Saturday, October 25, 2008

Olga Kostyantynivna Kurylenko


Olga Kostyantynivna Kurylenko is a Ukrainian-born model and actress.She was born in Berdyansk on November 14, 1979 to a Russian mother, Marina Alyabusheva, and a Ukrainian father, Konstantin Kurylenko. When Olga was three years old her parents divorced, leaving her to be raised by her mother. Olga did not have contact with her father again until she was thirteen years old.

She was discovered by a female model scout while on vacation in Moscow at the age of thirteen. She began her film career in France in 2005. While studying French, Olga married her best friend, the French fashion photographer Cedric Van Mol, the couple divorced four years later. She married again, to a mobile phone accessory entrepreneur Damian Gabrielle. She split from Damien Gabrielle in late 2007.

She received the certificate of excellence award at the 2006 Brooklyn International Film Festival for her performance in L'Annulaire, and also starred in the Paris, je t'aime segment Quartier de la Madeleine opposite Elijah Wood. In 2007, Kurylenko starred in Hitman alongside Timothy Olyphant. She will also star as Bond girl Camille in the newest 007 film, Quantum of Solace.

Sarah Harding

Sarah Nicole Harding (born 17 November 1981 in Ascot) is an English singer in the girl group Girls Aloud, and model. Harding grew up as a Catholic in Poynton, Cheshire, England, and is the oldest member of Girls Aloud.

Harding attended Hazel Grove High School from 1993 to 1998, and later attended Stockport College. She then worked as part of the promotions team for 2 nightclubs in The Grand Central Leisure Park in Stockport. Harding was also a regular singer at karaoke nights in the Whistling Jig, Puss and Boots pub as well as many others and did some vocals for Project G on some unreleased tracks. Project G was a band for which Harding provided Lead vocals, long before Girls Aloud came along. She did some photoshoots for promotion but no album, nor known singles exist. Some tracks that have leaked onto the internet include "Searching" and "Don't Wanna Be Alone". She entered the UK talent-search show Popstars: The Rivals.

Harding also entered FHM's High Street Honeys, the magazine's national beauty contest, and her pictures appeared in the first Top 100, but she later withdrew, upon achieving success on Popstars. A year later, she was voted one of the Top 30 sexiest women in the world, by readers of the same magazine. In 2005, she entered the same Top 10 at Number 8, slipping to Number 15 in 2006, and to Number 17 in 2007. She however, is the twice running Miss England.

Outside of Girls Aloud, Harding signed a £100,000 deal to model Ultimo lingerie, following the likes of Penny Lancaster, Rachel Hunter and Helena Christensen. Reports claim that Harding was chosen to model the underwear range after she was seen wearing a bikini on holiday in the papers.

Harding has filmed a cameo appearance in a British independent film Bad Day, which was released in 2008. She plays a brunette girl called Jade Jennings who sits in the back of a cab and swears down the phone. The film also stars Donna Air and Claire Goose.

Harding has recently been seen as the face of Coca-Cola Zero, upon its launch in Ireland. She will also advertise and promote Sunsilk with the rest of Girls Aloud.
It was reported that Harding would appear in a new Carry On film.
She sings the theme song to Emma Roberts new film, Wild Child, released August 2008.

Sarah was also complimented on her driving skills during a test drive for Fifth Gear, and also crashed a Ferrari into a parked van while exiting the car park.

Eva Mendes

Mendes was born in Miami, to Cuban-American parents and was raised in Los Angeles by her mother after her parents' divorce; Mendes has said that her mother "suffered so much to make my life OK" during her early years. Her father was a car salesman and her mother, also named Eva, is now an elementary school principal. She is the youngest of four children (she has two sisters and a brother). She was raised Roman Catholic and aspired to be a nun. As a child, Mendes was teased about her "buck teeth".

Eva Mendes (born March 5, 1974) is an American actress. She began acting in the late 1990s, and became known after a series of roles in several major Hollywood films, including 2 Fast 2 Furious, Hitch, Training Day, Ghost Rider and We Own the Night.

As a child she lived in Miami, Florida, and Los Angeles, California. She never saw herself as an actress while she was young and decided to pursue other interests. She attended Hoover High School in Glendale and later attended California State University, Northridge to study marketing, but dropped out after meeting boyfriend Zedrick Threatt, who helped her to begin an acting career. She studied with Ivanka Chubbuc.

One day she caught the eye of an agent who convinced her to pursue acting more steadily. Mendes worked her way up through commercials to music videos (including an appearance in Will Smith's video "Miami" and the Pet Shop Boys music video for "Se a vida é (That’s the way life is)" in 1996 and Aerosmith's video "Hole in My Soul" in 1997) to guest roles in soap operas and supporting film roles. Her first film appearance was in the direct-to-video Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror.

She received her first big-screen break when she appeared in the award-winning and critically-acclaimed Training Day. That performance led to roles in Stuck on You, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, and as the female lead in the comedy Hitch opposite Will Smith. Her role in Once Upon a Time in Mexico also gave her a nomination at the Teen Choice Awards. Mendes has also been in commercials for Gushers, Revlon, and Levi's. Mendes costarred in Ghost Rider with Nicolas Cage, and most recently starred alongside Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Wahlberg, and Robert Duvall in the film We Own the Night.

Along with acting, Mendes is employed by Revlon Cosmetics as an international spokeswoman. She joins such elite actresses and models as Julianne Moore, Halle Berry and Cindy Crawford, who appear in Revlon's television and print ads. She is also a passionate supporter and active participant in Revlon's fight against breast cancer.

It was reported on January 31, 2008 Mendes had been in a rehab facility in Utah for several weeks. Her representative told TMZ that she has been "working hard for the past year and made a positive decision to take some much-needed time off to proactively attend to some personal issues that, while not critical, she felt deserved some outside professional support. Out of respect for Eva's privacy, we do not wish to discuss further details."

Kelly Brook

Kelly Brook (born Kelly Ann Parsons on 23 November 1979) is an English model, actress, and occasional swimwear designer and television presenter.After leaving school in Rochester, Brook studied at the Italia Conti stage school in London for three years before becoming a professional model. Kelly attended The Thomas Aveling School in Warren Wood, Rochester, Kent. Her mother is cousin to well known Lady Margeret.

Brook's modelling career began at 16 after winning a beauty competition, her early work was in a range of advertising campaigns, including for the new "Bravissimo" company that specialises in bras and lingerie for big-breasted women, and for Foster's beer. Brook is 5ft, 8 inches (172.27cm) tall, and her voluptuous figure caught the eye of the editorial team of the Daily Star tabloid, which began featuring her as a Page Three girl. Her vital statistics is 36DD-26-36.

She then appeared in a Pulp video Help the Aged with Huck Whitney of the cult band The Flaming Stars, in a slow dance sequence.

Brook's picture soon began appearing in other lad mags such as FHM (repeatedly landing in its list of the "100 Sexiest Women of the Year") and Loaded. She topped the 'FHM 100 Sexiest Women in the World 2005' list, which was said to have polled 15 million people. In a poll over 5,000 women in April 2005 for Grazia magazine she was considered to have the best British female body. She ranked 5th at 'FHM 100 Sexiest Women in the World 2006' list.

Brook has also done a large amount of commercial swimwear, sportswear, and hosiery modelling, and a limited amount of nude & semi-nude modelling. Some modelling work for Triumph Bras caused quite a stir because of specially-commissioned 50-foot (15 m) high billboards of Brook's bust.

In 2005, Brook posed for a ten-page, partially-nude black-and-white photo spread with the photographer David Bailey. The results were featured in the British design magazine Arena, the November 2005 issue.

In 2006, she introduced a range of her self-designed swimwear and lingerie at the New Look stores of the United Kingdom.

Also in 2006 she signed a contract, reported to be worth around £1m, to be the presenter of Unilever's Lynx body spray, known as Axe in the US and on continental Europe. She has appeared on billboards, in newspapers, and on-line as part of an advertising campaign.

Kelly Brook has appeared in minor roles in a string of movies including Sorted and Ripper. She played the girlfriend of Clark Kent/Superman's best friend Lex Luthor in four episodes of Warner Bros.' Smallville during the show's first season (2001 - 2002). She has also completed assignments as a movie actress in Canada and made a short appearance as Lyle's girlfriend in the 2003 movie The Italian Job. In 2004 she played character Nikki Morris in the video game Need for Speed Underground 2, alongside Brooke Burke. Her first starring role was in School for Seduction, a 2004 film.

