Amanda Peet (born January 11, 1972) is an American film and television actress.

Biography

Early life

Peet was born in New York City, the daughter of Penny (née Levy), a social worker, and Charles Peet, a corporate lawyer.[1] The two are now divorced. Her father is a Quaker and her mother is Jewish.[2][3] She has one older sister, who is a doctor named Alisa Peet. Peet attended Friends Seminary, then studied history at and graduated from Columbia University,[4] where she auditioned for acting teacher Uta Hagen and decided to become an actress after taking Hagen’s class.[5] During her four-year period of study with Hagen, Peet appeared in the off-Broadway revival of Clifford Odets’s Awake and Sing.

Career

Peet’s first screen performance was a television commercial for Skittles. Her early roles included a guest role on the television series Law & Order. She made her film debut in Animal Room (1995). Peet maintained a steady acting career in relatively obscure indie movies.

Her first major role was as “Jack” in the 1999 WB network series Jack & Jill (which aired for two seasons). She also appeared in the eighth-season finale of Seinfeld (”The Summer of George”) as a waitress whom Jerry Seinfeld meets. Her character is notable for seemingly dating two men at once: Jerry and her apparent roommate (”dude”), Lyle. Peet’s first role in a widely-released feature film came in 2000, with The Whole Nine Yards, which, together with the cult film Whipped, helped to elevate her status from supporting actress to lead. That same year, she was voted one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World by People magazine. Peet was also in the movie Saving Silverman with Jack Black and Steve Zahn. She also starred in Something’s Gotta Give in 2003, playing Diane Keaton’s daughter, and, at one point, Jack Nicholson’s girlfriend.

In 2005, Peet appeared in the play This Is How It Goes, filling in for Marisa Tomei at the last minute after six days of rehearsal. In the same year, she also co-starred in the films Syriana alongside Matt Damon and George Clooney, and A Lot Like Love, with Ashton Kutcher. In February 2006, she was performing in Neil Simon’s Broadway production of Barefoot in the Park.

Peet was a member of the cast of the television series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, which premiered on NBC on September 18, 2006. She starred with Matthew Perry, with whom she worked in The Whole Nine Yards and The Whole Ten Yards, and Sarah Paulson, with whom she co-starred in Jack & Jill. In Studio 60, Peet’s character Jordan McDeere was the newly-appointed president of the National Broadcasting System (NBS). In 2006, she also starred along with Dermot Mulroney in Griffin and Phoenix, where she played a terminally-ill woman living life to the fullest.

In 2007’s The Ex, a comedy co-starring Zach Braff, Peet played an attorney who stays home to raise a new baby. In 2008, Peet went on to play an FBI agent in The X-Files: I Want to Believe.[6] In 2008 she was hired by the American Academy of Pediatrics to be an advocate for the “Every Child by Two” vaccination campaign.

Personal life

Peet married screenwriter David Benioff (whom she met on a blind date)[5] on September 30, 2006 in New York City[7] and gave birth to a daughter, Frances Pen, on February 20, 2007.[8] The three live in Manhattan and Los Angeles. She was also maid of honor at Lauren Holly’s marriage in 2001 with Francis Greco.

Controversy

As a spokesperson for the “Every Child by Two” vaccination campaign, she has caused some controversy with the statement “Frankly, I feel that parents who don’t vaccinate their children are parasites” although she later apologized for using the word “parasite” [9]. This was in relation to the controversy over whether vaccination is one of the causes of autism.

Filmography

Yves Rossy (born 27 August 1959) is a Swiss pilot, inventor and aviation enthusiast. He is both the first person to build and the first person successfully to fly a jet engine-powered wing strapped to the back. The flight occurred in November 2006 in Bex, lasting nearly six minutes. While work with jet packs to propel humans dates back as far as World War II, his is the first one to have wings.

Yves has served as a fighter pilot in the Swiss Air Force, flying Dassault Mirage IIIs, Northrop F-5 Tiger IIs and Hawker Hunters. He also flew Boeing 747s for Swissair and now pilots an Airbus A320 for Swiss International Air Lines.

Jet-powered wings

Rossy developed and built a winged pack with rigid aeroplane-type carbon-fiber wings with a span of about 8 feet (2.4 m), and four small kerosene-burning Jet-Cat jet engines under the wings; these engines are large versions of a type designed for model aeroplanes. He wears a heat-resistant suit similar to that of a firefighter or racing driver to protect him from the hot jet exhaust.

Rossy claims to be “the first person to gain altitude and maintain a stable horizontal flight thanks to aerodynamic carbon foldable wings,” which are folded by hinges at the midpoint of each wing. After being lifted by a Pilatus Porter plane, he jumps out with his wings folded, unfolds them while in free-fall, flies horizontally for up to six minutes and 30 seconds, then lands using a parachute.He achieves true controlled flight using his body and a hand throttle to maneuver.

His first successful trial was on 24 June 2004, near Geneva, Switzerland, and Rossy has made more than 30 powered flights since.

In November 2006 he flew with a later version of his jetpack.[citation needed]

It was exhibited on 18 April 2008 at the opening day of the 35th Exhibition of Inventions at Geneva.

On 14 May 2008 he made a successful 6-minute flight from the town of Bex near Lake Geneva, his first public demonstration before the world press. He made effortless loops from one side of the Rhone valley to the other and rose 2,600 feet (790 m).

