leonardo dicaprio biography

Date of Birth

11 November 1974, Hollywood, California, USA

Birth Name

Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio

Nickname

Leo
Lenny D

Height

6' (1.83 m)

Mini Biography

His name allegedly derives from his German mother Irmalin's having experienced a sudden kick from her unborn boy while enjoying a DaVinci painting at the Uffizi. In the year following his birth, she and his Italian father, George, were divorced. He grew up in Echo Park, then a particularly seedy, drug-dominated area of Los Angeles. At five he appeared on his favorite TV show "Romper Room" (1953) and was nearly thrown off for misbehaving. After a string of commercials, educational films ("Mickey's Safety Club"), occasional parts in TV series, a debut film role as Josh in Critters 3 (1991), a continuing role as the homeless boy Luke in the TV series "Growing Pains" (1985), he got his break-through part as Toby in This Boy's Life (1993), co-starring with Robert De Niro and Ellen Barkin.

The part led the New York Film Critics and the National Society of Film Critics to name him runner-up for Best Supporting Actor. His first Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations came for the difficult role of Arnie in What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993). Equally challenging parts were a drug-troubled Jim Carroll in The Basketball Diaries (1995), the tormented homosexual poet Rimbaud in Total Eclipse (1995), and the angry teenage son of a harried mother in Marvin's Room (1996). He made a major impact with his starring role in a very updated Romeo + Juliet (1996). Superstardom came to DiCaprio playing Jack Dawson in Titanic (1997), highest grossing film ever, tied with Ben-Hur (1959) for most Academy Awards, though Leo himself was not nominated. His performance in the remake of The Man in the Iron Mask (1998/I) was poorly received, but the film still turned a profit. His next major film, The Beach (2000/I), was not a success, but he made another comeback in Catch Me If You Can (2002) and remains an A-list star.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Ed Stephan <>

Trivia

While filming The Beach (2000/I) off the coast of Thailand, Leonardo and others were swept off a camera boat by strong winds and waves. No one was injured. [16 April 1999]

His first publicity spot was about MILK.

Sues Playgirl magazine over plans to publish pictures --including full frontal nudity -- of himself. [March 1998]

kete winslet biography

Birth Name

Kate Elizabeth Winslet

Nickname

English Rose
Corset Kate

Height

5' 6½" (1.69 m)

Mini Biography

Ask Kate Winslet what she liked about any of her characters, and the word "ballsy" is bound to pop up at least once. The British actress has made a point of eschewing straightforward pretty-girl parts in favor of more devilish damsels; as a result, she's built an eclectic resume; that runs the gamut from Shakespearean tragedy to modern-day mysticism and erotica.

Born into a family of thespians -- parents Roger Winslet and Sally Bridges-Winslet were both stage actors, maternal grandparents Oliver and Linda Bridges ran the Reading Repertory Theatre, and uncle Robert Bridges was a fixture in London's West End theatre district -- Kate came into her talent at an early age. She scored her first professional gig at 11, dancing opposite the Honey Monster in a commercial for a kids' cereal. She started acting lessons around the same time, which led to formal training at a performing arts high school. Over the next few years she appeared on stage regularly and landed a few bit parts in sitcoms. Her first big break came at age 17, when she was cast as an obsessive adolescent in Heavenly Creatures (1994). The film, based on the true story of two fantasy-gripped girls who commit a brutal murder, received modest distribution but was roundly praised by critics.

Still a relative unknown, Winslet attended a cattle call audition the next year for Ang Lee's Sense and Sensibility (1995). She made an immediate impression on the film's star, Emma Thompson, and beat out more than a hundred other hopefuls for the part of plucky Marianne Dashwood. Her efforts were rewarded with both a British Academy Award and an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Winslet followed up with two more period pieces, playing the rebellious heroine in Jude (1996) and Ophelia in Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet (1996).

The role that transformed Winslet from art house attraction to international star was Rose DeWitt Bukater, the passionate, rosy-cheeked aristocrat in James Cameron's Titanic (1997). Young girls the world over both idolized and identified with Winslet, swooning over all that face time opposite heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio and noting her refreshingly healthy, un-emaciated physique. Winslet's performance also garnered a Best Actress nomination, making her the youngest actress to ever receive two Academy nods.

