Showing posts with label american actresses. Show all posts
Showing posts with label american actresses. Show all posts

Friday, January 1, 2010

Demi Moore

Demi Moore
Birthname: Demetria Gene Guynes
Date of birth: 1962-11-11
Birthplace: Roswell, New Mexico, USA
Height: 5' 5"
Nationality: American
Profession: actress, model, producer

Demi Moore (born Demetria Gene Guynes on November 11, 1962) is an American actress. She became well-known after a string of 1980s teen-oriented movies, and became one of the best-known actresses in 1990s Hollywood.

Biography

Early life

Moore was born in Roswell, New Mexico, but spent much of her childhood and teenage years in the suburbs of Pittsburgh. As a child, she had a difficult and unstable home life. Her biological father, Charles Harmon, left her mother, Virginia, after a two-month marriage, before Moore was born. As a result, Moore had the surname of her stepfather, Danny Guynes, on her birth certificate. Danny Guynes, who committed suicide in 1980, frequently changed jobs and made the family move a total of forty times. Moore's parents were also alcoholics and often fought and beat each other. To make matters worse, operations on Moore's left eye during childhood required her to wear an eyepatch.
Moore's family settled in Los Angeles in 1976. When Moore was sixteen, her then-friend, actress Nastassja Kinski, persuaded her to drop out of Hollywood's Fairfax High School to become an actress.
Demi Moore was a founding "celebrity investor" in the Planet Hollywood chain of international theme restaurants (modeled after the Hard Rock Cafe and launched in New York on October 22, 1991) along with Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Career

in Ghost (1990)]]
After quitting school, Moore went to work as a pin-up girl, modelled in Europe, and worked at a collection agency.
In the early 1980s, Moore posed for a series of softcore photographs featuring full frontal nudity. These photos went unnoticed until after she became a star, and were eventually published in a German magazine and later in North America. Moore's film debut was in the 1982 3-D science fiction/horror film, Parasite, which was a hit on the drive-in circuit, ultimately grossing $6 million.
However, Moore was not widely known until she played the part of Jackie Templeton on the ABC soap opera, General Hospital, from 1982 to 1983.
In the mid 1980s, she was mentioned as being a member of the Brat Pack and appeared in several youth-oriented films such as St. Elmo's Fire and About Last Night
For a time during the 1990s, Moore was the highest-paid actress in Hollywood. She had a string of box-office successes, including Ghost, A Few Good Men, Indecent Proposal, Disclosure and was the first actress to reach the $10 million salary mark. Among other films for which Moore was considered were Basic Instinct, Batman & Robin, Flashdance, Runaway Bride, and While You Were Sleeping. Moore's reputation suffered when the starring vehicles The Scarlet Letter, The Juror, Striptease, and G.I. Jane (a movie in which Moore shaved off all her long hair on camera, leaving her head totally bald) failed at the box office and garnered mixed reviews.

In August 1991, Moore appeared nude on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine while seven months pregnant with her daughter Scout LaRue, with enormous attendant publicity. The image was endlessly parodied (including by Spy magazine, which placed her then-husband Bruce Willis's head on her body), but also spawned honest imitators as other pregnant celebrities posed nude. Moore again appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair in August 1992, wearing only a body painted "suit".
After a break from her acting career, Moore returned to the screen as a former member of Charlie's Angels in the 2003 film .
In 2006 she appeared in Bobby which featured an all-star cast including her husband Ashton Kutcher although they did not appear in any scenes together.

Personal life

In August 1979, Moore began dating rock musician/songwriter Freddy Moore, whose last name she adopted; the two married in February 1980. The relationship lasted only 6 years (August 1979-August 1985). Moore began dating actor Emilio Estevez and began divorce proceedings in 1985, and the two were engaged until 1987. She also dated actor John Stamos during the time when the two worked together on General Hospital.
On November 21, 1987, Moore married actor Bruce Willis, after a highly publicized whirlwind romance (the two met in August of that year). The couple has three daughters, Rumer Glenn (born August 16, 1988), Scout LaRue (born July 20, 1991), and Tallulah Belle (born February 3, 1994). Willis and Moore announced their separation in June of 1998, and divorced in 2000.
Moore also became a staple of tabloids due to her romantic relationship with actor Ashton Kutcher, who is sixteen years her junior. Both would eventually spoof the public's fascination with their age difference during a sketch on the March 19, 2005 episode of Saturday Night Live. Kutcher, who served as guest host, brought Moore on stage while Moore was made up to appear like an old woman who constantly babied Kutcher. Moore and Kutcher were married on September 24, 2005 in a lavish, private ceremony conducted by a Kabbalah Centre rabbi and attended by about 100 close friends and family (Bruce Willis included).
Moore's primary residence is in Hailey, Idaho, near the famous Sun Valley resort, although she spends much time in the Los Angeles area with Kutcher. She is a practicing follower of the Rabbi Philip Berg's Kabbalah Centre religion, and initiated Kutcher into the faith.

Demi Lovato

Demi Lovato
Date of birth: 1992-08-20
Birthplace: Dallas, Texas, USA
Height: 5' 3" (1.60 m)

Demetria Devonne "Demi" Lovato (born August 20, 1992) is an American actress and singer-songwriter. She played Mitchie Torres in the Disney Channel Original Movie Camp Rock, and she plays Sonny Monroe in the Disney Channel Original Series Sonny With A Chance. Besides acting, she is also a solo music artist and released her debut album Don't Forget on September 23, 2008. The album debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 selling over 89,000 copies in the first week.

Early life

Lovato was born in Dallas, Texas She has an older sister, Dallas, and a younger half sister, Madison De La Garza. Her mother, Dianna Hart, was a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and country recording artist; her father, Patrick, moved to New Mexico after their marriage ended in 1994.

Career

Lovato began her acting career at the age of six on the children's television series Barney & Friends as Angela, appearing in seasons seven and eight. In 2006 Lovato guest starred on the second season of the television series Prison Break as Danielle Curtin in the episode "First Down". She also appeared in the second season of the television sitcom Just Jordan as Nicole, in the episode "Slippery When Wet". In January 2007, she landed the role of Charlotte Adams on the Disney Channel Original Short Series, As the Bell Rings, which premiered on August 26, 2007. A few of her original songs, including "Shadow," were featured on the show. Upon leaving the show, her character was replaced by her cousin Lexi, played by Lindsey Black. She has also covered the Academy Award nominated song "That's How You Know" on DisneyMania 6. She also recorded three songs for the Camp Rock soundtrack. She later signed a record deal with Hollywood Records. Her cover of "Wonderful Christmas Time" is featured in All Wrapped Up.
In 2008, Lovato starred alongside the Jonas Brothers in the Disney Channel Original Movie, Camp Rock. She played Mitchie Torres, a fourteen-year-old girl with hopes of becoming a singer. The movie premiered on June 20 in the USA on Disney Channel. Lovato's debut album Don't Forget was released on September 23, 2008 in the United States through Hollywood Records, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 chart. The Jonas Brothers co-wrote several songs with Lovato for this album. During the summer of 2008, she performed as the Jonas Brothers' opening act for their Burning Up Tour.
She competed on Disney Channel Games for the third annual show. Subsequently, she appeared on the second show of . Lovato was featured in . Lovato was cast as Princess Rosalinda in the Disney Channel Original Movie, Princess Protection Program, alongside Selena Gomez. Lovato is currently starring in the Disney Channel Original Series, Sonny With a Chance.

