American Hustle 2013 premiere
Tuesday December 3rd, DGA Theater Complex 7920 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90046
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Amy Lou Adams was born in Vicenza, Veneto, Italy, to American parents, Kathryn (Hicken) and Richard Kent Adams, a U.S. serviceman who was stationed at Caserma Ederle in Italy at the time. She was raised in a Mormon family of seven children in Castle Rock, Colorado, and has English, as well as smaller amounts of Danish, Swiss-German, and Norwegian, ancestry.
Adams sang in the school choir at Douglas County High School and was an apprentice dancer at a local dance company, with the ambition of becoming a ballerina. However, she worked as a greeter at The Gap and as a Hooters hostess to support herself before finding work as a dancer at Boulder's Dinner Theatre and Country Dinner Playhouse in such productions as "Brigadoon" and "A Chorus Line". It was there that she was spotted by a Minneapolis dinner-theater director who asked her to move to Chanhassen, Minnesota for more regional dinner theatre work.
Nursing a pulled muscle that kept her from dancing, she was free to audition for a part in Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999), which was filming nearby in Minnesota. During the filming, Kirstie Alley encouraged her to move to Los Angeles, where she soon won a part in the Fox television version of the film, Cruel Intentions (1999), in the part played in the film by Sarah Michelle Gellar, "Kathryn Merteuil". Although three episodes were filmed, the troubled series never aired. Instead, parts of the episodes were cobbled together and released as the direct-to-video Cruel Intentions 2 (2000). After more failed television spots, she landed a major role in Catch Me If You Can (2002), playing opposite Leonardo DiCaprio. But this did not provide the break-through she might have hoped for, with no work being offered for about a year. She eventually returned to television, and joined the short-lived series, Dr. Vegas (2004).
Her role in the low-budget independent film Junebug (2005) (which was shot in 21 days) got her real attention, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress as well as other awards. The following year, her ability to look like a wide-eyed Disney animated heroine helped her to be chosen from about 300 actresses auditioning for the role of "Giselle" in the animated/live-action feature film, Enchanted (2007), which would prove to be her major break-through role. Her vivacious yet innocent portrayal allowed her to use her singing and dancing talents. Her performance garnered a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.
Adams next appeared in the major production, Charlie Wilson's War (2007), and went on to act in the independent film, Sunshine Cleaning (2008), which premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. Her role as "Sister James" in Doubt (2008) brought her a second Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, as well as nominations for a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild award, and a British Academy Film award. She appeared as Amelia Earhart in Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009) and as a post-9/11 hot line counselor, aspiring writer, amateur cook and blogger in Julie & Julia (2009). In the early 2010s, she starred with Jason Segel in The Muppets (2011), with Philip Seymour Hoffman in Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master (2012), and alongside Clint Eastwood and Justin Timberlake in Trouble with the Curve (2012). She played reporter Lois Lane in Man of Steel (2013) and con artist Sydney Prosser in American Hustle (2013), before portraying real-life artist Margaret Keane in Tim Burton's biopic Big Eyes (2014).
In 2016, she reprised her role as Lane in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), and headlined Denis Villeneuve's science fiction drama Arrival (2016) and Tom Ford's dark thriller Nocturnal Animals (2016). In 2018, she received another Oscar nomination, her sixth, for starring as Lynne Cheney in the biographical drama Vice (2018), opposite Christian Bale as Dick Cheney.- Actress
- Director
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Finola Hughes was born in London. She studied at Arts Educational Schools and began her career in the Northern Ballet Company, after winning the Markova award. She went on to work in the West End, in the original cast of "Cats" and continued working with Andrew Lloyd Webber in "Song & Dance". After making Staying Alive (1983) in LA, she moved to California in 1984 and began working on General Hospital (1963), winning an Emmy award in 1991. She continued to make TV series and various movies for the next few years, Jack's Place (1992), Aspen Extreme (1993), Blossom (1990), Charmed (1998), and returned to ABC daytime, in 1999, to join the cast of All My Children (1970) in New York. Once in NY, she began entering the Fashion World and returned to Los Angeles to begin a 4-year stint on the Style Network, with a fabulous makeover show, How Do I Look? (2004). She returned for a brief sojourn to General Hospital (1963), and it's spin-off, "Night Shift". Finola lives in Santa Barbara with her husband, artist Russell Young, and their 3 children.- Producer
- Additional Crew
Richard Suckle is an American film producer who produced several films for Warner Brothers and Atlas Entertainment. He notably produced Scooby-Doo, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, The Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, American Hustle, Wonder Woman 1984, Extreme Movie, The International, Dirty John, Fallen, The Monster and Suicide Squad. He was nominated an Academy Award for producing American Hustle.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Tom Arnold was born in Ottumwa, Iowa, to Linda (Graham) and Jack Arnold. After his parents divorced, he was raised by his father. In 1983, he got his first taste of stand-up comedy when he performed at open microphone nights at the University of Iowa. Tom's comedy career had its ups and downs over the next several years until 1988, when he entered the Minneapolis Comedy Competition and won first place. With this victory in hand, he decided to move to Los Angeles to pursue a stand-up comedy career. Once he hit Los Angeles, things happened fast. That same year, he was hired as a staff writer for Roseanne Barr's TV sitcom Roseanne (1988) and began to appear regularly on the show as "Arnie Thomas". He and Roseanne Barr were married in 1990, with Arnold converting to Judaism prior to the marriage. They formed Rapello County Productions to develop projects for themselves.
