars (US) winner Season 10 (Spring 2010 with Derek Hough)	Succeeded by Jennifer Grey & Derek Hough

v t e Nicole Scherzinger

Discography

Collaborating studio albums	PCD Doll Domination

Solo studio albums	Her Name is Nicole (shelved) Killer Love

Collaborating singles	"Don't Cha" "Stickwitu" "Beep" "Buttons" "I Don't Need a Man" "Wait a Minute" "When I Grow Up" "Whatcha Think About That" "I Hate This Part" "Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)" "Bottle Pop" "Hush Hush; Hush Hush"

Solo singles	"Baby Love" "Poison" "Don't Hold Your Breath" "Right There" "Wet" "Try with Me"

Featured singles	"Lie About Us" "You Are My Miracle" "Come to Me" "Scream" "Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)" "We Are the World 25 for Haiti" "Heartbeat" "Coconut Tree"

Promotional singles	"Whatever U Like" "Supervillain" "Puakenikeni"

Concert tours	Honda Civic Tour Back to Basics Tour PCD World Tour Doll Domination Tour The Circus Starring Britney Spears World Domination (The Re-Visit) Killer Love Tour

Filmography	Love Don't Cost a Thing Chasing Papi Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle Be Cool Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer Men in Black 3

Related articles	Eden's Crush Pussycat Dolls Interscope Records The Sing-Off Dancing with the Stars DWTS (season 10) The X Factor

Other notable songs	"Rio" "I'll Be Your Love" "The Tide Is High" "Nobody Can Change Me" "Cold"

v t e Pussycat Dolls

Vanessa Curry Erica Jenkins Lauren Bennett Paula Van Oppen Nicole Scherzinger Cyia Batten Casey Campbell Kaya Jones Robin Antin Carmit Bachar Asia Nitollano Jessica Sutta Kimberly Wyatt Ashley Roberts Melody Thornton

Studio albums	PCD Doll Domination

Live albums	Live from London

Tour albums	PCD Tour Edition (Explicit Version)

Extended play's	Doll Domination - The Mini Collection

Compilation albums	Doll Domination 2.0

Singles	"Don't Cha" "Stickwitu" "Beep" "Buttons" "I Don't Need a Man" "Wait a Minute" "When I Grow Up" "Whatcha Think About That" "I Hate This Part" "Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)" "Bottle Pop" "Hush Hush; Hush Hush"

Promotional singles	"Sway" "Right Now" "Top of the World"

Concert tours	Honda Civic Tour PCD World Tour Back to Basics Tour Doll Domination Tour The Circus Starring Britney Spears World Domination (The Re-Visit)

Related topics	Discography Awards and nominations Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious Paradiso Girls

Book Category

The X Factor (UK)

Series

Main	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Celebrity	Battle of the Stars

Presenters

Current	Dermot O'Leary

Former	Kate Thornton

Judges

Current	Louis Walsh Gary Barlow Tulisa Contostavlos

Former	Simon Cowell Brian Friedman Sharon Osbourne Dannii Minogue Cheryl Cole Kelly Rowland

Guest	Paula Abdul Geri Halliwell Natalie Imbruglia Pixie Lott Katy Perry Nicole Scherzinger Alexandra Burke Leona Lewis Rita Ora Mel B

Winners

Main series	Steve Brookstein Shayne Ward Leona Lewis Leon Jackson Alexandra Burke Joe McElderry Matt Cardle Little Mix

Celebrity series	Lucy Benjamin

Related singles

Winner's singles	"Against All Odds" "That's My Goal" "A Moment Like This" "When You Believe" "Hallelujah" "The Climb" "When We Collide" "Cannonball"

Charity singles	"Hero" "You Are Not Alone" "Heroes" "Wishing on a Star"

List of episodes
List of finalists
- series 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Discography
Controversy and criticism
SYCOtv
FremantleMedia
talkbackTHAMES
Thames
ITV

The X Factor (U.S.)

Seasons

1 · 2

Hosts

Former	Steve Jones

Judges

Current	Simon Cowell · L.A. Reid · Britney Spears · Demi Lovato

Former	Cheryl Cole · Paula Abdul · Nicole Scherzinger

Winners

Melanie Amaro

Winners' songs

"Listen"

Runners-up

Josh Krajcik

List of finalists (season 1) · The X Factor · SYCOtv · FremantleMedia North America · Fox

v t e Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 10)

Nicole Scherzinger Evan Lysacek Erin Andrews Chad Ochocinco Niecy Nash Pamela Anderson Jake Pavelka Kate Gosselin Aiden Turner Buzz Aldrin Shannen Doherty