On 26 September 2008, Yves successfully flew across the English Channel from Calais, France to Dover, England in about 10 minutes.

Rossy and his sponsors, spent over $190,000 to build the device.

Anastacia Lyn Newkirk on September 17, 1968) is a multi-platinum American singer and songwriter. Anastacia has been highly successful in Europe, Latin America, Oceania, Asia, South Africa and Australia but has not had as much success in her native United States. Despite the lack of American success, she had sold over 20 million albums by 2005.

Anastacia is world renowned for her edgy, soulful voice and is famous for her ability to hit powerful notes in a full voice range well into Soprano tessituras. Her small stature (160 cm or 5′3″ has also led to her being nicknamed “The Little Lady with The Big Voice”. She was also known for her trademark glasses (often darkly tinted), but she had surgery to correct her vision permanently in August 2005.

She made headlines when diagnosed in 2003 with breast cancer. On April 21, 2007 she married her bodyguard of three years, Wayne Newton, in Mexico.

Early life and career beginnings

Anastacia was born in Chicago, Illinois into a showbiz family: her late father Robert Newkirk was a club-singer and her mother Diane Hurley an actress in Broadway musical theatre. She also has Russian origins. After her father left the Newkirk family, they moved to New York City when she was a teenager. Then she enrolled at the Professional Children’s School in Manhattan.

Anastacia soon became interested in dance despite being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease when she was thirteen years old. She first gained prominence stealing the show from D. L. Hughley while he was hosting BET’s Comic View, singing Oleta Adams’ “Get Here” in 1992. During the early 1990s, she appeared regularly on Club MTV and in a couple of videos for rappers Salt-N-Pepa. In 1999, she attracted the interest of record labels after making the finals of MTV talent show The Cut.Anastacia signed a contract with Daylight Records, a custom label of Sony BMG’s Epic Records in March 1999. The Cut was hosted by Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes of R&B and hip-hop group TLC. A then-unknown Anastacia finished in second place, but impressed Lopes and the show’s three judges so much that she scored herself a record deal anyway.

Recording career

Her debut album Not That Kind was released in 2000. The album was a huge success, reaching the top ten in eight countries in Europe, Asia, and Oceania. It went quadruple platinum in Australia spurred by the success of her debut smash “I’m Outta Love” which was the most popular single of the year in that country for 2000. “I’m Outta Love” topped the charts in Australia, peaked at #2 in France and also reached number 6 in both the UK and Germany. In The US, it was only a minor radio hit. The second single “Not That Kind” reached number 11 in the UK and was a big hit all over Europe and the rest of the world. “Cowboys & Kisses” was released as the third single off the album, charting in the top 40 in some European countries. As the last single, the only promotional meant single “Made for Lovin’ You” charted in the UK (27) and France (72).

While “I’m Outta Love” was a Top 10 song on the Hot Dance Club Play, “Not That Kind” did not chart high on the Billboard Hot 100.

Her second album, 2001’s Freak of Nature achieved respectable sales although it did not match the level of international success of Not That Kind. The album title derives from a nickname her mother called her.[citation needed] The first single released was “Paid My Dues”. The second single, “One Day in Your Life”, reached number 11 in the UK and the top 10 in many European countries. The next single “Why’d You Lie to Me” reached the top 30 in the UK. “You’ll Never Be Alone”, the 4th single, reached #28 on the Adult Contemporary chart in the U.S. When the album was finally released in the United States in May 2002, she dedicated the album to Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes,[citation needed] who had died in a car wreck the month before. Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes was partly responsible for Anastacia’s success, since Lisa hosted MTV’s The Cut where Anastacia got her first break. Soon after she released a double disc edition featuring two bonus hits, remixes for three of the tracks on the album and two live tracks taken from a Japan gig that was performed on the September 13, 2002.

Anastacia joined Celine Dion, Mary J. Blige, Cyndi Lauper, Shakira, Cher, Dixie Chicks and Stevie Nicks for VH1’s Divas Live in 2002 and she also contributed the song “Love Is a Crime” to the Chicago soundtrack.[4] The song peaked at #1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart and enjoyed moderate airplay on Rhythmic/Dance format. Anastacia was selected to sing the theme from 2002 FIFA World Cup: “Boom”.

Cancer diagnosis

In January 2003, Anastacia decided to have her breasts reduced because of back strain. From a routine mammogram for the surgery she discovered she had breast cancer. She immediately started and successfully completed surgery and radiotherapy.Anastacia subsequently established a fund, the “Anastacia Fund”,to promote awareness of breast cancer amongst younger women.

She has attributed her health scare to being an inspiration for the sound and content of her third album. According to an interview she made in 2005 on a British music station The Box, her voice lost its power and she became unable to record and thus she spent a long time writing and trying to create a sound she would be finally happy with.

Creation of “sprock”

As she said on Rove (Australia) in 2004, she wanted to have more edge to her vocals as she felt there was something missing from her previous works. She brought in many rock instruments which brought a new atmosphere to her music. She also felt that she still needed the funkiness and the pop as the singer felt that too much edge would sound wrong with her voice. Out of this a new sound was formed. She describes her sound as “sprock” - a combination of soul, pop and rock. She named the album after herself.