The couple's marriage, together with their sometimes outrageous behavior, attracted media attention - and especially that of the tabloids - like a magnet. In 1994 conditions between the two deteriorated and they went through a very public, and acrimonious, divorce. Tom has been married twice since then and is the co-host of Fox Sports Net's talk show The Best Damn Sports Show Period (2001). He also does voiceover work, and provides the voice for the "Oven Mitt" character in the TV commercials for the Arby's restaurant chain.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Spencer Boldman is an American actor, born July 28, 1992 in Dallas, Texas. Boldman starred as Adam Davenport in four seasons of the popular Disney XD series "Lab Rats" and played Jackson in the Disney Channel movie "Zapped," where he appeared opposite Zendaya. He also played French Samuels in Phil Lord and Chris Miller's "21 Jump Street" and and Gio Fortunato in Rob Siegel's film "Cruise." In Boldman's latest project he will play the role of Lance McCrae in "Immigrant," Hulu's upcoming limited series based on the story of Chippendales founder Somen "Steve" Banerjee (Kumail Nanjiani). Lance McCrae is described as "the ultimate specimen" and the hottest Chippendales dancer of them all. He is also the inspiration and star of choreographer Nick De Noia's (Murray Bartlett) greatest, most ambitious routine yet.- Actor
- Producer
Born in Florida, educated at the State University of New York-Purchase, and coming from the NYC based theatre scene, Shea Whigham's big break came when director Joel Schumacher cast him opposite Colin Farrell in Tigerland (2000). He has worked opposite Robert DeNiro, Anthony Hopkins, Christian Bale, Sean Penn and many others; and continues his role as "Eli Thompson" on HBO's award-winning series Boardwalk Empire (2010). Married with four children, Whigham and his family divide their time between New York and Los Angeles.- Producer
- Executive
Charles Roven is an American film producer who produced dozens of films made by Warner Brothers and Atlas Entertainment. His produced films include Scooby-Doo, The Dark Knight trilogy, Wonder Woman, James Gunn's The Suicide Squad, Batman v Superman, Wonder Woman 1984, Man of Steel, Suicide Squad, Zack Snyder's Justice League, 12 Monkeys, Justice League, Get Smart and American Hustle. He was married to Dawn Steel until her death in 1997.- Actress
- Producer
Dawn Orienne Olivieri is an American actress perhaps best known for her turn as Lydia in Heroes and Monica Talbot in House of Lies. She has appeared in the Showtime series House of Lies for 41 episodes, starting in 2012, playing the competitive management consultant and ex-wife of main character Marty Kaan and mother of their son, Roscoe Kaan. She acted as Janice Herveaux in the third season of the HBO series True Blood. She played a reporter and Damon Salvatore's girlfriend Andie Star in the hit CW show The Vampire Diaries. Wrapping up the 4th season on Heroes, she has also completed parts on TBS's My Boys, NBC's Knight Rider, TNT's Trust Me, and SyFy's Stargate: Atlantis, and recurred on CBS's How I Met Your Mother. Olivieri played a lead role in the SyFy movie Hydra, and she is the voice of Pepper Potts in the new Avengers animated series on Disney XD. She appeared in the October 2009 issue of Maxim. Olivieri appeared on HBO's Entourage on September 13, 2009, and hosted a contest on Scripped. She voiced Lucy Kuo in a PlayStation 3 video game, Infamous 2, which was released in June 2011. As of March 2018, she has a recurring role in the CBS action-adventure series SEAL Team as Amy Nelson.- Actor
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- Sound Department
Jeremy Lee Renner was born in Modesto, California, the son of Valerie (Tague) and Lee Renner, who managed a bowling alley. After a tumultuous yet happy childhood with his four younger siblings, Renner graduated from Beyer High School and attended Modesto Junior College. He explored several areas of study, including computer science, criminology, and psychology, before the theater department, with its freedom of emotional expression, drew him in.
However, Renner recognized the potential in acting as much through the local police academy as through drama classes. During his second year at Modesto Junior College, Renner role-played a domestic disturbance perpetrator as part of a police-training exercise for an easy $50. Deciding to shift his focus away from schoolwork, Renner left college and moved to San Francisco to study at the American Conservatory Theater. From there he moved to Hawaii and, in 1993, to Los Angeles.