Persondata
Name	Scherzinger, Nicole L. Prescovia Elikolani Valiente
Alternative names	Kea, Nicole
Short description	American singer, dancer
Date of birth	June 29, 1978
Place of birth	Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Date of death
Place of death

http://wn.com/Nicole_Scherzinger

http://it.wn.com/Nicole Scherzinger

http://cs.wn.com/Nicole Scherzingerová

http://id.wn.com/Nicole Scherzinger

http://es.wn.com/Nicole Scherzinger

http://ru.wn.com/Шерзингер, Николь

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http://hi.wn.com/निकोल शेर्ज़िंगर

This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicole_Scherzinger

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Taylor Lautner
Lautner at the Abduction premiere in September 2011.
Born	Taylor Daniel Lautner (1992-02-11) February 11, 1992 (age 20) Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, voice actor, model
Years active	2001–present
Signature

Taylor Daniel Lautner (pronounced /ˈlaʊtnər/, LOWT-ner; born February 11, 1992)^[1] is an American actor, voice actor, model, and martial artist. As a child, Lautner took up martial arts at Fabiano's Karate^[2] in Holland, Michigan and was ranked number one in his category by the American Sports Karate Association. Lautner soon thereafter began his acting career, appearing in bit roles in comedy series such as The Bernie Mac Show (2003) and My Wife and Kids (2004), before having voice roles in television series like What's New, Scooby-Doo? (2005) and Danny Phantom (2005). In 2005, he appeared in the film Cheaper by the Dozen 2 and starred in The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D.

Lautner is best known for playing Jacob Black in The Twilight Saga film series based on the novels of the same name by Stephenie Meyer. He also starred in the action film, Abduction, which became a sleeper hit.

The late 2000s saw Lautner become a teen idol and rise as a sex symbol, after extensively changing his physique to keep the role of Jacob Black in further Twilight installments, and thereafter generating media attention for his looks. In 2010, he was ranked second on Glamour's "The 50 Sexiest Men of 2010" list, and fourth on People's "Most Amazing Bodies" list. Also in the same year, Lautner was named the highest-paid teenage actor in Hollywood.

1 Early life
2 Career
3 Image
4 Personal life
5 Filmography
- 5.1 Films
- 5.2 Television
6 Awards and nominations
7 References
8 External links

Early life [link]

Lautner was born on February 11, 1992 in Grand Rapids, Michigan to Deborah and Daniel Lautner.^[3] His mother works for a software development company, while his father is a Midwest Airlines pilot.^[3]^[4] He has one younger sister named Makena.^[3] Raised as a Roman Catholic,^[5]^[6] Lautner is of mixed German, French, and Dutch heritage, and has "distant" Native American ancestry (specifically Ottawa and Potawatomi) through his mother.^[7]^[8] Lautner grew up in Hudsonville, Michigan, a suburb of Grand Rapids.^[9] Lautner stated that when he was younger he was bullied in school because he was an actor. He commented, "I just had to tell myself I can't let this get to me. This is what I love to do. And I'm going to continue doing it."^[10]

He took his first karate class at the age of six.^[3] A year later, he attended the national karate tournament in Louisville, Kentucky, where he met Michael Chaturantabut, the founder of Xtreme Martial Arts. Chaturantabut invited Lautner to a camp he held at University of California, Los Angeles.^[3] Lautner trained with Chaturantabut for several years, earning his black belt by the age of eight, and winning several junior world championships.^[9] He appeared in an ISKA karate event televised on ESPN in 2003 that was later lampooned on the sports-comedy show Cheap Seats that first aired in 2006.^[11]

In junior high, Lautner—who was involved in karate, baseball and hip-hop dance—won the award for "Best Smile" and played in the school's Turkey Bowl American Football game.^[12] He went to public school in Valencia until his sophomore year of high school.^[13]

Chaturantabut, who once portrayed the Blue Ranger in Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue, suggested to Lautner that he take up acting.^[3] For a few years, the Lautners flew from Michigan to Los Angeles for auditions when his talent agency called, and returned to Grand Rapids for school sometimes the same day.^[3] Lautner balanced karate and acting with being on the football and baseball teams at his school, and taking up jazz and hip-hop dance.^[14] After that became tiring, Lautner and his family decided to move to California for a month, to try it out, before moving to Santa Clarita, California, permanently in 2002.^[3]^[14]

Career [link]

2001–07: Early career [link]

