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- Christopher Bellard born in June 17, 1979, also known by his stage name Young Maylay, is an American rapper from Los Angeles. He is best known for his portrayal of Carl "CJ" Johnson, the main character and protagonist of the 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Christopher Bellard was born and raised in Los Angeles, California amid the gang violence and the peak of gangsta rap in a crime-riddled area in poverty which inspired his rapping career. Bellard is the younger cousin of actor and rapper Shawn Fonteno, who played Franklin Clinton, one of the protagonists of Grand Theft Auto V.
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Langston Faizon Santisima is an African-American actor and comedian from Santiago de Cuba known for Wanda from Elf, Big Worm from Friday, Sean "Sweet" Johnson from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Jahmal Abdul Jackson from The Replacements, Bruce the Bear from Zookeeper, Robin Harris from Bébé's Kids and Maurice from The Meteor Man.- Actress
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Yo-Yo (born Yolanda Whittaker) has been among the most sophisticated and unpredictable female MCs around. She doesn't take an overtly feminist tack but urges young women to show sexual restraint and use their minds as well as their bodies.
Her introduction to the hip-hop game came with an appearance on the 1990 Ice Cube track "It's a Man's World" (off his debut solo album, "AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted"). It wasn't until the next year, when East West America/Atlantic Records issued her first single, "You Can't Play with My Yo-Yo" (#1/#36 - R&B/Hot 100) that she gained critical acclaim and success. The following singles "Stompin in the '90s" (#2 - hip-hop), "Ain't Nobody Better" (#4/#30 - R&B/Hot 100) and "Girl, Don't be No Fool" helped propel the album "Make Way for the Motherlode" toward cracking the Billboard Top 100 (#74/#5 R&B) chart. Meanwhile, she added her first screen credit in the Oscar-nominated film Boyz n the Hood (1991) with a small cameo.
After a successful year, she maintained her radio exposure with the singles "Homegirl Don't Play That" (#3/#53 - R&B) and "Black Pearl" (#11/#74 - R&B), which led to the release of her sophomore album with the same title (#145/#32 - Top 100 R&B). 1993 would prove to be one of her busiest years with film appearances in Who's the Man? (1993), Menace II Society (1993), Strapped (1993), and Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993); and her third album's release, "You Better Ask Somebody" (#107/#21 - Top 100 R&B). Although her sophomore album retained the critical success of her debut, it didn't keep the success. However, aided by the singles "IBWin' wit My Crewin'," "Westside Story" (#14 - hip-hop) and "The Bonnie and Clyde Theme" (#1/#37/#72 - hip-hop/R&B/Hot 100), her third album returned her to the best-selling female MCs list.
After 1993, Yo-Yo's musical career took a back seat to her acting career with appearances in film (1995's Panther (1995)) and television (New York Undercover (1994) and a recurring role on Martin (1992)). It wasn't until 1996 that she returned with her fourth release, "Total Control" (now on East West America/Elektra Records), an R&B-infused album that catered more on party jams and happiness. The album (#46 - R&B) and its subsequent singles ("Same Ol' Thang (Everyday)," "Steady Risin," "One for the Cuties") failed to hit and, with a lawsuit for an uncleared sample, the album was pulled off shelves. However, the following year, Yo-Yo added more acting credits with more film (1997's _Trials of Life_ (1997) and Sprung (1997)) and television (The Parent 'Hood (1995) and The Jamie Foxx Show (1996)).
In 1998, Yo-Yo collaborated with some of hip-hop's finest for her fifth studio release, "Ebony." The two singles "Iz it Still All Good? (Something's on Your Mind)" and "Do Ya Wanna Ride?") went unnoticed, and East West America/Elektra soon deleted the album and released Yo-Yo from her contract. Once again, instead of letting the hardships of the music business get to her, she focused more on acting with larger film roles (1999's Beverly Hood (1999), 2000's 3 Strikes (2000), and "The Rev. DoWrong Ain't Right!").
After 2000, little was heard from Yo-Yo until her voice work in one of 2004's best-selling video games Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004). She finally returned to the music spotlight with 2005's mix-tape remix of Ciara's "Goodies" and the Game's "How We Do." Her sixth studio album is set for release in 2006 on her own indie label amid fans' anticipation, as well as more voice work on the upcoming animated film Da Jammies (2006).- Actor
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Michael Hollick was born on 5 August 1973 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He is an actor, known for Grand Theft Auto IV (2008), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) and Homefront (2011). He has been married to Angela Tsai since 2 September 2007. They have two children.- Actor
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The stage is set the cast is selected and Jas Anderson is on the move. Not only is Jas Anderson a trained theatrical actor since his days in High School at Performing Arts High School in New York and then on to Rutgers University, but he is an actor whose resume speaks volumes in regards to being a working actor.