In Los Angeles, Renner devoted himself to theater, most notably starring in and co-directing the critically acclaimed "Search and Destroy." He pursued other projects during this time as well, landing his first film role in 1995's National Lampoon's Senior Trip (1995). After several commercials and supporting roles in television movies and series, Renner captured the attention of critics with his gripping, complex portrayal of the infamous serial killer in the 2002 film Dahmer (2002). Renner's performance, which earned him an Independent Spirit Award nomination, is especially remarkable for painting a humane and sympathetic, yet deeply disturbing, portrait of the title character.
In 2003, Renner took a break from small indie films to work on his first commercially successful movie, S.W.A.T. (2003), with Colin Farrell. In 2005, he played the leading role in Neo Ned (2005) as an institutionalized white supremacist in love with a black girl, winning the Palm Beach International Film Festival's best actor award. Renner's pivotal supporting roles in 2005's 12 and Holding (2005) and North Country (2005) earned him accolades from critics, and his 2007 turn in Take (2007) garnered him the best actor award at California's Independent Film Festival. Also in 2007, Renner played a leading role in the horror film 28 Weeks Later (2007) as well as a supporting role in the underrated Western epic The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007), with Casey Affleck, Brad Pitt, and Sam Rockwell.
Renner's depiction of Jeffrey Dahmer in 2002 caught the attention of director Kathryn Bigelow, and, in 2008, she cast him in his most famous role as Sergeant First Class William James in The Hurt Locker (2008). Renner's performance as a single-minded bomb specialist scored him an Academy Award nomination for best actor. He also earned best actor nominations from the Independent Spirit Awards, the Screen Actors Guild, and the BAFTA Awards, as well as wins in this category from several film critics groups.
In 2009, Renner starred in the short-lived TV series, The Unusuals (2009), and in 2010 he played the chilling but loyal criminal Jem in Ben Affleck bank-heist thriller The Town (2010). In the fall of 2010, Renner began filming Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011). He has also since starred in The Avengers (2012), American Hustle (2013), and Kill the Messenger (2014).
Renner's strengths as an actor derive not only from his expressive eyes but also from his ability to thoroughly embody the characters he portrays. His visceral depiction of these individuals captivates audiences and empowers him to steal scenes in many of his films, even when playing a minor role. Renner gravitates toward flawed, complicated, three-dimensional characters that allow him to explore new territory within himself.
In addition to his work as an actor, Renner continues to cultivate his lifelong love of music. A singer, songwriter, and musician, he performed with the band Sons of Ben early in his career. Scenes in Love Comes to the Executioner (2006), North Country (2005), and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) briefly showcase Renner's singing talents.
Despite traveling the world for film roles and, recently, as a United Nations Goodwill Peace Ambassador to raise awareness for mine-clearing efforts in Afghanistan, Renner remains close to his roots. In 2010, Modesto Junior College presented him the Distinguished Alumnus award in recognition of his body of work as an actor. He also headlined at a benefit for Modesto's Gallo Center for the Arts in the fall of 2010.
Renner maintains a sense of humility and gratitude, even in the wake of his recent successes and recognition. He keeps himself grounded by renovating and restoring old and rundown iconic Hollywood homes, an enterprise he began back in his early days in Los Angeles. He values loyalty and a sense of both age and history, and enjoys the opportunity to help conserve these qualities in a town that favors the young and the new.- Actor
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Lorenzo Fernando Lamas was born in Santa Monica, California, the son of actors Arlene Dahl and Fernando Lamas. His father was Argentinian and his mother was American, of Norwegian descent. Lorenzo was raised in Pacific Palisades, California. In 1968, his family moved to New York. He attended private school, graduating from Admiral Farragut Academy in 1975. He then moved back to California. With encouragement from his father, he enrolled in Tony Barr's Film Actors Workshop and began his career with a small role in a television show in 1976. He also began to study karate and tae kwon do in 1979. He has starred in five television series and in over fifty movies. He is most known for his roles on television, notably as Lance Cumson on CBS' Falcon Crest (1981) and Reno Raines in the syndicated hit show Renegade (1992). Lorenzo also sustained a professional racing career while working successfully as a TV and Film actor in the 80's and 90's. He acts on stage and has a cabaret show that he tours with across the country. Some of the roles he has played onstage include the king in the musical The King and I as well as Zach in the musical A Chorus Line. He is an avid motorcyclist for over thirty years and has participated in the Love Ride, to benefit MDA and various charities since its inception in 1983. He is also on the board of directors. Lorenzo is a commercial helicopter and airplane pilot and he often flies disadvantaged children to summer camps and people too sick or financially challenged to travel normally on domestic flights. He just recently received his certification to become a helicopter flight instructor.- Actress
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Penelope Ann Miller is a distinguished artist in film, television, and theater. She has worked with some of the most notable actors and directors in Hollywood. This list includes Al Pacino and Sean Penn in director Brian de Palma's Carlito's Way, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination; Marlon Brando and Matthew Broderick in The Freshman; Robert De Niro and Robin Williams in Penny Marshall's Awakenings; Robert Downey Jr. in Sir Richard Attenborough's Chaplin; Danny DeVito and Gregory Peck in Norman Jewison's Other People's Money; Matthew Broderick and Christopher Walken in Mike Nichols' Biloxi Blues; and Arnold Schwarzenegger in Ivan Reitman's Kindergarten Cop.