Personal life

In an interview with Ellen Degeneres, Demi Lovato admitted to going through painful experiences with bullying in the seventh grade.
In an MTV interview, Lovato stated that she likes metal music, especially black metal and metalcore. She called symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir "one of her favorite live acts". Lovato is best friends with Selena Gomez, whom she has known since Lovato "asked her to sit on my jacket and draw with crayons with me" at the Barney & Friends auditions. Lovato is also a Christian and prays with her band before she performs.
Lovato is of Irish, Italian and Mexican descent.

Debra Messing

  Debra Moessing
Birthname: Debra Moessing
Date of birth: 1968-08-15
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, USA
Height: 5' 8"
Nationality: American
Profession: actress

Debra Lynn Messing (born August 15, 1968) is an Emmy Award-winning American actress. She is best known for portraying Grace Adler in Will & Grace.

Biography

Early life

Messing was born in the New York City borough of Brooklyn to American Jewish parents Brian Messing (a sales executive for a jewelry manufacturer) and Sandra (who has worked as a professional singer, banker, travel and real estate agent). When Messing was three, she moved with her parents and her older brother, Brett, to East Greenwich, a small town outside Providence, Rhode Island.
During her high school years, she acted (and sang) in a number of high school productions, including the starring role in the musical Annie" and "Fiddler On the Roof".
Messing took lessons in dance, singing, and acting. While her parents encouraged her dream of becoming an actress, they also urged her to complete a liberal arts education before deciding on acting as a career. Following their advice, she attended Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. During her junior year, she studied theater at the prestigious London-based British European Studio Group program, an experience that fueled her desire to act.
In 1990, after graduating summa cum laude from Brandeis with a bachelor's degree in theater arts, Messing gained admission to the elite Graduate Acting Program (which accepts only about 15 new students annually) at New York University, where she earned a master's degree in fine arts after three years.

Career

In 1993, Messing won praise for her acting in the pre-Broadway workshop production of Tony Kushner's much-lauded play . Consequently, she appeared in several episodes (running from 1994 to 1995) of the award-winning television series NYPD Blue.
In 1995, Messing made her film debut with a supporting role in A Walk in the Clouds, a love story directed by Alfonso Arau. This exposure led the Fox network to make her the co-star of the television sitcom, Ned and Stacey. The series lasted for two seasons, from 1995 to 1997. Messing appeared as Jerry Seinfeld's date in two episodes of the hit television show Seinfeld: "The Wait Out" in 1996 and "The Yada Yada" in 1997. Messing turned down a starring role in another television sitcom to appear in Donald Margulies's two-character play Collected Stories, which opened at the Off-Broadway Manhattan Theater Club in 1997.
In 1998, Messing had a lead role as the bio-anthropologist "Sloan Parker" on ABC's dramatic science fiction television series Prey. Meanwhile, Messing's agent had approached her with the pilot script for the television show Will & Grace. Messing was inclined to take some time off, but the pilot for Will & Grace intrigued her, and she received the role of Grace Adler, beating out Nicollette Sheridan (Knots Landing, Desperate Housewives), who later guest starred on the show as a romantic rival of Grace's. Will & Grace became a big ratings success, and Messing gained renown. In 2002, she was named one of the "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" by People Magazine. TV Guide picked her as its "Best Dressed Woman" in 2003.
Messing was personally picked by director Woody Allen for a small role in his 1998 film Celebrity. Her big-screen roles since include a happily married but ill-fated wife in the supernatural thriller The Mothman Prophecies (2002) and a supporting role in Along Came Polly (2004).
The Wedding Date (2005) was Messing's first leading role in a high-profile film. It received mixed reviews but performed fairly well at the box office.
Messing was featured as a judge on the season finale of the second season of Bravo's hit reality show, Project Runway.
Her combination of beauty and a talent for physical comedy have led some critics to compare her to Lucille Ball.

Personal life

Messing met her husband, Daniel Zelman (an actor and screenwriter), on their first day as graduate students at NYU. The two were married on September 3, 2000, and live in Los Angeles, California. On April 7, 2004, Messing gave birth to their son, Roman Walker Zelman.

Messing has also stated that she intends to move back to New York, and with her Will & Grace commitments now over and rumors of a Broadway play in fall 2006, she will likely be returning soon.

Trivia

  • Is severely allergic to flowers and perfumes.
  • Was Rhode Island's Junior Miss in 1986.
  • Played the leading role as Sandy in her high school musical production of "Grease".
  • Has very enormous feet, which was one of the themes of ridicule written into the "Will & Grace" show.
  • Loves french fries.
  • Does charity works through the Gay Men's Health Crisis, AmFAR and Best Friend's Pet Sanctuary.

Danneel Harris

danneel-harris-wallpaper


Danneel Harris
(born March 18, 1979) is an American actress, best known for her role on the TV show One Tree Hill and Kumar's ex-girlfriend in Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay.

Biography

Early life

Harris was born Elta Danneel Graul in Lafayette, LA and was raised in the small town of Eunice. Harris was named after her great-grandmother. Her first name, Elta, is a French name, but she always goes by her middle name. The name "Danneel" was inspired by Danneel Street in New Orleans: "Danneel is a street in New Orleans. It's a school, a park and a street. I think my mother must have driven by it every day for work when we used to live in New Orleans." Her cousin is actress Mary Lou. She moved to Los Angeles and continued her acting training with John Homa, Calmeson and Calmeson, and Craig Wargo.

Career

Before she landed her first acting role, Harris worked as a model with such companies as Big Sexy Hair and Juicy Jeans. She first appeared in a television commercial. The independent film The Plight of Clownana marks her first major acting role. Her other credits include the WB's What I Like About You, guest appearance on Mad TV and a supporting role in the yet-to-be released indie Rule Number One starring Ed Harris.
Harris is skilled in gymnastics and her musical talents include playing the piano and singing. She relocated to New York in 2004 for her role on One Life To Live. In 2005, Harris scored a recurring role on the hit TV show One Tree Hill, playing the fiery redhead Rachel Gatina, a thorn in many of the character's sides. She went on to become an integral part of the show, featuring in the main credits of the fourth season. Harris appeared on the cover of the November 2006 edition of Maxim with One Tree Hill costars Sophia Bush and Hilarie Burton.

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Dayanara Torres

Dayanara Torres Picture
Dayanara Torres Biography

Dayanara Torres Delgado (born on October 28, 1974 in San Juan, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican actress, singer, model and former Miss Universe.

At age 17, Torres was approached while walking through the Plaza de Toa Alta in her hometown and was subsequently invited to represent Toa Alta in the annual Miss Puerto Rico Pageant. She won the pageant and the rights to represent Puerto Rico at the 1993 Miss Universe pageant. Previously in 1992, she had participated in the Miss International pageant, where she placed among the semi-finalists, and placed second in the Queen of the World contest.

The Miss Universe pageant was held in Mexico City in May 21, 1993 and Torres won the crown. Torres's victory in the pageant caused some controversy because it was claimed she was still a minor. However, Torres had turned 18 several months before the contest. Her victory also raised some eyebrows as she won neither the preliminary round nor the semifinals. Torres anara was received in Puerto Rico with a massive parade.

During and after her reign, she became an ambassador of UNICEF, traveling through Asia and Latin America in support of the organization. She even created the Dayanara Torres Foundation which provided scholarships to poor students in Puerto Rico and the Philippines. In 1994 she went to Manila to crown the new Miss Universe. During the ceremony, she sang "A Whole New World" as a duet with Peabo Bryson.