Lately his television career has exploded on the screen. 2015 and 2016 have been the busiest and the most notable of late. Fresh off the set of "The Plug" filming the pilot episode of an edgy half hour scripted series about the lives of Harlem teens, their families, and community. Jas play the Uncle "Ray" to "Ronnie" played by Daniel "Diggy" Simmons. Also opposite acclaimed actors Dylan Jenet Collins and Denyce Lawton.
Jas Anderson was on set for most of the year during 2015-2016, filming everything from emotional shorts like Brooklove and the thriller The Final Mission to energetic TV series roles like "DJ" on the award winning breakout cyber thriller it series Mr Robot. On Mr. Robot, which was picked up for another season in 2016 on USA Network shows Jas playing opposite experienced actors like, Rami Maliek, Caviezel and Matt Borner. Other TV appearances include the season finale of Law and Order Criminal Intent acting opposite Steven Lang. His re-occurring role on Law and Order SVU was the most notable this past year. Playing the role of 'Timmer" allowed him to interact with most of the all-star cast during the 2015 riveting season finale "Surrendering Noah". Other recent TV appearances include the pilot episode for NYC22 on CBS, White Collar on USA Network a, Co-star on Person of Interest on CBS.
Jas Anderson also has a seasoned film career. His supporting roles in Brooklyn's Finest as K-Rock directed by Antone Fuqua and his Supporting role in Officer Down as Ellis Dracut a Lions Gate film; both roles gave him the opportunity to work with and opposite Don Chedale, Wesley Snipes, Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke, Stephen Dorff and other notables in the business.
Aside from his charm, wit, and enormous talent Jas Anderson is a man full of depth and enormous talent. Training is essential when choosing acting as a career; Jas clearly understood that, after graduating from Professional Performing Arts High School in New York City, he attended Rutgers University. Thereafter, he enrolled into Mason Gross School of the Arts majoring in theater studying with William Esper. Such studies aided with developing his acting craft, it became a formidable and given challenge. In Andersons' first theatrical performance he worked with the legendary Woodie King Jr., and received a Audelco nomination for Best Male in a Musical for the show Diss Diss Diss Dat at the New Federal Theater. Shortly after, he began to add film and TV credits to his repertoire.
Mr. Anderson needs no clichés like "on the rise" or even "soon to be household name" his acting talent and work ethic speak volumes for itself. There are many labeled as the "one to watch"; however, the difference between them and Jas Anderson is he is the one being watched and to be remembered! ###- Actor
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Ryan Johnston was born on 3 January 1979 in York, Nebraska, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Grand Theft Auto IV (2008), Out of Omaha (2018) and Grand Theft Auto V (2013).- Producer
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Big Boy was born in 1969 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is a producer and actor, known for Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (1999), Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003) and The Longest Yard (2005).- Actor
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Ned Luke was born on 4 October 1958 in Danville, Illinois, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Grand Theft Auto V (2013), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) and Boardwalk Empire (2010). He has been married to Amy Sax since 12 November 1997. They have one child.- Actor
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Jayceon Taylor was born on November 29, 1979 in Compton, California. He was born into a life of gang-banging and hustling. When later interviewed, Taylor, aka The Game says at a young age, he recalls seeing both of his parents preparing to do drive-bys. His father was a Nutty Block Crip and his mother a Hoover Crippelette. Drugs and guns were all around Taylor growing up. At around the age of 6, Jayceon says that a friend of his was murdered in the neighborhood by a teenager, for his clothes and shoes. At the age of 7, Taylor went into foster care. In foster care he was teased by other children. He didn't go unnoticed however. Game's intelligence was acknowledged by his caretakers and he usually helped his foster brothers and sisters with their homework. Around 1989, The Game met his idol, Eric Wright aka Eazy-E founder of NWA. This was a defining moment in his life. Game's adolescence was one of many hardships. At 13, one of Game's older brothers, Jevon who was just 17 at the time was shot at a gas station. His brother had just received a record deal. Taylor says that he felt his father played a hand in this by not being there and felt that if he had, his brother would not have been shot. Jevon died the day after Game visited him in the hospital promising that things would be better and lost time would be made up. Two years later at the age of 15, teenage Jayceon was removed from the foster care system and back into his mother's home. Lynette (Taylor's mom) and Taylor had troubles in the beginning. The Game's father was not around. Taylor attended Compton High School and most of the students that were gang affiliated were Crips. His older brother Big Fase 100, attended Centennial High School and was a Cedar Block Piru Blood. The Game followed in his brother's footsteps. Taylor's natural