On the television side, Ms. Miller stars as 'Joyce Dahmer' in Ryan Murphy's hugely successful miniseries, Dahmer-Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story for Netflix. The true story has been nominated for 13 Emmy Awards and has over a billion hours viewed and counting. Playing the mother of the notorious serial killer, Miller stars opposite, Evan Peters, Richard Jenkins and Niecy Nash. Penelope also starred in American Crime, the critically acclaimed ABC series, from Academy Award winner John Ridley, opposite Regina King. Other credits include the very popular "College Admissions Scandal" for Lifetime, New York Prison Break; The Seduction of Joyce Mitchell for Lifetime, playing "Joyce Mitchell" in another true life story and winning rave reviews. She also starred in HBO's Witch Hunt, directed by Paul Schrader, and starring opposite Dennis Hopper, TNT's Men of a Certain Age opposite Ray Romano, MGM's Rocky Marciano directed by Charles Winkler and opposite Jon Favreau and George C. Scott. Miller also starred once again in another true life story in USA's critically acclaimed Mary Kay Letourneau: All American Girl, playing 'Mary Kay' and directed by Llyod Kramer, opposite Mercedes Ruehl. Ms. Miller starred opposite Oscar winner Jean Dujardin in the black and white silent film The Artist, winner of five Academy Awards including Best Picture. She also took on the role of 'Elizabeth Turner' in the controversial true story of Nat Turner's 1831 slave rebellion The Birth of a Nation starring opposite Colman Domingo and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, winning The Grand Jury and Audience awards at the Sundance Film Festival. Some of her other films include Adventures in Babysitting directed by Chris Columbus, Big Top Pee-wee opposite Paul Reubens, The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag opposite Cathy Moriarty and Julianne Moore, The Shadow opposite Alec Baldwin, The Relic directed by Peter Hyams, and The Messengers opposite Kristen Stewart. Additionally, Penelope wrapped on the upcoming feature film Reagan starring opposite Dennis Quaid as 'Ronald Reagan' and Penelope as 'Nancy Reagan'.
Ms. Miller was also nominated for a Tony Award for her portrayal of 'Emily' in Lincoln Center's Broadway revival of Our Town.- Actor
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Cary Elwes was born in Westminster, London, England, the third son of interior designer/shipping heiress Tessa Georgina Kennedy and the late portrait painter Bede Evelyn Dominick Elwes. He is the brother of producer/agent Cassian Elwes and artist Damian Elwes. He was raised in London and attended Harrow. After graduating from Harrow, he moved to the US and studied drama at Sarah Lawrence College. He left school after two years to begin his film career. Cary is well respected by colleagues and fans alike and considered by many to be one of the finest actors working today. He is interested in history and says, "It's deliberate that a lot of my films have been period pieces". He is politically active for causes he believes in, such as protecting the environment and helping Native American people.
Elwes is married to Lisa Marie Kurbikoff, a stills photographer. He comes from a long-established recusant English family on his father's side. Several prominent Catholic clerics are among his relatives, including Fr. Luke Cary-Elwes, Dom Columba Cary-Elwes, and Dom Cuthbert Cary-Elwes. His grandfather was society painter and war artist Simon Elwes. Cary (the surname "Cary-Elwes" was shortened to "Elwes" in some branches of the family) was an altar boy at London's Brompton Oratory, although he did not attend a Catholic high school. From his maternal grandmother, Daska Marija Ivanovic-Banac, who was born in Osijek in the Austra-Hungarian Empire (now in Croatia), he has Croatian Jewish and Serbian ancestry. Cary's other lineage is English, Irish, and Scottish.- Writer
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Eric Warren Singer is known for American Hustle (2013), Top Gun: Maverick (2022) and Only the Brave (2017).- Actor
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Ron Perlman is a classically-trained actor who has appeared in countless stage plays, feature films and television productions.
Ronald N. Perlman was born April 13, 1950 in Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York. His mother, Dorothy (Rosen), is retired from the City Clerk's Office. His father, Bertram "Bert" Perlman, now deceased, was a repairman and a drummer. His parents were both from Jewish families (from Hungary, Germany and Poland).
With a career spanning over three decades, Perlman has worked alongside such diverse actors as Marlon Brando, Sean Connery, Dominique Pinon, Brad Dourif, Ed Harris, John Hurt, Jude Law, Christina Ricci, Federico Luppi, Sigourney Weaver, Michael Wincott and Elijah Wood to name a few.
