Anthony "Tony" Norris (born June 6, 1970), better known by his ring name, Ahmed Johnson, is an American former professional wrestler. He is best known for his stint in the World Wrestling Federation, where he was a one time Intercontinental Champion, and the first African American to ever to win a singles championship in the company.^[4] He is also the first winner of the company's Kuwait Cup.^[4]

Professional wrestling career[link]

Early years (1994–1995)[link]

After a brief career as a linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys,^[3][4] Norris began training under Skandor Akbar, Scott Casey and Ivan Putski. After making his debut in 1989, he competed on the independent circuit for the next few years before debuting in the Global Wrestling Federation in 1994 as Moadib.^[2]

World Wrestling Federation (1995–1998)[link]

Debut (1995)[link]

Norris made his WWF debut as a face under the ring name Ahmed Johnson on the October 23, 1995 episode of Raw. Prior to his first televised match, he appeared at the end of a Raw taping by entering a post-match brawl and slamming Yokozuna. He made his pay-per-view debut at Survivor Series, as the team of Razor Ramon, Yokozuna, Owen Hart, and Dean Douglas took on the team of Johnson, Shawn Michaels, Sycho Sid, and The British Bulldog. In the end, Johnson, Michaels, and Bulldog won the match as the survivors of their team. At Season's Beatings on December 17, Johnson defeated Buddy Landel (who replaced Dean Douglas) in only 42 seconds. After the match, Johnson was interviewed by Jerry Lawler, at which time Lawler distracted him in order for Jeff Jarrett to attack him, starting a feud between the two in the process. At the 1996 Royal Rumble, Johnson defeated Jarrett by disqualification after Jarrett struck him with a guitar (Ahmed got taken to the Hospital because of a concussion from the guitar). At WrestleMania XII, Camp Cornette (Vader, Owen Hart, and The British Bulldog) took on the team of Yokozuna, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, and Ahmed Johnson. Camp Cornette won when Vader pinned Roberts with the Vader Bomb. At Good Friends, Better Enemies on April 28, Roberts and Ahmed teamed up to take on Hart and Bulldog. While Jim Cornette had the referee distracted, Bulldog hit him in the knee with Cornette's tennis racket; he then forced Roberts to submit with a single leg Boston crab. After the match, Roberts and Ahmed attempted to put Roberts' python, Revelations, on Cornette, but Hart pulled Cornette out of the ring.

Intercontinental Champion (1996)[link]

At King of the Ring, Johnson defeated Goldust to win the Intercontinental Championship.^[5][6] As the first African American Intercontinental Champion, most assumed it was only a matter of time before he climbed to main event status. He was soon paired on-screen with Shawn Michaels in several tag team matches and often helped Michaels against Jim Cornette and his men, known as Camp Cornette. At International Incident, Johnson along with Sycho Sid and Michaels lost to Vader, Owen Hart, and the British Bulldog.^[7]

On the July 22 edition of Raw, Michaels and Johnson teamed again and challenged The Smoking Gunns (Billy and Bart) for the Tag Team Championship. During the match, Faarooq Asad debuted and attacked Johnson.^[8] This was supposed to lead to a match at SummerSlam for the Intercontinental Title. On the August 5 edition of Raw, Ahmed won an 11-man battle royal, last eliminating the man whom he beat for the IC title, Goldust to be the #1 contender for the WWF Championship for the day after SummerSlam.^[9] However, Johnson was diagnosed with legitimate kidney problems, and was forced to miss SummerSlam, and his scheduled WWF Championship match the following night.^[1] As a result, he was out for four months and in order to keep the angle going, the attack by Farooq was said to be the cause of the kidney damage.^[1] By the time the news was made public on WWF programming, the third (out of four) showings of Raw from Seattle taped on the same night as the attack had not been broadcast, and it included the 11-man battle royal which Johnson won. Voice-over correction was done so that Ahmed's participation in the battle royal was said to be against doctors' orders when in reality his kidney problem had yet to be discovered. The injury forced him to vacate the Intercontinental Championship, which was subsequently won in a tournament by Marc Mero. The title shot the day after Summerslam was given to the runner-up of the battle royal, Goldust.^[1]

