Showing posts with label Actress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Actress. Show all posts
Monday, December 28, 2009
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Elisha Cuthbert
SA former child star whose flame continued to burn bright into her teen years, blonde beauty Elisha Cuthbert has successfully carried the success from Popular Mechanics for Kids and Are You Afraid of the Dark? into a featured role on the hit FOX series 24 and a successful film career. A Calgary native who landed her first modeling job at the tender age of seven, it was a mere four years later that Cuthbert instinctively knew that she wanted to spend the rest of her days in front of the lens. Following an appearance in the 1997 feature Dancing on the Moon, Cuthbert landed a job as a field correspondent for the acclaimed Canadian television series Popular Mechanics for Kids, and her reporting proved so effective that she caught the attention of first lady Hillary Clinton, who invited Cuthbert to Washington for a meeting. Though she spent the majority of her youth in Montreal, Cuthbert moved to Los Angeles at age 17 in order to pursue an acting career. Featured roles as a reluctant pilot in Airspeed (1998) and a time traveling teen in Time at the Top (1999) were soon to follow, and by the time Cuthbert joined the cast of Nickelodeon's Are You Afraid of the Dark? in 1999, it was obvious that her talent was growing. Her role in the made-for-Canadian-television feature Lucky Girl only furthered her reputation as a dramatically capable rising starlet, and her distinct onscreen facial expressions and convincing performance soon caught the eyes of producers who were preparing a new thriller series for FOX. Cast as Jack Bauer's (Kiefer Sutherland) damsel-in-distress daughter, Kimberly, in the breakout hit 24, Cuthbert's character suffered through multiple kidnappings and a mountain lion attack over the course of the series' first two seasons. In the episode of 24 in which she shared a scene with the mountain lion, Cuthbert made news when the beast actually attacked her on the film set, sending the frightened actress on a trip to the hospital with an injured hand. On the heels of 24, Cuthbert took a supporting role in the comedy Old School before appearing in the subsequent romantic comedies Love Actually (2003) and The Girl Next Door (2004), the latter of which found her taking the lead as an ex-porn star who becomes the object of affection to a lonely suburban boy unaware of her past.
source : elisha-cuthbert.com
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Christina Aguilera
True to its title, Stripped, the audacious new RCA Records release from Christina Aguilera, strips away the last remnants of her previous teen idol persona and what’s left is as real as it gets.The sixteen new tracks that comprise Stripped, including her sensational debut single, “Dirrty,” showcases an unadorned, unfettered and fearlessly outspoken artist who has liberated herself, her soul and her music on an album that is as much a declaration of independence as it is a convincing demonstration of her fierce and original talent. Simply put, this is the real deal.
“When you’re seventeen years old, green and inexperienced, you’re grateful for any guidance and direction you can get.” Says Christina on her rocket sled ride to the top following the 1999 release of her eponymously-titled debut album, with its string of consecutive chart toppers, including “Genie In A Bottle” and “What A Girl Wants.” It was a feat she would repeat the following year with Mi Reflejo, the smash Spanish language version of her debut, followed by her hit holiday release, My Kind Of Christmas.
Ten million plus albums, a Grammy win for Best New Artist and a marathon round of world touring later, Christina began to fearlessly break free from the mass media mask that hid her true self, and the full scope of her talent.
“I felt trapped,” she admits. “I was under the thumb of people who were mostly interested in keeping me doing exactly the same thing. But I’m not blaming anyone,” she’s quick to add. “You learn fast in this business and, once I knew where I wanted to go, I didn’t let anyone get in my way.”
Where she wanted to go, at least initially, was to her Los Angeles home where she could catch her breath, reconnecting with herself and her two canine companions. “I needed a break,” she reveals. “I wanted to disappear into empty space for awhile. So much had happened in such a short time, and not only in my career. I’d gone through a breakup with my first real love and I began realizing that I should be experiencing a bit more of life than TV and recording studios, hotels and green rooms.”
As well intended as her much-deserved hiatus may have been, the vocalist and songwriter still had to contend with the restless creative energy that had fueled her preteen trajectory from talent show contestant in and around her native Pittsburgh to international superstardom.
“I’m driven,” is Christina’s frank admission. “Even in the midst of touring, I was thinking about what my next album would be, writing bits and pieces of songs in journals and scrapbooks.”
That album, like Christina’s long overdue R&R, would have to wait. Unable to resist the lure of a promising creative collaboration, she joined forces with Pink, Mya and Lil’ Kim on the smash “Lady Marmalade” single and video. That eye-popping slice of ear candy kept her front and center in the international spotlight even as she began, slowly and steadily, to lay the groundwork for a musical manifesto that would change all the rules.