While he has never been a bankable star, Perlman has always had a large fan-base. He started out strong as Amoukar, one of the tribesmen in Jean-Jacques Annaud's Academy Award-winning film Quest for Fire (1981), for which he earned a Genie Award nomination. Perlman teamed up with Annaud again, this time as a hunchback named Salvatore in The Name of the Rose (1986). His first real breakthrough came later when he landed the role of the noble lion-man Vincent, opposite Linda Hamilton on the fantasy series Beauty and the Beast (1987). His work in this role earned him not only a Golden Globe Award but an underground fan following. Sadly the series was canceled in its third season shortly after Hamilton's character's death.
After that, he spent time doing supporting work on television and independent films such as Guillermo del Toro's debut Cronos (1992) (where a lifelong friendship and collaboration between the director and Perlman would blossom) as Angel and his first lead role as One in Jean-Pierre Jeunet's surreal The City of Lost Children (1995). His first real big role in a mainstream film came when Jeunet wanted him for the brutish Johner in his first Hollywood outing Alien: Resurrection (1997). Perlman has also used his distinctive voice to his advantage, appearing in many animated films/series, commercials and he is a video game fan favorite because of his work on such games as the Fallout series.
It was not until much later he received worldwide fame when his good friend Guillermo del Toro helped him land the title role in the big-budget comic book movie Hellboy (2004). Del Toro fought the studio for four years because they wanted a more secure name, but he stood his ground and in 2004, after almost 25 years in and out of obscurity, Perlman became a household name and a sought out actor. Perlman has had one of the most offbeat careers in film, playing everything from a prehistoric ape-man to an aging transsexual and will always be a rarity in Hollywood.
Other notable roles include the cunning Norman Arbuthnot in The Last Supper (1995), sniper expert Koulikov in Enemy at the Gates (2001), vampire leader Reinhardt in Blade II (2002), his reprisal of Hellboy in Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) and biker chief Clarence Morrow on the popular series Sons of Anarchy (2008).
He currently resides in Los Angeles, California with his wife, Opal, and their two children, Blake and Brandon.- Actress
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Blake Perlman was born on 7 January 1984 in the USA. She is an actress, known for Archer (2009), Pottersville (2017) and Hand of God (2014).- Actor
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Alan Ritchson has carved a space for himself on both the large and small screens since he made the trek from a small town in Florida to Los Angeles.
Alan Michael Ritchson was born in Grand Forks, North Dakota, to Vickie (Harrell), a high school teacher, and David Ritchson, a U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sergeant. He is of Czech, English, and German descent. Frequently relocating as the middle son of a military family, Alan learned to adapt and entertain in order to build friendships in new and unfamiliar environments. Certainly this has been a key ingredient in his success so far in the industry.
Alan's early credits include portraying Aquaman in the long running series Smallville. This marked the first portrayal of the superhero in an officially licensed live-action production.
Ritchson has also taken on grittier leading man roles in the independent film market with the modern-day western "Rex" and the dramatic love story of "Steam" alongside Ally Sheedy.
In contrast, he also made quite a comedic impression with his love-to-hate-him character of Thad Castle on the football comedy Blue Mountain State. He parlayed his comedic skills to work with Rebel Wilson in her CBS pilot Super Fun Night.
In addition to his acting repertoire, Alan also writes, produces and is a singer/songwriter.
Most recently Alan can be seen as the District 1 victor, Gloss, in Catching Fire; the second installment of the hugely successful Hunger Games franchise. He also portrayed the cool-but-crude Raphael in the Michael Bay produced reboot of TMNT.- Producer
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David Owen Russell is an American film writer, director, and producer, known for a cinema of intense, tragi-comedic characters whose love of life can surpass dark circumstances faced in very specific worlds. His films address such themes as mental illness as stigma or hope; invention of self and survival; the family home as nexus of love, hate, transgression, and strength; women of power and inspiration; beauty and comedy found in twisted humble circumstances; the meaning of violence, war, and greed; and the redemptive power of music above all.
Russell has been nominated for five Academy Awards® and four Golden Globes®. He has won four Independent Spirit Awards and two BAFTA Awards. He has been nominated for three WGA awards and two DGA awards. He has collaborated with actors Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Jennifer Lawrence, and Mark Wahlberg, on three films each, and with Christian Bale and Amy Adams, on two films each. Jennifer Lawrence won the Academy Award for Best Actress in Silver Linings Playbook (2012) and Christian Bale and Melissa Leo won for best supporting actor and actress in The Fighter (2010). Russell is the only director to have two consecutively-released films (Silver Linings Playbook (2012) and _American Hustle (2013)_ qv) garner Academy Award® nominations in all four acting categories. Jennifer Lawrence earned an Academy Award® nomination and Golden Globe® win for Best Actress for her work in Russell's most recent film Joy (2015). To date Russell's films have garnered a total of 26 Academy Award nominations and 19 Golden Globe nominations. In 2016, the Art Directors Guild honored Russell with the Contribution to Cinematic Imagery Award.