Anastacia entered record studios in September 2003 to begin recording her next album, working with Glen Ballard, Dallas Austin, and Dave Stewart for release in 2004. On the album, Anastacia also collaborated with P.O.D. lead singer Sonny Sandoval on the socially-conscious track “I Do”.

The first single, released in March, was “Left Outside Alone”, which saw a change in direction for Anastacia. Anastacia proved to be a smash hit reaching the top of the album charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, Australia, Greece, Germany, and Italy and number 2 in Portugal and Spain. “Left Outside Alone” proved to be equally successful reaching number 1 in Australia, Spain, Italy, Austria and Switzerland; number 2 in the Netherlands + Germany, number 3 in the UK and reaching the top 5 on the composite European chart. Strong airplay throughout Europe gave the song a Top 40 Charts world airplay ranking as one of the top five songs played on top 40 radio stations throughout the world in April 2004. Unlike her first two albums, which were released in her homeland of America, Anastacia was not, despite being scheduled for release on three occasions. “Left Outside Alone” was released twice, but failed to pick up heavy airplay.It only gained sporadic Adult Contemporary and Hot AC format airplay. Again, it sparked Rhythmic/Dance format airplay and the dance mix of “Left Outside Alone” peaked at #1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play. After the original version of “Left Outside Alone” failed to catch on because of lukewarm promotional pushes, especially on radio, the album was postponed and eventually cancelled after the release date of August 30, 2004 passed. It was the 10th best selling single of 2004, with points of over 4,500,000 millions copies sold .

Anastacia released three further internationally successful singles; “Sick and Tired” (which gave her another #1 in Spain and another UK Top 5 single), the 16th best selling single of 2004 with 3,805,000 points , “Welcome to My Truth” (her best-selling hit in Spain), and the ballad “Heavy on My Heart” proceeds from the sale of which went towards her ‘Anastacia Fund’ (a charitable organisation providing research funding for breast cancer).

A small batch of Anastacia the album was released with a bonus DVD, Anastacia poster and slip case. The DVD includes “Making Of Anastacia”, “2002 Europe Promo Tour” and a photo gallery.

Hitting the road

From September 2004 to August 2005, Anastacia went on a “Live at Last Tour”. By 2005 the tour was renamed the “Encore tour”.

In late 2005, she released her first greatest hits collection, called Pieces of a Dream, named after a track of the same name. The album spawned the hit singles “Pieces of a Dream” and the duet with Eros Ramazzotti “I Belong to You”, which was a huge hit in Europe, charting and peaking in the top ten in almost all the European countries. Even though Sony BMG did force her to release this collection, Anastacia says she is happy now that it was created as it was like a “story book”, or summary of the first five years of her career.

Not long after the release of “I Belong to You”, Anastacia released her first live DVD Live at Last on March 27, 2006 in Europe. The DVD contains footage from concerts in Berlin and Munich. It includes music videos to her four singles (”Left Outside Alone” [US version], “Everything Burns” [with Ben Moody], “Pieces Of A Dream” and “I Belong to You”, with Eros Ramazzotti), five alternative videos (I Do, Rearview, Seasons Change, Underground Army and Time) to songs from her self named album, and a documentary about the tour.

New beginning

Anastacia attended the memorial Concert For Diana on July 1, 2007, which would have been on Diana’s 46th birthday. This was one of the first major events to take place in the new Wembley Stadium, and one of her first major appearances since she took a break from the industry. She opened the medley section of the show and she sang a rendition of “Superstar”, from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar, with a gospel chorus behind her.

In August 2007, a video was put on the “Anastacia by S. Oliver” web site. During the video, when Anastacia was asked about her future plans, she confirmed that she was working on a new album as well as the clothing line. A specific month of release or title was not mentioned.[8] In November 2007, her biography on the official Anastacia website was updated to say there will be a new album in 2008, with a tour to follow.

On July 24, Anastacia announced that her long awaited fourth studio album Heavy Rotation will be released October 27, 2008 in Europe (with additional release dates for Australia, Canada and the US to be announced later). The new album will feature collaborations with producers Ne-Yo, The Heavyweights, Lester Mendez, JR Rotem and Rodney Jerkins. The album’s first single is called “I Can Feel You”.

Entrepreneurship

Anastacia By s. Oliver

Anastacia by s. Oliver is a clothes collection released in late 2006 by Anastacia and s. Oliver. She had said that she long wanted to release a clothing line: “I have had the idea of designing my own collection for a long time, but waited for the right partner. s. Oliver came along just at the right time. We got to know each other and found that we not only harmonize well together as a brand, but also have the same ideas about the look of ‘Anastacia by s. Oliver’. There are many points that need to be considered when designing a collection: What trends are in, what colors, what fabrics, what styles … That is why I am happy that my work with the s. Oliver design team is going so well and that we are implementing these themes together. For example, I think it is also very important that my clothes can be worn in different sizes.” The collection reflects Anastacia’s personal style and her versatility. The look of the line is designed to be “sensual, feminine and sexy”. A Limited Edition CD named “Welcome To My Style” is available for free to costumers who spend 60 euros or more on the clothes in November. The CD includes the following already released tracks:

1. Underdog (B-Side of “Cowboys & Kisses”)
2. Get Ready (B-Side of “Left Outside Alone”)
3. Boom (FIFA 2002 World Cup official song)
4. Funk Medley (B-Side of “Paid My Dues”).