abilities in althletics led him into a spot as point guard on the basketball team. He also ran track and did various other sports. The Game graduated in 1999 and had received many scholarship offers from various colleges. He chose to go to Washington State University to play basketball. His ticket and way out was shortlived after being found with drugs in his possession. Game's scholarship was revoked. Taylor and brother Big Fase had an apartment on the outskirts of Compton in Bellflower. Shortly after moving there, they quickly had a monopoly on the drug trade. That was shortlived however. On October 1, 2001 while at the apartment alone, Jayceon heard a knock on the door at 2 a.m. Wanting to make a late night sale, he opened the door to see a regular customer. His regular however brought two others with him. He and another man fought. Reaching for his pistol, he was shot execution style by one of the assailants five times. After laying still for several minutes, Jayceon used his cell phone and called the ambulance. Taylor was in a coma for two days. While recovering, he told his brother to go out and buy all of the classic hip hop albums. This included Big's "Ready To Die", Snoop's "Doggystyle", Dr. Dre's "The Chronic", Jay-Z's "Reasonable Doubt", and albums by Big Daddy Kane and Ice Cube. In the course of five months, he studied these albums in an almost scientific manner. In the beginning, his flows were weak, but Game was a quick study and eventually learned better freestyling skills. He took elements from his favorite rappers and formulized them into his own persona and style. After recovering, Big Fase and The Game made a mixtape together. The mixtape reached the hands of Sean Combs aka P. Diddy. Diddy was on the verge of signing him when the mixtape reached the hands of super producer Dr. Dre. Dr. Dre contacted Taylor and the deal was sealed. Taylor wanting to carry on the NWA legacy signed on in 2002 and began recording songs. Dre taught him the ropes of the studio and Taylor learned how to count bars. Taylor chose the alias The Game because his grandmother (deceased) used to call him Game saying he was game for anything. Being on the Aftermath label, he appeared in a few music videos including "In Da Club" and "Wanna Get To Know You". In the summer of 2003, Game's son Harlem Caron Taylor was born. Not having dropped an album despite being signed onto Aftermath/Interscope for awhile, Game still created hype around just his image alone. He appeared in ads for P. Diddy's Sean John clothing company and had an endorsement deal with Boost Mobile appearing in a commercial alongside Kanye West and Ludacris. Game also appeared heavily on the mixtape circuit and guest starred on mixtapes for DJ Green Lantern, The Diplomats, and G-Unit. The first single released with Game on it was "Certified Gangstas". Game guest starred on it alongside Jim Jones and Juelz Santana. Though the single wasn't considered mainstream, the buzz increased around the west coast rapper. "How We Do" featuring 50 Cent was Game's first official single. It was an instant hit with major air play. Game's debut was critically acclaimed and considered nothing short of a classic with productions by Kanye West, Cool And Dre, Dr. Dre, Scott Storch, and Timbaland. Game was dubbed the artist to bring the west coast back on the map so to speak. On January 18, 2005, The Documentary, Game's debut album was released and debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts. The album sold over 586,000 units in its first week.
Game's head for business made him a fixture on tv and radio. He frequently did interviews and showed up at award shows and other events. Although he moved into a condo in Beverly Hills, Game still owned many properties in Compton including a Liquor Store. He still hung around his native Compton with his entourage referred to as The Black Wallstreet. In an interview when asked why he has not abandoned his Compton roots, Game stated that the hood was his comfort zone. The Hip Hop artist's buzz was heightened not just by the honesty and openness of his autobiographical album, but his controversial persona as well. Game was known to have beefs with other artists including rumors of his quarrelling with none other than the G-Unit general himself, 50 Cent. Other artists also criticized the emcee for his signature "name dropping" in which he would mention other rappers frequently in his songs. Game and 50 Cent's dislike for eachother was confirmed despite having collaborated several times. 50 did interviews for New York's Power 105 and Hot 97 radio stations where he publicly dishonored Game for not supporting his feud with Fat Joe and Jadakiss. 50 also stated that Game's album was powered mostly by his help and if he hadn't helped, Interscope chairman Jimmy Iovine would've subsequently dropped Game from the label. 50 denounced Game saying that he was no longer apart of the G-Unit. On February 28, 2005 while 50 Cent and G-Unit were doing an interview at Hot 97 with Angie Martinez, Game and his entourage attempted to enter the building to confront 50. Before they could enter the building, a man in Game's entourage was shot in the leg. The news was everywhere. On the 9th of March, the feud ended with Game and 50 having a press conference in which both donated money to various organizations and publicly made a truce. A few other controversial incidents have swirled around Taylor including a $280 million dollar lawsuit filed on him, as well as the G-Unit/Shady/Aftermath/Interscope imprint for an alleged attack on a Washington D.C. radio DJ.