Russell is a board member and longtime supporter of the Ghetto Film School, which helps develop and support emerging filmmakers in the South Bronx and runs the nation's first film public high school. He also has been an ardent supporter of the Glenholme School, a therapeutic boarding school for children and young adults with special educational needs. He was instrumental in raising funds to build a new arts center at Glenholme that opened in 2011. Glenholme honored Russell in 2011 with the Bowen Award for Outstanding Support and in 2015 with the Doucette Award for Longstanding Commitment.
Russell was recently honored by the renowned McLean Hospital for his efforts to advance public awareness of mental health issues through advocacy and his 2012 film Silver Linings Playbook. The director has been open about his own family's experiences with mental illness. His advocacy efforts brought him to Washington where he and actor Bradley Cooper supported legislation in Congress and met with Vice President Joe Biden to also discuss parity for mental health in all health care.
Born in New York City, Russell attended public schools in Mamaroneck, NY. He continued his education at Amherst College, where he majored in literature and political science, and was given an honorary degree in 2002. He started as a writer before making his first documentary short about the Hispanic immigrant community in Boston. He earned critical acclaim early in his career in 1994 when he wrote and directed his first feature film, Spanking the Monkey, which won the Audience Award at Sundance and two Independent Spirit Awards for Best First Feature and Best First Screenplay. Russell's early films include Three Kings (1999) and Flirting with Disaster (1996).- Actor
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Megan Ellison was born on 31 January 1986 in Santa Clara County, California, USA. She is a producer, known for Her (2013), Zero Dark Thirty (2012) and If Beale Street Could Talk (2018).- Producer
- Additional Crew
- Actress
- Producer
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Sally Kirkland, Best Actress Oscar Nominee, Golden Globe winner, Independent Spirit Award winner, LA Film Critics Circle Award winner, and veteran of over 200 movies. Feisty, hard-working, famously liberal, with the trademark blonde hair, actress Sally Kirkland has certainly made an indelible mark on Hollywood history. Born in New York City, her mother was the fashion editor at Vogue and LIFE magazine. Sally began her career on the off-Broadway circuit and trained under Lee Strasberg. Sally Kirkland is a movie, television, and theater veteran since the 1960s and is probably best known for the drama movie Anna (1987), for which she garnered the Best Actress Oscar nomination and won the Best Actress Golden Globe, the Independent Spirit Award, and the LA Film Critic's Circle Award.
Sally's first director was Andy Warhol in The 13 Most Beautiful Women (1964). Her 220 movies also include Coming Apart (1969), The Sting (1973), The Way We Were (1973), Cold Feet (1989), Best of the Best (1989), Revenge (1990), JFK (1991), Edtv (1999), Bruce Almighty (2003), Coffee Date (2006) and Archaeology of a Woman (2012). In the past couple of years, she has starred in Buddy Solitaire (2016), Gnaw (2017), and The Most Hated Woman in America (2017) co-starring with Melissa Leo and Peter Fonda. And coming out soon, she has starred in Sarah Q (2018), Cuck (2019), Invincible (2020) and Hope for the Holidays (2020). She was nominated for Best Actress in a television movie by the Hollywood Foreign Press for The Haunted (1991). Her television credits include: guest starring on Criminal Minds (2005), and recurring roles on Head Case (2007) and The Simple Life (2003). She guest starred on Resurrection Blvd. (2000) and in the television movie Another Woman's Husband (2000).
Sally had a recurring role on Felicity (1998) and starred in the NBC movie Brave New World (1998). She also starred in the television episode Song of Songs (1994), and was a series regular on the television series Valley of the Dolls (1994). She also co-starred in the television movie The Woman Who Loved Elvis (1993). She had a recurring role as Barbara Healy in the original Roseanne (1988) series. She starred in the television movie Heat Wave (1990), and recurred as Tracy on Days of Our Lives (1965). Sally is also an exhibited painter, poet, renowned acting coach and ordained minister.- Actress
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Blanca Blanco, is a multiple award-winning and nominated American-Mexican actress, and bestselling author. Blanca is known for her iconic beauty, talent, style, and authentic charisma.
Blanca has played a wide range of roles in film and television. Her work as an actress has been recognized at the Television Academy level, earning her first Emmy contender in 2022, for the role of Lola, in Tale of Tails. Blanca won Best Actress for her role in Eye For Eye, a western film. And also won Best Supporting Actress for her villain role, in Betrayed (distributed by Sony Entertainment) playing opposite John Savage.
Blanca started taking acting lessons at a young age. She organized theater performances between her studies. Blanca's academic accomplishments, a bachelor's and master's degree with honors in Psychology and Social Work, demonstrate her commitment to knowledge and personal growth. She values education and believes in continuous learning and self-improvement. Moving to Los Angeles to pursue her acting career shows her willingness to take risks and follow her dreams. Training under respected industry professionals like Gordon Hunt, Helen Hunt, Sally Kirkland, and Bruce Glover, as well as enrolling in prestigious programs like UCLA's acting program and The Groundlings, have undoubtedly helped her hone her craft and skills as an actress.