After the 1994 Miss Universe pageant, Dayanara Torresreceived offers to endorse products, appear on television programs, and act in movies. She lived in the Philippines for five years, becoming a celebrity in the country. She also appeared in more than 10 movies, including a film with Filipino actor and singer Gary Valenciano called "Hataw Na." During that time, she also filmed Linda Sara, a Puerto Rican film directed by Jacobo Morales where she was paired with fellow Puerto Rican singer, Chayanne. The film was released in 1994. She also became a staple figure on Philippine television every Sunday on the show "ASAP", which gave her the title "Dancing Queen" because of her impressive dancing skills.

During her time in the Philippines, she had a relationship with Filipino superstar actor Aga Muhlach. (Muhlach is now married to Charlene Gonzalez, Miss Philippines-Universe 1994.) Torres and Aga first met each other on the set of her first Philippine movie, Basta't Kasama Kita (As Long As I'm With You). Their relationship lasted four years. She also learned Tagalog, the main language of the country.

She returned to Puerto Rico in 1998 and released her first album (and only one, as of now) called Antifaz. It reached the top of the Billboard charts through Latin America and the Philippines. She also starred in several theater productions in the island. That same year, a "Dayanara" doll was released and sold out in the island and in the Philippines.

Dayanara Torres married singer Marc Anthony on 9 May 2000 in Las Vegas. They have two sons, Christian Anthony Muñiz (5 February 2001) and Ryan Anthony Muñiz (16 August 2003). It was a rocky marriage,and they separated in summer 2002. They later reconciled and renewed their vows in a spectacular ceremony held in Puerto Rico in December of 2002. In 2003, a Miami waitress filed paternity charges against Anthony; multiple DNA-tests, the last in August 2004, disproved her claims. The couple's final separation was in October 2003. Torres filed for divorce in January 2004.

As the divorce proceeded, Anthony was seen out with actress-singer Jennifer Lopez, a long-time friend he had worked with in music videos. They had briefly dated in the late '90s, before his first marriage and her second one. Lopez and Anthony were recording a duet together in early 2004, for Lopez's then-upcoming film Shall We Dance? Lopez and Anthony married in a quiet home wedding on June 5, 2004, less than a week after his divorce from Torres was finalized on June 1. The media, however, was tipped off that morning of the wedding, and circled Lopez's backyard in helicopters. Photographs, alerting the rest of the world, soon followed. Reports fueled rumors that Lopez was pregnant but this was not the case.

On September 1 of 2005, she debuted in an American soap opera, playing a small role in The Young and The Restless. The programs producers expressed an interest in future appearances, though Torres, to date, has not reappeared on the program.

On March 6, 2006, Dayanara Torres had emergency surgery in New York, to correct an intestinal obstruction that was detected after she had felt pain during a flight from Los Angeles the day before.

Debbe Dunning

Debbe Dunning Picture

Additional Debbe Dunning Biography

Debbe Dunning, sometimes credited as Debra Dunning, (born July 11, 1966 in Burbank, California) is an American actress. She graduated from John Burroughs High School, the same school her parents graduated from exactly twenty years earlier. She was a cheerleader and her school'sHomecoming Queen, also winning the title of "Miss Burbank 1984". Her modeling career began with numerous Miller Beer advertisements, and her first television commercial was for Foot Locker. She has also appeared in ads for Ford Motors. She received national exposure as Louise, the "Run for the Border Girl" in a series of Taco Bell commercials. Debbe has also appeared in Playboy magazine.

Debbe Dunning is best known for playing the "busty and beautiful tool assistant" Heidi Keppert, the "Tool Time girl" on the ABC sitcom, Home Improvement. She had previously guest-starred in an episode of the show in an earlier season, and the show's producers selected her to return as a full-time member of the cast. She has also appeared on various TV shows and movies, including 1988's Dangerous Curves. She was the reigning champion of the American Gladiators Celebrity Challenge two years running. Debbe also appeared in her own calendar in 1996.

She is currently married to American volleyball legend, Steve Timmons (11 May 1997 - present) and has two children: a daughter, Spencer Schae (born 2 December, 1996) and a son Stony (born in 2000). She has two dogs: Charlie, a miniature schnauzer, and Roxie, a boxer.

In December 2004, Debbe Dunning was the spokesperson for a breast enlargement drink. In December 2006, Dunning began starring in Wicked Wicked Games.

Donna D'Errico


Donna D'Errico Biography

Donna D'Errico (born March 30, 1968) is an American actress and model. She was chosen Playboy Playmate of the Month for September 1995.

D'Errico was born in Dothan, Alabama and spent her childhood in Columbus, Georgia. She is a 1986 graduate of Pacelli High School in Columbus.

D'Errico's greatest fame is derived from her role on the television series Baywatch. She was also a host of the show Battlebots and starred in Candyman: Day of the Dead. For a time, D'Errico ran Zen Spa, a day spa in Calabasas, California.

D'Errico was married to Nikki Sixx, the bassist from the American rock band Mötley Crüe. The song "Rocketship" on Mötley Crüe's seventh album Generation Swine is dedicated to D'Errico. Performed byNikki Sixx , he reportedly wrote the song about the first time he ever told D'Errico that he loved her. Together they have one daughter, Frankie-Jean Sixx, although collectively they have raised their five children together. On April 27, 2006, D'Errico filed for divorce. Previously the couple had separated then reconciled.

Divini Rae

Divini Rae Wallpaper
Divini Rae is Playboy's Miss November 2003.

Divini Rae (aka Divini Rae Sorenson) is an American glamour model and actress. She was chosen as Playmate of the Month by Playboy magazine in November, 2003 and has appeared in numerous Playboy videos and Playboy Special Editions. She has since modeled nude for Mystique magazine and Suze Randall, and starred in the Cinemax series Hotel Erotica Cabo under the name Micah Miller. She also stars in the series Erotic Travler playing as Marissa.

Donna D'Errico


Donna D'Errico Biography

Donna D'Errico (born March 30, 1968) is an American actress and model. She was chosen Playboy Playmate of the Month for September 1995.

D'Errico was born in Dothan, Alabama and spent her childhood in Columbus, Georgia. She is a 1986 graduate of Pacelli High School in Columbus.

D'Errico's greatest fame is derived from her role on the television series Baywatch. She was also a host of the show Battlebots and starred in Candyman: Day of the Dead. For a time, D'Errico ran Zen Spa, a day spa in Calabasas, California.

D'Errico was married to Nikki Sixx, the bassist from the American rock band Mötley Crüe. The song "Rocketship" on Mötley Crüe's seventh album Generation Swine is dedicated to D'Errico. Performed byNikki Sixx , he reportedly wrote the song about the first time he ever told D'Errico that he loved her. Together they have one daughter, Frankie-Jean Sixx, although collectively they have raised their five children together. On April 27, 2006, D'Errico filed for divorce. Previously the couple had separated then reconciled.

Divini Rae

Divini Rae Wallpaper
Divini Rae is Playboy's Miss November 2003.

Divini Rae (aka Divini Rae Sorenson) is an American glamour model and actress. She was chosen as Playmate of the Month by Playboy magazine in November, 2003 and has appeared in numerous Playboy videos and Playboy Special Editions. She has since modeled nude for Mystique magazine and Suze Randall, and starred in the Cinemax series Hotel Erotica Cabo under the name Micah Miller. She also stars in the series Erotic Travler playing as Marissa.

Debbe Dunning

Debbe Dunning Picture

Additional Debbe Dunning Biography

Debbe Dunning, sometimes credited as Debra Dunning, (born July 11, 1966 in Burbank, California) is an American actress. She graduated from John Burroughs High School, the same school her parents graduated from exactly twenty years earlier. She was a cheerleader and her school'sHomecoming Queen, also winning the title of "Miss Burbank 1984". Her modeling career began with numerous Miller Beer advertisements, and her first television commercial was for Foot Locker. She has also appeared in ads for Ford Motors. She received national exposure as Louise, the "Run for the Border Girl" in a series of Taco Bell commercials. Debbe has also appeared in Playboy magazine.