In 2005 she appeared in the Philippe Vidal film House of 9, a thriller about nine seemingly unconnected strangers captured and locked in a house together. The people are forced to compete against one another, in order to survive.

She recently starred in a Marple drama on ITV. She caused a minor controversy over her most recent film Survival Island (previously known as Three), in which she co-starred with then fiancé Billy Zane, when Brook and Zane requested her nude scenes be excised from the final cut, which the producers refused to do.

During her long term relationship with Jason Statham, Brook met American actor Billy Zane while filming thriller Three in Greece in 2003, followed by her break up with Statham. Proposing to wed in Summer 2008 and having bought a farmhouse in Kent, Brook kept putting the date back after the death of her father in November 2007. The couple split in April 2008 but briefly got back together, before ending their relationship for good in August 2008. She has since been pictured enjoying a string of dates with rugby player Danny Cipriani.

Emma Watson

Emma Watson was born in Paris, France, daughter of Jacqueline Luesby and Chris Watson, English lawyers. Watson has one French grandmother, and lived in Paris until the age of five, before she moved with her mother and younger brother, Alex, to Oxford, England, following her parents' divorce.

Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson (born 15 April 1990) is a French-born British actress who rose to prominence playing Hermione Granger, one of three starring roles in the Harry Potter film series. Watson was cast as Hermione at the age of nine, having acted only in school plays. From 2001 to 2007, she starred in five Harry Potter film instalments alongside Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint. She will return for the final two instalments: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, due to be released in 2009, and the two parts of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Watson's work in the Harry Potter series has earned her several awards and more than £10 million.

In 2007, Watson announced her involvement in two non-Harry Potter productions: the made-for-television adaptation of the novel Ballet Shoes and an animated film, The Tale of Despereaux. Ballet Shoes was broadcast on Boxing Day 2007 to an audience of 5.2 million and The Tale of Despereaux, based on the book by Kate DiCamillo, will be released in 2008.

From the age of six, Watson expressed a desire to become an actress. By 10, she had starred in school plays, including Arthur: The Young Years and The Happy Prince. She had never acted professionally before the Harry Potter series. "I had no idea of the scale of the film [series]", she said in a 2007 interview with Parade magazine; "[if I had] I would have been completely overwhelmed".

Watson's extended family has grown as her divorced parents both have children by new partners. Her father has identical twin girls, Nina and Lucy, and a four-year old son, Toby. Her mother's partner has two sons (Emma's stepbrothers), who "regularly stay with [her]". Watson's full brother, Alexander, has appeared as an extra in two Harry Potter films, and her half-sisters were cast as the young Pauline Fossil in the BBC's Ballet Shoes adaptation.

After moving to Oxford with her mother and brother, Watson attended The Dragon School, an independent preparatory school, until June 2003 and then moved to Headington School, an independent school for girls, also in Oxford. While on film sets, Watson and her peers were tutored for up to five hours a day; despite the focus on filming she maintained high academic standards. In June 2006, Watson took GCSE examinations in 10 subjects, achieving eight A* and two A grades; she was a target of friendly ridicule on the Harry Potter set because of her straight-A exam results.[29] The following year, she received four A grades in her AS levels (advanced level examinations) in English, Geography, Art, and History of Art.

Watson's work in the Harry Potter series has brought her more than £10 million, and she has acknowledged she will never have to work for money. However, she has declined to quit school to become a full-time actress, saying "People can’t understand why I don’t want to ... but school life keeps me in touch with my friends. It keeps me in touch with reality". She has been positive about working as a child actress, saying her parents and colleagues helped make her experience happy. Watson enjoys a close friendship with her fellow Harry Potter stars Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint, describing them as a "unique support system" for the stresses of film work.

Watson lists her interests as dancing, singing, field hockey, tennis, art, fly fishing, and donates to WTT (Wild Trout Trust). She describes herself as "a bit of a feminist", and admires fellow actors Johnny Depp and Julia Roberts.

Sarah Michelle Prinze

Gellar was born in New York City, the only child of Rosellen (née Greenfield), a nursery school teacher, and Arthur Gellar, a garment worker. Both of her parents were Jewish, though Gellar's family had a Christmas tree during the holidays while she was growing up. In 1984, her parents divorced and she was brought up by her mother on the Upper East Side.

Gellar was estranged from her father from this time until his death from liver cancer on October 9, 2001. She attended New York's Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School on a scholarship, and the Professional Children's School. Gellar held a straight-A average and became a competent figure skater. Her best friend was Melissa Joan Hart, who later was the star of the series Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. She also became close friends with Lindsay Sloane, who (in September 2002) would be her bridesmaid at her wedding.

Sarah Michelle Prinze, (born April 14, 1977) better known by her birth name of Sarah Michelle Gellar, is an American actress. She is best known for her role as the character Buffy Summers in the acclaimed television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, for which she won in total six Teen Choice Awards, and the Saturn Award for Best Genre TV Actress and received a Golden Globe Award nomination. The show set up Gellar as an icon and star in the industry from the first season of the show. She won a Daytime Emmy Award for her role in All My Children as character Kendall Hart.

Gellar met future husband Freddie Prinze, Jr., during filming of the 1997 teen horror film I Know What You Did Last Summer but the two did not begin dating until 2000. They were engaged in April 2001 and married in Mexico on September 1, 2002 in a ceremony officiated by Adam Shankman, a film director and choreographer with whom Gellar had worked on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Gellar's bridesmaid was her closest friend of many years, Lindsay Sloane. In 2007, Gellar legally changed her name to Sarah Michelle Prinze in honor of the couple's fifth year of marriage.

In 2004, while filming The Grudge in Japan, Gellar visited the famous Japanese swordsmith Shoji Yoshihara (Kuniie III) and bought a Katana from him as a birthday present for her husband. Gellar realized that she needed clearance from the government to remove the sword from the country, and after eventually succeeding, stated that it was "incredibly difficult" to do.

Gellar has said in interviews that she believes in God but does not belong to an organized religion. Gellar has said in interviews that she collects rare editions of classic children's literature.

Gellar graced the cover of Gotham Magazine and featured as their main story in the March 2008 issue, in which she spoke about how passing 30 has evolved her style , Gellar said "It sounds clichéd, but when women turn 30, they find themselves. You become more comfortable in your own skin. Last night on Letterman, I wore this skintight Herve Leger dress. Two years ago, three years ago? I would never have worn it."

Gellar has also reflected on her choices as an actress; she frequently mentions how "proud" she is of her TV show "Buffy: The Vampire Slayer" which became a worldwide popular hit. She has also been her own critic, talking about movie roles she has taken, saying, "Simply Irresistible (1999) was just a bad choice - and for that, it was a great learning experience. I wasn't ready to make that movie. I was too young. The script was not ready. I knew in my heart before I left to make it that I should back out." Gellar has four tattoos. She has a symbol for integrity on her lower back, a heart and dagger and a cherry blossom on her ankle, and two dragonflies on her back.

In 2007, Gellar was featured in Vaseline's "Skin Is Amazing" campaign, with other actors such as Hilary Duff, Amanda Bynes, and John Leguizamo.

During her 2006 interview with Marie Claire, Sarah spoke about her thoughts on the movie industry for women. She spoke about her views on the roles of women in movies saying, "You realize its a very tough market for women. For me its about getting roles where women get to do something active, not the girlfriend, not the wife. There are mainly two types of roles for us, women in-jeopardy films and romantic movies." Gellar has been praised by fans and critics alike for being a strong role model for young girls and women. Gellar went on to speak about how the business has changed and about magazine-cover attention-seeking Hollywood-starlets. Gellar said (when the interviewer said she was shocked at how many actresses seem to 'need' to be on the cover of a magazine like US Weekly), "Can I interrupt you? Do you think those actresses strive to be on those covers? Because I don't, I think its people striving to get that celebrity position, but I think you'll find that most 'actors' don't want that. Because when you know too much about them, it takes away the illusion that a film creates."

Gellar is also an active advocate for various charities, Breast cancer, Project Angel Food, Habitat for Humanity and CARE, a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty, all of which Sarah says you get to "physically do something". She says, "I started because my mother taught me a long time ago that even when you have nothing, there's ways to give back. And what you get in return for that is tenfold. But it was always hard because I couldn't do a lot. I couldn't do much more than just donate money when I was on the show because there wasn't time. And now that I have the time, it's amazing."