Notable on-screen credits include Torch (alongside Rita Moreno), Fake News (opposite Eric Roberts), 6 Children & 1 Grandparent (opposite Oscar nominee Burt Young), Woman on the Edge (alongside Rumer Willis), Hold On (alongside Luis Guzmán), and American Romance (alongside Nolan Gerard Funk). Anatomy of Deception (Lifetime), Crimes of the Mind (Lifetime), Defending Santa (ION), and Bermuda Tentacles (SyFy)
She is a regular guest and trendsetter at high-profile award shows such as the Oscars, Golden Globes, Emmys, and Grammys. The actress is frequently invited to prestigious film festivals and events, such as the Cannes Film Festival (France), Marrakech International Film Festival (Morocco), and the Cesar Award Show.
Blanca has been featured in top editorial campaigns and magazines such as Vogue, ELLE, Forbes, Teen Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Harper Bazaar, Dailymail, Vanity Fair, Gala, Glamour, Grazia, Hola!, People, Marie Claire, Hollywood Reporter, OK!, E!, Variety, Allure, and many more.
A multi-talented individual, excelling in different creative fields, she wrote a bestselling book called, "Breaking the Mold," (Briton Publishing) and went on an international book tour to promote her well-received memoir. This experience proved to be very rewarding, allowing her to connect with readers worldwide and share her story on a global platform. The bestselling book won the Literature Award in 2021 and is a testament to the quality and impact of her writing.
Philanthropy: Blanca supports the LA Mission, the American Cancer Society, the Salvation Army, and Step Up.- Actor
- Producer
- Composer
John Savage is an American actor best known for his roles in The Deer Hunter (1978), The Onion Field (1979), Hair (1979), Salvador (1986), The Last Full Measure (2019), In Dubious Battle (2016), and the television shows Goliath (2016), Twin Peaks (2017), and Dark Angel (2000). He was born in Old Bethpage, New York, to Muriel (née Smeallie), a housewife, and Floyd-Jones Youngs, an insurance salesman who served on Guadalcanal during World War II with the Marine Corps. He has two sisters, Robin Young and Gail Youngs, and a brother, Jim Youngs.
He trained at the American Academy of Performing Arts before relocating to Los Angeles where he starred in the film Eric (1975) opposite Patricia Neal and Mark Hamill. In the early 1970s, he made his Broadway debut in the chorus of Fiddler on the Roof in which he played one of the sons, after an actor fell sick, opposite Zero Mostel. His performance caught the eye of Robert De Niro and the recognition led to his first major film role in the Academy Award-winning war drama The Deer Hunter (1978). Between 1972 and 1975, he continued to perform on stage, playing Dov Landau in Ari on Broadway, and performing in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Dance on a Country Grave in Chicago. He gained widespread recognition for his range and sensitivity during the 1970s.
John's breakthrough film role was as Steven Pushkov, the returning Vietnam veteran missing both his legs, in the 1978 film The Deer Hunter (1978) which won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1979. Acclaimed director Michael Cimino cast him in the role opposite Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep, and Christopher Walken. One of John's most acclaimed roles is in Milos Forman's 1979 film Hair (1979). He played the corn-fed recruit Claude Hooper Bukowski, who turns on, tunes in and drops out. Critics and film historians celebrated his performance both then and now. John Willis' annual publication Screen World hailed him as one of 12 promising new actors of 1979 (Vol. 31). John also played a lead role in the 1979 film adaptation of Joseph Wambaugh's The Onion Field (1979), based on the true story of policeman Karl Hettinger's personal struggle after witnessing the murder of his partner.
In the late 1970s, he was cast by Ulu Grosbard in the Broadway production of David Mamet's play American Buffalo, opposite Robert Duvall and Kenneth McMillan, in which he originated the role of Bobby. The play received rave reviews from critics and audiences alike.
During the 1980s, John was nominated for a Genie Award for Best Performance by a Foreign Actor for his work as Charles Heller in the crime thriller The Amateur (1981). He also co-starred with Nastassja Kinski in the romance film Maria's Lovers (1984), which was backed by cinema legend Robert Mitchum, and appeared as John Cassady in Oliver Stone's acclaimed historical thriller Salvador (1986), and as suicide survivor Roary in Richard Donner's Inside Moves (1980). In 1989, he collaborated with Academy Award-nominated director Spike Lee for the first time on Do the Right Thing (1989), in which he played the bike-riding gentrifier Clifton.
During the 1990s, John played the role of Father Andrew Hagen in Francis Ford Coppola's Academy Award-nominated film The Godfather Part III (1990), starred in Italian director Lucio Fulci's final film Le porte del silenzio (1991), a psychological thriller shot in Louisiana, and appeared in the brief but powerful role of Sgt. McCron in Terrence Malick's 1998 war epic The Thin Red Line (1998). He also portrayed Captain Rudy Ransom in the two-part episode Equinox from the hit television series Star Trek: Voyager (1995) (CBS) in 1999.