Debbe Dunning is best known for playing the "busty and beautiful tool assistant" Heidi Keppert, the "Tool Time girl" on the ABC sitcom, Home Improvement. She had previously guest-starred in an episode of the show in an earlier season, and the show's producers selected her to return as a full-time member of the cast. She has also appeared on various TV shows and movies, including 1988's Dangerous Curves. She was the reigning champion of the American Gladiators Celebrity Challenge two years running. Debbe also appeared in her own calendar in 1996.

She is currently married to American volleyball legend, Steve Timmons (11 May 1997 - present) and has two children: a daughter, Spencer Schae (born 2 December, 1996) and a son Stony (born in 2000). She has two dogs: Charlie, a miniature schnauzer, and Roxie, a boxer.

In December 2004, Debbe Dunning was the spokesperson for a breast enlargement drink. In December 2006, Dunning began starring in Wicked Wicked Games.

Dayanara Torres

Dayanara Torres Picture
Dayanara Torres Biography

Dayanara Torres Delgado (born on October 28, 1974 in San Juan, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican actress, singer, model and former Miss Universe.

At age 17, Torres was approached while walking through the Plaza de Toa Alta in her hometown and was subsequently invited to represent Toa Alta in the annual Miss Puerto Rico Pageant. She won the pageant and the rights to represent Puerto Rico at the 1993 Miss Universe pageant. Previously in 1992, she had participated in the Miss International pageant, where she placed among the semi-finalists, and placed second in the Queen of the World contest.

The Miss Universe pageant was held in Mexico City in May 21, 1993 and Torres won the crown. Torres's victory in the pageant caused some controversy because it was claimed she was still a minor. However, Torres had turned 18 several months before the contest. Her victory also raised some eyebrows as she won neither the preliminary round nor the semifinals. Torres anara was received in Puerto Rico with a massive parade.

During and after her reign, she became an ambassador of UNICEF, traveling through Asia and Latin America in support of the organization. She even created the Dayanara Torres Foundation which provided scholarships to poor students in Puerto Rico and the Philippines. In 1994 she went to Manila to crown the new Miss Universe. During the ceremony, she sang "A Whole New World" as a duet with Peabo Bryson.

After the 1994 Miss Universe pageant, Dayanara Torresreceived offers to endorse products, appear on television programs, and act in movies. She lived in the Philippines for five years, becoming a celebrity in the country. She also appeared in more than 10 movies, including a film with Filipino actor and singer Gary Valenciano called "Hataw Na." During that time, she also filmed Linda Sara, a Puerto Rican film directed by Jacobo Morales where she was paired with fellow Puerto Rican singer, Chayanne. The film was released in 1994. She also became a staple figure on Philippine television every Sunday on the show "ASAP", which gave her the title "Dancing Queen" because of her impressive dancing skills.

During her time in the Philippines, she had a relationship with Filipino superstar actor Aga Muhlach. (Muhlach is now married to Charlene Gonzalez, Miss Philippines-Universe 1994.) Torres and Aga first met each other on the set of her first Philippine movie, Basta't Kasama Kita (As Long As I'm With You). Their relationship lasted four years. She also learned Tagalog, the main language of the country.

She returned to Puerto Rico in 1998 and released her first album (and only one, as of now) called Antifaz. It reached the top of the Billboard charts through Latin America and the Philippines. She also starred in several theater productions in the island. That same year, a "Dayanara" doll was released and sold out in the island and in the Philippines.

Dayanara Torres married singer Marc Anthony on 9 May 2000 in Las Vegas. They have two sons, Christian Anthony Muñiz (5 February 2001) and Ryan Anthony Muñiz (16 August 2003). It was a rocky marriage,and they separated in summer 2002. They later reconciled and renewed their vows in a spectacular ceremony held in Puerto Rico in December of 2002. In 2003, a Miami waitress filed paternity charges against Anthony; multiple DNA-tests, the last in August 2004, disproved her claims. The couple's final separation was in October 2003. Torres filed for divorce in January 2004.

As the divorce proceeded, Anthony was seen out with actress-singer Jennifer Lopez, a long-time friend he had worked with in music videos. They had briefly dated in the late '90s, before his first marriage and her second one. Lopez and Anthony were recording a duet together in early 2004, for Lopez's then-upcoming film Shall We Dance? Lopez and Anthony married in a quiet home wedding on June 5, 2004, less than a week after his divorce from Torres was finalized on June 1. The media, however, was tipped off that morning of the wedding, and circled Lopez's backyard in helicopters. Photographs, alerting the rest of the world, soon followed. Reports fueled rumors that Lopez was pregnant but this was not the case.

On September 1 of 2005, she debuted in an American soap opera, playing a small role in The Young and The Restless. The programs producers expressed an interest in future appearances, though Torres, to date, has not reappeared on the program.

On March 6, 2006, Dayanara Torreshad emergency surgery in New York, to correct an intestinal obstruction that was detected after she had felt pain during a flight from Los Angeles the day before.

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Cybill Shepherd

Cybill Shepherd Wallpaper
Cybill Shepherd Biography

Cybill Lynne Shepherd (born 18 February 1950) is a Golden Globe Award-winning American actress, singer, and former fashion model.
Her best known roles include starring as Jacy in The Last Picture Show, Maddie Hayes in Moonlighting, as Cybill Sheridan in Cybill, as Betsy in Taxi Driver and as Phyllis Kroll in The L Word.

Shepherd was born in Memphis, Tennessee to William Jennings Shepherd and Patty Shobe. Named after her grandfather Cy and her father Bill, Shepherd won the 1966 "Miss Memphis" contest at age 16, resulting in fashion modeling work through high school and after.

She quickly made a name for herself as a curvy 'real woman', which was a departure from the trend at the time of Twiggy-type waifs. This led to regular work as amagazine cover girl, and it was a 1970 Glamour magazine cover that caught the eye of film director Peter Bogdanovich. Upon seeing the cover in a supermarket check-out line, Bogdanovich was reported to have said "That's Jacy", referring to the role he was casting - and ultimately offered to Shepherd - inThe Last Picture Show (1971). Her role as the sexual ingenue would prove to be one of the most explosive and promising debuts of any film actress.

During the filming, the then 21-year-old was required to film a nude scene in a pool. Still photos obtained from that nude scene appeared in Playboy magazine without Shepherd's consent. She sued and ultimately she and Playboy reached an out-of-court settlement, setting a precedent regarding public figures.

After a series of less successful roles, including The Lady Vanishes, the remake of Hitchcock's 1938 movie of the same name, she dropped out of show business from 1978 to 1982.

Back from Memphis, Shepherd won the role of Colleen Champion in the night-time drama The Yellow Rose (1983), opposite Sam Elliott. Although critically acclaimed, the series lasted only one season.

A year later, Shepherd was cast as Maddie Hayes in ABC's Moonlighting (1985-1989), which became the role that would define her career. The producers knew that her role depended on having chemistry with her co-star, and she was involved in the selection of Bruce Willis. They quickly became one of the most celebrated television duos. A lighthearted combination of mystery and comedy, the series won Shepherd twoGolden Globe awards.

