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A season premiere is the first episode of a new season of a given television show.^[1] It is commonly used in North America. September or October sees many season premieres in the TV in the USA, after several months of reruns its once upon a time.

Evaluating the changes[link]

A season premiere often allows viewers an opportunity to evaluate the changes to a given show and determine if he / she wants to continue to watch the show.

The outcome is often mixed. Sometimes, fans like what they see and a show may gain new fans. But other loyal viewers may see these actions as ruining what made them fans of the show in the first place (or, at the very least, changing the original premise of the show) and thus, opine the show has "jumped the shark".

References[link]

Peter Dinklage
Dinklage in 2012
Born	Peter Hayden Dinklage (1969-06-11) June 11, 1969 (age 43) Morristown, New Jersey, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1995–present
Spouse	Erica Schmidt (2005–present)

Peter Hayden Dinklage^[1] (born June 11, 1969) is an American film, television and theatre actor.

Since his breakout role in the 2003 film The Station Agent, he has acted in Elf, Underdog, Find Me Guilty, the 2007 film Death at a Funeral and its 2010 remake, and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. Since 2011 he has starred in the HBO series Game of Thrones, based on George R.R. Martin's series of novels A Song of Ice and Fire, which earned him the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film.

Early life[link]

Dinklage was born in Morristown, New Jersey,^[2] the son of Diane, an elementary school music teacher, and John Carl Dinklage, a retired insurance salesman.^[3][4] Dinklage was born with achondroplasia.

He grew up in Mendham Township, New Jersey. Dinklage graduated from Delbarton School in Morristown in 1987, pursuing his future in acting, and graduated from Bennington College in 1991.^[5]

Career[link]

Dinklage made his feature debut in the 1995 cult art house film Living in Oblivion playing the role of a frustrated dwarf actor complaining about his clichéd part. Dinklage's breakout role was in the 2003 award-winning film The Station Agent, his first mainstream appearance.^[6] He received Independent Spirit and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for Best Actor for his performance in that film. That same year, he appeared in the direct-to-DVD movie Tiptoes with Gary Oldman. As well as appearing in films, Dinklage has starred multiple times in off-Broadway productions.^[7]

In Elf, Dinklage played a pretentious children's author who beats up Will Ferrell's character after he is unintentionally insulted. In 2005, Dinklage starred in the short-lived CBS science fiction series Threshold and appeared in the Michael Showalter comedy The Baxter as a wedding planner. In 2006, Dinklage appeared in Sidney Lumet's courtroom drama Find Me Guilty, and in episodes of Nip/Tuck. He played himself in one episode of the HBO television series Entourage and was featured on NBC's 30 Rock.

Dinklage also had a role in the 2007 British Death at a Funeral. He plays the same role in the American remake of the film. That same year, he played the villainous Simon Bar Sinister in Underdog.

Dinklage was chosen by director Andrew Adamson for the role of Trumpkin in the 2008 film Prince Caspian^[8] although film critic Bill Gibron described his role as a "cutesy stereotype [Dinklage] has tried to avoid."^[9]

Dinklage starred in the horror comedy Knights of Badassdom,^[10] directed by Joe Lynch.^[11]

Dinklage plays Tyrion Lannister in HBO's Game of Thrones, an adaptation of author George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. His performance has received widespread praise,^[12][13] highlighted by his receipt of the Emmy Award^[14] for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2011, as well as the 2012 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film. As a result, Dinklage was given top billing in season 2 of Game of Thrones.^[15]

Personal life[link]

Dinklage married Erica Schmidt, a theatre director, in 2005. In 2011, they had their first child, a daughter.^[16]

He is of German and Irish descent.^[17] For high school he attended Delbarton, a prestigious prep-school in Northern New Jersey. When asked about his height in a 2003 interview, he said: "When I was younger, definitely, I let it get to me. As an adolescent, I was bitter and angry and I definitely put up these walls. But the older you get, you realize you just have to have a sense of humor. You just know that it's not your problem. It's theirs."^[7]

Dinklage is a vegetarian and lives with his wife and daughter in upstate New York.^[18]

Filmography[link]

Film[link]

Television[link]

References[link]

• Interview with Peter Dinklage in Delbarton Today

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Peter Dinklage

• Peter Dinklage at the Internet Movie Database
• Peter Dinklage at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
• Interview with Peter Dinklage about The Station Agent
• BBC Movies Interview about The Station Agent
• Peter Dinklage at Emmys.com
• Dan Kois (March 29, 2012). "Peter Dinklage Was Smart to Say No". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/01/magazine/peter-dinklage-was-smart-to-say-no.html. 