After the swell of unexpected attention surrounding Titanic (1997), Winslet was eager to retreat into independent projects. Rumor has it that she turned down the lead roles in both Shakespeare in Love (1998) and Anna and the King (1999) in order to play adventurous soul searchers in Hideous Kinky (1998) and Holy Smoke (1999). The former cast her as a young single mother traveling through 1960s Morocco with her daughters in tow; the latter, as a zealous follower of a guru tricked into a "deprogramming" session in the Australian outback. The next year found her back in period dress as the Marquis de Sade's chambermaid and accomplice in Quills (2000). Kate holds the distinction of being the youngest actor ever honored with four Academy Award nominations (she received her fourth at age 29.)

demmi moore biography

Date of Birth

11 November 1962, Roswell, New Mexico, USA

Birth Name

Demetria Gene Guynes

Height

5' 5" (1.65 m)

Mini Biography

Demi Moore was born 1962 in Roswell, New Mexico. Her father left her mother, Victoria, before Demi was born. Her stepfather, Danny Guynes, didn't add much stability to her life, either. He frequently changed jobs and made the family move a total of 40 times. The parents kept on drinking, arguing and beating, until Guynes finally committed suicide. Demi quit school at the age of 16 to work as a pin-up-girl. At 18, she married rock musician Freddie Moore; the marriage lasted four years. At 19, she became a regular on the TV show _"General Hospital" (1982-1983)_. From the first salaries, she started partying and sniffing cocaine. That lasted more than 3 years, until director Joel Schumacher fired her from the set of St. Elmo's Fire (1985) when she turned up high. She got a withdrawal treatment and returned clean after a week... and stayed clean. With determination and a skill for publicity stunts, like the nude appearance on the cover of Vanity Fair while pregnant, she made her way to fame. Since the huge commercial success of Ghost (1990) and the controversial pictures Indecent Proposal (1993) and Disclosure (1994), she's one of Hollywood's most sought-after and most expensive actresses.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Tom Zoerner <>

Spouse

Ashton Kutcher	(24 September 2005 - present)
Bruce Willis	(21 November 1987 - 18 October 2000) (divorced) 3 children
Freddie Moore	(8 February 1980 - 7 August 1985) (divorced)

Trade Mark

Husky voice

Trivia

Hired 3 cameramen to videotape the birth of her first child.

Bruce and Demi announce they are ending their marriage of eleven years. No reasons given. [24 June 1998]

Chosen by People (USA) magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world. [1996]

Has three daughters with Bruce Willis: Rumer Willis (b. 1988), Scout LaRue Willis (1991) and Tallulah Belle Willis (1994).

Was once engaged to Emilio Estevez.

She posed nude while seven months pregnant with daughter Scout LaRue Willis for a 1991 'Vanity Fair' magazine cover. In August 1992, she again posed nude for 'Vanity Fair', this time wearing body paint that resembled a man's suit.

Stripped on "Late Show with David Letterman" (1993), allegedly to disprove rumors that she's too fat for her new movie Striptease (1996).

Owns a production company: "Moving Pictures".

angeliena jolie biography

Date of Birth

4 June 1975, Los Angeles, California, USA

Birth Name

Angelina Jolie Voight

Nickname

Angie
Catwoman
Ange
AJ

Height

5' 8" (1.73 m)

Mini Biography

Growing up in Los Angeles, Jolie was no stranger to the film industry, being the daughter of Academy Award-winning actor Jon Voight. She later trained and performed at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, where she was seen in several stage productions.

She worked as a professional model in London, New York and Los Angeles, and has also appeared in music videos for such artists as Meat Loaf, Lenny Kravitz, Antonello Venditti and The Lemonheads. In addition, she has acted in five student films for the USC School of Cinema, all directed by her brother, James Haven.