In his first months after moving to Los Angeles, Lautner appeared in small television roles, small film roles, and ads and commercials. In 2001, Lautner first appeared in the made-for-television film, Shadow Fury. He then got a voice-over job in a commercial for Rugrats Go Wild.^[9] He then appeared in small television parts on The Bernie Mac Show, My Wife and Kids, and Summerland.^[3] Lautner then earned voice-over roles in animated series such as Danny Phantom, Duck Dodgers, and What's New, Scooby-Doo?. In 2005, he had a role as Elliot Murtaugh in the comedy film Cheaper by the Dozen 2.^[3] The same year, he earned his first breakout role, starring in the film, The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D.^[3] Lautner spent three months on location in Austin, Texas, to film the movie,^[3] which was received with negative reviews from critics, and was a minor international success. However, Lautner was nominated at the 2006 Young Artist Awards for Best Performance in a Feature Film by a Leading Actor.^[15] For the film, Lautner choreographed all of his fight scenes after director Robert Rodríguez learned of his extensive martial arts training.^[14] Months later, he was cast as Eliot Murtaugh in Cheaper by the Dozen 2, which was panned by critics, being named one of the "Worst Films of the 2000s" by Rotten Tomatoes.^[16] After returning from Canada filming the latter movie, Lautner said he realized his newfound fame, from Sharkboy and Lavagirl.^[3] In 2008 he appeared in the show Love Inc. and the TV special He's a Bully, Charlie Brown. Two years later, Lautner appeared in a lead role in the short-lived NBC drama, My Own Worst Enemy, portraying Christian Slater's son, Jack Spivey.^[17] Rolling Stone coined his early roles as either "the popular kid, jock, or bully."^[10]

[edit] 2008–09: Breakthrough and The Twilight Series

In 2007, filmmakers began a search for actors to portray Jacob Black, a Native American friend of lead character Bella Swan in Twilight, the first film in the The Twilight Saga film series.^[17] In January 2008, an open casting call was held in Portland, Oregon. Lautner had not heard of the Twilight series before, but was urged by his agent to audition.^[17] At his audition, he read lines with Kristen Stewart, who had already been cast as Bella, and they acted out scenes from The Twilight Saga: New Moon and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.^[17] The film was a commercial success, earning $69 million its opening weekend, and has grossed $392 million worldwide. It received mixed reviews from critics, having a "Rotten" rating with a weighted average of 5.5/10.^[18] In describing the critical consensus, it stated: "Having lost much of its bite transitioning to the big screen, Twilight will please its devoted fans, but do little for the uninitiated."^[18] On Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 reviews from film critics, it has an average score of 56 from the 37 reviews.^[19] At the 2009 MTV Movie Awards, Lautner was nominated for Male Breakthrough Performance, which was won by co-star Robert Pattinson.^[20]

Lautner with Twilight costars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson at the 2009 MTV Movie Awards.

Initially, director Chris Weitz wanted to recast the role of Jacob Black for Twilight's sequel, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, due to the major physical changes that occur in Black between the two novels, and have an actor that would accurately portray "the new, larger Jacob Black."^[21] Black's role in the novel also increases significantly, with him falling in love with Bella and becoming a werewolf, putting the actor in a starring role. Representatives for Weitz had stated that they were make a full effort to recast the "high-profile gig," and MTV News confirmed that Weitz was looking at Michael Copon to take on the role; however, Summit Entertainment said a decision had not been made.^[21] In an attempt to keep the role, Lautner weight-trained extensively and gained approximately 30 pounds of muscle.^[22] In January 2009, Weitz and Summit Entertainment announced that Lautner would continue to play the role of Jacob in the sequel.^[22] In an interview, fellow cast member Kristen Stewart talked about Lautner's transformation saying, "He's an entirely different person physically."^[23] Stewart later said, "He gets a lot of attention because he's buff, but I think as soon as the movie comes out, people are going to realize that's not why he got the job."^[10] Co-star Robert Pattinson said after seeing Lautner's body, "I saw him and thought 'Jesus, I'm going to get fired."^[24] In an interview with The Wrap, Weitz said Lautner deserved a lot of credit for the movie's box office, stating, "If you look at the movie, it should have been the weakest in the franchise, because Robert Pattinson doesn't play as big a role."^[25] Weitz said Lautner had to "pick up that slack, and if his character hadn't been emotionally, not just physically, appealing, the movie wouldn't have been as big a hit."^[25] The commercial performance of the film outpaced the first film, setting several box office records including the biggest midnight opening in the United States and Canada and the biggest single-day opening.^[26] The opening weekend of New Moon is the third highest opening weekend in domestic history with $142,839,137.^[27] The Twilight Saga: New Moon also has the sixth highest worldwide opening weekend with $274.9 million total.^[28] Critical reception was less favorable, with the movie getting a 4.6/10 average from Rotten Tomatoes, and a 44 on Metacritic.^[29]^[30] Lautner won Favorite Breakout Movie Actor at the 35th People's Choice Awards.^[31]

Although it began after the release of the first film, upon release of New Moon, Lautner and his co-stars Stewart and Pattinson transitioned to teen idol status, with Lautner particularly admired by teens for his new physical characteristics, becoming a sex symbol. The trio appeared on many covers and televised appearances together.^[32] In between the second and third films in the Twilight series, Lautner was a part of the ensemble cast in the movie Valentine's Day as Willy Harrington, acting alongside his rumored girlfriend at the time, American country pop singer Taylor Swift. The duo was nominated at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards for Best Kiss. Although it received generally negative reviews,^[33] the film grossed $213 million and had the second biggest opening in the United States for a romantic comedy film.^[34] Lautner presented at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards and the 82nd Academy Awards.^[35]^[36] Lautner hosted Saturday Night Live on December 12, 2009, making him one of the youngest celebrity hosts in the show's history.^[37]