In May of 2005, Game was back in the news again. While headlining the "How The West Was Won" tour with Snoop Dogg, their concert in Auburn, Washington was shortened after a man was beaten onstage by Game and Snoop's entourage. A video tape surfaced on the internet and the news of a man being beaten by several other men. The man did an interview with a Seattle news station where he was shown with brutal injuries. His injuries included a broken nose, broken ribs, and one of his eyes swollen shut. The man alleged that his cell phone and wallet were stolen and his diamond earrings were ripped from his ears. Despite being new to the hip hop game and relatively new to battling and freestyling, The Game seems to have substance. He is currently working on his sophomore album.- Actor
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An acting chameleon who can easily lose himself in the life of his film and television characters, Clifton Collins Jr. is a native Angeleno who grew up destined to become a part of the Latino entertainment industry. His great-grandparents on his mother's side were a Mexican trumpet player and Spanish dancer who formed a traveling family act, and his grandfather was well-known character actor Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez, most famous for his humorous sidekick roles in 1950s/1960s John Wayne westerns (he played the excitable hotel keeper in Rio Bravo (1959)) and in sitcoms. His uncle and aunt dabbled in the business at one point as well. While his famous grandfather was unable to break out of the old unflattering Latino stereotypes, Collins Jr. has done Pedro proud in the new millennium. Playing everything from policemen to boxers to serial killers, he has managed to transcend the typical racial trappings of his grandfather's era and play flesh-and-blood, three-dimensional characters. It was not always that way.
Born short, lean and mean on June 16, 1970, he started his career in 1988 using his real name of Collins, but two years later began billing himself as "Clifton Gonzales-Gonzales" as a tribute to his aged grandfather and his early accomplishments. Pedro, who died in 2006, lived long enough to witness his grandson's achievements. Toiling in typical "barrio" roles at the beginning of his career, Collins Jr. found himself stuck in bit parts either as a struggling blue-collar worker or urban thug. In the mid-1990s, he began to search out and wing standout roles that enabled him to break the confines of the Latino stereotype. He slowly moved up in billing, even in mediocre material such as the futuristic prison film Fortress (1992) and the mindless 1970s rock-era comedy The Stöned Age (1994). His breakout role as Cesar, the vicious student and gangbanger in One Eight Seven (1997) opposite Los Angeles substitute teacher Samuel L. Jackson, set him on the right path. This led to a mesmerizing collection of other portrayals, both good-guy and bad-guy, in such films as The Replacement Killers (1998), The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit (1998) and Tigerland (2000). His versatility finally tested, he played everything from a gay Mexican hitman in the critically acclaimed Traffic (2000) to a psychological profiler for the FBI in the mainstream actioner Mindhunters (2004). A number of top guest appearances came his way on such series as NYPD Blue (1993) and The Twilight Zone (2002) and he had recurring roles on Resurrection Blvd. (2000) and Alias (2001).
A monumental shift forward in his career happened recently with his hypnotic portrayal of killer Perry Smith, the object of writer Truman Capote's obsession, in the art-house favorite Capote (2005). Decades ago, Robert Blake played the same part in the gripping Capote book-to-film In Cold Blood (1967). This heralded achievement has enabled Collins to move into the co-producer's chair of late, notably for Rampage: The Hillside Strangler Murders (2006), in which he inhabits the role of serial killer Kenneth Bianchi. Obviously, there is plenty more in the works for this major talent.
More recent millennium work includes potent performances in Road Dogz (2002); Tom Cool (2009), which he produced; Dirty (2005); For Your Own Good (1996), which he co-produced; Star Trek (2009); Freeloaders (2012); The Vault (2017); and the Oscar-winning Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019).- Actress
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Nikolette Noel was born and raised in Los Angeles, California.
Her mother was a famous Hungarian supermodel, Apostol Eva. Nikolette speaks Hungarian fluently.
She began her acting career at age six when she landed the role of Jubilee on the NBC series "Unsolved Mysteries." She continued to do commercials and print work for companies like Reebok and PETA.
Nikolette's passion for acting grew throughout high school which led her to dedicate the next four years to studying acting at Loyola Marymount University. She graduated with a B.A. in Theatre Arts.- Actor
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Edward Regan Murphy was born April 3, 1961 in Brooklyn, New York, to Lillian Lynch (born: Lillian Laney), a telephone operator, and Charles Edward Murphy, a transit police officer who was also an amateur comedian and actor. After his father died, his mother married Vernon Lynch, a foreman at a Breyer's Ice Cream plant. His brothers are Charlie Murphy & Vernon Lynch Jr. Eddie had aspirations of being in show business since he was a child. A bright kid growing up in the streets of New York, Murphy spent a great deal of time on impressions and comedy stand-up routines rather than academics. His sense of humor and wit made him a stand out amongst his classmates at Roosevelt Junior-Senior High School. By the time he was fifteen, Murphy worked as a stand-up comic on the lower part of New York, wooing audiences with his dead-on impressions of celebrities and outlooks on life.