“I was straight ahead about what I wanted to do,” Christina continues. “For a long time, I’d been uncomfortable with the image that had been built around me and my music. It felt like I was pretending, trying to hide the real me, and hurting inside because of it. This time I was determined to step beyond the hype and glitter, to take it back down to the bare necessities. It was like starting all over again.”
Yet at the same time, Christina’s bold work-in-progress wasn’t simply a reaction to the past. “I wanted to explore some of the music that had inspired me coming up,” she explains. “I’ve always been a huge fan of soul. I love real rock & roll and hip-hop, of course, is one of my biggest influences. I wanted it all.”
And what she wanted she set about to achieve with a relentless determination and a willingness to stretch her creative boundaries. “I’ve always thought recording was about attaining perfection,” she reveals. “What I discovered making this album is that getting across real feelings is what’s important. As much as possible, I wanted to have the listener right there in the studio with me. I wanted to introduce myself, to get down to it. What mattered was sharing what I was really going through…for the first time.”
And the first and most formidable challenge for Christina was to assemble a supporting cast that, in her words, “weren’t influenced by my old image.” A ruthless process of elimination yielded a production and songwriting team that included, among others, Pink producer Linda Perry; the team of Redman and Rockwilder; Alanis Morrissette producer Glenn Ballard; fast rising studio wizard Scott Storch, as well artist/producer Alicia Keys.
Recorded over an eighteen-month stretch, with Christina firmly at the helm every step of the way, Stripped slowly but surely took shape, not only as an exercise in breathtaking stylistic diversity but as a resonant and revealing look into the mind and emotions of a young woman on the verge of personal and professional liberation.
The result is resonant and revealing original tracks that decisively shred Christina’s squeaky clean persona, even as they set the stage for a career that, millions of albums and concert tickets later, is only now just getting started. The proof is all over Stripped, from the opening notes of “Impossible,” the smoky ballad by Alicia Keys, to the romantic revelations of “Can’t Hold Us Down,” featuring the persuasive production of Scott Storch; from the soaring affirmations of “Beautiful,” to blistering licks of “Make Over,” to the superheated funk of “Dirrty,” featuring Redman and Rockwilder. “I loved ‘Let’s Get Dirty,’” Christina reveals, “So I asked Rockwilder to put something together kind of like that for me.” She laughs. “What I got was a little too close, but then I figured, ‘Why not?’ The track is like an answer song to the original, only from a female point of view.”
As much excitement and surprise as a first listening to Stripped might generate, there are other textures, urgent, honest and unguarded, that emerge with time. “Everything I sing about in ‘I’m OK’ is real,” she asserts. “I took it right out ofmy life and I’m singing it right to my Dad.” While another Stripped standout, “Can’t Hold Me Down,” may at first sound like payback to a certain superstar rapper, for Christina that’s hardly the point. “I haven’t got time for all that,” is her retort. “I’m more interested in helping girls stand up for themselves. That’s what the song is about – double standards and how we’re supposed to look and act a certain way just to please men. If I have any influence as an entertainer, I want it to be optimistic and uplifting, to make this world a little better place to live.”
For Christina Aguilera, it all begins by getting real. “This music is who I am,” she confidently asserts. “You can take it or leave it, but I’m not going to change, not for anyone.” In the end, she says, it’s a tribute to the millions of worldwide fans who have made her a household name. “Fans grow up, too,” she smiles. “We’re all reaching out for something more real and if we really want it, we’re going to find it. This album is for anyone who really wants it.”
source
Monday, November 17, 2008
Britney Spears
Britney Spears (born 2.12.1982)Britney Spears’ debut album Baby One More Time found her international stardom in 1999 and contained the Billboard topping single ‘Baby One More Time. She has sold over 83 million records worldwide, currently making her the eighth best-selling female artist in American music history, having sold 31 million albums in the U.S.
Her turbulent personal life has been well documented. Most recently, On the evening of 3rd January 2008, police were called to Spears's home after she refused to relinquish custody of her children. As a result of an order placed by her psychiatrist, Spears was taken to UCLA Medical Centre on January 31 where she was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder.
Britney’s Childhood
Spears was born in McComb, Mississippi and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana.
She auditioned for the Disney Channel series ‘The New Mickey Mouse Club’ when she was just eight years old. At the time, she was considered too young to join the series, but a producer on the show suggested that she meet up with an agent in New York.
When she turned 11, Spears returned to the Disney Channel for a role in the ‘The New Mickey Mouse Club’. She remained on the show from until the age of 13, from 1993 to 1994. Her young co-workers on the show included Christina Aguilera (pop singer), Justin Timbelake (who would go on to be her boyfriend for some time), Joshua Chasez (also in N’Sync with Timberlake), Keri Russell (actress) and Ryan Gosling (actor). She returned to schoool in Kentwood for one year after the show had ended.