[edit] 2010 to present: Continuing Twilight and other projects

Lautner returned for the third Twilight film, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, in 2010. Receiving mixed reviews from critics, the film surpassed its predecessor to become the highest-grossing film of the franchise and the highest-grossing romantic fantasy, werewolf and vampire movie of all time at the American and Canadian box office.^[38] It ranks as the 36th highest grossing film of all-time in the U.S. and Canada. The popularity of Lautner and his cast members continued to summit, especially via the "Team Edward vs. Team Jacob" campaign that promoted the film.^[39] Lautner's fanbase also began to expand to older audiences.^[39] Lautner won "Best Fantasy Actor" at the 2010 Scream Awards, and he is nominated for "Favorite Movie Actor" for his role in Eclipse at the 37th People's Choice Awards.^[40] On November 2010 The Hollywood Reporter named Lautner as one of the young male actors who are “pushing – or being pushed” into taking over Hollywood as the new “A-List”.^[41]^[42]

Lautner was initially supposed to be in two films, Northern Lights and a movie based on Max Steel, but pulled out of both films due to scheduling conflicts and better offers.^[25] Other planned projects were the lead in a movie about Stretch Armstrong and a hostage thriller, Cancun.^[25] Lautner filmed a Bourne Identity-esque spy film with Lily Collins, entitled Abduction, which was released in September 2011. He will appear in the remaining parts of the Twilight series, the The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn films, which are anticipated to be released over a two-year period from 2011–2012.^[25]

As of 2010, Lautner was considered to be the highest-paid teen actor in Hollywood.^[43]

Image [link]

Publications such as GQ, Rolling Stone, and People have referred to Lautner as a sex symbol, with the latter publication calling the actor a future epitome of pop culture.^[4]^[10]^[44] He has been called the new young adult star that can "both woo the girls with his intensity and impress the boys with his rugged agility."^[14] According to Mickey Rapkin of GQ, the use of Lautner's physique in films has been compared to Megan Fox in her work.^[4] After his massive physical change following Twilight, Lautner became a tabloid teen idol with his co-stars Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. Lautner, determined to stay in the series, worked out every day and gained over 30 pounds of muscle in order to bulk up for the role of Jacob Black in the remaining films in the The Twilight Saga. Michelle Lanz of MSN Wonderwall said that Lautner's change may have saved his career.^[45] Several critics credit Lautner's physical characteristics for much of the success of the Twilight series, with critic Sharon Waxman stating, "as a tabloid teen idol, he certainly deserves some credit for New Moon's $700 million worldwide gross."^[25] Lautner's abs in particular have been subject to media attention, with The Wrap stating that companies bidding for the actor in movies in 2011 would "shell out for the young actor's much-on-display though mostly untried abs."^[25] Mickey Rapkin of GQ said, "the film's marketing issues were solved when Lautner's "abdominal muscles became New Moon's main talking point, not to mention his calling card."^[4] He was named number one on Access Hollywood's "Top 5 Hollywood Abs" list.^[46]

Before the actor turned 18, his sexualized image was often critiqued, and subject to controversy. In December 2009, Lautner appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone in a wet t-shirt. Jennifer Cady of E! Online said to wait a few months when Lautner would "be of age, which will make this whole operation you got going on completely legal."^[47] In his interview with the magazine, after declining to talk about whether he was dating Taylor Swift, the magazine pressed Lautner on rumors of him being homosexual, which he brushed off.^[48] Brent Hartinger, a columnist for AfterElton, blasted the magazine, calling the questioning "unimaginably irresponsible," commenting that Lautner was just "a 17-year old kid" and that while the rumors were baseless and speculation from certain blogs and fans, it was disappointing that a "legitimate media outlet" would print gossip.^[48] Hartinger said the magazine reached a "new low" and did not have common decency, noting that there was not a line between "child and adult" although Lautner was in adult-like roles.^[48]

Lautner has stated that he doesn't want to be just known for his looks, as some have attributed his popularity to that and not his actual acting skill. In an interview, the actor revealed that he was originally supposed to have a baring scene in the movie Valentine's Day.^[4] He stated, "The script said we were walking into school and Willy takes off his shirt. I said, 'Whoa, whoa, whoa. Time out. He's gonna take off his shirt in the middle of school? No, no, no. The reason I took off my shirt for New Moon is because it's written in the book that way. And there's reasons behind it."^[4] Lautner later said he would not bare his chest for any role that did not call for it.^[4] In June 2010, Lautner covered GQ magazine.^[4] The actor was lampooned in conservative writer Laura Ingraham's satirical The Obama Diaries, commenting to have Lautner as a mascot for the White House Easter Egg Roll, to fit their health-conscious theme, and have Lautner don a furry bunny head and appear shirtless.^[49] In 2010, Lautner was ranked number two on Glamour's "50 Sexiest Men of 2010 " list.^[50] Men's Health ranked him at third on their list of "Top 10 Summer Bodies."^[51] Additionally in 2010, he was ranked fourth on People's "Most Amazing Bodies" list.^[52]