Limited edition clothing line

Anastacia by s. Oliver has released a limited edition clothing line called “Limited Luxury”, that was designed together with the famous brand “Swarovski”. This clothing hit the stores on November 2, 2007 and was only sold in some countries.

Perfume

Anastacia’s official perfume, Resurrection, was released in January 2007.

Philanthropy

During her years of success, Anastacia has supported many charity events as Life Ball 2006 (Europe’s largest annual AIDS charity event), Make a Difference and Challenge for the Children. Anastacia was one of the fifteen artists to record their take on a Disney song on the CD DisneyMania. Anastacia recorded “Someday My Prince Will Come” from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It is also included on the Collector’s Edition of her second album.

After being diagnosed with cancer, Anastacia created “The Anastacia Fund”. The organization helps raises awareness about breast cancer and the importance of mammograms to women 35 and under. Anastacia began selling her stage clothing on eBay, donating a portion to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The auctions were hosted by eBay Trading Assistant and Certified Business Consultant, Carolyn CJ Jacinto of XOXmas. The eBay Family, and others, made generous contributions for the next 6 months bidding on new listing that began every Friday.

Personal life

Anastacia was romantically linked to several men throughout her career. She had a relationship with Shawn Woods for 6 years and the singer claims he was the love of her life. She also dated Charles Ingram, and dated Patrice Bouédibéla for over a year before splitting up. She married her bodyguard Wayne Newton in Mexico on April 21, 2007. The wedding was in Huatulco, and was written and officiated by a shaman from California, Jon Rasmussen.

Anastacia has a tattoo below her neck, saying “Forever” in an unusual font.She also has an Ankh on her lower back, which appeared on her first album. Since it represents “eternal life”, it has come to symbolize her.

Anastacia took part in the charity event, 46664, organised by Nelson Mandela to raise awareness of AIDS. She sang with U2 and Queen, and also contributed to the song “Amandla”, recording the song and providing some of the lyrics. Annie Lennox joined forces with Anastacia and 22 other female artists to raise awareness of the transmission of HIV to unborn children in Africa.[14] The single “Sing” was released on World Aids Day, December 1, 2007, in conjunction with Annie Lennox’s appearance at the Nelson Mandela 46664 concert in South Africa.

Albums

* 2000: Not That Kind
* 2001: Freak of Nature
* 2004: Anastacia
* 2005: Pieces of a Dream
* 2008: Heavy Rotation

Tours

* 2004 - 2005: Live at Last Tour / The Encore Tour
* 2009: TBA

Erin Andrews (born May 4, 1978 in Lewiston, Maine) is a television sports reporter.

Andrews joined ESPN in May 2004 as a reporter for the network’s National Hockey League coverage. Since the 2004 season, Andrews has served as sideline reporter for the ESPN College Football Saturday telecast, the Saturday Primetime college basketball game and Big Ten college basketball coverage.In 2005, she added Major League Baseball sideline reporting to her duties. She also provides reports and features on Great Outdoor Games coverage. She also covers Men’s college baseball, and is a familiar sight during the College World Series.

In 2007, she was voted “America’s Sexiest Sportscaster” by Playboy Magazine.She stands at 5′ 10″.

Andrews graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in telecommunications in 2000. While there she was a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority. Andrews was also a member of the Dazzlers, the Gator basketball dance team, from 1997–2000.

She began her career with her FSN Florida as a freelance reporter from 2000–01 before serving as a Tampa Bay Lightning reporter for the Sunshine Network from 2001–02.Andrews then worked as a studio host for Turner Sports from 2002–2004, covering the Atlanta Braves and college football for TBS and Atlanta Thrashers and Atlanta Hawks for Turner South.

She is represented by the sports agency Career Sports & Entertainment in Atlanta, GA.

Wanda Sykes (born March 7, 1964), also known as Wanda Sykes-Hall, is an Emmy-winning American stand-up comedian and actress. She is well known for her blunt observations on current events, the differences between the sexes and races, and life in general, as well as for her roles on the Emmy winning series, The New Adventures of Old Christine, opposite Julia Louis-Dreyfus, as Barb and on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, as herself.

Early life

Sykes was born and raised in Portsmouth, Virginia to an Army colonel father who worked at the Pentagon and a banker mother,[1] and was a graduate of Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.

Career

Sykes began her stand-up comedy career in 1987 when she entered a Washington D.C.-area talent competition. Although she lost, she discovered a passion for comedy. She continued to hone her talents at local venues while working as a procurement officer at the National Security Agency (NSA). In 1992, she left the NSA and moved to New York. Her first big break came when opening for Chris Rock at Caroline’s Comedy Club. In 1997, she joined the writing team on The Chris Rock Show. The writing team was nominated for four Emmys, one of which they won in 1999. Since that time, she has appeared in such films as Pootie Tang and on TV shows such as Curb Your Enthusiasm. In 2003, she starred in her own short-lived Fox network sitcom, Wanda at Large. The same year, Sykes appeared in an hour-long Comedy Central special, Tongue Untied. That network also ranked her #70 on its list of the 100 greatest all-time standups. She served as a correspondent for HBO’s Inside the NFL, hosted Comedy Central’s popular show Premium Blend, and voices a recurring character named Gladys on Comedy Central’s puppet show Crank Yankers. She had a short-lived show on Comedy Central called Wanda Does It, where she tries out various careers. She frequently winds up choosing what career she will try out after scolding someone in an over-the-top fashion who does the particular job.