Britney Spears

Britney Spears was born in McComb,Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana as a Southern Baptist. Her parents are Lynne Irene (née Bridges), a former elementary school teacher, and Jamie Parnell Spears, a building contractor. Spears's brother Bryan works as a manager for the Spears family interests and her sister Jamie Lynn is an actress and singer. Her maternal grandmother Lillian Woolmore-Portell was an English war-bride of Italian-Maltese descent, born in Tottenham, London[ who met Spears's grandfather Barnett O'Field Bridges in England during World War II. Her paternal grandparents were June Austin Spears and Emma Jean Forbes.

Spears was an accomplished gymnast, attending gymnastics classes until age nine and competing in state-level competitions. She performed in local dance revues and sang in her local Baptist church choir. Spears entered New York City's Professional Performing Arts School when she was eight. At age eight she auditioned for the Disney Channel series The New Mickey Mouse Club. Although she was considered too young to join the series at the time, a producer on the show introduced her to a New York City agent.

Spears subsequently spent three summers at NYC's Professional Performing Arts School and also appeared in a number of off-Broadway productions. She was an understudy in the 1991 off-Broadway musical Ruthless!. In 1992, she landed a spot on the popular television show Star Search. She won the first round of competition, but ultimately lost. At age eleven, Spears returned to the Disney Channel for a spot on the The New Mickey Mouse Club in Lakeland, Florida. She was featured on the show from 1993 to 1994, until she was 13. After the show ended, Spears returned to Kentwood and attended high school for a year.

In 1997, Spears briefly joined the all-female pop group Innosense. Later that same year, she recorded a demo solo and was signed by Jive Records. She began a U.S. concert tour sponsored by American teen magazines, and eventually became an opening act for 'N Sync and the Backstreet Boys.

Britney Spears became a pop culture icon immediately after launching her recording career. Rolling Stone magazine wrote: "One of the most controversial and successful female vocalists of the 21st century," she "spearheaded the rise of post-millennial teen pop... Spears early on cultivated a mixture of innocence and experience that broke the bank". She is listed by the Guinness World Records as having the "Best-selling album by a teenage solo artist" for her debut album ...Baby One More Time which sold over thirteen million copies in the United States. Melissa Ruggieri of the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported, "She's also marked for being the best-selling teenage artist. Before she turned 20 in 2001, Spears sold more than 37 million albums worldwide". Barbara Ellen of The Observer reported: "Spears is famously one of the 'oldest' teenagers pop has ever produced, almost middle aged in terms of focus and determination. Many 19-year-olds haven't even started working by that age, whereas Britney, a former Mouskateer, was that most unusual and volatile of American phenomena — a child with a full-time career.

While other little girls were putting posters on their walls, Britney was wanting to be the poster on the wall. Whereas other children develop at their own pace, Britney was developing at a pace set by the ferociously competitive American entertainment industry".Spears has been Yahoo!'s top searched artist the past seven consecutive years and was named as Most Searched Person in the Guinness World Records book edition 2007 and 2009. People Magazine and MTV reported that on October 1, 2008, Bronx's John Philip Sousa Middle School, named their music studio in honor of Britney Spears, Spears herself was present during the ceremony and donated $10,000 dollars to the school's music program

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Rachel Lauren Stevens


Rachel Lauren Stevens (born April 9, 1978) is an British singer, actress and occasional model. She is a former member of the successful pop group S Club , and launched a solo recording career in 2003 with having released seven singles and two albums in the UK until 2005.

Born in Southgate, London, Stevens attended Ashmole School in London. At the age of fifteen, Stevens beat out 5000 competitors in a modeling competition she won sponsored by Just 17 magazine. Following her first modeling jobs, she decided to study at the London School of Fashion and ended up working in public relations.

In July 2004, Stevens released a brand new single, "Some Girls" which was produced by Richard X. After the commercial failure of both her album and previous single hopes were high for "Some Girls" to perform well on the charts, with critics calling the single her career make or break release. The single became a hit across Europe, and reached number two in the UK. All profits from the single went to the BBC Sport Relief charity. On its release HMV.co.uk called the single Stevens' "finest song to date". and Yahoo! Launch commented "she came to save her career. She ended up saving pop."

Due to the success of "Some Girls", Funky Dory was re-released to include "Some Girls" and another new track, a cover of Andrea True Connection's "More More More". "More More More" peaked at number three in the UK, giving Stevens her third top ten solo single in the UK.At this point, Stevens stepped up promotion, inadvertently earning herself a Guinness World Record for “Most Public Appearances by a Pop Star in 24 Hours in Different Cities” (Seven on September 8-September 9, 2004)

On Valentine's Day in 2002, Stevens became engaged to her longtime boyfriend, actor Jeremy Edwards. The couple broke up in early 2004 after they had been dating for over three years.
After the breakup, she dated Gavin Dein, son of former Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein. The relationship did not last long, with the couple splitting up in August 2005.

Stevens has also been linked to actor Stephen Dorff and American-based British singer Oli Trevena (Oli T).
In June 2008, Stevens got engaged to school friend Alex Bourne. The former Mayfair Hotel masseur met Stevens when they were both a school in Southgate. Like Stevens, Bourne who has changed his surname from Leigh, is trying to develop a career in acting.

In 2005, Stevens fronted the Everyman Testicular Cancer Awareness campaign. Stevens' role was notable as she was the first woman to represent this campaign. Her television commercial raised eyebrows with its suggestive content that included her telling men to "put one hand down their trousers and give their testicles a good feel". On the commercial, Stevens commented, "Sometimes men need a little encouragement to think about their health. This is a funny way of raising awareness about a serious subject."

In 2005, Stevens also took part in the Make Poverty History campaign, which aims to eliminate poverty in developing countries by cancelling old debts, improving the way aid is given and removing barriers, so these countries can trade more effectively with the rest of the world. Stevens donated an undisclosed amount of money to the campaign, and also starred in television and magazine advertisements supporting the cause. Her official Web site also displayed the campaign's official online banner.[

Charlize Theron


Theron was born in Benoni, South Africa, the daughter and only child of Charles and Gerda Theron, who is of German and French descent and took over her husband's business after his death. Theron's first language is Afrikaans. She is also fluent in English and speaks some Xhosa. "Theron" is an Occitan surname (originally spelled Théron) pronounced in Afrikaans as "Tronn", although she has said that she prefers the pronunciation "Thrown". The pronunciation commonly used in the United States involves two syllables, with stress on the first. Theron grew up on her parents' farm near Johannesburg (Benoni). She attended Putfontein Primary School (Laerskool Putfontein). At the age of 13, Theron was sent to boarding school and began her studies at the National School Of The Arts in Johannesburg. At 15, Theron witnessed the death of her father, an abusive alcoholic; Gerda shot him in self-defense when he attacked her. The police pressed no charges against her.

Charlize Theron ( born August 7, 1975), is an Academy Award-winning South African-born American actress, film producer and former fashion model. She is best known for her portrayal of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in the film Monster, for which she won an Academy Award for Best Actress.

Charlize began her modeling career in 1991 aged 16 when she won a local modeling contest. She started modeling in Europe and came to New York a year later. She didn't like being a model though, and decided to try her luck with ballet, which had been her biggest passion as a child. Unfortunately, a knee injury prevented her from dancing. Her mother bought her a one-way ticket to Los Angeles in 1994 and Charlize started visiting all of the agents on Hollywood Boulevard but without any luck. She went to the bank to cash a check for $500 she'd got from her mother and became furious when she learned that the bank could not cash her check because it was an out-state check. She made a scene and an agent gave her his card, in exchange that she learn the language, which she did by watching soap operas on TV.

Her first role was as a young mother in a park in a B-film in 1995, but it was a non-speaking role with three seconds of screen time. Her next role was as Helga in 2 Days in the Valley (1996), which landed her the role of Tina in That Thing You Do! (1996). Since then, she has starred in movies like The Devil's Advocate (1997); Mighty Joe Young (1998); The Cider House Rules (1999); The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000) and The Italian Job (2003). An important day in her life was February 29th, 2004 when she was awarded with her first Academy Award for her performance in Monster (2003).