IMDb Mini Biography By: finityj

Mini Biography

Angelina Jolie is an Oscar-winning actress who has become popular by taking on the title role in the "Lara Croft" series of blockbuster movies. Off-screen, Jolie has become prominently involved in international charity projects, especially those involving refugees. She often appears on many "most beautiful women" lists, and she has a personal life that is avidly covered by the tabloid press.

In her earliest years, Angelina began absorbing the acting craft from her parents - her father is the Oscar-winning actor Jon Voight and her mother is Marcheline Bertrand, who had studied with Lee Strasberg. At age 11, Angelina began studying at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute. She undertook some film studies at New York University and later joined the renowned Met Theatre Group in Los Angeles. At age 16, she took up a career in modeling and appeared in some music videos. Her exotic good looks may derive from her mixed ancestry which is Czech, French-Canadian, Iroquois and English.

In the mid-1990s, Jolie appeared in various small films where she got good notices, including Hackers (1995) and Foxfire (1996). Her critical acclaim increased when she played strong roles in the made-for-TV movies True Women (1997) (TV), and in George Wallace (1997) (TV) which won her a Golden Globe award and an Emmy nomination. Jolie's acclaim increased even further when she played the lead role in the HBO production Gia (1998) (TV). This was the true life story of supermodel Gia Carangi, a sensitive wild child who was both brazen and needy and who had a difficult time handling professional success and the deaths of people who were close to her. Carangi became involved with drugs and because of her needle-using habits she became, at the tender age of 26, one of the first celebrities to die of AIDS. Jolie's performance in Gia (1998) (TV) again garnered a Golden Globe award and another Emmy nomination, and she additionally earned a SAG Award.

Angelina got a major break in 1999 when she won a leading role in the successful feature The Bone Collector (1999), starring alongside Denzel Washington. In that same year, Jolie gave a tour de force performance in Girl, Interrupted (1999) playing opposite Winona Ryder. The movie was a true story of women who spent time in a psychiatric hospital. Jolie's role was reminiscent of Jack Nicholson's character in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), the role which won Nicholson his first Oscar. Unlike "Cuckoo", "Girl" was a small film that received mixed reviews and barely made money at the box office. But when it came time to give out awards, Jolie won the triple crown -- "Girl" propelled her to win the Golden Globe, the SAG Award and the Academy Award for best leading actress in a supporting role.

With her new-found prominence, Jolie began to get in-depth attention from the press. Numerous aspects of her controversial personal life became news. At her wedding to her Hackers (1995) co-star Jonny Lee Miller, she had displayed her husband's name on the back of her shirt painted in her own blood. Jolie and Miller divorced and in 2000 she married her Pushing Tin (1999) co-star Billy Bob Thornton. Jolie had become the fifth wife of a man twenty years her senior. During her marriage to Thornton, the spouses each wore a vial of the other's blood around their necks. That marriage came apart in 2002 and ended in divorce. In addition, Jolie was estranged from her famous father, Jon Voight.

In 2000, Jolie was asked to star in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001). At first, she expressed disinterest, but then decided that the required training for the athletic role was intriguing. The Croft character was drawn from a popular video game. Lara Croft was a female cross between Indiana Jones and James Bond. When the film was released, critics were unimpressed with the final product, but critical acclaim wasn't the point of the movie. The public paid $275 million for theater tickets to see a buffed up Jolie portray the adventuresome Lara Croft. Jolie's father Jon Voight appeared in "Croft", and during filming there was a brief rapprochement between father and daughter.

One of the Croft movie's filming locations was Cambodia. While there, Jolie witnessed the natural beauty, culture and poverty of that country. She considered this an eye opening experience, and so began the humanitarian chapter of her life. Jolie began visiting refugee camps around the world and came to be formally appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Some of her experiences were written and published in her popular book "Notes from My Travels" whose profits go to UNHCR.

Jolie has stated that she now plans to spend most of her time in humanitarian efforts, to be financed by her actress salary. She devotes one third of her income to savings, one third to living expenses and one third to charity. In 2002, Angelina adopted a Cambodian refugee boy named Maddox and in 2005 adopted an Ethiopian refugee girl named Zahara. Jolie's dramatic feature film Beyond Borders (2003) parallels some of her real life humanitarian experiences although, despite the inclusion of a romance between two westerners, many of the movie's images were too depressingly realistic -- the film was not popular among critics or at the box office.