Personal life [link]

Lautner has an intricate workout plan, which was covered by Men's Health, and has a specific diet after developing his body for The Twilight Saga: New Moon.^[4] In addition, he still practices and trains in martial arts regularly.^[4]^[10] He has stated that he is drug and alcohol free.^[10]

Lautner resides with his parents and younger sister in Valencia, California, which he says he prefers due to the dearth of paparazzi. Lautner has said that he has never thought of moving out on his own, stating, "The thing I love is that my home life hasn't changed. I still help out with the garbage. I still help out with the lawn." He owns a BMW 5 series, which have tinted windows for obscurity.^[4]

The boost given to his career by the success of the Twilight films made him too busy to attend school, so he took the California High School Proficiency Exam to graduate from high school in 2008. He has stated on the David Letterman show that if he does not have work, he would like to go back to school. He now takes online classes at his local community college.^[13]

In 2009, Lautner was linked romantically to American country pop singer Taylor Swift and American actress and pop singer Selena Gomez.^[53]^[54]

Filmography [link]

Films [link]

Films in which Lautner has appeared, with the role listed and notes.^[14]^[55]
Year	Title	Role	Notes
2001	Shadow Fury	Young Kismet	Small role
2005	The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D	Sharkboy	Main role Nominated—Young Artist Awards for "Best Performance in a Feature Film – Young Lead Actor"
2005	Cheaper by the Dozen 2	Elliot Murtaugh	Sequel
2008	Twilight	Jacob Black	Scream Awards for "Male Breakout Performance" "Nominated—MTV Movie Awards for "Best Breakthrough Performance – Male"
2009	Twilight Saga: New Moon, TheThe Twilight Saga: New Moon	Jacob Black	Kids' Choice Awards for "Favorite Movie Actor" Kids Choice Awards for "Cutest Couple" (with Kristen Stewart) People's Choice Awards for "Favorite Breakout Actor" Nominated—Young Artist Awards for "Best Performance in a Feature Film – Young Lead Actor" Nominated—Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screen Couple with (Kristen Stewart)
2010	Valentine's Day	Willy Harrinton	Part of ensemble cast Nominated—Teen Choice Awards for "Choice Movie: Liplock" (with Taylor Swift) Nominated—Teen Choice Awards for "Choice Movie: Chemistry" (with Taylor Swift) Nominated—MTV Movie Awards for Best Kiss (with Taylor Swift) Nominated—"Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Ensemble"
2010	The Twilight Saga: Eclipse	Jacob Black	Teen Choice Awards for "Choice Movie Actor: Fantasy" People's Choice Awards for "Favorite On-screen Team" (with Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart) Nominated—Scream Awards for "Best Fantasy Actor" Nominated—Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awards for "Fave Kiss" (with Kristen Stewart) Nominated—People's Choice Awards for "Favorite Movie Actor" Nominated—Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor Nominated—Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Ensemble (with the cast)
2011	Abduction	Nathan	Lead role Nominated—Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor
2011	The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1	Jacob Black	Kids Choice Awards for "Favorite Buttkicker Nominated—Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor Nominated—Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screen Couple (with Kristen Stewart)
2012	The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2	Jacob Black	Post-production
2013	Grown Ups 2	(TBA)	(Pre-production) Sequel to 2010 release Grown Ups

Television [link]

Television in which Lautner has appeared, with the role listed and notes.^[14]^[55]
Year	Title	Role	Notes
2003	Bernie Mac Show, TheThe Bernie Mac Show	Aaron	Two episodes
2004	My Wife and Kids	Tyrone	One episode
2004	Summerland	Boy on beach	Small appearance
2005	Danny Phantom	Youngblood	Voice; Recurring role; three episodes
	Duck Dodgers	Reggie Wasserstein Terrible Obnoxious Boy	Voice; two episodes
	What's New, Scooby-Doo?	Dennis Ned	Voice; two episodes
2006	Love, Inc.	Oliver	TV
2006	He's a Bully, Charlie Brown	Joe Agate	TV special; voice
2008	My Own Worst Enemy	Jack Spivey	Main role

Awards and nominations [link]