After school, in 1997, she joined the all-girl group Innosense for a short period of time but later that year she recorded a solo demo tape and was signed by Jive Records on the strength of the demo. She eventually became the opening act for boy bands Backstreet Boys and N’Sync.
Britney’s Musical Career
Her first single ‘Baby One More Time was released in 1998 and became an instant international success. It sold nine million copies worldwide. The song’s accompanying music video featured Britney dressed provocatively in a midriff-baring schoolgirl uniform.
The album, also called Baby One More Time was released in January 1999, reaching number one on the Billboard 200. The album subsequently acheived worldwide sales of over 25 million copies. In December 1999, she won four Billboard Music Awards and in early 2000, she took home the Favorite Pop/Rock New Artist award at the American Music Awards. She went on to receive two nominations at the Grammys, that same year, though she lost out to Christina Aguilera and Sarah McLachlan.
Her second album, Oops I Did It Again debuted at number one in the U.S. by selling 1,319,193 units during its first week of sales. Concerning both musical content and sales, the album was very similar to Spears's debut, although critics were more favourable to this second album.
In 2000, Britney gained two more Billboard Music awards and another two Grammy nominations. She also garnered controversy at the MTV Music awards when she ripped off a black suit to reveal a provocative nude-colored and crystal-adorned outfit.
Spears third studio album, Britney was released in November 2001. Although not as successful as her previous albums, she gained some creative control by co-writing five of the album's tracks. It still managed to surpass Michael Jackson’s album Invincible when it had a successful debut at number one in the U.S. by selling 745,744 units during its first week. The singles did not fare so well. The lead single ‘Im A Slave 4 U’ peaked at 27 on the Billlboard Hot 100, making it the album's biggest hit. At the end of the album’s promotional tour for the album, Spears announced she would take a six-month break from her career.
During her third consecutive MTV Video Music Awards performance, she controversially utilized caged animals and danced erotically with a large albino python draped over her shoulders. At a performance at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, she performed the song ‘Like A Virgin’ with Christina Aguilera and was later joined by Madonna, with whom Spears locked lips, in a highly publicised kiss.
Spears’ fourth studio album, In The Zone, was released in November 2003. The album used lesser-known producers such as RedZone, as well as big names such as Moby and R.Kelly. The album reached number one in the U.S. charts during its debut week, with over 609,000 copies sold. Spears became the only female in music history to have her first four studio albums debut at number one.
The album spawned the hit single ‘Toxic’, winning Spears her first ever Grammy, despite previous nominations.
After her marriage to one of her dancers, Kevin Federline, Spears announced on her website she was taking another career break in order to start a family. However, November 2004 saw the release of her first greatest hits collection, Greatest Hits: My Prerogative, which debuted at #4 on the U.S. charts. Then, In November 2005, she released her first remix album, B In the Mix: The Remixes. With Spears still on maternity leave, the album did not reach the success of her previous albums.
In May 2007, Spears made her musical comeback, but overall, this proved to be a disappointment to many. A mini-tour for the House Of Blues failed to see her singing live for the 15 minutes that she performed. Her most recent was recorded with producers such as Sean Garrett and Nate “Danja” Hills in 2006 and 2007.
The result of these recordings was Blackout, her fifth album. Scheduled for release in November 2007, it was pushed up to October 30th due to internet leaks. It debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard charts, selling 290,000 copies
Britney’s ill-fated performance at the 2007 MTV Music Awards received much media attention, being described as a disappointing attempt at a comeback. The BBC, for instance, stated that "her performance would go down in the history books as being one of the worst to grace the MTV Awards." Whilst critics at The Times noted that "Spears was out of synch as she lip-synched and at times just stopped singing altogether." Despite the backlash, however, the single has achieved success worldwide.
source
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson, born on the 22nd of November, 1984, in New York City, has an older brother and sister and a twin brother. She divides her time between New York with her father, a building contractor and Los Angeles with her mother, who looks out for her interests there. She's the only actor in the family, something she's wanted to be since she was three. Her acting career began when she was eight in the off-Broadway production of Sophistry with Ethan Hawke at New York's Playwrights Horizons.Scarlett has been in seven movies, the first was North. For her role as Manny in Manny & Lo she was nominated as Best Actress by the Independent Spirit Awards (1997).
She attained worldwide recognition for her performance as Grace MacLean, the teen traumatized in a riding accident in Robert Redford's hit feature The Horse Whisperer, a role for which she won a YoungStar award and was nominated for a Blockbuster Entertainment Award. She has most recently been spotlighted for her performances in the acclaimed films Ghost World, An American Rhapsody and the Coen Brothers film The Man Who Wasn't There. Johansson's additional credits include Rob Reiner's comedy North, the role of Sean Connery's daughter in Just Cause, as well as notable appearances in If Lucy Fell and Home Alone 3. She is currently lensing Brian Robbins' The Perfect Score for Paramount Pictures.
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