In 2004, Jolie began filming Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005) with co-star Brad Pitt. The film became a major box office success. There were rumors that Pitt and Jolie had an affair while filming "Smith". Jolie insisted that because her mother had been hurt by adultery, she herself could never participate in an affair with a married man, therefore there had been no affair with Pitt at that time. Nonetheless, Pitt separated from his wife Jennifer Aniston in January 2005 and, in the months that followed, he was frequently seen in public with Jolie, apparently as a couple. Pitt's divorce was finalized later in 2005.

mel gibson biography

Date of Birth

3 January 1956, Peekskill, New York, USA

Birth Name

Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson

Height

5' 9" (1.75 m)

Mini Biography

Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson was born on January 3, 1956, in Peekskill, New York, USA as the sixth of eleven children to parents Hutton Gibson, a railroad brakeman, and Ann Gibson, who was born in Australia and died in December of 1990. Though born in the US, Mel and his family moved to New South Wales, Australia. After high school, Mel studied at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, performing at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts alongside future film thespians Judy Davis and Geoffrey Rush. After college, Mel had a few stints on stage and starred in a few TV shows. Eventually, he was chosen to star in Mad Max (1979) and in a movie called Tim (1979), co-starring Piper Laurie. The small budgeted movie Mad Max (1979) made him known worldwide, while Tim (1979) garnered him an award for Best Actor from the Australian Film Institute (equivalent to the Oscar). Later, he went on to star in Gallipoli (1981), which earned him a second award for Best Actor from the AFI. In 1980, he married Robyn Moore and had seven children. In 1984, Mel made his American debut in The Bounty (1984), which co-starred Anthony Hopkins. Then in 1987, Mel starred in what would become his signature series, Lethal Weapon (1987), in which he played "Martin Riggs". In 1990, he took on the interesting starring role in Hamlet (1990/I), which garnered him some critical praise. He also made the more endearing Forever Young (1992) and the somewhat disturbing The Man Without a Face (1993). 1995 brought his most famous role as "Sir William Wallace" in Braveheart (1995), for which he won two Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director. From there, he made such box office hits as The Patriot (2000), Ransom (1996), and Payback (1999/I). Today, Mel remains an international superstar mogul, continuously topping the Hollywood power lists as well as the Most Beautiful and Sexiest lists. His $25 million paycheck for The Patriot (2000) is the latest milestone for actor's salaries.

IMDb Mini Biography By: TrendEkiD@aol.com

Spouse

Robyn Moore

(7 June 1980 - present) (filed for divorce) 7 children

Trade Mark

Often acts and directs stories involving an individual who is persecuted, and fights for justice

Has often portrayed a widower, in films such as Mad Max (the sequels), Lethal Weapon film series, Braveheart, The Patriot, Signs, and Edge of Darkness.

Trivia

Ranked #12 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997]

Born at 4:45pm-EST.

Chosen by People (USA) magazine as one of the "50 Most Beautiful People" in the world. [1996]

Educated at University of New South Wales, Australia.

Attended drama school with Judy Davis. They played Romeo and Juliet together.

Chosen by People magazine as one of the "50 Most Beautiful People" in the world. [1991]

Chosen by People magazine as one of the "50 Most Beautiful People" in the world. [1990]

Trained at NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Arts). As well as Judy Davis, other fellow students, during his time there, included Colin Friels and Dennis Olsen.

Awarded the AO (Officer of the Order of Australia), Australia's highest honor, in mid-1997.

Roommates with Geoffrey Rush in college.

He took up acting only because his sister submitted an application behind his back. The night before an audition, he got into a fight, and his face was badly beaten, an accident that won him the role.

Brother of actor, Donal Gibson.

Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the "100 Sexiest Stars" in film history (#37). [1995]

Chosen as People Magazine's first "Sexiest Man Alive." [1985]

Is a big fan of The Three Stooges.