Year	Award	Category	Motive	Result
2005	Young Artist Awards	"Best Performance in a Feature Film – Young Lead Actor"	The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D	Nominated^[15]
2009	Scream Awards	"Male Breakout Performance"	Twilight	Won^[56]
	MTV Movie Awards	"Best Breakthrough Performance – Male"	Twilight	Nominated^[57]
	Teen Choice Awards	"Choice Fresh Face – Male"	Himself	Won^[58]
2010	People's Choice Awards	"Favorite Breakout Actor"	The Twilight Saga: New Moon	Won^[31]
	Kids Choice Awards	"Favorite Movie Actor"		Won^[59]
	Kids Choice Awards	"Cutest Couple" (with Kristen Stewart)		Won^[59]
	Golden Raspberry Awards	"Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screen Couple" with (Kristen Stewart)		Nominated^[60]
	Young Artist Awards	"Best Performance in a Feature Film – Young Lead Actor"		Nominated^[61]
	MTV Movie Awards	Best Kiss (with Taylor Swift)	Valentine's Day	Nominated^[62]
	Teen Choice Awards	"Male Hottie"	Himself	Won^[63]
		"Red Carpet Fashion Icon – Male"		Won^[63]
		"Choice Smile"		Won ^[64]
		"Choice Movie Actor: Fantasy"	The Twilight Saga: Eclipse	Won^[65]
		"Choice Movie: Liplock" (with Taylor Swift)	Valentine's Day	Nominated^[66]
		"Choice Movie: Chemistry" (with Taylor Swift)	Valentine's Day	Nominated^[66]
	Scream Awards	"Best Fantasy Actor"	The Twilight Saga: Eclipse	Nominated^[67]
	Australian Kids' Choice Awards	"Fave Kiss" (with Kristen Stewart)	The Twilight Saga: Eclipse	Nominated^[68]
	Australian Kids' Choice Awards	"Hottest Hottie"	Himself	Won^[68]
2011	People's Choice Awards	"Favorite Movie Actor"	The Twilight Saga: Eclipse	Nominated^[40]
	People's Choice Awards	"Favorite On-screen Team" (with Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart)	The Twilight Saga: Eclipse	Won^[40]
	Golden Raspberry Awards	"Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor"	The Twilight Saga: Eclipse & Valentine's Day	Nominated^[69]
	Golden Raspberry Awards	"Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Ensemble" (with the cast)	The Twilight Saga: Eclipse	Nominated^[69]
2012	Golden Raspberry Awards	"Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor"	The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 & Abduction	Nominated^[70]
		"Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screen Couple" (with Kristen Stewart)	The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1	Nominated^[70]
		"Worst Ensemble" (with the cast)	The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1	Nominated^[70]
2012	Kids Choice Awards	"Favorite Buttkicker"	The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1	Won^[68]

References [link]

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^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k Rapkin, Mickey. "Taylor Lautner, GQ Fall Preview 2010". GQ. Conde Nast Digital. http://www.gq.com/style/wear-it-now/201007/taylor-lautner-stretch-armstrong-twilight-eclipse?currentPage=2. Retrieved 2010-11-12.
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^ Rolling Stone magazine, December 10, 2009 – Issue #1093, "Taylor Lautner’s Wild Ride". Interviewed by Neil Strauss, (Commentary; “His father, Dan, is an airline pilot with a master's degree in clinical psychology. His mother, Deb, was a project manager at Herman Miller, the office-equipment manufacturer. They are still married, took Lautner regularly to their Catholic church, supported him from an early age and taught him a strong work ethic and a sense of morality.”), Retrieved on April 25, 2010.
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^ Murray, Rebecca (2008). "Taylor Lautner Interview – Twilight at Comic Con 2008". About.com. http://video.about.com/movies/Taylor-Lautner-Interview.htm. Retrieved 2010-07-19. "Q: "Some people have said things about this being an Indian character and you're not Indian, are you?" Taylor Lautner: "I have some Native American in my distant background.""
^ ^a ^b ^c Parvis, Sarah (2010). Taylor Lautner. Kansas City, Missouri: Andrews McMeel Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7407-9962-4.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Strauss, Neil. "Teen Wolf". Rolling Stone: pp. 54–61.
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^ Lyons, Margaret (2009-11-26). "Taylor Lautner and James Franco: Who will be a better 'SNL' host?". Entertainment Weekly. http://popwatch.ew.com/2009/11/26/taylor-lautner-james-franco-snl/. Retrieved 2010-11-14.
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^ ^a ^b Daily, Lisa. "Team Edward or Team Jacob: Why Women Love Vampires". The Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-daily/team-edward-or-team-jacob_b_630265.html. Retrieved 2010-11-12.
^ ^a ^b ^c "And the winners are...". Peopleschoice.com. Sycamore Productions Inc. http://www.peopleschoice.com/pca/awards/nominees/. Retrieved 2010-11-13.
^ THR staff (November 9, 2010). "See the Cover of the New Hollywood Reporter". The Hollywood Reporter. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cover-hollywood-reporter-43374. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
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^ Park, Michael Y.. "Kristen Stewart: Taylor Lautner Grew Up During New Moon". People. http://www.people.com/people/package/article/0,,20316279_20318492,00.html. Retrieved 2010-11-18.
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^ "Taylor Lautner's Ab Workout". Men's Health. Rodale Inc. http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/taylor-lautners-ab-workout. Retrieved 2010-11-12.
^ Cady, Jennifer. "One Last Shot of Taylor Lautner's Abs". E! Online. http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b155238_one_last_shot_of_taylor_lautners_abs.html. Retrieved 2010-11-12.
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^ "Teen Choice Awards 2010". Fox. http://www.teenchoiceawards.com/vote-movies.php. Retrieved 2011-01-04. ^{[dead link]}
^ ^a ^b Milet, Sandrine (2010-06-28). "Teen Choice Awards 2010: Second (Giant) Wave Of Nominees Announced!". MTV News. MTV Networks (Viacom). http://hollywoodcrush.mtv.com/2010/06/28/teen-choice-2010-nominees/. Retrieved 2010-11-13.
^ Murray, Rebecca. "2010 SCREAM Awards Nominees and Winners". About.com. http://movies.about.com/od/awards/a/scream-2010-awards.htm. Retrieved 2010-11-14.
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^ ^a ^b The 31st Annual RAZZIE® Award Nominees for 2010
^ ^a ^b ^c Adam Sandler sets Razzie nominations record