Theron dated the lead singer of Third Eye Blind, Stephan Jenkins, from January 1998 to July 2001. They broke up after Jenkins failed to take her requests of marriage seriously. Theron now resides in Los Angeles in the home of late 1930s actress Helen Twelvetrees, with her long-time boyfriend Stuart Townsend, with whom she starred in the 2004 film Head in the Clouds, as well as in the 2002 film Trapped and uncredited 2005 Æon Flux. She, like Sarah Silverman, has said that they will not marry until same-sex couples are able to have their marriages recognized.Townsend recently stated he considers himself and Theron to be husband and wife. "We didn't have a ceremony," he said. "I don't need a certificate or the state or the church to say otherwise. So no there's no big official story on a wedding, but we are married. ... I consider her my wife and she considers me her husband".

While filming Æon Flux in Berlin, Germany, Theron had suffered a herniated disc in her neck, specifically the disc between the third and fourth vertebrae, which occurred as a result of her suffering a fall while filming a series of back handsprings. This required her to wear a neck collar for a month.

Theron is also involved in women's rights organizations. In 2006, Theron won GLAAD's Vanguard Award at the GLAAD Media Awards for increasing "visibility and understanding". Theron is a supporter of animal rights and active member of PETA. She recently appeared in a PETA ad for their anti-fur campaign.

In a 2008 interview, she repeatedly mixed up two European cities, Budapest and Istanbul. The deputy mayor of Budapest responded by inviting her to spend a luxurious weekend in the Hungarian capital in order to get to know the city.
Theron became a naturalized citizen of the United States in May 2007.

Jennifer Joanna Aniston / Jennifer Aniston


Jennifer Joanna Aniston (born February 11, 1969) is an American film and television actress. She became famous in the mid 1990s for playing the role of Rachel Green in the popular US sitcom Friends, a role for which she won both an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award.

She has starred in several Hollywood films, often alongside a member of the Frat Pack. While most of her film roles have been in comedies such as Bruce Almighty, Office Space, Rumor Has It, and the romantic comedies Along Came Polly and The Break-Up, she has also appeared in films from other genres, such as the crime thriller Derailed.

Aniston's marriage to actor Brad Pitt and their subsequent divorce received widespread media coverage.

Aniston moved to Hollywood and was cast in her first television role in 1990, starring as a regular on the short-lived series Molloy and in the TV movie Camp Cucamonga. She also co-starred in Ferris Bueller, a television adaptation of the 1986 hit movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off. The series, however, was quickly canceled. Aniston then appeared in two more failed television comedy shows, The Edge and Muddling Through, and guest-starred on Quantum Leap, Herman's Head, and Burke's Law. After the string of canceled shows, along with her appearance in the critically derided 1992 horror film, Leprechaun, Aniston considered giving up acting. Aniston's plans changed, however, after auditioning for Friends, a sitcom that was set to debut on NBC's 1994-1995 fall line-up. The producers of the show originally wanted Aniston to audition for the role of Monica Geller, but she persuaded them that she was better suited for the role of Rachel Green. She was cast in the role and played the character from 1994 until the show ended in 2004.

The program was successful and Aniston, along with her co-stars, gained wide renown among television viewers. Her hairstyle at the time, which became known as the "Rachel", was widely copied. Aniston received a salary of one million dollars per episode for the last two seasons of Friends, as well as five Emmy nominations (two for Supporting Actress, three for Lead Actress), including a win for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. According to the Guinness World Book of Records (2005), Aniston (along with her female costars) became the highest paid TV actress of all time with her $1 million-per-episode paycheck for the tenth season of Friends.

In 1994, Microsoft invited Aniston, along with Friends co-star Matthew Perry, to shoot a 30-minute promotional advertisement for their new operating system, Windows 95. She gained critical acclaim for her performances in The Object of My Affection (1998), a comedy drama about a girl who falls for a gay man, and in the low-budget 2002 film, The Good Girl, directed by Miguel Arteta, playing an unglamorous cashier in a small town. The latter film opened in relatively few theaters - under 700 in total - taking $14M in the U.S. box office. In late 2005, Aniston appeared in two major studio films, Derailed and Rumor Has It.

In addition to her career as a TV actress, Aniston has enjoyed a successful film career. Her biggest box office success to date was her appearance in 2003's Bruce Almighty, in which she played the girlfriend of title character Jim Carrey.Aniston then starred in the 2004 film, Along Came Polly opposite Ben Stiller. In 2006, Aniston appeared in the low-budget drama, Friends with Money, which was first shown at the Sundance Film Festival, received a limited release. Aniston's next film, The Break-Up, which was released on June 2, grossed approximately $39.17 million during its opening weekend, despite lukewarm reviews.

In 2007, Aniston guest starred in an episode of Courteney Cox Arquette's series Dirt. Aniston played Arquette's snobby rival Tina Harrod. In addition to acting, Aniston has also directed a hospital emergency room-set short film named Room 10, starring Robin Wright Penn and Kris Kristofferson; Aniston has noted that she was inspired to direct by actress Gwyneth Paltrow, who directed a short film in 2006.

Forbes listed Aniston as the 10th richest woman in the entertainment industry for the year 2007. She is behind such powerhouses as Oprah Winfrey, J. K. Rowling, Madonna, Celine Dion and Jennifer Lopez and is ahead of Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and the Olsen twins. Aniston's net worth is approximately $110 million. Aniston was also included in the annual Star Salary Top 10 of trade magazine The Hollywood Reporter for 2006. According to Forbes in October 2007, Aniston was the top-selling celebrity face of the entertainment industry. In 2008, Aniston landed the seventeenth spot on Forbes Celebrity 100 list based on "earnings and fame." Forbes listed Aniston's earnings as $27 million.

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Jessica Ann Simpson / Jessica Simpson


Mini Biography

Jessica Ann Simpson was born July 10, 1980, in Abilene Texas to Joe and Tina Simpson. She grew up in Richardson, Texas, living a normal childhood as the daughter of a youth minister. In church, she was able to shine, using her gifted voice to attract an independent record producer. This producer was the first of many to see the potential for greatness in Jessica. However, because of the lack of finances the independent label went bankrupt, preventing Jessica's album from reaching wider audiences.

Although heartbroken, Jessica's dream to be on the radio remained. With support from her family, and her father's managerial talents, Jessica's independent album managed to work its way to Tommy Mottola's desk, then President of Columbia Records. He was won over by her "pure heart" and strong voice. Jessica's singing career with Columbia would take her all over the world many times over and include three major albums reaching Gold, Platinum, and double Platinum.

As a born performer, it was only natural for Jessica to spend more time in front of the camera both in television and feature films. Audiences were naturally drawn to her open and uncensored attitude, contributing to the success of the hit reality show "Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica" (2003), which she starred in alongside her then husband Nick Lachey. She followed up the show by making the bold choice to fill in the famous "Dasiy Duke shorts" alongside Johnny Knoxville and Seann William Scott in her debut performance for the film version of The Dukes of Hazzard (2005).

Jessica has proven she is a rare talent with an ability to capture the hearts and minds of fans around the globe. Whether it be music or film, it is evident that she has a long career ahead of her as she continues to change and grow as an artist.

Simpson released her first single, "I Wanna Love You Forever," which peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2000. Soon afterward her major label debut album Sweet Kisses was released. To support the album, Simpson toured with Ricky Martin and boy band 98 Degrees. Simpson and 98 Degrees group member Nick Lachey began dating shortly afterwards. After dating for two years, the couple cooled their relationship. After the September 11, 2001 attacks, the couple reconciled. Simpson stated, "After 9/11, I knew that I never ever wanted to be away from Nick ever for the rest of my life."

Meanwhile, Simpson's album Sweet Kisses had gone double platinum, helped by follow-up singles "Where You Are" and "I Think I'm In Love With You", which were both released in 2000. The latter became Simpson's biggest radio hit at that point, and was her first release of an uptempo single. Although her debut album sold 2 million copies, sales fell far short of those achieved by Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, and unlike the two pop princesses, Simpson was not a worldwide household name. Columbia Records officials reportedly decided Simpson needed a change for her second album.

In 2001, Simpson recorded a follow-up album with what Columbia considered more radio-friendly, up-tempo tracks. The result in that was Irresistible, released in mid-2001 on the heels of the title-track first single. "Irresistible" became one of the biggest hits of her career; it peaked at # 15 on the Hot 100. Irresistible debuted at #6 in June 2001 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart, and has sold 825,000 copies to date.