Lena Headey
Headey at the 2007 Scream Awards.
Born	(1973-10-03) 3 October 1973 (age 38) Bermuda
Nationality	English
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1992–present
Spouse	Peter Paul Loughran (m. 2007) «start: (2007)»"Marriage: Peter Paul Loughran to Lena Headey" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Lena_Headey)
Children	Wylie Elliot Loughran

Lena Headey (born 3 October 1973) is an English actress. Headey's performance in a one-off show when she was 17 caught the attention of a casting agent, who took a photo and asked her to audition and eventually she got a supporting role alongside Jeremy Irons and Ethan Hawke in the 1992 British drama film Waterland^[1] and went on to appear with higher-profile actors in major films such as The Remains of the Day (1993), The Jungle Book (1994), Onegin (1999) and Aberdeen (2000).

After working steadily as an actress getting small and supporting roles in films throughout the 1990s, she found fame for her lead performances in big-budget motion pictures that became well-known like the fantasy film The Brothers Grimm (2005), in which she acted opposite Matt Damon and Heath Ledger, the action period film 300 (2007), portraying the role of Queen Gorgo and the adventure and biopic feature The Red Baron (2008).

She is known for playing the starring role Sarah Connor on Fox's television spin-off of James Cameron's popular Terminator film series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008–2009). She currently appears as Cersei Lannister in HBO's television series Game of Thrones (2011), which has received universal acclaim from both critics and audience.^[2]

Background[link]

Headey was born in Bermuda, where her father, John, an English police officer, was sent as an advisor shortly before she was born. Lena is the oldest child; she has one younger brother named Tim. The family returned to England in 1979, first to Somerset for two years, then Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. She had her first taste of acting as a pupil at Shelley College and had her first big break at the age of 17 when she was spotted performing in a school production at the Royal National Theatre being picked for a role opposite Grant Warnock in the 1992 film Waterland.^[3] She has never been back to her birthplace.

Headey has suffered bouts of clinical depression since the age of 15 and she said in an interview: "I was diagnosed when I was 15, and it comes and goes. I may suffer from it once or twice a year, but I now recognise it and deal with it. I don't use medication because I'm so worried about becoming dependent on it, but I can understand people who do, because you go through the most horrendous feelings of isolation".^[4]

Career[link]

Early roles[link]

At the age of 17, Headey performed in a one-off show and a casting agent, after seeing her, took a photo and asked her to audition. Later, she got a supporting role in the British drama Waterland, in which she had the opportunity to work with actors who had been in the business several years before her. She landed a small role in The Remains of the Day, which came out in 1993. After its release, the film earned positive reviews and became a box office success as well. The Remains of the Day got eight Academy Awards nominations. She worked with one of the most powerful Hollywood actors, Anthony Hopkins.

She played Katherine in Disney's The Jungle Book, released in 1994. The film came out to positive reviews and earned near $44 million in the United States.^[5] Headey, alongside her co-stars received favourable reviews with James Berardinelli praising their "solid performances".^[6] On the set of The Jungle Book, she met her boyfriend of nine years, actor Jason Flemyng.

After a string of roles in films, she acted opposite Vanessa Redgrave in the 1997 romantic drama Mrs Dalloway. Headey landed a supporting role in a higher-profile film titled Onegin, which Ralph Fiennes and Liv Tyler starred in. A following year, she had the starring role in the comedy-drama Aberdeen. Headey received several good reviews for her performance in the film. She also had played roles in 2000's Gossip and 2001's The Parole Officer.

She received the Silver Iris Award for Best Actress at the 2001 Brussels European Film Festival for her role in Aberdeen. In 2003, she was also nominated for the Chlotrudis Award for Best Actress for that same performance. In 2002, she had a role in the mystery drama Possession alongside Gwyneth Paltrow and Aaron Eckhart.

Rise to prominence[link]

Headey co-starred with Matt Damon and Heath Ledger in Terry Gilliam's The Brothers Grimm, which was released in August 2005. The film received mixed or average reviews shortly after its release and was a success at the box office. Headey spoke about her character in the film during an interview: "I loved the fact that she was a tomboy. That is what attracted me to her is that she wasn’t this predictable female character in this big movie. You meet her and she is masking who she is. I loved that her environment dictated who she is. She lives and grows up and survives in the forest. Terry and I talked about how her instincts are almost animalistic and she can see 360 degrees around her. She is aware of what is going on. That is how she is grounded . She is of the earth".^[7]

In 2005, she starred with actress Piper Perabo in the films The Cave and Imagine Me & You. The Cave was not well received by critics^[8] and did poorly at the box office.^[9]

The British romantic comedy-drama Imagine Me & You came out receiving a limited release and earning positive reviews and there were lots of critics who praised Headey's performance as a lesbian in the film; Nick LaSalle from San Francisco Chronicle stated that the actress "has a forthright, irresistible appeal and a face and especially a smile that suggest intelligence, integrity and lots of fun".^[10]