In 1997, she won her third Golden Globe award, for CBS' Cybill (1995-1998), a television sitcom, in which the title character - Cybill Sheridan, an actress struggling with hammy parts in B movies and bad soaps - was loosely modeled on herself (including portrayals of her two ex-husbands). As she had on Moonlighting, she was involved in casting another unknown co-star (Christine Baranski) who proved to be an asset to the show's popularity.

In 2000, Cybill Shepherd's bestselling autobiography was published, titled Cybill Disobedience: How I Survived Beauty Pageants, Elvis, Sex, Bruce Willis, Lies, Marriage, Motherhood, Hollywood, and the Irrepressible Urge to Say What I Think, written in collaboration with Aimee Lee Ball.

From 2006, Shepherd has been appearing on the Showtime drama, The L Word as the character Phyllis Kroll. She helped get her real-life daughter Clementine Ford the role of her on screen daughter.

Although Shepherd has not admitted to bisexuality, she has revealed her sexual curiosity and desire in various interviews about having a physical relationship with a woman.

In 2006, in an interview about The L Word she said more than once that she was "turned on" by the woman-woman sex scenes :
Cybill Shepherd has described her beliefs regarding Religion thus:“I guess you could describe me as a goddess-worshipping Christian Pagan Buddhist.”

She agreed to a date with actor Jack Nicholson to make Peter Bogdanovich jealous. Later, she canceled the date and Nicholson would not speak to her again, except to say "hi" at a party many years later.

She did not like working with Charles Grodin on The Heartbreak Kid (1972), and that it took her several years to like him enough to have a one night stand with him.

Robert De Niro asked her out during the filming of Taxi Driver (1976). She turned him down, and he did not speak to her, except in character, for the rest of the filming.

She had a sexual encounter with her co-star Don Johnson that lasted several intense minutes during the making of the television miniseries The Long Hot Summer (1985).

The jazz musician Stan Getz came on to her during a recording session for her album, but she declined and he did not speak to her.

In her autobiography, Shepherd addressed rumors that she was jealous of her co-stars Bruce Willis and Christine Baranski for winning Emmy awards while she has not: "The grain of truth is this: Who doesn't want to win an Emmy ?"

Unsuccessful nominations were :
- 1997 - Best Actress in a TV series, Comedy/Musical - Cybill
- 1988 - Best Actress in a TV series, Comedy/Musical - Moonlighting
- 1972 - Most Promising Newcomer (Female) - The Last Picture Show

For the official website, see the Infobox.Wikimedia Commons has media related to:Cybill Shepherd
- Cybill Shepherd UK tribute site
- Cybill Shepherd at the Internet Movie Database
- Time Out New York: Interview with Cybill Shepherd, January 4-10, 2007

Claudia Schiffer

Claudia Schiffer Wallpapers
Claudia Schiffer Biography

Date of Birth: August 25, 1970
Claudia Schiffer is a spokeswoman for breast cancer and a volunteer for UNICEF, but easily best known for her supermodel status. Besides countless magazine covers she can be seen on the big screen in "Richie Rich" (1994), "Friends & Lovers" (1999) and "Life Without Dick" (2001).Claudia Schiffer was born in Rheinberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, which is a small town just outside Düsseldorf. She was born to Gudrun Schiffer and her lawyer father Heinz Schiffer. She has two brothers, Stefan and Andreas, and one sister called Ann Carolin.

During her school life, Schiffer commented that she was quite popular but felt socially overshadowed by the other girls in her year, who all acted like stars and were very dominant. She has revealed that because she was so tall, she became very shy and did not want to be noticed. She was also subjected to jealousy by others as she came from a wealthy family that were well-known locally in the area. Schiffer became fluent in French and English as well as in her home language of German.

Claudia Schiffer originally wanted to become a lawyer and work in her father's law firm. She later dropped these aspirations when she was spotted in a nightclub in Düsseldorf by Michel Levaton in October 1987 at seventeen, the boss of Metropolitan Model Agency who signed her up to become a model.

After she was spotted as a potential model in a disco at the age of just seventeen, she completed her education by her mother's wishes and then began to work as a model. She flew out to Paris for a trial photo shoot and soon after she appeared in the cover of French ELLE after being well received in Paris. After several other magazine appearances she quickly achieved supermodel status when she was selected by Karl Lagerfeld to become the new face of Chanel. Schiffer continued to become a world-famous supermodel, becoming instantly recognizable with her blue eyes, blond hair and tall figure.

Claudia Schiffer has also been the face of Mango, a chain of Spanish clothes stores and Accessorize, where she had her ears pierced especially for her Autumn/Winter 2006 Accessorize advertising campaign in 2006. Schiffer still holds a contract with L'Oreal and Ebel watches, and her billboard picture for Kenar has also hung over millions of tourists at Time Square. Since 1990, she has created a swimsuit calendar each year which she stars in and designs herself.

Her career continued to develop when she secured contracts with Pepsi appearing in advertisements promoting the brand, and has also danced with a cartoon version of Mickey Mouse in advertisements promoting Fanta for an estimated $2 million. She appeared nude in a 1998 Citroën advertisement, securing her a reputed £3 million. However from behind the car only her feet and shoulders upward could be seen and she did not know how to drive at the time. KarlLagerfeld recently filmed her for a Dom Perignon campaign, some ten years after her first appearances in Chanel adverts.

Schiffer has appeared in a number of films and music videos. Her first appearance in film was in the children's movie Richie Rich in 1994 and then starred opposite Dennis Hopper and Matthew Modine in Blackout. She went on to appear in Friends & Lovers and Black and White in 1999, In Pursuit andLife Without Dick in 2001, and then Love Actually in a semi-cameo role. Schiffer has made several other cameo appearances in film which include, Ben Stiller's Zoolander in 2001. However, she never became as successful as an actress as she did by modelling.

As well as many film appearances, Schiffer has appeared on several chat and television shows such as Larry King Live, The Tonight Show, The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Dharma & Greg and Arrested Development. She was also in boyband Westlife's music video of Billy Joel's "Uptown Girl," as the iconic uptown girl and had a cameo in Bon Jovi's video "Thank You for Loving Me".

During her modelling career, she has also released four exercise videos, entitled Claudia Schiffer's Perfectly Fit, which were successful and reached the bestsellers list. Schiffer has hosted the French Fashion Awards and the World Music Awards in Monaco.

With fellow supermodels Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell, and Elle Macpherson, Schiffer was joint owner of a chain of fashionable restaurants called the Fashion Café in 1995. Schiffer remains a prominent figure in German society and helped present and carry the trophy with Pele during opening ceremonies at the 2006 World Cup. She also presented Prince William with a polo trophy in 2002.

Claudia Schiffer was engaged to the magician David Copperfield for about six years until 1999. They first met at one of Copperfield's stage shows, where he invited her on stage to take part in his 'Flying' illusion, and he then subsequently sawed her in half during a joint appearance on German television. Following the end of her engagement to Copperfield, she met and had a relationship with Tim Jefferies.

Schiffer has had two significant problems with harassment in the past. In 2002, an Italian kitchen porter, known as Agostino Pomata, was arrested after making nine visits to Schiffer's £5 million Suffolk mansion near Bury St Edmunds, attempting to see her. Charges against Agostino Pomata were dropped however, as he was sectioned under the Mental Health Act. He had believed that the Pope had told him to marry Schiffer. Then later in 2004, Louis Brisette a Canadian man, was accused of harassing Schiffer, again at her mansion in Suffolk. He reportedly called at her mansion three times in total in the hope of seeing Schiffer. He also repeatedly left letters at her home.