Feud with the Nation of Domination and departure (1996–1998)[link]

He returned in 1996 to enter a feud with Faarooq (who by then had a new gimmick and formed his own stable, the Nation of Domination). Finally, the two had an encounter at Royal Rumble 1997, where Johnson won by disqualification.^[10] Two days later, Johnson and The Undertaker defeated Faarooq and Nation member Crush in a No Holds Barred match at the Triple Threat event.^[11] He began teaming with the Legion of Doom (Hawk and Animal) and the three fought the entire Nation at WrestleMania 13 in a Chicago Street Fight.^[12] At A Cold Day In Hell, he defeated Crush and Savio Vega in a gauntlet match before losing to Faarooq.^[13]

Johnson eventually in June 1997, turning on WWF Champion The Undertaker and joined the New Nation, with Kama Mustafa, D'Lo Brown, and Faarooq.^[14] Johnson was injured soon after this; he was scheduled to face Undertaker at Canadian Stampede for the WWF Title, but was plagued by injuries and was replaced by Vader.

The Nation turned on him after he recovered and returned in August 1997, which resulted in Johnson turning face once more. He restarted his feud with the Nation, and would reunite with the Legion of Doom as well as join forces with Ken Shamrock during the feud. At Survivor Series 1997, they defeated the Nation in a Survivor Series match.^[15] His last WWF appearance was at the pay-per-view No Way Out of Texas in February 1998, alongside Shamrock and the Disciples of Apocalypse (Chainz, Skull, and 8-Ball) against the Nation.^[16]

World Championship Wrestling (2000)[link]

In late 1999, Norris signed a contract with World Championship Wrestling and debuted at Souled Out as a heel named Big T. He interfered in a match between Harlem Heat tag team partners and real-life brothers, Booker T and Stevie Ray. He attacked Booker, causing Ray to be disqualified.^[17] Big T and Stevie formed the tag team Harlem Heat 2000.^[17][18] At SuperBrawl, he defeated Booker to earn the rights to the Harlem Heat name.^[19] At Uncensored, he and Stevie lost to Booker and Billy Kidman.^[20] At Spring Stampede, they participated in a 5-team tag team tournament for the vacant World Tag Team Championship, where they lost to the eventual winners Shane Douglas and Buff Bagwell in the semi-finals of the tournament.^[21] He was released by WCW shortly afterwards due to ongoing weight issues.

Retirement[link]

Norris stayed away from wrestling after his release from WCW until he wrestled his return match for Professional Championship Wrestling in 2002 against Jake Steele. He wrestled his final match in 2003 in a tag team match for Maximum Pro Wrestling, teaming with Monty Brown in a losing effort against Sabu and Gangrel. Since retiring, Norris began working for Booker T and Stevie Ray's Pro Wrestling Alliance wrestling school.^[3][4]

Personal life[link]

Though born in Kokomo, Indiana, Norris also grew up in Auburn, Florida and Pearl River, Mississippi before taking up residence in Houston, Texas with his daughter Nina.^[4] He endured a harsh childhood, where his father abused his mother regularly and abused him if he intervened.^[4] While in high school, Norris excelled at football, basketball, amateur wrestling, and track and field.^[4]

Norris attended the University of Tennessee from 1990 to 1991, but left soon after to play for the Dallas Cowboys.^[4] After his stint with the Cowboys, Norris joined the United States Army, but was later discharged due to striking his captain over viewing his orders as "kind of cowardly."^[4]

After retiring from wrestling, Norris returned to college and earned a degree in criminology from Huston–Tillotson University.^[4]

Media[link]

Television appearances[link]