In the early 1980s, at the age of 19, Murphy was offered a contract for the Not-Ready-For-Prime-Time Players of Saturday Night Live (1975), where Murphy exercised his comedic abilities in impersonating African American figures and originating some of the show's most memorable characters: Velvet Jones, Mr. Robinson, and a disgruntled and angry Gumby. Murphy made his feature film debut in 48 Hrs. (1982), alongside Nick Nolte. The two's comedic and antagonistic chemistry, alongside Murphy's believable performance as a streetwise convict aiding a bitter, aging cop, won over critics and audiences. The next year, Murphy went two for two, with another hit, pairing him with John Landis, who later became a frequent collaborator with Murphy in Coming to America (1988) and Beverly Hills Cop III (1994). Beverly Hills Cop (1984) was the film that made Murphy a box-office superstar and most notably made him a celebrity worldwide, and it remains one of the all-time biggest domestic blockbusters in motion-picture history. Murphy's performance as a young Detroit cop in pursuit of his friend's murderers earned him a third consecutive Golden Globe nomination. Axel Foley became one of Murphy's signature characters. On top of his game, Murphy was unfazed by his success, that is until his box office appeal and choices in scripts resulted into a spotty mix of hits and misses into the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Films like The Golden Child (1986) and Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) were critically panned but were still massive draws at the box office. In 1989, Murphy, coming off another hit, Coming to America (1988), found failure with his directorial debut, Harlem Nights (1989). Another 48 Hrs. (1990), his turn as a hopeless romantic in Boomerang (1992) and as a suave vampire in Vampire In Brooklyn did little to resuscitate his career. However, his remake of Jerry Lewis's The Nutty Professor (1996) brought Murphy's drawing power back into fruition. From there, Murphy rebounded with occasional hits and misses but has long proven himself as a skilled comedic actor with laudable range pertaining to characterizations and mannerisms. Though he has grown up a lot since his fast-lane rise as a superstar in the 1980s, Murphy has lived the Hollywood lifestyle with controversy, criticism, scandal, and the admiration of millions worldwide for his talents. As Murphy had matured throughout the years, learning many lessons about the Hollywood game in the process, he settled down with more family-oriented humor with Doctor Dolittle (1998), Mulan (1998), Bowfinger (1999), and the animated smash Shrek (2001), in a supporting role that showcased Murphy's comedic personality and charm. Throughout the 2000s, he further starred in the hits The Haunted Mansion (2003), Shrek 2 (2004), Dreamgirls (2006) (for which he was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar), Norbit (2007), Shrek the Third (2007), and Shrek Forever After (2010).
Murphy was married to Nicole Mitchell Murphy from 1993 to 2006. Murphy has ten children.- Music Artist
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50 Cent (Curtis James Jackson) is an American rapper, actor, producer, and entrepreneur.
He began a musical career and in 2000 he produced Power of the Dollar for Columbia Records, but days before the planned release he was shot and the album was never released. In 2002, after Jackson released the compilation album Guess Who's Back?, he was discovered by Eminem and signed to Shady Records, under the aegis of Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records.
With the help of Eminem and Dr. Dre (who produced his first major-label album, Get Rich or Die Tryin'), Jackson became one of the world's best selling rappers and rose to prominence with East Coast hip hop group G-Unit (which he leads de facto). In 2003, he founded G-Unit Records, signing his G-Unit associates Young Buck, Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo. Jackson had similar commercial and critical success with his second album, The Massacre, which was released in 2005. He released his fifth studio album, Animal Ambition, in 2014 and as of 2019 is working on his sixth studio album, Street King Immortal.
During his career Jackson has sold over 30 million albums worldwide and won several awards, including a Grammy Award, thirteen Billboard Music Awards, six World Music Awards, three American Music Awards and four BET Awards. He has pursued an acting career, appearing in the semi-autobiographical film Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2005), the Iraq War film Home of the Brave (2006) and Righteous Kill (2008).- Actor
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Michael Jai White is an American actor and martial artist who has appeared in numerous films and television series. He is the first African American to portray a major comic book superhero in a major motion picture, having starred as Al Simmons, the protagonist in the 1997 film Spawn. White portrayed Jax Briggs in Mortal Kombat: Legacy (2011). White also portrayed boxer Mike Tyson in the 1995 HBO television movie Tyson.- Chanta Patton is known for After Hours: The Movie (2011), Lil Wayne: How to Love (2011) and The Coalition (2012).
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Earl Simmons (December 18, 1970 - April 9, 2021), known by his stage name DMX ("Dark Man X"), was an American rapper and actor. He began rapping in the early 1990s and released his debut album It's Dark and Hell Is Hot in 1998, to both critical acclaim and commercial success, selling 251,000 copies within its first week of release. DMX released his best-selling album, ... And Then There Was X, in 1999, which included the hit single "Party Up (Up in Here)". His 2003 singles "Where the Hood At?" and "X Gon' Give It to Ya" were also commercially successful. He was the first artist to debut an album at No. 1 five times in a row on the Billboard 200 charts. Overall, DMX sold over 74 million records worldwide.- Actor
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Michael Gerard Tyson (born June 30, 1966) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1985 to 2005. Nicknamed "Iron Mike" and "Kid Dynamite" in his early career, and later known as "The Baddest Man on the Planet", Tyson is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. He reigned as the undisputed world heavyweight champion from 1987 to 1990.