2002: Marriage to Nick Lachey and TV success

During the summer of 2003, the reality show, Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica, starring Simpson and her then-new husband Nick Lachey began airing on MTV. Simpson's third album, In This Skin, was released in August 2003 to coincide with the series premiere of Newlyweds.

The show quickly became a pop culture phenomenon and is credited with making her a household name, even among those who did not follow pop music or MTV. “I never knew that just doing the show would give me that pedestal to step on,” Simpson told Blender magazine in a March 2004 feature.

The associated album, In This Skin, debuted at #10 on The Billboard 200 album chart, with sales of 64,000 in its first week. It rebounded after a special collectors' edition was released in April 2004 and subsequently reached a peak of #2. It was eventually certified quadruple platinum. It contained the song "Sweetest Sin", which barely even made an impact on the Bubbling Under Hot 100. However, the album did contain the hit singles "With You" (#14, 2004) and a cover of the Berlin song "Take My Breath Away" (#20, 2004), and a lesser hit, a cover of the Robbie Williams song "Angels", which charted just outside the Billboard Hot 100.

The couple starred in the television special The Nick and Jessica Variety Hour, which aired in 2004 and was compared to The Sonny & Cher Show. Simpson released Rejoyce: The Christmas Album in late 2004, which peaked at #14 on the album chart and was later certified gold.

In 2005, Newlyweds won a People's Choice Award for Favorite Reality Show before wrapping shortly after.

Discography

* 1994: Jessica
* 1999: Sweet Kisses
* 2001: Irresistible
* 2002: This Is the Remix
* 2003: In This Skin
* 2004: Rejoyce: The Christmas Album
* 2006: A Public Affair
* 2008: Do You Know

Salma Hayek


The amazing Salma Hayek was born on September 2, 1966, in the oil boomtown of Coatzacoalcos, Mexico. Hayek has freely admitted that she and her brother, Sami, were spoiled rotten by her well-to-do Lebanese-Mexican businessman father and her Mexican-born opera-singing mother. After having seen Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) in a local movie theatre, Salma decided she wanted to become an actress. Her education included a stint at a New Orleans convent school, where she pulled pranks on the nuns by setting their clocks back three hours. She was soon expelled. Only after attending Mexico City's Universidad Iberoamericana did she feel ready to pursue acting seriously.

She soon landed the title role in "Teresa" (1989), a hugely successful soap opera which earned her the star status in her native Mexico. However, anxious to make films and to explore her talent and passion, Hayek left both "Teresa" (1989) and Mexico in 1991. Heartbroken fans spread rumors that she was having a secret affair with Mexico's president and left to escape his wife's wrath.

At long last, Salma made her way to Los Angeles. The 24 year old actress approached Hollywood with naïve enthusiasm, and quickly learned that Latin actresses were, if at all, typecast as the mistress maid or local prostitute. By late 1992, Hayek had landed only bit parts. She appeared on "Street Justice" (1991), "The Sinbad Show" (1993), "Nurses" (1991), and as a sexy maid on the HBO series "Dream On" (1990). She also had one line in the Allison Anders film Mi vida loca (1993). Feeling under-appreciated by Anglo filmmakers, Hayek vented her frustrations on comedian Paul Rodriguez's late-night Spanish-language talk show in 1992.

Robert Rodriguez and his producer wife Elizabeth Avellan happened to be watching and were immediately smitten with the intelligent, opinionated young woman. He soon gave her her big break--to star opposite Antonio Banderas in the now cult classic Desperado (1995), which put her on Hollywood's map. The moviegoers proved to be as dazzled with Hayek as he had been. After her break, she was cast again by Rodriguez to star in his From Dusk Till Dawn (1996). Although her vampy role opposite George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino was a small one, it was a good credit to her box office name. Hayek's first star billing came later that year with Fools Rush In (1997) opposite "Friends" (1994) actor Matthew Perry. The film was a modest hit, and Hayek continued to rise her star in both commercial and artistic films such as: Breaking Up (1997) with an unknown Russell Crowe; "54" about the rise and fall of the legendary New York club; Dogma (1999), playing the muse in a somewhat odd comedy co-starring Matt Damon and Chris Rock; In the Time of the Butterflies (2001) (TV), the small artistic film which won Hayek an ALMA award as best actress; and the 1999 summer blockbuster Wild Wild West (1999). Her production company "Ventanarosa" produced the 1999 Mexican feature film Coronel no tiene quien le escriba, El (1999), which was shown at the Cannes Film Festival and selected as Mexico's official Oscar entry for best foreign film.

The new millennium started out quietly around Salma as she was preparing to produce and star in her dream role, that of Frida Kahlo, the legendary Mexican painter whom Salma had been admiring her entire life and whose story she wanted to bring to the big screen ever since her arrival in Hollywood. It finally happened in 2002. Frida (2002), co-produced by Hayek, was a beautifully made film overflowing with passion and enthusiasm, with terrific performances from Salma and Alfred Molina as Kahlo's cheating husband "Diego Rivera". On the side was an entourage of stars including Antonio Banderas, Ashley Judd, Geoffrey Rush, Edward Norton and Valeria Golino.

The picture was a hit and was nominated for six Oscars, including best actress for Hayek, who became the first Latin actress to be nominated in the category, and won the awards for make-up and its brilliant original score by Elliot Goldenthal. Hayek established herself as the serious actress that she is and, in the same year, expanded her horizons, directing The Maldonado Miracle (2003) (TV), which was shown at the Sundance Film festival. In 2003, she starred in the final of Rodriguez's "Desperado" trilogy Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), again opposite Banderas, and has just finished After the Sunset (2004) opposite Pierce Brosnan and Ask the Dust (2006) opposite Colin Farrell. Both are scheduled for release in early 2005. In the works are Robert Altman's "Paint" and Bandidas (2006) in which she will star with her friend Penélope Cruz.

She soon left her native Mexico and her popularity to make her way to Los Angeles. There, her career took off. Having arrived in Hollywood, she was anonymous and had to start from scratch. She soon realized she had been slightly naïve about continuing her acting career in a foreign country, with a very thick accent and no experience, whatsoever. She was told over and over again by the big suits she would have no chance of becoming a leading lady in Hollywood as there just weren't any parts for Latinas with accents, let alone one who doesn't speak English.

She started to take acting classes from the renowned Stella Adler and worked on her accent. By 1993, she still wasn't getting her feet off the ground and was too stubborn to return back to Mexico as she would consider it as "having failed". Instead, she vented her frustrations in a late-night talk show by Paul Rodriguez. Director Robert Rodriguez, who happened to be watching that very show, was smitten with the beautiful, witty, and articulate Hayek, and cast her in his upcoming movie Desperado (1995).

Desperado (1995) was released in 1995 and was a hit. Antonio Banderas and Hayek had ignited sparks on the screen and the moviegoers fell in love with both stars. By now, she had entered the Hollywood scene. This hadn't happened for a Latina actress since the 1930s with the success of Dolores del Rio and, later on, with Rita Moreno.

In 1996, she appeared in From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) and Fled (1996) and started production on her first star billing movie, Fools Rush In (1997). The romantic comedy, which cast her as a woman who ends up pregnant after a one night stand with Matthew Perry, grossed around 35 million domestically and achieved rave reviews for Hayek. During this period, she also got to cash in on her status and looks by signing a lucrative deal with cosmetics giant Revlon.

Although she had now started climbing Hollywood's A-list, the lack of good scripts, especially for women, made the young star more persevering in finding quality roles which actually demanded some acting ability. It was around this time that she felt she wanted to do a movie on the life of iconic Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. She turned down a prominent role in a $70 million movie and instead took on roles in independent films including: Breaking Up (1997), a romantic drama alongside then-newcomer Russell Crowe; The Hunchback (1997) (TV);' '54;' and The Velocity of Gary (1998). They were impressive but didn't do much at the box-office.

In the late 1990s, Hayek went back to mainstream movies starring in Wild Wild West (1999), which grossed well over $100 million, and Dogma (1999). Her own production company, "Ventanarosa", co-produced the Mexican film Coronel no tiene quien le escriba, El (1999), which was shown at the Cannes film festival and submitted as an Oscar entry. At this time, Hayek had also started preparation on her upcoming Frida Kahlo film and managed to star in more movies, most notably Mike Figgis's 'Timecode,' 'Chain Of Fools,' and 'La Gran Vida.'