In addition to her film and television work, she is also an author. She wrote Yeah, I Said It, a book of humorous observations on various topics, published in September 2004.

In 2006, she landed a recurring role on the sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine; she became a series regular in the second season. She also guest starred in one episode of “Will & Grace” “Buy, Buy Baby” in 2006. She also provided voices for the 2006 films Over the Hedge, Barnyard and Brother Bear 2. She had a part in My Super Ex-Girlfriend and after playing in Evan Almighty, the sequel to the Jim Carrey hit Bruce Almighty, holds a bit part in License to Wed. Sykes’ first HBO Comedy Special, titled Wanda Sykes: Sick & Tired, premiered at 10:00 PM EST on October 14th, 2006. Her voice can be heard narrating the most recent Applebee’s commercials as the talking apple along with her infamous “Get it together, baby” ending.

Sykes performed as part of Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors Tour 2008.

Filmography

Actress

* Back at the Barnyard (2007) (voice)
* Evan Almighty (2007)
* License to Wed (2007)
* Will & Grace (2006)
* Clerks II (2006)
* My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006)
* The New Adventures of Old Christine (2006-present) (TV)
* Brother Bear 2 (2006) (voice)
* Barnyard (2006) (voice)
* Over the Hedge (2006) (voice)
* The Adventures of Brer Rabbit (2006) (voice)
* Monster-in-Law (2005)
* Wanda Does It (2004) (TV)
* Wanda at Large (2003) (TV); also producer
* MTV Movie Awards Reloaded (2003) (TV)
* Premium Blend (1997) (TV) …. Host (2002)
* Crank Yankers (2002) (TV) (voice)
* The Downer Channel (2001) (TV)
* Pootie Tang (2001)
* Down to Earth (2001)
* Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000)
* Best of Chris Rock (1999) (TV)
* Larry David: Curb Your Enthusiasm (1999) (TV)
* Tomorrow Night (1999)
* Dr. Katz Professional Therapist (1998) (TV) (voice)
* The Chris Rock Show (1997) (TV)
* The Drew Carey Show (1995) (TV)

Writer

* Wanda at Large (2003) (TV)
* The 74th Annual Academy Awards Show (2002) (TV)
* Best of Chris Rock: Volume 2 (2001)
* The Downer Channel (2001) (TV)
* The Chris Rock Show (1997) (TV)
* The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show (1997) (TV)

Demetrios Evan Martin (born May 25, 1973 in New York City, New York) is an Emmy Award-nominated and Perrier comedy award-winning American comedian, actor, musician, and writer. Martin is best known for his work as a stand-up comedian and as a contributor on The Daily Show.

Personal life

Martin’s father, Dean, was a Greek Orthodox priest and his mother Lillian is a Greek American nutritionist. He was raised in Toms River, New Jersey where his family ran a diner. Martin attended Yale University and then New York University School of Law on a full scholarship. Despite objections from his family, he dropped out a year before graduation to pursue a career in comedy. Regarding the decision, Martin has said:
“     It’s weird to make a decision where everyone in your life disapproves, pretty vocally and directly. They said, “You’ve got one year left. Just do it.” I had a full scholarship so I didn’t have to pay for it. They asked, “Why don’t you just get the degree so you can have it?” And I said, “You don’t understand. I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do and now I know. I have the answer and it’s dumb to waste any more time.”

He is also known for showing his ambidextrous talents in performances. His hobbies include constructing palindromes.

Career

In 2001, Martin caught his first big break in stand-up comedy when he appeared on Comedy Central’s stand-up showcase Premium Blend. In 2003 he won the Perrier Comedy Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with his show If I….The show was turned into a British television special in 2004.

From 2003 to 2004, Martin was a writer for Late Night with Conan O’Brien. In 2004, Martin had his own Comedy Central Presents stand-up special. His special was divided into three parts. In the first, he performed in traditional stand-up comedy fashion. In the second segment, he used humorous drawings as visual aids, which would serve either as the punchline or a background. During the third segment, he played a guitar and put on a pseudo-play where he would strum his guitar while talking; some of his comedian friends dressed as fairies and dragons and acted according to the story he was telling, detailing the magical land where the jokes he told went after he told them and their journey. Martin’s mother and grandmother also appeared.

Since late 2005, he has been credited as a contributor on The Daily Show, on which he hosts a segment called “Trendspotting.” He has used this segment to talk about so-called hip trends among youth such as hookahs, wine, guerilla marketing and Xbox 360. A piece about social networking featured his profile on MySpace.[6] On March 22, 2007, Demetri made another appearance on The Daily Show talking about the Viacom lawsuit against Google and YouTube.

He has recorded a comedy CD/DVD entitled These Are Jokes, which was released on September 26, 2006. This album also features Saturday Night Live member and personal friend Will Forte on the track “Personal Information Waltz.”

He has cited comedian Steven Wright as an important influence. Both use deadpan one-liners in their acts.

Demetri returned to The Daily Show on March 22, 2007, as the new Youth Correspondent, calling his segment “Professional Important News with Demetri Martin”. He recently starred in a Fountains of Wayne music video for “Someone to Love” as Seth Shapiro, a character in the song. He also starred in the video for the new Travis single “Selfish Jean” where he wears multiple t-shirts with lyrics written on them.

On September 2, 2007, Martin appeared on the season finale of the HBO series Flight of the Conchords. He appeared as a keytar player named Demetri.

Future plans

Martin sold his movie concept Will to DreamWorks; he is expected to play a key supporting role. He will play the lead in the film Moon People, a pitch which he sold to Columbia Pictures. He will also be appearing in the upcoming film Kids in America, in which he will play a Goldman Sachs employee.

According to his website, Martin is in the process of publishing a book of drawings.

Jon Stewart’s Busboy Productions is also slated to air a new TV series featuring Martin titled Important Things with Demetri Martin, premiering in the “second half of 2008″.

According to Variety , Ang Lee has cast him as Elliot Tiber in his upcoming movie Taking Woodstock, which will be released in 2009.

Susan Victoria Lucci (born December 23, 1946) is a Daytime Emmy Award-winning American actress. Lucci has been called “Daytime’s Leading Lady” by TV Guide, with New York Times and Los Angeles Times citing her as the highest-paid actor in daytime television. Her salary is reportedly over $1 million a year.

Early life

Susan Lucci was born to Jeanette and Victor Lucci. She attended Garden City High School in Garden City, New York, graduating in 1964. She then attended Marymount College at Fordham University, and graduated from Marymount in 1968.

Career

Daytime television

Lucci is best known for playing the larger-than-life diva Erica Kane on the ABC television soap opera All My Children, on which she has appeared since the show’s inception on January 5, 1970. She and Ray MacDonnell, who plays her former father-in-law, Dr. Joe Martin, are the show’s only original stars left on the show today. Lucci’s long tenure on the show has made her an iconic presence on daytime; she is closely identified with both the role of Erica and with daytime television itself.

Lucci was nominated for the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Emmy for her work on All My Children almost every year since 1978. When Lucci didn’t win the award after several consecutive nominations, her image in the media began to be lampooned, as she became notoriously synonymous with never winning an Emmy. NBC’s Saturday Night Live exploited this by asking her to host an episode (unusual for a daytime serial actor), where her monologue parodied the cast, crew, and even stagehands carrying Emmys of their own in her presence. In addition, she appeared in a 1989 television commercial for the sugar substitute “Sweet One”, intended to portray her as the opposite of her villainess character, yet throwing one of Erica Kane’s characteristic tantrums, shouting “11 years without an Emmy! What does a person have to do around here to get an Emmy?”

After 18 failed nominations in a row, it came as a shock to both her and the viewing audience when she finally won in 1999.[3] When presenter Shemar Moore announced Lucci’s name, the audience erupted in a standing ovation, lasting several minutes. As the sobbing actress took to the stage, cameras caught All My Children co-stars Kelly Ripa and Marcy Walker weeping openly, along with long-time supporter, actress and television host Rosie O’Donnell. Actor Ingo Rademacher was seen bowing in the aisles and talk show host Oprah Winfrey rushing the stage cheering from the wings. Lucci’s win and subsequent teary-eyed speech made headline news on television and in print for several weeks thereafter.

Primetime television and film

Lucci has appeared in a number of television shows and television films. In 1990, she began a series of guest spots on the popular nighttime soap opera Dallas. She hosted NBC’s Saturday Night Live in October of that year; in one skit, she appeared as Erica Kane competing on a game show.[4]

In 1995, Lucci appeared in the Lifetime television film Ebbie. This film was an updated version of the Dickens classic A Christmas Carol. Lucci played a Scrooge-like department store owner visited by Marley and the three ghosts on Christmas. Critics praised her performance, and the film has become a holiday favorite.

Dancing with the Stars

Lucci is scheduled to compete in Season 7 of Dancing with the Stars, airing in fall 2008; her dance partner will be Tony Dovolani. Lucci said that Dancing had asked her to appear before, but she had turned it down in part because of the travel it would require (Dancing tapes in Los Angeles, while All My Children tapes in New York). She changed her mind, though, in part because of the experience of fellow All My Children star Cameron Mathison, who finished fifth in season 5.[5]

Info-mercials

In 2008, Lucci appeared as a spokesperson for Malibu Pillates excercise equipment. The informercial aired on September 20th, 2008, on the ABC network, at 2:00pm. The special was placed in a time slot between the Dean Martin DVD Collection Infomercial, and the Texas A&M University vs. University of Miami collegiate football game, that aired at 2:30pm. While Susan claims she is a user of the Mailbu Pillates machine, it’s highly speculated that she was a paid spokesperson/actress. All My Children co-star Cameron Matheison was also featured in the infomercial.

Lucci is also a spokeswoman for “Youthful Essence,” a home microdermabrasion system. Recent infomercials have featured past and present AMC costars: Eva LaRue, Walt Willey, Eden Riegel, Alicia Minshew, and Rebecca Budig. Actress Emily Proctor (CSI: Miami) is also featured.

In addition, Lucci has a line of clothing and jewelry that is featured on HSN.

Other credits and achievements

Lucci starred in the Broadway revival of Annie Get Your Gun in 1999 to 2000, taking over from Bernadette Peters.

In 1991, she launched the Susan Lucci Collection of hair care products. Her career as a businesswoman continues, with many lucrative skin care, fashion, jewelry and makeup lines selling on HSN.

For much of the 1980s and into the 1990s, Lucci did many commercials for the local Ford dealers in the New York City area.

In early 2005, Lucci earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Personal life

Lucci’s father, Victor, was a first-generation American. Phyllis Diller, contrary to various internet rumors, is not her mother.[6] Lucci has been married since September 13, 1969 to Austrian businessman Helmut Huber. They are the parents of soap opera actress Liza Huber (who plays Gwen Hotchkiss on the daytime serial Passions) and Andreas Huber (who did not follow his mother and sister into an acting career). She became a grandmother when her daughter, Liza, gave birth on December 23, 2006 — Lucci’s 60th birthday. The baby was named Royce Alexander.[7] Her daughter Liza is currently expecting Lucci’s second grandchild.

Awards

Won

* Daytime Emmy Awards: 1999, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for All My Children
* Gracie Allen Awards: (2005) Outstanding Female Lead in a Daytime Drama for All My Children
* Women in Film Lucy Awards: (1994) Lucy Award
* Soap Opera Digest Awards
o (2003) Soapnet Diamond Award - For Glittering Excellence in Daytime Television
o (1993) Soap Opera Digest Award Outstanding Lead Actress for All My Children
o (1988) Soap Opera Digest Award Editor’s Choice

* People’s Choice Awards: (1992) People’s Choice Award
* Crystal Apple Awards: (1994) Crystal Apple Award
* American Academy of AchievementAwards: (1991)

* Made in NY Awards: (2005) MINY[8]

Nominated

Daytime Emmy Awards

Nominations: (1978, 1981-1993, 1995-1999, 2001-2002) Daytime Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for All My Children

Other awards

* Soap Opera Digest Awards
o (2005) Soap Opera Digest Award Favorite Couple for All My Children

-Shared with Walt Willey

*
o (1992) Soap Opera Digest Award ‘Best Love Story: Daytime or Prime Time

-Shared with Walt Willey

*
o (1989) Soap Opera Digest Award Favorite Super Couple: Daytime for All My Children

-Shared with Larkin Malloy

*
o (1986) Soap Opera Digest Award Outstanding Contribution by an Actor/Actress to the Form of Continuing Drama who is currently on a Daytime Serial for All My Children

TV/Guest roles

* All My Children (Erica Kane: 1970-Present)
* That’s So Raven (Ms. Romano: 2005)
* Hope and Faith (Jacqueline Karr: 2004)
* Blood on Her Hands (Isabelle Collins: 1998)
* Seduced and Betrayed (Victoria Landers: 1995)
* Ebbie (Elizabeth ‘Ebbie’ Scrooge: 1995)
* French Silk (Claire Laurent: 1994)
* Between Love and Hate (Vivian Conrad: 1993)
* Double Edge (Maggie Dutton/Carmen Moore: 1992)
* The Woman Who Sinned (Victoria Robeson: 1991)
* Dallas (Hillary Taylor/Faux Sheila Foley: 1990-1991)
* The Bride in Black (Rose D’Amore-Malloy: 1990)
* Lady Mobster (Laurel Castle: 1988)
* Haunted by Her Past (aka Secret Passions) (Karen Beckett: 1987)
* Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna (Darya Romanoff: 1986)
* Mafia Princess (Antoinette Giancana: 1986)
* The Fall Guy (Veronica Remy: 1984)
* Invitation to Hell (Jessica Jones: 1984)
* Fantasy Island (Gina Edwards: 1983)
* The Love Boat (Paula: 1982)

Dania Ramírez (born November 8, 1979) is an actress from the Dominican Republic, most recently known for two roles on television: playing a recurring character during the last season of The Sopranos and for her current role on Heroes.

Early life

Ramírez was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. At an early age, she decided to become an actress. As a young child, she would reenact Spanish soap operas for her family. She was discovered by a modeling scout while working in a New York City convenience store at the age of 15, and was cast in a small part in a soda commercial. Later, she decided to pursue acting seriously and studied at the Actor’s Workshop in New York City under Flo Greeberg.She graduated from Montclair State University in 1999, where her volleyball talents led her to be placed among the top five in career digs, digs/game, solo blocks and total blocks.She then moved to Los Angeles to pursue her acting career.

Career

Music videos

Ramírez has appeared in several music videos, including Jay-Z’s Streets is Watching (1998), LL Cool J’s “Hush” (2005; directed by her fiancè, Jessy Terrero, and Santana’s “Into the Night” (2007).

Films

Ramírez appeared as an extra in the HBO film Subway Stories (1997), where she met filmmaker Spike Lee who later cast her in his film, She Hate Me (2004). She was Callisto, one of The Omegas, in the comic book film X-Men: The Last Stand (2006).

Television

Ramírez appeared as the minor character Caridad in the final episodes of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and as Blanca Selgado, a recurring role during the the sixth season of The Sopranos.

Currently, Ramirez portrays the character of Maya on the TV series Heroes.