External links [link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Taylor Lautner

Taylor Lautner at the Internet Movie Database

Persondata
Name	Lautner, Taylor Daniel
Alternative names
Short description	Actor
Date of birth	February 11, 1992
Place of birth	Grand Rapids, Michigan
Date of death
Place of death

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Michael Anthony Sells (Born in Butte MT, on May 8, 1949) is currently the John Henry Barrows Professor of Islamic History and Literature at the Divinity School of the University of Chicago.[1]. Michael Sells studies and teaches in the areas of qur'anic studies, Sufism, Arabic and Islamic love poetry, mysticism (Greek, Islamic, Christian, and Jewish), and religion and violence.

1 Work
2 Christoslavism
3 Bibliography
4 External links

Work [link]

He completed a new and expanded edition of his 1999 book Approaching the Qur'an: the Early Revelations. Also published three volumes on Arabic poetry, Desert Tracings: Six Classic Arabian Odes, Stations of Desire, and The Cambridge History of Arabic Literature, Al-Andalus, which he co-edited and to which he contributed. His books on mysticism include Early Islamic Mysticism, translations and commentaries on influential mystical passages from the Qur'an, hadith, Arabic poetry, and early Sufi writings, as well as Mystical Languages of Unsaying, an examination of apophatic language, with special attention to Plotinus, John the Scot, Ibn al-`Arabi, Meister Eckhart, and Marguerite Porete. His work on religion and violence includes The Bridge Betrayed: Religion and Genocide in Bosnia, and The New Crusades: Constructing the Muslim Enemy which he co-edited and to which he contributed. He teaches courses on the topics of the Qur'an, Islamic love poetry, comparative mystical literature, Arabic Sufi poetry, and Ibn al-`Arabi.[2]

Christoslavism [link]

Michael Sells argues that religious mythology played a crucial role in Bosnian genocide.^[1]^:backcover He wrote about the religious ideology of Christoslavism:^[1]^:36

“

"In the nineteenth century, the three myths - conversion to Islam based only upon cowardice and greed, stable ethnoreligious groups down through the centuries, and complete depravity of Ottoman rule - became the foundation for a new religious ideology, Christoslavism, the belief that Slavs are Christian by nature and that any conversion from Christianity is a betrayal of the Slavic race.

”

Sells argues that the genocide in Bosnia:^[1]^:89-90

“

was religiously motived and religiously justified. Religious symbols, mythologies, myths of origin (pure Serb race), symbol of passion (Lazar's death), and eschatological longings (the resurrection of Lazar) were used by religious nationalists to create a re-duplicating Miloš Obilić, avenging himself on the Christ killer, the race traitor, the alien, and, ironically, the falsely accused 'fundamentalist' next door. The ideology operated not only in speeches and manifestos, but in specific rituals of atrocity. Survivors of concentration camps report that during torture sessions or when they begged for water they were made to sing Serbian religious nationalist songs reworded to reflect the contemporary conflict.

”

Sells argues that these acts were seen as ethnoreligious purification:^[1]^:51

“

Christoslavism - the premise that Slavs are by essence Christian and that conversion to another religious is a betrayal of the people or race - was critical to the genocidal ideology being developed in 1989. Christoslavism places Slavic Muslims and any Christian who would tolerate them in the position of the Judas figure of Kosovo, Vuk Branković. It sets the Slavic Muslims outside the boundaries of nation, race, and people. As portrayed in The Mountain Wreath, it demonstrates what can be done to those defined as nonpeople and what is, under certain circumstances, a religious duty and a sacred, cleansing act. It transfers the generalized curse of Kosovo onto Slavic Muslims in particular, a curse against the natal milk that will allow them to progenerate. In their acts of genocide from 1992 through 1995, Radovan Karadžić and his followers integrated the Kosovo tradition, as it was handed down through Vuk Karadžić and transformed by Njegoš and Andrić, into the daily rituals of ethnoreligious purification.