Christa Miller

Christa Miller Pictures
Christa Miller Biography

Date of Birth: May 28, 1964
She was born in New York City, the daughter of model Bonnie Trompeter. Miller was a model as a child, appearing in a Wonder Bread commercial when she was six months old, posing at three for Francesco Scavullo in an Ivory soap advertisement, and photographed for the cover of Redbook. Her days as a child model were curtailed after an operation for a benign bone tumor. After attending Convent of the Sacred Heart, Miller returned briefly to modeling, but soon took acting lessons, abandoning modeling for good when she moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1990. She was on the first edition of the American Maxim.

Her first role on television was in Kate & Allie, which starred her real- life aunt, Susan Saint James. She was also in episodes of Northern Exposure, Seinfeld, Fresh Prince of Bel Air and Party of Five. She had a major role on The Drew Carey Show from 1995 to 2002 playing Kate, and was the voice of Cleopatra in her husband's short-lived animated show Clone High.

Miller also appeared twice in Seinfeld, as two different characters. In "The Sniffing Accountant", she was the boss of George Costanza's potential employer; in "The Doodle", she was a woman whom George unsuccessfully dates.

Miller has three children with Bill Lawrence: Charlotte Sarah, born on June 8, 2000; William Stoddard, born on January 3, 2003; and Henry Vanduzer, born on October 8, 2006.

Cybill Shepherd

Cybill Shepherd Wallpaper
Cybill Shepherd Biography

Cybill Lynne Shepherd (born 18 February 1950) is a Golden Globe Award-winning American actress, singer, and former fashion model.
Her best known roles include starring as Jacy in The Last Picture Show, Maddie Hayes in Moonlighting, as Cybill Sheridan in Cybill, as Betsy in Taxi Driver and as Phyllis Kroll in The L Word.

Shepherd was born in Memphis, Tennessee to William Jennings Shepherd and Patty Shobe. Named after her grandfather Cy and her father Bill, Shepherd won the 1966 "Miss Memphis" contest at age 16, resulting in fashion modeling work through high school and after.

She quickly made a name for herself as a curvy 'real woman', which was a departure from the trend at the time of Twiggy-type waifs. This led to regular work as amagazine cover girl, and it was a 1970 Glamour magazine cover that caught the eye of film director Peter Bogdanovich. Upon seeing the cover in a supermarket check-out line, Bogdanovich was reported to have said "That's Jacy", referring to the role he was casting - and ultimately offered to Shepherd - inThe Last Picture Show (1971). Her role as the sexual ingenue would prove to be one of the most explosive and promising debuts of any film actress.

During the filming, the then 21-year-old was required to film a nude scene in a pool. Still photos obtained from that nude scene appeared in Playboy magazine without Shepherd's consent. She sued and ultimately she and Playboy reached an out-of-court settlement, setting a precedent regarding public figures.

After a series of less successful roles, including The Lady Vanishes, the remake of Hitchcock's 1938 movie of the same name, she dropped out of show business from 1978 to 1982.

Back from Memphis, Shepherd won the role of Colleen Champion in the night-time drama The Yellow Rose (1983), opposite Sam Elliott. Although critically acclaimed, the series lasted only one season.

A year later, Shepherd was cast as Maddie Hayes in ABC's Moonlighting (1985-1989), which became the role that would define her career. The producers knew that her role depended on having chemistry with her co-star, and she was involved in the selection of Bruce Willis. They quickly became one of the most celebrated television duos. A lighthearted combination of mystery and comedy, the series won Shepherd twoGolden Globe awards.

In 1997, she won her third Golden Globe award, for CBS' Cybill (1995-1998), a television sitcom, in which the title character - Cybill Sheridan, an actress struggling with hammy parts in B movies and bad soaps - was loosely modeled on herself (including portrayals of her two ex-husbands). As she had on Moonlighting, she was involved in casting another unknown co-star (Christine Baranski) who proved to be an asset to the show's popularity.

In 2000, Cybill Shepherd's bestselling autobiography was published, titled Cybill Disobedience: How I Survived Beauty Pageants, Elvis, Sex, Bruce Willis, Lies, Marriage, Motherhood, Hollywood, and the Irrepressible Urge to Say What I Think, written in collaboration with Aimee Lee Ball.

From 2006, Shepherd has been appearing on the Showtime drama, The L Word as the character Phyllis Kroll. She helped get her real-life daughter Clementine Ford the role of her on screen daughter.

Although Shepherd has not admitted to bisexuality, she has revealed her sexual curiosity and desire in various interviews about having a physical relationship with a woman.

In 2006, in an interview about The L Word she said more than once that she was "turned on" by the woman-woman sex scenes :
Cybill Shepherd has described her beliefs regarding Religion thus:“I guess you could describe me as a goddess-worshipping Christian Pagan Buddhist.”

She agreed to a date with actor Jack Nicholson to make Peter Bogdanovich jealous. Later, she canceled the date and Nicholson would not speak to her again, except to say "hi" at a party many years later.

She did not like working with Charles Grodin on The Heartbreak Kid (1972), and that it took her several years to like him enough to have a one night stand with him.

Robert De Niro asked her out during the filming of Taxi Driver (1976). She turned him down, and he did not speak to her, except in character, for the rest of the filming.

She had a sexual encounter with her co-star Don Johnson that lasted several intense minutes during the making of the television miniseries The Long Hot Summer (1985).

The jazz musician Stan Getz came on to her during a recording session for her album, but she declined and he did not speak to her.

In her autobiography, Shepherd addressed rumors that she was jealous of her co-stars Bruce Willis and Christine Baranski for winning Emmy awards while she has not: "The grain of truth is this: Who doesn't want to win an Emmy ?"

Unsuccessful nominations were :
- 1997 - Best Actress in a TV series, Comedy/Musical - Cybill
- 1988 - Best Actress in a TV series, Comedy/Musical - Moonlighting
- 1972 - Most Promising Newcomer (Female) - The Last Picture Show

For the official website, see the Infobox.Wikimedia Commons has media related to:Cybill Shepherd
- Cybill Shepherd UK tribute site
- Cybill Shepherd at the Internet Movie Database
- Time Out New York: Interview with Cybill Shepherd, January 4-10, 2007

Claudia Schiffer

Claudia Schiffer Wallpapers
Claudia Schiffer Biography

Date of Birth: August 25, 1970
Claudia Schiffer is a spokeswoman for breast cancer and a volunteer for UNICEF, but easily best known for her supermodel status. Besides countless magazine covers she can be seen on the big screen in "Richie Rich" (1994), "Friends & Lovers" (1999) and "Life Without Dick" (2001).Claudia Schiffer was born in Rheinberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, which is a small town just outside Düsseldorf. She was born to Gudrun Schiffer and her lawyer father Heinz Schiffer. She has two brothers, Stefan and Andreas, and one sister called Ann Carolin.

During her school life, Schiffer commented that she was quite popular but felt socially overshadowed by the other girls in her year, who all acted like stars and were very dominant. She has revealed that because she was so tall, she became very shy and did not want to be noticed. She was also subjected to jealousy by others as she came from a wealthy family that were well-known locally in the area. Schiffer became fluent in French and English as well as in her home language of German.

Claudia Schiffer originally wanted to become a lawyer and work in her father's law firm. She later dropped these aspirations when she was spotted in a nightclub in Düsseldorf by Michel Levaton in October 1987 at seventeen, the boss of Metropolitan Model Agency who signed her up to become a model.

After she was spotted as a potential model in a disco at the age of just seventeen, she completed her education by her mother's wishes and then began to work as a model. She flew out to Paris for a trial photo shoot and soon after she appeared in the cover of French ELLE after being well received in Paris. After several other magazine appearances she quickly achieved supermodel status when she was selected by Karl Lagerfeld to become the new face of Chanel. Schiffer continued to become a world-famous supermodel, becoming instantly recognizable with her blue eyes, blond hair and tall figure.