In late 2002 'Frida' was released. The hit movie provoked a great deal of publicity and rave reviews for both her and co-star Alfred Molina. When award season came the film and its star were not overlooked, winning the movie two Academy Awards and six nominations, including 'best actress' for her. After Frida came the final part in the closing trilogy of 'El Mariachi' with 'Once Upon a Time in Mexico.' Again Banderas and Hayek received top billing and big box-office.

Filmografi

Film

Telenovela

Sophia Anna Bush


Sophia Anna Bush was born on July 8, 1982, in Pasadena, California. She is an only child. Her father, Charles William Bush, is a renowned advertising and celebrity photographer, and her mother, Maureen Bush, runs a photography studio.

Young Bush was brought up in Pasadena; she made her acting debut in a school theater production while attending Westridge School for Girls, a small private school in her hometown. She was crowned the Queen of the Tournament of Roses at Pasadena Rose Parade in 2000; that same year she graduated from HS. In 2002 Sophia Bush made her screen debut as Sally, a college student, in the comedy Van Wilder (2002) opposite Ryan Reynolds. She attended University of Southern California for three years and took Journalism major and Theatre minor, albeit she did not graduate, taking her leave of absence after getting the part as Brooke Davis, a flirtatious cheerleader on the WB TV series One Tree Hill (2003). She was also cast to play opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger and Nick Stahl in Terminator 3 but, after she began principal photography on the film, the director deemed her too young for the role and she was soon replaced by actress Clare Danes.

However, Bush got her big break when 'One Tree Hill' developed a loyal following and became her steady gig over four seasons. It was while working on the series that Bush began dating her on-screen love interest, actor Chad Michael Murray. They wed in April 2005, but split after five months, in September 2005. In December 2006, their divorce became final. Meanwhile, she continued to land big screen roles, such as October Bantum in Stay Alive (2006), a horror film by writer/director William Brent Bell, and as Beth in_John Tucker Must Die (2006)_, a comedy by director'Betty Thomas (I)'. Bush is co-starring as Grace Andrews, who is terrorized by a killer played by Sean Bean, in the remake of The Hitcher (2007).

Outside of her acting profession, Bush has been working as an Assignment Editor for Annenberg TV News in her spare time. Her other talents include horseback riding, boxing, and photography. She enjoys reading and spending time with her friends and is currently residing in Wilmington, North Carolina, where the 'One Tree Hill' show is filmed.

Sophia Bush, an only child, was born and raised in Pasadena, California to Charles William Bush, an advertising and celebrity photographer, and Maureen, a photography studio manager. Bush has Italian ancestry, and attended Westridge School for Girls (Pasadena), as well as the University of Southern California. She was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, where she served as Social Chair.

On April 16, 2005, Bush married actor Chad Michael Murray, her One Tree Hill co-star. They dated for almost two years before they were married in Santa Monica. But then they announced their separation on September 26, 2005 after five months of marriage when Bush filed court papers to have their marriage annulled. In December of 2006, Bush and Murray's divorce was made final. Bush was in a relationship with Stay Alive co-star Jon Foster after her divorce until August 2007. Later, rumors surfaced that Bush and Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Tony Romo were dating. They were reportedly seen together in Texas.

In December 2007, it was reported by Rush & Molloy in the New York Daily News that Bush had "now hooked up with co-star James Lafferty"; the report mentioned that a rep for the actress denied there was any romance. In May 2008, photos surfaced of Lafferty and Bush at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), which fueled rumors of a possible romance.

In February 2008, Bush made several appearances in Texas in support of the Barack Obama campaign in the Texas Presidential primary election. She was joined in Dallas, Fort Worth, and Waco by fellow actor Adam Rodriguez. Touring mostly college campuses, they urged young voters to get involved politically.

Friday, August 29, 2008

Ana Ivanović


Ana Ivanović, born November 6, 1987, in Belgrade, Serbia, then Yugoslavia) is a Serbian professional tennis player. She is the current World No. 1 on the WTA Tour and the reigning French Open champion. She was the runner-up in singles at the 2007 French Open and the 2008 Australian Open.

Ivanović's mother, Dragana, a lawyer, attends all of her daughter's matches. Her father, Miroslav, a self-employed businessman, attends as many events as he possibly can. Ana has a younger brother, Miloš, with whom she loves to play basketball. Other hobbies include shopping, watching movies and playing Sudoku. She chooses not to have a permanent coach. Aside from her tennis career, Ivanović also studies finance at a university in Belgrade, and Spanish in her spare time. Her inspiration to begin playing was Monica Seles, and she also admires Roger Federer.

On September 8, 2007, Ivanović became a UNICEF National Ambassador for Serbia, alongside Aleksandar Đorđević and Emir Kusturica. She takes a special interest in the fields of education and child protection. Ivanović visited a primary school in Serbia during her inauguration and said: "I'm also looking forward to going into the classroom and meeting many kids."

Ivanović is a fan of all sport clubs competing under the name of Partizan Belgrade.

Ivanović is friends with former doubles partner Maria Kirilenko, as well as other professional tennis players Daniela Hantuchova, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Sanja Ancic, Rafael Nadal, Tatiana Golovin and fellow Serbians Novak Djokovic (whom she has known since the age of and Janko Tipsarević.

Career Highlights

SINGLES

* Winner 2008 - Paris, France - French Open title
* Winner (5): 2007 - Berlin, Los Angeles, Luxembourg; 2006 -
*Montreal; 2005 - Canberra; 2004 - ITF/Mallorca 2-ESP, ITF/Gifu-JPN, ITF/Fukuoka-JPN, ITF/Fano-ITA, ITF/Batumi-GEO.
* Finalist (2): 2007 - Tokyo [Pan Pacific], Roland Garros 2007
* Semifinalist: (6): 2007 - Amelia Island, Wimbledon, Year-End
*Championships; 2005 - Warsaw, Zurich, Linz.
* Quarter finalist (14): 2007 - Gold Coast, Sydney, Antwerp, s‘Hertogenbosch
* 2006 - Sydney, Indian Wells, Warsaw, s'Hertogenbosch; Los Angeles; Linz, Hasselt
* 2005 - Miami, Roland Garros; 2004 - Luxembourg.

DOUBLES

* Finalist (1): 2006 - 's-Hertogenbosch (w/Kirilenko).
* Semifinalist (2): 2006 - Tokyo [Pan Pacific], Warsaw (both w/Kirilenko).

2004

Ivanović first caught the eye of the tennis world when she reached the final of the Junior Wimbledon tournament in 2004, losing to Kateryna Bondarenko. In 2004, she also went 26-0 on the ITF circuit, and won all 5 events that she entered, two of them as a qualifier. Her first professional breakthrough occurred in October of 2004 when she took Venus Williams to two tie breaks before losing 7–6(11), 7–6(6) in the second round of the Zürich Open in Zürich, Switzerland, in which she held several set points in both sets; this was after a 3-set battle with then-ranked Number 27 Tatiana Golovin. She followed that up with a quarterfinal showing in Luxembourg the following week.

2005

Ivanović won her first career singles title, as a qualifier, in Canberra, Australia. Her ranking continued to rise after wins over Svetlana Kuznetsova, Nadia Petrova, and Vera Zvonareva, all of whom were top 10 players. Ivanović lost to Amelie Mauresmo at the Australian Open, Doha, and Key Biscayne, Florida. However, Ivanović defeated Mauresmo in the third round of the French Open. Ivanović eventually reached the quarterfinals of that tournament, where she lost to Petrova. Later in the year, Ivanović reached the semifinals of the Zurich Open and Generali Ladies Linz, losing in both tournaments to Patty Schnyder.

2006

Ivanović started off 2006 by playing at the Hopman Cup with fellow Serbian Novak Djokovic where the pair narrowly missed the final. To start off her WTA year she played at the Medibank International in Sydney where she once again defeated Amelie Mauresmo, this time in straight sets, before falling to Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarterfinals.

2007

Ivanović's first tournament was the Mondial Hardcourts in Gold Coast, Australia, falling to Shahar Pe'er in the quarterfinals 5–7, 6–4, 6–4. Her next tournament was the Sydney Medibank International, where she again lost in the quarterfinals, this time to Nicole Vaidisova 6–4, 6–2.

Ivanović was the 13th seed at the Australian Open. She defeated Polish player Agnieszka Radwańska in the second round but lost to World No. 22 Vera Zvonareva in the third round 6–1, 6–2. Immediately after the tournament, Ivanović announced via her official website that she had terminated the services of her then-coach, David Taylor.

