Friday, July 14, 2023

Jean Reno, a French actor of Spanish descent. He has worked in French, English, Japanese, