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Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Kate Beckinsale

 Birth Name: Kathryn Bailey Beckinsale

Age: 38, born 26 July 1973


Country of origin: United Kingdom


Height: 5' 7"


Ethnicity: White / Caucasian


Relationship Status: Married


Partner: Len Wiseman
About: Kate Beckinsale was born on 26 July 1973 in England, and has resided in London for most of her life. Her mother is Judy Loe, who has appeared in a number of British dramas and sitcoms and continues to work as an actress, predominantly in British television productions. Her father was Richard Beckinsale, born in Nottingham, England. He starred in a number of popular British television comedies during the 1970s, most notably the series "Rising Damp" (1974), "Porridge" (1974) an Kate Beckinsale was born on 26 July 1973 in England, and has resided in London for most of her life. Her mother is Judy Loe, who has appeared in a number of British dramas and sitcoms and continues to work as an actress, predominantly in British television productions. Her father was Richard Beckinsale, born in Nottingham, England. He starred in a number of popular British television comedies during the 1970s, most notably the series "Rising Damp" (1974), "Porridge" (1974) and "The Lovers" (1970). He passed away tragically early in 1979 at the age of 31.


Kate attended the private school Godolphin and Latymer School in London for her grade and primary school education. In her teens she twice won the British bookseller W.H. Smith Young Writers' competition - once for three short stories and once for three poems. After a tumultuous adolescence (a bout of anorexia - cured - and a smoking habit which continues to this day), she gradually took up the profession of acting.


Her major acting debut came in a TV film about World War II called One Against the Wind (1991) (TV), filmed in Luxembourg during the summer of 1991. It first aired on American television that December. Kate began attending Oxford University's New College in the fall of 1991, majoring in French and Russian literature. She had already decided that she wanted to act, but to broaden her horizons she chose university over drama school. While in her first year at Oxford, Kate received her big break in Kenneth Branagh's film adaptation of William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing (1993). Kate worked in three other films while attending Oxford, beginning with a part in the medieval historical drama Prince of Jutland (1994), cast as Ethel. The film was shot during the spring of 1993 on location in Denmark, and she filmed her supporting part during New College's Easter break. Later in the summer of that year she played the lead in the contemporary mystery drama Uncovered (1995). Before she went back to school, her third year at university was spent at Oxford's study-abroad program in Paris, France, immersing herself in the French language, Parisian culture and French cigarettes.


A year away from the academic community and living on her own in the French capital caused her to re-evaluate the direction of her life. She faced a choice: continue with school or concentrate on her flourishing acting career. After much thought, she chose the acting career. In the spring of 1994 Kate left Oxford, after finishing three years of study. Kate appeared in the BBC/Thames Television satire Cold Comfort Farm (1995) (TV), filmed in London and East Sussex during late summer 1994 and which opened to spectacular reviews in the United States, grossing over $5 million during its American run. It was re-released to U.K. theaters in the spring of 1997.


Acting on the stage consumed the first part of 1995; she toured in England with the Thelma Holts Theatre Company production of Anton Chekhov's "The Seagull". After turning down several mediocre scripts "and going nearly berserk with boredom", she waited seven months before another interesting role was offered to her. Her big movie of 1995 was the romance/horror movie Haunted (1995), starring opposite Aidan Quinn and John Gielgud, and filmed in West Sussex. In this film she wanted to play "an object of desire", unlike her past performances where her characters were much less the siren and more the worldly innocent. Kate's first film project of 1996 was the British ITV production of Jane Austen's novel Emma (1996) (TV). Her last film of 1996 was the comedy Shooting Fish (1997), filmed at Shepperton Studios in London during early fall. She played the part of Georgie, an altruistic con artist. She had a daughter, Lily, in 1999 with actor Michael Sheen.


Was listed as a potential nominee on both the 2005 and 2007 Razzie Award nominating ballots. She was listed as a suggestion in the Worst Actress category on the 2005 ballot for her performance in the film Van Helsing (2004) and again two years later in the same category for her roles in the films Click (2006/I) and Underworld: Evolution (2006). She failed to receive either nomination.


"I look at how Keira Knightley is coiffed when she attends events. I remember going to Cannes with Much Ado About Nothing (1993) when I was 18, and nobody told me, 'Oh, here's a make-up artist or, 'This person wants to dress you, what clothes are you wearing?' It just wasn't like that when I started. Nobody even told me I could bring a friend! I just sort of showed up in a very expensive pair of trousers I bought in Harvey Nichols, and something I bought in the Sock Shop at the airport. But Keira Knightley has like full hair and make- up and a proper outfit and I think, 'Wow, she's not going to have the before photos I had to endure!' She's really lucky".

Kate Winslet

 Birth Name: Kate Elizabeth Winslet

Age: 36, born 5 October 1975


Country of origin: United Kingdom


Height: 5' 6"


Ethnicity: White / Caucasian


Relationship Status: In a relationship

About: 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, mat 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.)


Off camera, Winslet is known for her mischievous pranks and familial devotion. She has two sisters, Anna Winslet and Beth Winslet (both actresses), and a brother, Joss. In 1998, she married Jim Threapleton, whom she met on the set of Hideous Kinky (1998); the pair had a daughter, Mia, in October of 2000. They divorced in 2001. She later married director Sam Mendes in 2003 and has since given birth to their son Joe.

Minnie Driver

 Birth Name: Amelia Fiona J. Driver

Age: 41, born 31 January 1970


Country of origin: United Kingdom


Currently Residing In: United States


Height: 5' 10"


Ethnicity: White / Caucasian

About: Minnie Driver (born Amelia Fiona J. Driver; 31 January 1970) is an English actress and singer-songwriter. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the 1997 film Good Will Hunting, as well as for an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe for her work in the television series The Riches.

Miranda Richardson

 Birth Name: Miranda Jane Richardson

Age: 53, born 3 March 1958


Born and residing in: United Kingdom


Height: 5' 5"


Ethnicity: White / Caucasian

About: Miranda Richardson was born in England on March 3, 1958. She comes from Southport in Lancashire (near Liverpool), and has one sister, eight years her senior. Her parents and sister are not involved in the performing arts. At an early age she performed in school plays, having shown a talent and desire to "turn herself into" other people. She has referred to it as "an emotional fusion; you think yourself into them". This mimicry could be of school friends or film stars. She lef Miranda Richardson was born in England on March 3, 1958. She comes from Southport in Lancashire (near Liverpool), and has one sister, eight years her senior. Her parents and sister are not involved in the performing arts. At an early age she performed in school plays, having shown a talent and desire to "turn herself into" other people. She has referred to it as "an emotional fusion; you think yourself into them". This mimicry could be of school friends or film stars. She left school (Southport High School for Girls) at the age of 17, and originally intended becoming a vet. She also considered studying English literature in college, but decided to concentrate on drama and enrolled at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School (as did many well-known British actors). After three years she graduated and moved into repertory theatre. She became affiliated with the Library Theatre in Manchester in 1979, where she became an assistant stage manager. She obtained her Equity card, and after several regional productions, first appeared on the London stage (Moving at Queens Theatre) in 1981. British television roles soon followed, and then film. Since then, Miranda has moved into the international arena, and has made films in America, France and Spain. Television work (on both sides of the Atlantic) continues, as does some stage work. Her roles are diverse, but powerful and engaging. She has been quoted as stating "what I basically like is doing things I haven't done before" and this continually comes through in the variety of roles she has played in her career. She is also selective in the roles she takes, being uninterested in performing in the standard Hollywood fare, and preferring more offbeat roles. She was approached to play the Glenn Close role in Fatal Attraction (1987), but found it "regressive in its attitudes". Her attitude is summed up by a quote from an interview that appeared in the New York Times (Dec 27 1992): "I would rather do many small roles on TV, stage or film than one blockbuster that made me rich but had no acting. And if that's the choice I have to make, I think I've already made it". According to "1994 Current Biography Yearbook", she resides in South London with her two Siamese cats, Otis and Waldo. She has now moved to West London. Her hobbies include drawing, walking, gardening, fashion, falconry, and music. She, by her own admission, is a loner and lives rather modestly. An actor who studied with Ms Richardson at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre in the late 1970s described her as "a strong minded, specially gifted, rather pretty young woman who enjoys wearing jewelry. She wore toe rings, which in the late 1970s and especially in England, were a rarity and considered rather racy." He also remarked on her drive, even then, to be an actress of the highest caliber.

Rachel Hurd-Wood

 Birth Name: Rachel Clare Hurd-Wood

Age: 21, born 17 August 1990


Born and residing in: United Kingdom


Height: 5' 4"


Ethnicity: White / Caucasian


Relationship Status: Single

About: She found out about the role of Wendy in Peter Pan (2003) after her grandparents saw an advert on television. They contacted Rachel's mother and when she came home from school one day her mother started measuring her, when she found Rachel was in the height requirements, she said Rachel could audition. She has often said she does not plan on continuing to have a career of being an actress. In 2003/2004, she said she loves dolphins and hopes to become a marine biologist. In a Septe She found out about the role of Wendy in Peter Pan (2003) after her grandparents saw an advert on television. They contacted Rachel's mother and when she came home from school one day her mother started measuring her, when she found Rachel was in the height requirements, she said Rachel could audition.

She has often said she does not plan on continuing to have a career of being an actress. In 2003/2004, she said she loves dolphins and hopes to become a marine biologist. In a September/October 2009 interview with Little White Lies magazine, she said she wants to teach, do speech therapy, or work with autistic children, in which she also stated, "It was never my goal to be an actor".


[On being typecast in period pieces]: 'I'm sick of having red hair but people seem to like that aesthetic. I would really like to play someone contemporary as I've done lots of period pieces. I would love to play an American bimbo or a grimy Londoner. But I'm probably more suited in people's minds to playing a corseted victim. They think, 'Oh right, she's pale, she looks like she couldn't really fight back.'

Saffron Burrows

 Birth Name: Saffron Dominique Burrows

Age: 39, born 22 October 1972


Country of origin: United Kingdom


Currently Residing In: United States


Height: 6' 0"


Ethnicity: White / Caucasian

About: Born to political active family, both of her parents are Socialists. Her father works as an architect and teacher, while her mother Susie is a teacher, supporting the feminist movement. In childhood, she sold the Socialist Worker newsletter for pocket money, attended marches and rallies after school with her activist mother and stepfather and even shared her home with striking miners. She was discovered at 15 in Covent Garden, by the same scout who discovered Naomi Campbell, and e Born to political active family, both of her parents are Socialists. Her father works as an architect and teacher, while her mother Susie is a teacher, supporting the feminist movement. In childhood, she sold the Socialist Worker newsletter for pocket money, attended marches and rallies after school with her activist mother and stepfather and even shared her home with striking miners.

She was discovered at 15 in Covent Garden, by the same scout who discovered Naomi Campbell, and embarked on a successful career as a model. She modeled in Paris and London for Chanel, Yves Saint-Laurent and Vivienne Westwood. But she'd studied drama since she was a child and made her first film at the age of 17, leaving the catwalk behind.


2006 UK newspaper "The Independent"'s Pink List - a list of the most influential gay men and women - placed Burrows at no. 90, citing a rumored relationship with "Harry Potter" and The Black Dahlia (2006) actress Fiona Shaw.


Good friends with politician Tony Benn.


Plays acoustic guitar.


Drives a Lexus hybrid car.


Favorite department store: Liberty of London (UK).


Favorite movies include: Julia (1977), Tootsie (1982) and Silkwood (1983), etc.


Lost out to Rosamund Pike for the role of Miranda Frost in Die Another Day (2002).


Became an American citizen in 2009.

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