Tyson won his first 19 professional fights by knockout, 12 of them in the first round. Claiming his first belt at 20 years, four months, and 22 days old, Tyson holds the record as the youngest boxer ever to win a heavyweight title. He was the first heavyweight boxer to simultaneously hold the WBA, WBC and IBF titles, as well as the only heavyweight to unify them in succession. The following year, Tyson became the lineal champion when he knocked out Michael Spinks in 91 seconds of the first round. In 1990, Tyson was knocked out by underdog Buster Douglas in one of the biggest upsets in history.- Actor
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Van Damme was born Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg in Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, Brussels, Belgium, to Eliana and Eugène Van Varenberg, an accountant. "The Muscles from Brussels" started martial arts at the age of eleven. His father introduced him to martial arts when he saw his son was physically weak. At the age of 12, Van Damme began his martial arts training at Centre National De Karate (National Center of Karate) under the guidance of Master Claude Goetz in Ixelles, Belgium. Van Damme trained for 4 years and earned a spot on the Belgium Karate Team. He won the European professional karate association's middleweight championship as a teenager, and also beat the 2nd best karate fighter in the world. His goal was to be number one but got sidetracked when he left his hometown of Brussels. In 1976 at the age of sixteen, Jean-Claude started his Martial Arts fight career.
Over the next 6-years, he competed in both full-contact and semi-contact matches. He debuted under his birth name of Jean Claude Van Varenberg. In his first match, Jean-Claude was staggered by a round-house kick thrown by fellow countryman, Toon Van Oostrum in Brussels, Belgium. Van Damme was badly stunned, but came back to knockout Van Oostrum moments later. In 1977, at the WAKO Open International in Antwerp, Belgium, Jean-Claude lost a decision to fellow team mate Patrick Teugels in a semi-contact match. At the 1978 Challenge De Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials),Jean-Claude placed 2nd in the semi-contact division. He defeated twenty-five opponents during the week long tournament, but lost in the finals to Angelo Spataro from the Naha Club. Later in 1978, Jean-Claude lost a 3-round match for the Belgium Lightweight Championship (semi-contact) to his fellow team-mate to Patrick Teugels.
In 1979, Jean-Claude traveled to the United States of America, to Tampa, Florida. In his first and only match against a United States opponent, Van Damme faced 'Sherman 'Big Train'Bergman', a kick-boxer from Miami Beach, Florida. For the first and only time in his career, Jean-Claude was knocked to the canvas after absorbing a powerful left hook from Bergman. However, Jean-Claude climbed off the canvas and with a perfectly timed ax-kick, knocked Bergman out in 56 seconds of the first round. Jean-Claude was a member of the Belgium team which competed on December 26, 1979 at the La Coupe Fancois Persoons Karate Tournament which was sanctioned by the Federation bruxelloise de Karate. Van Damme's final match victory enabled his team to win the European Team Karate Championship. In Full-Contact karate, Jean-Claude knocked out England's Micheal Heming in 46 seconds of the first round. In 1980, Van Damme knocked out France's Georges Verlugels in 2 rounds of a match fought under kick-boxing rules. Jean-Claude wanted to defeat his rival Patrick Teugels. At the Forest Nationals in Brussels, on March 8, 1980, Jean-Claude knocked Teugels down and Teugels suffered a nose injury and was unable to continue. Jean-Claude was awarded a first round victory.
Jean-Claude retired from martial arts in 1982, following a knockout over Nedjad Gharbi in Brussels,Belgium. Jean-Claude posted a 18-1 (18 knockouts) Kickboxing record, and a Semi-Contact record of 41-4. He came to Hong Kong at the age of 19 for the first time and felt insured to do action movies in Hong Kong. In 1981 Van Damme moved to Los Angeles. He took English classes while working as carpet layer, pizza delivery man, limo driver, and thanks to Chuck Norris he got a job as a bouncer at a club. Norris gave Van Damme a small role in the movie Missing in Action (1984), but it wasn't good enough to get anybody's attention. Then in 1984 he got a role as a villain named Ivan in the low-budget movie No Retreat, No Surrender (1985). Then one day, while walking on the streets, Jean-Claude spotted a producer for Cannon Pictures, and showed some of his martial arts abilities which led to a role in Bloodsport (1988). But the movie, filmed in Hong Kong, was so bad when it was completed, it was shelved for almost two years. It might have never been released if Van Damme did not help them to recut the film and begged producers to release it. They finally released the film, first in Malaysia and France and then into the U.S. Shot on a meager 1.5 million dollar budget, it became a U.S box-office hit in the spring of 1988. It made about 30 million worldwide and audiences supported this film for its new sensational action star Jean-Claude Van Damme.