”

Bibliography [link]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Michael Sells (1998). The Bridge Betrayed: Religion and Genocide in Bosnia. University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-21662-8.

Sells, Michael. Early Islamic Mysticism. New York: Paulist Press, 1996.
Sells, Michael. Approaching the Qur'an. Ashland: White Cloud Press, 2007.
Qureshi, Emran, and Michael Sells. The New Crusades. New York: Columbia University Press, 2003.

External links [link]

v t e Sufism and Tariqa

Ideas	Qutb Wali Abdal Fakir Dervish Tazkiah Baqaa Fanaa Haal Keramat Haqiqa Ihsan Irfan Kashf Lataif Manzil Marifa Nafs Noor Sufi cosmology Sufi metaphysics Sufi philosophy Sufi poetry Sufi psychology Sulook Yaqeen Silsila

Practices	Anasheed Dhikr Haḍra Muraqaba Qawwali Sama Whirling Ziyarat

Sufi orders	Azeemia Akbarī Alians Ba 'Alawī Bayramī Bektashī Chishtī Galibī Gulshanī Ḥurūfī Idrīsī Jelvetī Jerrahī Khalwatī Kubrāwī Madarī Malāmatī Mawlāwī Mourīdī Naqshbandī Naqshbandi Uwaisī Khalidiyya Nasuhī Ni'matullāhī Nuqtawī Qadirī Qalāndārī Rifa'ī Safāvī Shadhilī Suhrawardī Sunbulī Tijanī Ussakī Uwaisī Zahedī

Notable early Sufi saints and mystics	Abdul-Qadir Gilanī Abul-Khayr Ahmad Ghazālī Ahmed Yasāvī Al-Ghazālī Al-Hallaj al-Misrī Al-Qāsim al-Qunawī Amīr Kulal Ardabilī Ata Allah Attar Balım Sultan Baha ūd-Dīn Naqshband Bande Nawāz Baqī Billah Bastamī Bhita'ī Bulleh Shah Shah Waliullah Dehlāvī Farīd ūd-Dīn Fozail Gālib Gharīb Nawāz Ghujdawanī Ghulam Farīd Sheik Edebali Gül Baba Hajji Bayram Hajji Bektash Hazrat Mai Safoora Qadiriyya Haddad Hamadānī Hansvī Harabatī Baba Hasan Basri Mahmud Hudayī Hujwirī ibn ʿArabī Jābir ibn Hayyān Jahangasht Jamī Jan-e-Jānāān Jazoulī Junayd Baġdādī Kākī Kaliyarī Karkhī Kharaqanī Kubrā Nāimī Najib al-Suhrawardī Nasīmī Mansur Al-Hallaj Ni'matullāh Nizām ūd-Dīn Nurī Otman Baba Pir Sultan Qutb ūd-Dīn Haydār Rabbānī Rabia Basri Razī Rifa'ī Rukn-e-Alam Rūmī Ibrahim ibn Adham Saadī Salman al-Farisī Sanai Mevlana Halid-i Bagdadi Sarı Saltuk Semnanī Shadhilī Shahāb al-Dīn Suhrawardī Shams Tabrizī Shiblī Shirazī Sultan Walad Surkh Bukhari Taj al-Dīn Gilanī Umar al-Suhrawardī Uwais al-Qarni Yunus Emre Magtymguly Pyragy Zakariya Zarruq

Notable modern Sufi saints	Auliya Azeemi Nagpuri Meher Ali Sheikh Muhammad Uthman Sirajuddin Qadeer Piya Muhammad Maliki Gohar Shahi Tahir ul-Qadri Tahir Allauddin Taqi Usmani Abdal Hakim Murad Nazim Al-Haqqani Hisham Kabbani Nuh Keller Nooruddeen Durkee Abdalqadir as-Sufi Zaheen Ghulam Mustafa Reshad Feild Ahmad al-Alawi Ashraf Ali Thanvi Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Abd al-Rahman al-Shaghouri Omar Shah Haeri Raza Khan Syed Shujaat Pir Zulfiqar Abdullah Naqshbandi Sufi Barkat Ali Hafiz Qamaruddin Saheb Qibla Fultali Feisal Abdul Rauf Osman Nuri Topbaş

Sufi studies	Aguéli Almqvist Burckhardt Chittick Corbin Ernst Frager Guénon Hixon Lindbom Lings Nasr Schimmel Sells Shah Schuon

Topics in Sufism	Art Fiction History Music Poetry Shrines Texts

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Name	Sells,Michael
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Date of birth	May 8, 1949
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