Filmography

* The Fifth Commandment (2008, as “Angel”)
* Brooklyn to Manhattan (2008, as “Jessica”)
* Ball Don’t Lie (2007, as “Carmen”)
* Heroes (2007-present, as Maya Herrera)
* Illegal Tender (2007, as “Ana”)
* The Sopranos (2006-2007), as “Blanca Selgado”)
* X-Men: The Last Stand (2006, as “Callisto”)
* Romy & Michele: In The Beginning (TV) (2005, as “Elena”)
* Cross Bronx (2004, as “Maya”)
* Fat Albert (2004, as “Lauri”)
* She Hate Me (2004, as “Alex Guerrero”)
* The Ecology of Love (2004, as “Alila”)
* 25th Hour (2002, as “Daphne”)

Toni Braxton: It was a bit nervewracking watching the 40-year-old singer after she revealed that she had recently been diagnosed with microvascular angina, which occurs when not enough oxygen is making it into the heart. But Braxton’s body rivals the female pros and she cha-cha’d like a natural, curing our stage fright in one session. This could finally be Alec Mazo’s chance to reclaim that season-one glory.
The Unbreak My Heart singer had to scrap a series of Las Vegas shows in May and June (08) after a medical emergency forced her to check into hospital with severe breathing problems.

She has since been diagnosed with coronary microvascular angina - a condition which starves parts of the body of oxygenated blood.

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Sandra Bernhard (born June 6, 1955) is an American comedian, singer, actress and author. She first gained attention in the late 1970s with her stand-up comedy where she often bitterly critiques celebrity culture and political figures. She is also famous for her close friendship to Madonna during the late 1980s. Bernhard is number 97 on Comedy Central’s list of the 100 greatest standups of all time. She is number six on Maxim’s 12 worst stand-ups of all time.

Biography

Early life

Bernhard has often addressed her childhood in interviews and within the context of her stand-up comedy. She was born in Flint, Michigan, the daughter of Jeanette and Jerome Bernhard.[2] Her family soon moved to Scottsdale, Arizona. During an appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show she stated “I’m the only actress in Hollywood who didn’t pay to have these lips”.

Of her family, Bernhard stated in her show Without You I’m Nothing: “My father was a proctologist and my mother was an abstract artist, so that’s how I view the world”. In the documentary program Girls Who Do: Comedy, she discusses being a funny teenager. After graduating from Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, Arizona, she went to live on a kibbutz in Israel. She moved to Los Angeles at the age of 19. During that time she made ends meet working as a manicurist in a high-end salon.

Early career

Bernhard became a popular staple at The Comedy Store. As her popularity as a comedian grew she was cast as a supporting player on The Richard Pryor Show in 1977. Guest appearances on evening talk shows followed. Her big break came in 1983 when she was cast by Martin Scorsese to star as stalker and kidnapper Masha in the film The King of Comedy for which she won the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress. Bernhard later spoke of her contentious relationship with co-star Jerry Lewis. In a 2006 interview on The View she claimed he called her “Fish Lips”, and that he “wanted me to fall through a glass table in my bra and panties.”

She began performing her first one-woman show called I’m Your Woman in 1985, and an unsuccessful album version was released. Bernhard appeared in a variety of small film and television roles throughout the 1980s while crafting her stand-up routine into a more performance art oriented show. She launched an off-Broadway one woman show called Without You I’m Nothing in 1988 which played at The Orpheum Theatre. In 1990 it was turned into a film, also called Without You I’m Nothing; and into a double album of the same name. In all three she notoriously performed a ballad version of the Prince song Little Red Corvette; in the film she did a strip tease to Prince’s version. The film was mostly filmed on location in 1989 in The Cocoanut Grove located in The Ambassador Hotel.

Friendship with Madonna

Around this time in her career, Bernhard developed a very close friendship with Madonna, and the two were frequently seen together in public. The two made intimations of a romantic relationship, most notably both appearing on the David Letterman show where Sandra joked that she had slept with both Madonna and her then husband, Sean Penn. However, the friendship ended badly. Neither has been direct about the reasoning, but, when asked, Bernhard often hinted at a betrayal on Madonna’s part. (Bernhard would later state in her show I’m Still Here, Damn It! that the two had made up.)

Career after 1990

In 1991 Bernhard began playing the role of Nancy Bartlett on the hit sitcom Roseanne. She appeared in 33 episodes between 1991 and 1997, and was one of the first actresses to portray an openly lesbian recurring character on American television. The role is one of her most known, something she has lamented in her stand-up as being both a blessing and a curse.

In September 1992, Bernhard did a nude pictorial for Playboy. She hosted the USA networks REEL WILD CINEMA for two seasons beginning in 1995. Bernhard continued acting in mostly independent films and TV guest roles; forays into mainstream films such as Hudson Hawk and Dallas Dolls were all bombs. Her stand-up and one-woman shows continued to be popular, however, and in 1991 she released her first studio album, entitled Excuses For Bad Behavior (Part One). It was not a commercial success.

In 1995, she briefly appeared as a guest in the animated talk show Space Ghost Coast to Coast, in an episode entitled “Jerk”. In 1996, she guest-starred on an episode of Highlander: The Series called “Dramatic License” in which she played a romanc