His martial arts assets, highlighted by his ability to deliver a kick to an opponent's head during a leaping 360-degree turn, and his good looks led to starring roles in higher budgeted movies like Cyborg (1989), Lionheart (1990), Double Impact (1991) and Universal Soldier (1992). In 1994, he scored with his big breakthrough $100 million worldwide hit Timecop (1994). But in the meantime, his personal life was coming apart. A divorce, followed by a new marriage, followed by another divorce. It began to show up in his career when his projects began to tank at the box office - The Quest (1996), which he directed; Maximum Risk (1996) and Double Team (1997). The three films made less than $50 million combined. In 1999 he remarried his ex-wife Gladys Portugues and restarted his lost career to attain new goals. With help from his family he faced his problems and made movies like Replicant (2001), Derailed (2002), and In Hell (2003) which did averagely in box office terms, but he tried to give his fans the best, his acting in those movies got better, more emotional and each movie was basically in different action tones.- Actor
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James was born in Yokohama and raised in rural Yamagata, Japan. He moved to the U.S. after high school and earned a BA in literature from Wheaton College and an MFA in acting and directing from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
James is based in NYC, working as an actor, director, translator, and writer. Many fans know him as Robert Minoru from Marvel's Runaways. He has originated many roles on and off Broadway, including Sarah Ruhl's The Oldest Boy, Richard Greenberg's Take Me Out (2003 Tony Award for Best Play), A Naked Girl on the Appian Way, John Guare's A Few Stout Individuals, and Julia Cho's Durango. His credits also include characters in world-premiere stage adaptations of literary classics, such as Yunioshi in Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's on Broadway and Toru in Haruki Murakami's The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle at the Edinburgh Int'l Festival and the Singapore Arts Festival.
For the stage, he has directed My Friend Has Come for the Asian American Writers Workshop, Dancing with the Bird at the Japan Society in New York, "Clippy and Ms. U" for Ma-Yi Studios, and Ready or Not and It's a Jungle Out There for the 52nd Street Project Playmaking series. He made his filmmaking debut in '11 with Lefty Loosey Righty Tighty, which won Best Feature in the DIY film competition at Northside Festival, a trendsetter art festival in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
James was the conceiver of the theater benefit "SHINSAI: Theaters for Japan" which took place on March 11, 2012, the one-year anniversary of the disasters in Japan, with participation from nearly 100 theaters, internationally. He also collaborates frequently with Japanese artists, translating award winning contemporary Japanese plays and subtitling major Japanese studio films.
James is also a martial artist with black belts in judo and aikido.- Actor
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Alfredo James "Al" 'Pacino established himself as a film actor during one of cinema's most vibrant decades, the 1970s, and has become an enduring and iconic figure in the world of American movies.
He was born April 25, 1940 in Manhattan, New York City, to Italian-American parents, Rose (nee Gerardi) and Sal Pacino. They divorced when he was young. His mother moved them into his grandparents' home in the South Bronx. Pacino found himself often repeating the plots and voices of characters he had seen in the movies. Bored and unmotivated in school, he found a haven in school plays, and his interest soon blossomed into a full-time career. Starting onstage, he went through a period of depression and poverty, sometimes having to borrow bus fare to succeed to auditions. He made it into the prestigious Actors Studio in 1966, studying under Lee Strasberg, creator of the Method Approach that would become the trademark of many 1970s-era actors.
After appearing in a string of plays in supporting roles, Pacino finally attained success off-Broadway with Israel Horovitz's "The Indian Wants the Bronx", winning an Obie Award for the 1966-67 season. That was followed by a Tony Award for "Does the Tiger Wear a Necktie?" His first feature films made little departure from the gritty realistic stage performances that earned him respect: he played a drug addict in The Panic in Needle Park (1971) after his film debut in Me, Natalie (1969). The role of Michael Corleone in The Godfather (1972) was one of the most sought-after of the time: Robert Redford, Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson, Ryan O'Neal, Robert De Niro and a host of other actors either wanted it or were mentioned, but director Francis Ford Coppola wanted Pacino for the role.
Coppola was successful but Pacino was reportedly in constant fear of being fired during the very difficult shoot. The film was a monster hit that earned Pacino his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. However, instead of taking on easier projects for the big money he could now command, Pacino threw his support behind what he considered tough but important films, such as the true-life crime drama Serpico (1973) and the tragic real-life bank robbery film Dog Day Afternoon (1975). He was nominated three consecutive years for the "Best Actor" Academy Award. He faltered slightly with Bobby Deerfield (1977), but regained his stride with And Justice for All (1979), for which he received another Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Unfortunately, this would signal the beginning of a decline in his career, which produced flops like Cruising (1980) and Author! Author! (1982).