Headey at the 300 London premiere

Headey played Queen Gorgo in Zack Snyder's 300, based on Frank Miller's graphic novel. Headey had to get naked while shooting the film. "It’s always weird the thought of taking your clothes off in front of 20 people and then to have it projected in front of many more", she told IndieLondon during an interview. "I think it was necessary because we only get that scene to establish their relationship. It is a very obvious moment but I think it does it in quite a beautiful way."^[11]

In addition to her film work, Headey headlined Fox's Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, a television spin-off from James Cameron's popular Terminator franchise. Headey played Sarah Connor from January 2008 to April 2009. The show ran two seasons consisting of 31 episodes until its cancellation in May 2009. Variety praised "Headey's gritty performance as Sarah – managing to be smart, resourceful and tough, yet melancholy and vulnerable as well" and that the Chronicles "continue to deliver", getting "considerable mileage out of the constant peril" facing the characters.^[12] She was nominated twice for the Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television for the role.

Low-profile films[link]

Recent roles include the German film The Red Baron (known in Germany as Der rote Baron), a biographical film of the legendary World War I fighter pilot Manfred von Richthofen, where she appeared alongside Matthias Schweighöfer and Joseph Fiennes.^[13] Her character was the love interest Käte Otersdorf, a nurse who may or may not have had a romance with Richthofen (Schweighöfer) in real life.^[14] She also appeared as stuffy Miss Dickinson in the 2007 release of the St. Trinian's series (for which she received third billing for a relatively minor role). She starred in the Ridley Scott produced Tell-Tale, a film based on the short story "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe. The movie went straight to DVD on 25 May 2008.^[15]

She also portrayed the starring role in the 2008 horror film The Broken. The film was directed by Academy Award-nominated Sean Ellis.^[16] The film is about "a woman who suspects she's being followed around London by a murderous doppelganger".^[17] The Broken was screened at the midnight section of the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, generally got average reviews and some critics praised Headey's portray include Kim Koynar for Cinematical who wrote that Headey "largely carries the film, and does so quite ably".^[18]

She landed the lead part in another horror film titled Laid to Rest, which was first screened in 2008 as well. However, the film came out on 21 April 2009 directly to video, and earned mixed reviews after its release; critic Mark H. Harris for About.com state that the film "has a great look and boasts an impressive cast" referring to both Headey and co-star Thomas Dekker.^[19] Headey had a part in a short film called The Devil's Wedding. She provided her voice for an episode of the Cartoon Network TV show The Super Hero Squad Show.

2010 onwards[link]

Headey has wrapped shooting the first season of the HBO series Game of Thrones, based on the first book of the series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin, where she plays the cruel queen, Cersei Lannister.^[20] She had a guest appearance in the hit TV show White Collar in the episode "Taking Account" in which she played the role of Sally. She is nominated for a Scream Award in the category of Best Fantasy Actress.^[21]

She is set to appear in the action sci-fi film Dredd. The film is going to be released in late 2012. Karl Urban and Olivia Thirlby will co-star in it. Her character is Madeline Madrigal, the leader of an American revolutionary group, and the project's primary villain.^[22] Dredd is a film adaptation of 2000 AD character Judge Dredd.^[23] The film is to be directed by Pete Travis with a script by Alex Garland. The movie will come out in 3D.^[24]

Media[link]

She has appeared on the covers of TV Guide, g3, Sunday Mirror and Germany's Filmstar. She ranked No. 64 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2007 list. She was listed No. 4, No. 10 and No. 3 in afterellen.com's list Hot 100 in 2007, 2008 and 2009 respectively.^[25] In 2008, Headey spoke out against animal abuse in an advert for animal welfare group PETA.^[26]

Personal life[link]

Headey was for a while engaged to Johnny Cicco and dated actor Jason Flemyng for nine years. She and Flemyng met during the filming of The Jungle Book. She has a tattoo of his name in Thai on her arm. She is close friends with actress Piper Perabo.^[27] She is a vegetarian, and has campaigned on behalf of animal rights.^[28] She married musician Peter Paul Loughran in May 2007 and the couple have a son, Wylie Elliot Loughran, who was born 31 March, 2010.^[29][30][31] She currently has homes in Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles and London. Her height is 5 feet, 5½  inches.^[32]

She practices boxing and yoga. "I also started Bikram yoga." She said in an interview. "A few years ago I used to box in London and that held me in good stead".^[33]

Filmography[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Find more about Lena Headey on Wikipedia's sister projects:
	Images and media from Commons

• Lena Headey at the Internet Movie Database

Emilia Clarke
Emilia Clarke at Comic-Con 2011
Born	1987 London, UK
Alma mater	Drama Centre London
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2007–present