Claudia Schiffer has also been the face of Mango, a chain of Spanish clothes stores and Accessorize, where she had her ears pierced especially for her Autumn/Winter 2006 Accessorize advertising campaign in 2006. Schiffer still holds a contract with L'Oreal and Ebel watches, and her billboard picture for Kenar has also hung over millions of tourists at Time Square. Since 1990, she has created a swimsuit calendar each year which she stars in and designs herself.

Her career continued to develop when she secured contracts with Pepsi appearing in advertisements promoting the brand, and has also danced with a cartoon version of Mickey Mouse in advertisements promoting Fanta for an estimated $2 million. She appeared nude in a 1998 Citroën advertisement, securing her a reputed £3 million. However from behind the car only her feet and shoulders upward could be seen and she did not know how to drive at the time. KarlLagerfeld recently filmed her for a Dom Perignon campaign, some ten years after her first appearances in Chanel adverts.

Schiffer has appeared in a number of films and music videos. Her first appearance in film was in the children's movie Richie Rich in 1994 and then starred opposite Dennis Hopper and Matthew Modine in Blackout. She went on to appear in Friends & Lovers and Black and White in 1999, In Pursuit andLife Without Dick in 2001, and then Love Actually in a semi-cameo role. Schiffer has made several other cameo appearances in film which include, Ben Stiller's Zoolander in 2001. However, she never became as successful as an actress as she did by modelling.

As well as many film appearances, Schiffer has appeared on several chat and television shows such as Larry King Live, The Tonight Show, The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Dharma & Greg and Arrested Development. She was also in boyband Westlife's music video of Billy Joel's "Uptown Girl," as the iconic uptown girl and had a cameo in Bon Jovi's video "Thank You for Loving Me".

During her modelling career, she has also released four exercise videos, entitled Claudia Schiffer's Perfectly Fit, which were successful and reached the bestsellers list. Schiffer has hosted the French Fashion Awards and the World Music Awards in Monaco.

With fellow supermodels Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell, and Elle Macpherson, Schiffer was joint owner of a chain of fashionable restaurants called the Fashion Café in 1995. Schiffer remains a prominent figure in German society and helped present and carry the trophy with Pele during opening ceremonies at the 2006 World Cup. She also presented Prince William with a polo trophy in 2002.

Claudia Schiffer was engaged to the magician David Copperfield for about six years until 1999. They first met at one of Copperfield's stage shows, where he invited her on stage to take part in his 'Flying' illusion, and he then subsequently sawed her in half during a joint appearance on German television. Following the end of her engagement to Copperfield, she met and had a relationship with Tim Jefferies.

Schiffer has had two significant problems with harassment in the past. In 2002, an Italian kitchen porter, known as Agostino Pomata, was arrested after making nine visits to Schiffer's £5 million Suffolk mansion near Bury St Edmunds, attempting to see her. Charges against Agostino Pomata were dropped however, as he was sectioned under the Mental Health Act. He had believed that the Pope had told him to marry Schiffer. Then later in 2004, Louis Brisette a Canadian man, was accused of harassing Schiffer, again at her mansion in Suffolk. He reportedly called at her mansion three times in total in the hope of seeing Schiffer. He also repeatedly left letters at her home.

Christa Miller

Christa Miller Pictures
Christa Miller Biography

Date of Birth: May 28, 1964
She was born in New York City, the daughter of model Bonnie Trompeter. Miller was a model as a child, appearing in a Wonder Bread commercial when she was six months old, posing at three for Francesco Scavullo in an Ivory soap advertisement, and photographed for the cover of Redbook. Her days as a child model were curtailed after an operation for a benign bone tumor. After attending Convent of the Sacred Heart, Miller returned briefly to modeling, but soon took acting lessons, abandoning modeling for good when she moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1990. She was on the first edition of the American Maxim.

Her first role on television was in Kate & Allie, which starred her real- life aunt, Susan Saint James. She was also in episodes of Northern Exposure, Seinfeld, Fresh Prince of Bel Air and Party of Five. She had a major role on The Drew Carey Show from 1995 to 2002 playing Kate, and was the voice of Cleopatra in her husband's short-lived animated show Clone High.

Miller also appeared twice in Seinfeld, as two different characters. In "The Sniffing Accountant", she was the boss of George Costanza's potential employer; in "The Doodle", she was a woman whom George unsuccessfully dates.

Miller has three children with Bill Lawrence: Charlotte Sarah, born on June 8, 2000; William Stoddard, born on January 3, 2003; and Henry Vanduzer, born on October 8, 2006.
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Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Aaliyah

Aaliyah
Aaliyah Biography

On January 16th 1979 the World was blessed with the birth of Aaliyah Dana Haughton in Brooklyn, New York. Aaliyah was raised by her father, mother and brother Rashad in Detroit.

At age 9 she appeared on Star Search, the TV programme and sang 'My Funny Valentine', a song which her mother had sung years earlier. At age 11, she sang with Gladys Knight in a five-night stint in Las Vegas. In 1992, she began to work on her debut album with the help of singer R. Kelly. The album, 'Age Ain't nothing but a number' was released in 1994 and received heavy praise. Aaliyah came under attack shortly after when reports suggested she was married to R. Kelly. At the time, she was 15, he was 27. The marriage was apparently annulled. In 1995, she began to work on her 2nd album, alongside Jermaine Dupri, Timbaland, slick Rick and Missy Elliott.The album, titled ' One In A Million' was released on August 27th 1996. In 1998 she released the single, 'Are you that somebody?' from the Dr. Dolittle soundtrack, it was produced by her friends Timbaland.

Later that year she released the single 'Journey to the past', off the Anastasia soundtrack. In 2000, she made her film acting debut and starred as Trish O'Day in the smash hit, hip-hop, kung fu film, 'Romeo Must Die' alongside Jet Li. The producer was so impressed by her performance she got parts in 'The Matrix 2' and 3.

She made numerous records for the soundtrack and released 'Try Again', for which she was nominated with 'Best female video' and 'Best Video in a film' with MTV. In 2001 she was nominated with 2 awards for MTV, the 'Breakthrough female' and 'best performing female'. In July 2001 she released her third album, the self-titled, 'Aaliyah'. In early August of the same year she filmed the video for the single 'More Than a woman', taken offthe album and on the 23rd August she started filming for ' Rock The Boat', on Abaco Island, in the Bahamas.

On 25th August, filming was completed and her and eight of her crew members including her hair stylist and bodyguard boarded a small plane. Shortly after take off, the plane crashed and exploded, Aaliyah and all on board, perished. Aaliyah's funeral was held on Friday August 31st in New York, and 22 white doves were flown to celebrate each year of her life.

Soon after her death, the hit singles 'More Than a woman' and 'Rock The Boat' were released from her third album. In 2002, the film 'Queen Of The Damned' by Anne Rice was released in which Aaliyah played the lead, Queen Akasha. She was nominated for best Villain at the MTV movie awards 2002.

Looking back at her biography, its no wonder her name means 'Highest, most exhalted one; the best', she had achieved so much in her short life of 22 years.

She is notable for recording several hit records, including several number one R&B hits, a number one pop hit, and five top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100. She has sold 32 million records worldwide. She also modeled for Tommy Hilfiger and starred in two motion pictures before dying tragically in a plane crash in the Bahamas.