Biography for Gisele Bündchen / Gisele Caroline


Gisele Caroline Nonnenmacher Bündchen (born July 20, 1980) is a Brazilian model. According to Forbes, she is the highest-paid model in the world and also the sixteenth richest woman in the entertainment world, having earned $33 million in 2007 and $35 million in 2008 alone, adding to her estimated $150 million fortune. She is also listed on Guinness Book of World Records as the world's richest supermodel. Bündchen has been the face of more than 20 brands internationally, and has appeared on more than 500 magazine covers.

It was in 1994 when Gisele Bundchen was discovered at age 14 in a Brazilian fashion mall, and now she is "the" most famous face in the business. Since then, Gisele has graced the covers of countless magazines as any other model in the history, including Rolling Stone, Time, Forbes, Newsweek and all the fashion top magazines such as Vogue, W, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, i-D, The Face, and many others. Gisele also has multi-million dollars deals with some of the world's biggest companies. Her contract with Victoria's Secret is the biggest in the fashion industry, and she also has deals with Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Bulgari, Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, Joop!, Otto, Lanvin, Guerlain, Nivea, DSquared, St. John, Colcci, Vivo, Vogue Eyewear and Grendene. Her own line of shoes, called "Ipanema Gisele Bundchen", have sold more than 100 million pairs since 2001.

Birth Name
Gisele Caroline Nonnenmacher Bündchen

Nickname
Gise
The Body
The Midas Queen
The Hurricane Gisele
La Bundchen

In 1993, a then-13-year-old Bündchen joined a modeling course with her sisters Patrícia and Gabriela at her mother's insistence. The following year, Bündchen went to São Paulo in a school excursion to give them an opportunity to walk in a big city. In a shopping mall, Bündchen was discovered by a modeling agency. She was subsequently selected for a national contest, Elite Look of the Year, in which she placed second — Claudia Menezes, from Bahia, took first place. Bündchen placed fourth in the world contest, held in Ibiza, Spain. In 1996, Bündchen moved to New York City to begin her modeling career, debuting at Fashion Week.

Her debut on the cover of the July 1999 issue of Vogue magazine, and the accompanying editorial entitled, "The Return of the Sexy Model" is widely viewed as marking the end of the fashion's "heroin chic" era. She graced the cover again in November and December of that year. She won the VH1/Vogue Model of the Year for 1999, and a January 2000 cover gave her the rare honor of three consecutive Vogue covers. In 2000, she was the fourth model in history to grace the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, when she was named "the most beautiful girl in the world". Bündchen has been on the covers of many top fashion magazines including W, Harper's Bazaar, ELLE, Allure, international editions of Vogue, as well as style and lifestyle publications such as i-D, The Face, Arena, Citizen K, Flair, GQ, Esquire and Marie Claire. She has also been featured in the Pirelli calendar 2001 and 2006 as well as in broader market publications such as Time, Vanity Fair, Forbes, Newsweek, Veja, totaling more than 500 magazine covers throughout the world.

Bündchen consistently works with acclaimed photographers such as Mario Testino, Steven Meisel, Nick Knight, Mert and Marcus, Rankin, Annie Leibovitz, Karl Lagerfeld, Peter Lindbergh, David LaChapelle, Mario Sorrenti and Patrick Demarchelier, among others, and renowned directors such as Jean Baptiste Mondino and Bruno Aveillan.

Claudia Schiffer said: "Supermodels, like we once were, don't exist any more." and reckoned that Gisele Bündchen was the only one close to earning the supermodel title.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Adriana Francesca Lima


Mini Biography

Adriana Francesca Lima was born on June 12, 1981 in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. At the tender age of 13, Adriana entered the Ford Supermodel of the World Contest, where her unique beauty, derived from her Native-Brazilian, African-Brazilian, Portuguese, French, and Caribbean heritage, won her second place. Moving to New York at age 16, Adriana joined the Elite Model Management and further pursued her modeling career, landing a campaign for the fashion designer Anna Molinari's clothing line. However, it was her appearance in several Guess? campaigns that gained her the recognition that catapulted her to her status as one of the world's top fashion models. Since then, she has appeared in campaigns for Anna Sui Jeans, Bebe, Gasoline, Mossimo, Victoria's Secret, BCBG, Keds, and XOXO, and has appeared on the covers of magazines such as Vogue and Marie Claire. She consistently appears in the hyped Victoria's Secret Fashion Shows, gaining recognition as one of the Victoria's Secret's Perfect 10. In her spare time, Adriana dedicates her services to help orphans in her native Brazil. She has appeared in the Italian TIM mobile Commercials.

Lima is of African, Native South American and Swiss descent. She was born in the northeastern coastal town of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil on June 12, 1981. Her father, from whom she was estranged for most of her life, is Nelson Torres. Her mother, Maria da Graça Lima, was a social worker who gave birth to Lima at the age of 18. Lima revealed that her father walked out on her family when she was six months old, but has been making recent attempts to reconcile. In late 2007, Lima revealed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame that although she is her mother's only child, she has two half brothers, aged 7 and 11, from her father's second marriage. Coming from a poor family, Lima's first travel was on a plane at the age of 15. She was raised mainly by her mother and grandmother

Three years later, Lima moved to New York City and signed with Elite Model Management. After acquiring representation, Lima's modeling portfolio began to expand by leaps and bounds, and she appeared in numerous international editions of Vogue and Marie Claire. As for fashion shows, she has walked the catwalks for big-name designers such as Vera Wang, Christian Lacroix, Emanuel Ungaro, Giorgio Armani, Fendi, Ralph Lauren and Valentino, among others. Lima then became a GUESS? girl appearing on GUESS?' Fall 2000 ad campaign. She also appeared in the book A second decade of Guess? Images.

In 2001, Lima starred in BMW short film The Follow alongside actors Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen and Forest Whitaker. The film was directed by Hong Kong film director Wong Kar-Wai.

Lima continued to build upon her portfolio, doing more print work for Maybelline, as well as bebe, Mossimo, Armani, Bulgari, De Beers, FCUK, Intimissimi, Keds, Swatch, Versace, and BCBG. She also appeared on the covers and in the editorials of other fashion magazines such as Harper's Bazaar, ELLE, Vogue, GQ, Marie Claire, Arena, Cosmopolitan, Esquire, and many more. Her April 2006 GQ cover was the highest-selling issue that magazine for the year. She also appeared in the 2005 Pirelli Calendar and became the face of Italy's cell phone carrier, Telecom Italia Mobile, a move that earned her the nickname, "the Catherine Zeta-Jones of Italy.

Since her rise to fame, Lima is often cited by popular media as one of the world's sexiest women. She ranked 7th on FHM 100 Sexiest Women 2007 and was chosen as one of People Magazine's annual 100 Most Beautiful People in the World, in May 2007, along with her fellow Angels. On June 13, 2007, she was awarded as "Hottest Girl on the Planet" at the first Spike TV Guys' Choice Awards but the category was not mentioned in the actual show. Lima was also voted on the Maxim Hot 100 2007 as number 53. She was voted as the Most Desirable Woman in 2005 by visitors of the men's lifestyle website, Askmen.com (she was placed 4th in 2006, also 4th in 2007 and 10th in 2008).

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Christina Maria Aguilera / Christina Aguilera


Mini Biography

Christina Maria Aguilera was born on December 18, 1980, in Staten Island, New York. Her parents divorced when she was young and she lived with her mother, although they moved around quite a bit. Christina's goal almost since birth was to be a singer, and at age 12 she was invited to audition for "MMC" (1989). She wound up getting the part and stayed there for a few years, until the show ended. In 1999 she had her breakthrough hit, "Genie in a Bottle". Since then she's made millions of fans, sold millions of records and has won many awards, including a Grammy for best new female artist. She has even made a Latin album and will be working on a second one. A Christmas album has also been released.

Christina Aguilera is a bilingual singer mixed with Irish and Ecuadorian roots. Her self titled debut album went 10x platinum. She has received many honors including 6 Grammy Nominations and one win for Best New Artist. 2 MTV Video Music Awards, a Radio Music Awards, 2 VH1 Awards, and a Teen Choice Award with Lil'Kim, Mya and Pink and the smash hit "Lady Maramalade". She was on "MMC" (1989) with Nsync's Justin Timberlake and J.C. Chasez, Britney Spears, Ryan Gosling and Keri Russell. Her musical influences included Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson.