• Walker, Texas Ranger (1993) in episode "Unfinished Business" as Bruno^[22]

Acting career[link]

• Witness to the Execution (1994) as Reggie Foster^[22]
• Too Legit: The MC Hammer Story (2001) as Marion "Suge" Knight^[1][22]

In wrestling[link]

• Finishing moves
  • Pearl River Plunge (Sitout double underhook powerbomb)^[1][23]

• Signature moves
  • Brainbuster^[1]
  • Spinebuster^[1]

• Managers
  • Clarence Mason / J. Biggs^[24]
  • Cash / Kash^[24]

• Nicknames
  • "The Pearl River Powerhouse"^[3]

• Entrance themes
  • "Pearl River Rip" by Jim Johnston

Championships and accomplishments[link]

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked him #5 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1996^[25]
  • PWI ranked him #380 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003
  • PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (1996)^[2]

• Texas All-Pro Wrestling
  • TAP Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[26]

• United States Wrestling Association
  • USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[27][28]

• World Wrestling Federation
  • WWF Intercontinental Championship (1 time)^[29]
  • Kuwait Cup (1996)^[30]
  • Slammy Award for New Sensation of the Squared Circle (1996)^[31]

References[link]

External links[link]

Professional wrestling portal

• Tony Norris at the Internet Movie Database

This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (January 2011)

Dean Norris
Born	Dean Joseph Norris South Bend, Indiana, U.S.
Education	Harvard University
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1981–present

Dean Joseph Norris is an American actor currently starring as DEA agent Hank Schrader, the brother-in-law of main character Walter White in the AMC series Breaking Bad, which premiered on January 20, 2008.

Biography[link]

Norris was born in South Bend, Indiana to Jack (a furniture store owner) and Rosie Norris. He has two sisters. Dean graduated from Clay High School and attended Harvard College, from which he graduated in 1985.^[1][2] Prior to Breaking Bad, Norris starred in Tremors: The Series as W.D. Twitchell. He has also had guest spots on shows such as The X-Files, The West Wing, Las Vegas, 24, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Eagleheart, True Blood, Bones, Grey's Anatomy, Lost, Nash Bridges, NCIS, Six Feet Under, Medium and Charmed and appeared in movies such as Gattaca, The Negotiator, The Lawnmower Man, Little Miss Sunshine (along with Bryan Cranston), Evan Almighty, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Lethal Weapon 2, Total Recall, Lakota Woman, The Cell, Hard to Kill, 3 Strikes, American Gun and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. He also played the commanding officer at the military training camp in the film Starship Troopers.

References[link]

1. ^ John Gajewski (9 June 2010). "'Breaking Bad': On the phone with Dean Norris". Los Angeles Times. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2010/06/breaking-bad-on-the-phone-with-dean-norris.html. Retrieved 25 January 2012. 
2. ^ Gary Strauss (5 March 2010). "'Bad' star Dean Norris is forever playing the cop -- and gladly". USA TODAY. http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2010-04-30-norris30_ST_N.htm. Retrieved 25 January 2012. 

External links[link]

Biography portal

• Dean Norris at the Internet Movie Database
• Dean Norris discusses Breaking Bad at AMCtv.com

Betsy Brandt
Betsy Brandt at 2010 Emmy Awards
Born	November 14, 1976[citation needed] Bay City, Michigan, USA

Betsy Brandt is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Marie Schrader in Breaking Bad.