John gained further recognition in the recurring role of Donald Lydecker in the first and second seasons of the 2000 television series Dark Angel (2000) (Fox), which he followed with the recurring role of Henry Scudder in the Emmy Award-winning television series Carnivàle (2003) (HBO) from 2003-2005. In 2005, he guest starred on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) (NBC). In 2009, he guest starred in the second season of the television drama Fringe (2008) (Fox).
During the 2010s, he starred opposite Kirk Harris and Michael Madsen in Vernon Mortensen's 2013 western thriller The Sorrow, appeared in the 2015 horror film Tales of Halloween (2015), and played a supporting role in the 2016 romantic comedy Hit List (2011). In 2017, he appeared in the thriller film Fake News (2017), war drama The Last Full Measure (2019) and in James Franco's drama In Dubious Battle (2016). He also guest starred on the hit television show Twin Peaks (2017) (Showtime). In 2018, he guest starred on the drama Goliath (2016) (Amazon).
He has also worked behind the camera, most notably in production management for the acclaimed Spike Lee film Malcolm X (1992).
John has been noted for his work in activism and philanthropy. During the late 1980s, he used his public presence to fight for the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa, and has continued to work as an activist in addition to his work in film and television.
In 2017, John spoke at a tribute honoring the celebrated director Richard Donner, held by The Academy.
John was previously married twice, first to Susan Youngs and then to Sandi Schultz, and is the father of ceramic artist Lachlan Youngs and performer Jennifer Youngs. He has been with his current partner Blanca Blanco since 2008. He resides in Malibu, CA.- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Born in Chicago from Irish parent, blonde, tall and very beautiful, Maeve Quinlan entered in the professional tennis circuit at age 16, appearing in several major tournaments and eventually reaching seed position #95 in world rankings, before turning to acting; she has starred in many films in supporting roles such as The Florentine (1999) with Tom Sizemore, co-star in Totally Blonde (2001) with Krista Allen and also in controversial film Ken Park (2002) in Rhonda's role followed by a role in another film thriller Net Games (2003) with C. Thomas Howell; in 2004, is lead actress in film The Drone Virus (2004) and plays supporting role in film comedy Criminal (2004) with John C. Reilly, while in 2005 she plays another supporting role in The Nickel Children (2005), but Maeve Quinlan is best known for her role as secretary Megan Conley/Brenda in The Bold and the Beautiful (1987) series Tv; she then went on to work on many other TV series and films as South of Nowhere (2005) plays Paula Carlin, star and product series Tv 3Way (2008), co-star in Not Easily Broken (2009) with Taraji P. Henson, and is the lead actress star in film Tv Teenage Bank Heist (2012); recently co-star in films as Double Daddy (2015), the thriller The Stalker Club (2017) and in The Sinister Surrogate (2018); Maeve Quinlan continues to act and to be appreciated by directors for her versatility and acting skills.- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Jay Giannone grew up in the Old Harbor Projects of South Boston (Southie). Jay comes from a long line of artists. His Mom (Janet) is a theatrical actress, and was the lead singer in her rock & roll band. Jay's grandmother was a song writer and his great grandmother was a painter. He is the prodigy and pride of these fine artistic women.
At age 14 Jay's career began as a break dancer and street performer. He was invited to dance with the Floor Lords, collectively known as the best crew in New England and rivaled the N.Y city breakers. At age 17 Jay was a model for Converse and portrayed the "Chuck Taylor" character in a national campaign. Jay also appeared in Gatorade National Print Campaigns with Michael Jordan. Jay is also a former J-Crew catalog model.
In 1995 Jay played a drug dealer on the Venice beach board walk in "Pacific Blue" which was his television debut. In 1996, Jay played Teddy Mac in the feature film "Southie" and was his feature film debut. Jay continued to participate in numerous commercials, television shows and feature films.
In 2006 Jay played a Detective and served as consultant/technical advisor to Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese for the Academy award winning film "TheDeparted" Jay offered his insights on South Boston's Irish mob politics. Giannone's perspective contributed significantly to DiCaprio's grasp on the role of Billy, an undercover State Police officer deep in the Southie mob.
In 2009 Jay wrote, produced, directed and played the lead in the short film, "Diamond In The Rough", which won the Boston Film Night Audience Award. That same year he wrote, produced, directed and starred in the feature film "Scalpers".
As an actor, he has appeared in several television shows including the HBO hit series "Entourage" in which is loosely based on Jay's life as an official member of Mark Wahlberg's crew and most recently "Scorpion" as a S.W.A.T Captain. Jay's noted feature film roles include box office hits "Gone Baby Gone" "The Departed" and "American Hustle". Jay wrote, produced, directed "It snows all the time" due out in 2016. Jay plays a lead in "Justice Served" also scheduled for release on 2016 and most recently Jay plays the role of Jimmy in "Patriots Day" opposite Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Monaghan scheduled to hit theaters in 2017.