First studied drama at the New Zealand Drama School, Toi Whakaari in Wellington, New Zealand. After getting accepted he completed the course and used this as a foot-in into NIDA in Australia in 1975.

He and his wife met through a dating service.

Has a horseshoe kidney (two kidneys fused into one).

Owns a production company with branches in the USA, Australia and the UK.

Ranked #15 in Premiere's 2003 annual "Power 100" list. Had ranked #17 in 2002.

His voice in Mad Max (1979) was dubbed for the film's US release.

The doctor who delivered him i

vin diesel biography

Date of Birth

18 July 1967, New York City, New York, USA

Birth Name

Mark Sinclair Vincent

Height

6' (1.83 m)

Mini Biography

Vin's father taught theatre. His mother was a psychologist and astrologist. Other than revealing that Vincent is his real last name, he won't talk about much of the rest of his early life. Vin dropped out of college to make _Multi-Facial (1994)_, a short about a struggling actor that played in Cannes in 1995, which eventually got Steven Spielberg's attention. Spielberg then cast him in Saving Private Ryan (1998) and Vin's career was launched.

IMDb Mini Biography By: John Sacksteder

Mini Biography

Vin Diesel was raised by his astrologer/psychologist mother and adoptive father in an artist's housing project in New York's Greenwich Village, never knowing his biological father. His first break in acting happened by chance, when at the age of seven he and his friends broke into a theatre to vandalize it. A woman stopped them and offered them each a script and $20, on the condition that they would attend everyday after school. From there, Vin's fledgling career progressed from the New York repertory company run by his father, to the Off-Off-Broadway circuit. At 17 and already sporting a well-honed physique, he became a bouncer at some of New York's hippest clubs to earn himself some extra cash. It was at this time that he changed his name to Vin Diesel.

Following high school, Vin enrolled as an English major at Hunter College, but dropped out after three years to go to Hollywood to further his acting career. Being an experienced theatre actor did not make any impression in Hollywood and after a year of struggling to make his mark, he returned to New York. His mother then gave him a book called "Feature Films at used Car Prices" by Rick Schmidt. The book showed him that he could take control of his career and make his own movies. He wrote a short film based on his own experiences as an actor, called Multi-Facial (1995), which was shot in less than three days at a cost of $3,000. Multi-Facial (1995) was eventually accepted for the 1995 Cannes Film Festival where it got a tumultuous reception.

Afterwards, Vin returned to Los Angeles and raised almost $50,000 through telemarketing to fund the making of his first feature, Strays (1997). Six months after shooting, the film was accepted for the 1997 Sundance Film Festival, and although it received a good reception, it didn't sell as well as hoped. Yet again Vin returned disappointed to New York only to receive a dream phone call. Steven Spielberg was impressed by Multi-Facial (1995) and wanted to meet Vin, leading him to be cast in Saving Private Ryan (1998). Multi-Facial (1995) earned Vin more work, when the director of The Iron Giant (1999) saw it and decided to cast Vin in the title role. From there, Vin's career has steadily grown, with him securing his first lead role as 'Richard B Riddick' in the sci-fi film Pitch Black (2000). That role has earned him a legion of devoted fans and the public recognition he deserves.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Lilith

Trade Mark

Shaves his head.

Muscular physique

Deep voice

Big, lanky boots.

Trivia

He worked as a bouncer in New York at the famous nightclubs Tunnel (which has since closed) and Mars.

Has a fraternal twin brother, Paul Vincent, who is a film editor.

Has an Italian Mastiff named "Roman".

Has a younger sister, Samantha and a younger brother in addition to his fraternal twin, Paul.

Ranked #46 in Premiere's 2003 annual Power 100 List. Had ranked #95 in 2002.

He's an admitted fan of "Dungeons and Dragons", and, according to an interview on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" (1993) that he played for 24 years.

Was offered the role of Matt Murdock/Daredevil in Daredevil (2003) that eventually went to Ben Affleck.

He is bi-racial, being half African-American and half Italian American

Producing partner with George Zakk. Their company is called One Race Productions.