Early life[link]

Brandt is a native of Bay City, Michigan.^[1] Betsy graduated from Western High School in 1991.^{[citation needed]}

Brandt received her BFA in acting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She also studied theatre at Harvard University (at the Moscow Art Theatre Institute), as well as at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow.^[1]

Career[link]

In theatre, Brandt has acted in performances of Much Ado About Nothing with the Arizona Theatre Company, Control+Alt+Delete with the San Jose Repertory Theatre, Beth Henley's Ridiculous Fraud, Julia Cho's The Language Archive with South Coast Repertory, and Next Fall with Geffen Playhouse

She had guest roles on the television programs Without a Trace (in the recurring role of Libby), Judging Amy, ER, Boston Legal, The Practice and NCIS. She is currently featured in the AMC drama series Breaking Bad as Marie Schrader. Brandt read for three different roles before being offered the part of Marie.^[2]

Her film credits include Shelf Life, Confidence and Memphis Bound and Gagged.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life[link]

Brandt is married and has two children. She gave birth to her second child in 2008 while the second season of Breaking Bad was in production. She and her family reside in Los Angeles.^[1]

On June 6, 2010 Betsy was honored as the 2010 Distinguished Alumnus at the Western High School commencement, and was a featured speaker.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Memphis Bound & Gagged
• Shelf Life
• Betsy Brandt at the Internet Movie Database

This article about an American television actor or actress is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

This article about an American theatre actor is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Patrick Doyle
Background information
Birth name	Patrick Doyle
Born	(1953-04-06) 6 April 1953 (age 59)
Origin	South Lanarkshire, Scotland
Genres	Film scores
Occupations	Composer and actor
Years active	1989–present

Patrick Doyle (born 6 April 1953, South Lanarkshire, Scotland) is a classically trained composer. A longtime collaborator of actor/director Kenneth Branagh, Doyle is known for his work scoring such critically acclaimed films as Henry V (1989), Sense and Sensibility (1995), Hamlet (1996), and Gosford Park (2001), as well as such noteworthy blockbusters as Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), Eragon (2006), Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Thor (both 2011). Doyle has been nominated for two Academy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards.

Life and career[link]

Doyle was born on 6 April 1953 in Scotland and graduated from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama in 1975. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama in 2001. He joined the Renaissance Theatre Company in 1987 as composer and musical director creating scores for highly successful productions of such plays as Hamlet, As You Like It, and Look Back in Anger.^[1] Doyle's film score debut occurred in 1989 when actor/director Kenneth Branagh commissioned Doyle to compose a score for the Renaissance Film's production of Henry V. The song "Non Nobis, Domine" from the film was subsequently awarded the 1989 Ivor Novello Award for Best Film Theme.^[2] He has since scored nine Kenneth Branagh films including Dead Again (1991), Much Ado About Nothing (1993), Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994), Hamlet (1996), Love's Labour's Lost (2000), As You Like It (2006), Sleuth (2007), and Thor (2011).

In October 1997, shortly after scoring Great Expectations, directed by Alfonso Cuarón, Doyle was diagnosed with leukemia. He managed to complete his score for the animated fantasy Quest for Camelot (1998) in hospital whilst undergoing treatment. Doyle made a full recovery.^[3][4]

In 1998 Patrick Doyle’s Music from the Movies concert, sponsored by Leukaemia Research UK was staged at the Royal Albert Hall. It was directed by Kenneth Branagh and starred a host of international stars including Emma Thompson, Sir Derek Jacobi, Dame Judi Dench, Alan Rickman, Imelda Staunton, Richard E. Grant, Adrian Lester, and Robbie Coltrane.^[5]

He has composed a series of classical works outside of films that include "The Thistle and the Rose", commissioned in 1990 by Prince Charles in honor of the 90th Birthday of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (the mother of the current Queen Elizabeth II); the violin romance "Corarsik", written for Emma Thompson's birthday; the album "Impressions of America: A Suite for Orchestra"; and the symphonic tone poem "Tam O Shanter", commissioned by the Scottish Schools Orchestra Trust.

Doyle has recently completed the scores for Marvel Studios Thor (2011) and the 20th Century Fox film Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (2011). He is currently working on the upcoming Pixar film Brave (2012), directed by Mark Andrews, after which he will be working on the Sovereign Films film Effie directed by Richard Laxton.

Filmography[link]

Awards[link]

See also[link]

• Harry Potter music

References[link]