Birth Name
Christina Maria Aguilera

Nickname
Chrissy
X-Tina
Baby Jane
Candy

As a child, Aguilera aspired to be a singer. She was known locally as "the little girl with the big voice," singing in local talent shows and competitions. According to VH1's Driven, whenever competitors learned they would be up against her in any given week, they would immediately withdraw, prompting insiders to claim it was "like sending a lamb to the slaughter." Her peers soon became jealous of her and would frequently subject her to ridicule, ostracism, and, in one gym class, attempted assault. Acts of vandalism around her house included the slashing of the tires on the family car. Eventually, the family relocated to another suburb in the Pittsburgh area (this time, Wexford) and took to secrecy about Aguilera's talent lest another backlash occur.

On March 15, 1990, she appeared on Star Search singing Etta James' "A Sunday Kind of Love", but lost the competition. Soon after losing on Star Search, she returned home and appeared on Pittsburgh's KDKA-TV's Wake Up with Larry Richert to perform the same song. People remarked that the then ten-year-old "sounded 20."

Throughout her youth in Pittsburgh, Aguilera sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" before Pittsburgh Penguins hockey, Pittsburgh Steelers football and Pittsburgh Pirates baseball games. Her first major role in entertainment came in 1993 when she joined the Disney Channel's variety show The New Mickey Mouse Club. Her co-stars included Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Ryan Gosling, and Keri Russell, the show lasted another year until its cancellation. According to the documentary Driven, Aguilera's co-stars called her "the Diva". One of her most notable performances was of Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing".

At the age of fourteen, Aguilera recorded her first song, "All I Wanna Do", a hit duet with Japanese singer Keizo Nakanishi. In 1997, she represented the United States at the "Golden Stag" International Festival with a two-song set.

On October 29, 2002, after much delay, Aguilera's second full-length English album, Stripped, was released, selling more than 330,000 copies in the first week and peaking at #2 on the Billboard 200. Unlike previous work, the album showcased Aguilera's raunchier side. The majority of Stripped was co-written by Aguilera (who had recently signed a global music publishing contract with BMG Music Publishing), and was influenced by many different subjects and music styles, including rhythm and blues, gospel, soul, balladry, pop rock, and hip hop. The majority of the album was produced by Scott Storch and singer-songwriter Linda Perry who produced her more personal records.

Rockwilder and singer Alicia Keys also contributed a track each. Upon initial release, the album was very well-received by critics, although Aguilera's vocals were overlooked as she began to cultivate a more sexually provocative image.After the release of the album, she took part in photoshoots for magazines, many of these photographs featured her nude or semi-nude. Her cover for Rolling Stone, featured the singer only wearing boots and a well-placed electric guitar. It was during this time Aguilera referred to herself as "Xtina", even getting a tattoo of her nickname on the back of her neck and several piercings.

Initially, the raunchy image had a negative effect on Aguilera in the U.S., especially after the release of her controversial "Dirrty" music video. She denied that this change was a matter of publicity, claiming that the image better reflected her true personality than did the image she cultivated back in 1999. While the video for "Dirrty" became very popular on MTV, it disappointed on the U.S. singles chart. However, the single was a hit worldwide, reaching number one in the UK and Ireland. The album reached the top five on the U.K., U.S. and Canadian album charts, though it was initially considered a "sophomore slump".

The second single, "Beautiful" received critical praise, the classically influenced ballad reached number one in several countries and peaked at #2 in the US. "Beautiful" earned Aguilera the Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Three more singles ("Fighter", "Can't Hold Us Down" featuring Lil' Kim, "The Voice Within") were released in the following two years and were hits that helped the album stay on the charts for the next two years. Stripped stayed on the U.S. and UK album charts well into 2004, and went on to be certified four-times platinum in the U.S. with over 9 million copies sold worldwide. It appeared at number ten on Billboard's year-end album chart. Kelly Clarkson's second single "Miss Independent" was co-written by Aguilera, having been half-finished for Stripped.

Jennifer Love Hewitt


Mini Biography

Jennifer Love Hewitt got her first name from her older brother Todd Daniel Hewitt (b. November 8, 1970), who picked the name after a little blonde girl he then had a crush on. Her mother selected her middle name, Love, which she goes by offstage from her best friend at college. Her mother, Pat, is a speech pathologist and her father, Danny, is a medical technician. Her parents separated when she was six months old. Born in Waco, Texas, she was raised by her mother in Harker Heights, Texas. She made her official performing debut at age 3 where she sang at a livestock show. At age 5, she was taking tap, jazz, and ballet lessons which led her to joining the Texas Show Team, which toured the Soviet Union and Europe. At age 10, the family moved to L.A. with the encouragement of talent scouts, while Todd stayed behind to finish high school in Texas. Jennifer quickly found commercial work and a role on Disney's "Kids Incorporated" (1984) in 1984. She went through a series of television flops before finally hitting it big on "Party of Five" (1994) in 1995.

Hewitt was born in Waco, Texas, the daughter of Patricia Mae (née Shipp), a speech-language pathologist, and Herbert Daniel Hewitt, a medical technician.Hewitt grew up in Nolanville, Texas; after the divorce of her parents, Hewitt and her only sibling, Todd Hewitt, were brought up by her mother. Her first name was given to her by her brother, after a girl he was fond of as a youngster, while her middle name, "Love", was given to her by her mother after her best friend in college.

As a young girl, Hewitt was attracted to music, which led to her first encounters with the entertainment industry. At the age of three, she sang "The Greatest Love of All" at a livestock show. Just a year after that, at a restaurant-dance hall, she entertained an audience with her version of "Help Me Make It Through the Night". By the time she was five, Hewitt already had tap dancing and ballet in her portfolio. At nine, she became a member of the Texas Show Team (which also toured in the Soviet Union). At the age of ten, at the suggestion of talent scouts and winning the title of Texas Our Little Miss Talent Winner, she moved to Los Angeles, California, with her mother to pursue a career in both acting and singing.

In 1993, she played Pierce Brosnan's daughter in a pilot for NBC called Running Wilde, which featured Brosnan as a reporter for Auto World magazine whose stories cover his own wild auto adventures. However, the series wasn't picked up and the pilot never aired. Hewitt later had roles in several short-lived television series, such as Fox's Shaky Ground (1992–1993), ABC's The Byrds of Paradise (1994), and McKenna (1994–1995), and finally became a young star after landing the role of Sarah Reeves on the popular Fox Television show Party of Five (1995–1999). She assumed the role of Sarah after joining that show during its second season and continued it on the short-lived Party of Five spin-off, Time of Your Life (1999), which she also co-produced. The show was cancelled after only half a season.

Hewitt made her film debut in the independent film Munchie (1992). She became a film star after a lead role in the horror film I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), which enjoyed great box-office success (125,000,000 U.S. dollars worldwide). The film made Hewitt and her co-stars Freddie Prinze Jr., Ryan Phillippe, and Sarah Michelle Gellar some of the most popular young stars in the USA. She also appeared in the sequel I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998), which, though ultimately not as successful as the first film, took in more money on its opening weekend. Other notable film roles have included the high-school comedy Can't Hardly Wait (1998) and a starring role with Sigourney Weaver in the romantic comedy Heartbreakers (2001).

In 2000, Hewitt appeared in The Audrey Hepburn Story. That same year, she was the "most popular actress on television" due to her Q-rating (a measurement of a celebrity's popularity) of thirty-seven. For that reason, Nokia chose her to become its spokesperson, because of her "fresh image", and her being "a symbol of youthfulness and wholesomeness".

In 2001, she appeared in the music video for the Enrique Iglesias song, "Hero", as the singer's love interest.

Hewitt wrote I'm Gonna Love You for the movie The Hunchback of Notre Dame II because, although she was a well-known singer at the time, her character Madellaine was the only character who didn't sing in the movie. The song won an award for Best Song on DVD Awards.

Since September 2005, Hewitt has starred in the television series Ghost Whisperer. In Australia, Ghost Whisperer has been popular since its introduction; in the United States, the show averages 9–11 million viewers for each new episode. Hewitt has also auditioned for many roles. She was asked to play "Juliet" in Romeo + Juliet, but the director felt she wasn't modern looking. The role went to Claire Danes. She also had to give up the role of "Darlene" in Brokedown Palace because of scheduling conflicts. Hewitt also auditioned for the role of "Elektra" in Daredevil.