Emilia Clarke (born 1987) is an English actress, who plays Daenerys Targaryen in the HBO medieval-fantasy series, Game of Thrones.^[1]

Early life[link]

Clarke was born in London, England and grew up in Berkshire.^[2] Clarke's father is a theatre sound engineer,^[3] her mother is a business woman, and her brother is studying politics. Clarke's interest in acting began at the age of three after seeing the musical Show Boat which her father was working on at the time.^[3] She was educated at St Edward's (2000–2005)^[4] and Rye St Antony before studying at Drama Centre London where she graduated in 2009.^[5]

Career[link]

Clarke's early work includes two plays at St. Edwards,^[4] ten plays at Drama Centre London, the 2009 Company of Angels production of Sense.,^[5] and a 2009 commercial for Samaritans.^[6] Her first television roles were Saskia Mayer in a 2009 episode of Doctors and Savannah in SyFy's 2010 movie Triassic Attack.

The actress's big break came when she was cast as Daenerys Targaryen in the HBO medieval fantasy series Game of Thrones which is based on the book series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin. She was cast as a replacement to fellow British actress Tamzin Merchant who dropped out of the pilot for undisclosed reasons. The show debuted in April 2011 to positive reviews and was quickly picked up by the network for a second season.^[7] Clarke won the 2011 EWwy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama for her role as Daenerys.^[8]

Clarke will appear in the film Overdrive in 2012^[9] and a new documentary feature in 2013 – Spike Island, named after the location of the Stone Roses seminal 1990 gig.^[10][11]

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Emilia Clarke at the Internet Movie Database
• Emilia Clarke at Spotlight

Stana Katic
Katic at the 2012 PaleyFest honoring ABC's Castle.
Born	Stana Katic (1978-04-26) April 26, 1978 (age 34) Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1999–present
Website
www.stanakatic.com

Stana Katic (English pronunciation: /ˈstɑːnə ˈkætɨk/;^[1] born April 26, 1978)^[2] is a Canadian film and television actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Detective Kate Beckett on ABC's Castle.

Early life[link]

Katic was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, to a Serbian^[3][4] father and Croatian^[4][5][6] mother, who both immigrated from Yugoslavia. Her father is from Vrlika, and her mother is from the surrounding area of Sinj.^[7] Katic later moved with her family to Aurora, Illinois.^[8] She spent the following years moving back and forth between Canada and the United States. After graduating from West Aurora High School in 1996, she studied acting at Chicago's Goodman School of Drama.^[8] She has four brothers and one sister.

Career[link]

Katic played the character of Hana Gitelman in Heroes, Collette Stenger in 24 's season 5, and Jenny in the film Feast of Love starring Morgan Freeman. She also played Morgenstern in Frank Miller's film The Spirit, Corrine Veneau in the Bond movie Quantum of Solace (though she was originally up for the role of Strawberry Fields in the film^[9]), and Simone Renoir in the third installment of The Librarian franchise, The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice.

In August 2008, ABC announced^[10] acquisition of the television series Castle, starring Katic as Kate Beckett and Nathan Fillion as Richard Castle.^[11]

In 2008, Katic established her own production company, Sine Timore Productions, which is Latin for "without fear."^[8]

Katic during the 2010 Winter Olympics

In the summer of 2010 Katic filmed For Lovers Only with the Polish brothers in France and The Double with Richard Gere.^[12]

At the third annual Shorty Awards held on March 28, 2011, she won the actress category.^[13][14][15] In May 2011, she won the Most Glamourous Actress online ballot for the Monte-Carlo Television Festival.^[16][17] She received 17.3% of the 3,641 votes against a field of 15 finalists.^[18]

She served as a jury member at the May 29 – June 5, 2011, Film Festival Zlín, where For Lovers Only made its world premiere. She is currently working on another film, Big Sur, in which she plays Lenore Kandel.^[19] In conjunction with the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con International, there was an official announcement in Entertainment Weekly that she would become the voice for Talia al Ghul in Batman: Arkham City.^[20][21]

BuddyTV named Stana Katic as #1 on its list of "TV's 100 Sexiest Women Of 2011";^[22] named Castle as #6 on its list of "The 11 Best Returning TV Shows of 2011";^[23] and named her character's relationship with the title character as #13 (and the Best Delayed Relationship) on its list of "The Best Relationships of 2011".^[24] On January 28, 2012, she was a presenter at the 64th Annual Directors Guild of America Awards ceremony.^[25] She was the recipient of the PRISM Award for Performance in a Drama Episode at the 16th Annual PRISM Awards for her portrayal of suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in the fourth season episode "Killshot" (4x09).^[26]

Filmography[link]

Katic in May 2010.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Stana Katic

• Official website
• Stana Katic on Twitter
• Stana Katic at the Internet Movie Database