Aaliyah was born in Bedford-Stuyvesant, a neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City, New York to Michael and Diane Haughton, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. Her name means "Highest, Most Exalted, The Best" in Arabic language. Aaliyah was brought up as a Catholic with her older brother Rashad Haughton. Her grandmother, Mintis L. Hicks Hankerson, was of African American and Native American descent. Diane Haughton, Aaliyah's mother, also a vocalist, encouraged her daughter's career.

She appeared on the TV talent show Star Search at age ten, singing her mother's favorite song, "My Funny Valentine". Although she did not win, Aaliyah worked with an agent in New York and began to attend auditions for TV shows, including "Family Matters".

In 1995, it surfaced that 15-year-old Aaliyah and 27-year-old R. Kelly had secretly married on August 31, 1994. Both artists' camps initially denied the wedding had taken place, but Vibe magazine published a copy of their marriage license, which showed that Aaliyah's age had been falsely listed as 18. The marriage was annulled a few months later.

Aaliyah signed with her uncle Barry Hankerson's Blackground Records label in 1993 at the age of 14. She released her debut album, titled Age Ain'tNothing but a Number, in 1994 at the age of 15. R. Kelly, was a leading songwriter and producer on her debut album. The album displayed her smooth and velvety vocals and the production work was said to be original and innovative. The album went platinum within months. The album featured the gold-selling singles "Back and Forth", "At Your Best," "Down With The Clique," and the album-title single "Age Ain't Nothing But A Number."

Aaliyah had a hit in 1998 with "Are You that Somebody" (#4 airplay U.S. and #1 R&B airplay for eight weeks), the main single from the Dr. Dolittle soundtrack. Its video was the third most-played on MTV that year, and the song's success helped make Aaliyah a household name and crowned Her as Queen of Urban Pop.

In 2000, she co-starred with Jet Li in the martial arts film Romeo Must Die, which debuted at number one at the box office. Aaliyah and Timbaland executive produced the film's soundtrack album and Aaliyah contributed four songs: "Are You Feelin' Me?," "I Don't Wanna", "Come Back in One Piece," a duet with DMX, and the international number one hit "Try Again." Aaliyah made history once more when "Try Again" became the first song to ever reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 based solely on the strength of its radio airplay, without any single sales factored in. After the huge success of "Try Again" at radio, a 12" maxi single was released for consumer purchase. The radio-only single, "I Don't Wanna", (which was also featured on the soundtracks for the films Next Friday andRomeo Must Die) peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles & Tracks chart.

In 2001, Aaliyah went to Australia to co-star with Stuart Townsend in the film Queen of the Damned, an adaptation of the Anne Rice novel of the same name. Aaliyah also recorded most of her third studio album, Aaliyah, during this time.

In 2001, Missy Elliott released her video for "Take Away". The video contained words and images about Aaliyah. The single also featured Ginuwine and was the debut of Elliott's recent protégé, Tweet.

Aaliyah and former Beatle George Harrison made UK Chart history in January 2002 when they scored the first, and to this date only, back-to-back posthumous number one hits (aside from the Elvis Presley re-releases in 2005). Aaliyah's "More than a Woman", released on January 7 and topped the chart on January 13, was followed by Harrison's "My Sweet Lord", re-released on January 14 and topped the chart on January 20. Aaliyah was voted one of "The Top 40 Woman of the Video Era" in VH1's The Greatest, also ranked #36 on their list of the 100 Sexiest Artist. Aaliyah also made E!'s list on the 101 Most Shocking Moments in Entertainment, Juciest Hollywood Hookups, and Best Kept Hollywood Secrets. Aaliyah recently ranked at #18 on BET's "Top 25 Dancers of All Time" and ranked at #4 on BET's "Top 25 Sexiest Women of all Time". In 2005, former Co-Star Jet-Li as reported from CNN stated the memory of Aaliyah had haunted him in Vancouver, where he and the late songstress shot the filmRomeo Must Die.

Another way Aaliyah's legacy will live on, is through The Aaliyah Memorial Fund. The money donated goes to charities Aaliyah supported. Aaliyah's Cancer Awareness Angels participate in a Revlon Run Walk in which Aaliyah herself once participated.

Carmen Electra


Carmen Electra



Tara Leigh Patrick (born April 20, 1972), professionally known as Carmen Electra, is an American glamour model, television personality, dancer, singer, and actress.

Tara was born in Sharonville, Ohio, USA, a suburb of Cincinnati, to Patricia, a vocalist, and Harry Patrick, an entertainer and guitarist; her mother died of a brain tumor in 1998. She had an older sister, Debbie, who died from a heart attack, also in 1998. Tara graduated from Princeton High School in Sharonville.

Carmen was given her stage name by Prince. In 1995, Electra started appearing in various television programs. Then, in May of 1996 she was featured in a nude pictorial in Playboy magazine, the first of several. This exposure led to higher profile television appearances, including Baywatch (cast member from 1997-1998) and MTV's Singled Out. She returned to Baywatch for the 2003 reunion movie, Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding.

Carmen Electra became so popular among readers of Playboy that she was featured in the magazine three more times, with her second appearance in June 1997. She subsequently graced the cover twice, in December 2000 and April 2003. In the Playboy Cyber Club, she was the first woman invited to be a celebrity guest photographer; she chose Playmate Jennifer Walcott as her subject model.

In 1999, she appeared in the Bloodhound Gang's music video of "The Inevitable Return of the Great White Dope."

In 2005, she joined the voice cast of the animated series Tripping the Rift, replacing Gina Gershon as the voice of the sexy android "Six". Also in 2005, she began the Naked Women's Wrestling League, acting as the commissioner for the professional wrestling promotion. In late 2006, Carmen began to be featured in commercials by Taco Bell.

Carmen Electra is the current spokesmodel for Ritz Camera Centers, appearing in their television and print ads with CEO David Ritz. She is featured in some video spoofs of Lonelygirl15 that are advertising Epic Movie.

She is a playable character in the video game Def Jam: Fight for New York and is one of the celebrity challenges in the video game ESPN NFL 2K5, along with Steve-O, Jamie Kennedy and others.

Electra has been confirmed as a competitor on NBC's Celebrity version of The Apprentice. This version of The Apprentice is currently scheduled to begin in early 2008 as a mid-season replacement.

Electra bagged her first rock and pop star when she dated Prince, though the relationship was short lived. Electra was previously romantically involved with rap star B-Real of Cypress Hill from 1995 to 1998. It was revealed when B-Real and Electra were both on The Howard Stern Show that B-Real had purchased breast implants for her.

Carmen Electra achieved publicity during her on-again, off-again marriage to basketball star Dennis Rodman from 1998 to 1999. The wedding to Rodman took place at Little Chapel of the Flowers in Las Vegas, Nevada. Later, she had a brief affair with Tommy Lee, the ex-husband of Pamela Anderson.

On November 22, 2003, Electra married Dave Navarro, former lead guitarist for the rock bands Jane's Addiction and Red Hot Chili Peppers. The couple documented their courtship and marriage in an MTV celebreality show called 'Til Death Do Us Part: Carmen & Dave. On 17 July 2006, she and Navarro announced their separation. Their rep confirmed their separation to Star Magazine. Electra filed for divorce on 10 August. It was finalized on February 20, 2007.

In 2006, Electra stated that when she was eight years old she had a "little girl crush" on Joan Jett. In 2007, tabloid sources linked the two of them together romantically. However, Electra's spokeswoman has insisted "They are just friends." In June 2007, talk show host Jimmy Kimmel asked Electra if her relationship with Jett was romantic. Electra stated; "We're just friends". She went on to say that she collects tabloid articles that suggest she and Jett are dating because she is a fan of Jett and finds them amusing as well.