Pacino took on another vicious gangster role and cemented his legendary status in the ultra-violent cult film Scarface (1983), but a monumental mistake was about to follow. Revolution (1985) endured an endless and seemingly cursed shoot in which equipment was destroyed, weather was terrible, and Pacino fell ill with pneumonia. Constant changes in the script further derailed the project. The Revolutionary War-themed film, considered among the worst films ever made, resulted in awful reviews and kept him off the screen for the next four years. Returning to the stage, Pacino did much to give back and contribute to the theatre, which he considers his first love. He directed a film, The Local Stigmatic (1990), but it remains unreleased. He lifted his self-imposed exile with the striking Sea of Love (1989) as a hard-drinking policeman. This marked the second phase of Pacino's career, being the first to feature his now famous dark, owl eyes and hoarse, gravelly voice.
Returning to the Corleones, Pacino made The Godfather Part III (1990) and earned raves for his first comedic role in the colorful adaptation Dick Tracy (1990). This earned him another Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, and two years later he was nominated for Glengarry Glen Ross (1992). He went into romantic mode for Frankie and Johnny (1991). In 1992, he finally won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his amazing performance in Scent of a Woman (1992). A mixture of technical perfection (he plays a blind man) and charisma, the role was tailor-made for him, and remains a classic.
The next few years would see Pacino becoming more comfortable with acting and movies as a business, turning out great roles in great films with more frequency and less of the demanding personal involvement of his wilder days. Carlito's Way (1993) proved another gangster classic, as did the epic crime drama Heat (1995) directed by Michael Mann and co-starring Robert De Niro. He directed the film adaptation of Shakespeare's Looking for Richard (1996). During this period, City Hall (1996), Donnie Brasco (1997) and The Devil's Advocate (1997) all came out. Reteaming with Mann and then Oliver Stone, he gave commanding performances in The Insider (1999) and Any Given Sunday (1999).
In the 2000s, Pacino starred in a number of theatrical blockbusters, including Ocean's Thirteen (2007), but his choice in television roles (the vicious, closeted Roy Cohn in the HBO miniseries Angels in America (2003) and his sensitive portrayal of Jack Kevorkian, in the television movie You Don't Know Jack (2010)) are reminiscent of the bolder choices of his early career. Each television project garnered him an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie.
Never wed, Pacino has a daughter, Julie Marie, with acting teacher Jan Tarrant, and a set of twins with former longtime girlfriend Beverly D'Angelo. His romantic history includes Jill Clayburgh, Veruschka von Lehndorff, Carole Mallory, Debra Winger, Tuesday Weld, Marthe Keller, Carmen Cervera, Kathleen Quinlan, Lyndall Hobbs, Penelope Ann Miller, and a two-decade intermittent relationship with "Godfather" co-star Diane Keaton. He currently lives with Argentinian actress Lucila Solá, who is 36 years his junior.
As of 2022, Pacino is 82-years-old. He has never retired from acting, and continues to appear regularly in film.- Actor
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Jet Li born Li Lian Jie in Beijing, China. He started training at the Beijing wushu academy (wushu is China's national sport, largely a performance version of various martial art styles) at age eight. He won five gold medals in the Chinese championships, his first when he was only 11. In his teens, he was already a national coach, and before he was 20 he had starred in his first movie: The Shaolin Temple (1982), which started the 1980s Kung-Fu boom in mainland China. He relocated to Hong Kong, where he was the biggest star of the early 1990s Kung-Fu boom. His first directorial effort was Born to Defense (1988).- Actor
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Tyrese Darnell Gibson was born December 30, 1978 in Watts, Los Angeles, California, where he was raised. He is an R&B singer, songwriter, actor, author, television producer and model. He is well known for his actor role as Roman Pearce in the The Fast and Furious movie franchise. Other popular movies Tyrese has acted in are Death Race, Transformers, Baby Boy and Legion. Tyrese has been married twice, and has two daughters. He continues to pursue his career.- Actor
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Danny Dyer was born in the Custom House area of east London, England, on 24th July 1977. Danny was spotted at a Sunday Drama School for underprivileged kids, in Kentish Town, by the agent Charlotte Kelly who got him an audition for the part of Martin Fletcher in the Granada Television series Prime Suspect 3 (1993). At the age of 14 he was given the part and found himself working alongside Helen Mirren. Danny went through a quiet patch in terms of work coming in but after a few notable appearances in Thief Takers (1995) and Soldier Soldier (1991), the film, TV and theater work came flooding in making him one of the most sought-after London-based actors. As well as his film and TV work he has also appeared on stage in London and New York.- Actor
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Guru was born on 17 July 1961 in Roxbury, Massachusetts, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for Training Day (2001), The Lincoln Lawyer (2011) and Addams Family Values (1993). He died on 19 April 2010 in Suffern, New York, USA.