Wrote an original screenplay titled "Doormen" (based on his experiences as a bouncer) as a follow-up to Strays (1997), his directorial debut. However, his acting career exploded and his plans to direct the film have fallen by the wayside.

During his teens, he performed breakdancing in an instructional video on the subject.

Credits the book "Feature Filmmaking at Used Car Prices" by Rick Schmidt as the one resource above all upon which he built his career. This book, according to Diesel, gave him the tools, knowledge, and most importantly, the inspiration to develop his short film Multi-Facial (1995), which he wrote, produced, directed and starred in.

Date of Birth

9 July 1956, Concord, California, USA

Birth Name

Thomas Jeffrey Hanks

Height

6' (1.83 m)

Mini Biography

Born in California, Tom Hanks grew up in what he calls a "fractured" family. His parents were pioneers in the development of marriage dissolution law in that state, and Tom moved around a lot, living with a succession of step-families. No problems, no abuse, no alcoholism, just a confused childhood. He had no acting experience in college and, in fact, credits the fact that he couldn't get cast in a college play with actually starting his career - he went downtown, auditioned for a community theater play, was invited by the director of that play to go to Cleveland, and there his acting career started. He met his second wife, actress Rita Wilson on the set of the his television show "Bosom Buddies" (1980), she appeared in one episode in the second season (1981) - they have two children and Tom has another son and daughter by his first wife. In 1996, he made his first step behind the camera, directing as well as starring and writing the film That Thing You Do! (1996).

IMDb Mini Biography By: Bruce Cameron

Spouse

Rita Wilson	(30 April 1988 - present) 2 children
Samantha Lewes	(24 November 1977 - 19 March 1987) (divorced) 2 children

Trade Mark

Playing conflicted regular guys

Trivia

Is a frequent guest host on "Saturday Night Live" (1975).

Received the Distinguished Public Service Award, the U. S. Navy's highest civilian honor, on Veterans Day 1999 for his work in the movie Saving Private Ryan (1998).

Entertainment Weekly chose him as the only actor worthy of $20 million.

Dislocated his shoulder when he fell through a rotting floor in a building in Germany while scouting locations with Steven Spielberg for the HBO series "Band of Brothers" (2001) (1999).

Second actor to win back-to-back Best Actor Oscars, for his work in Philadelphia (1993) and Forrest Gump (1994). The first was Spencer Tracy, for Captains Courageous (1937) and Boys Town (1938).

Ranked #17 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list (October 1997).

Attended Skyline High School in Oakland, California.

Attended Chabot College in Hayward, California.

Attended California State University, Sacramento.

Voted best actor by the readers of "Us" magazine (1995).

Younger brother of Sandra Hanks and Larry Hanks and older brother of Jim Hanks.

After a one-shot guest appearance on "Happy Days" (1974), producer Ron Howard asked him to read for a secondary part in Splash (1984), and he got the lead instead.

Father, with first wife Samantha Lewes, of Colin Hanks (born on 24 September 1977) and Elizabeth Hanks (born on 17 May 1982).

Marriedhis first wife Samantha Lewes (real name: Susan Dillingham) two months after their son Colin's birth.

Hanks cited the help of a nearby ice cream shop which helped him gain 30 pounds for his role in A League of Their Own (1992).

Received emergency treatment for serious staph infection in leg after returning from overseas location shoot (1999).

Was asked to play the title role in Jerry Maguire (1996).

Born at 11:17 AM

His Oscar acceptance speech for 1993's Philadelphia (1993) led to the plot of the movie In & Out (1997). Hanks thanked a gay teacher in his speech.

Has another brother who is a professor at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, IL.

Received American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award, presented by fellow Oscar winner Steven Spielberg, the youngest ever to receive that award (12 June 2002).

Returned to his old high school, Skyline High School in Oakland, California, to dedicate a renovated theater named for Rawley T. Farnsworth, the retired drama teacher he thanked in his Philadelphia (1993) Oscar speech. Oakland Tribune reports Hanks donated about 1/4 of the $465,000 cost of the project. Then he led the audience of some 1000 people in a chorus of "There's No Business Like Show Business" (6 March 2002).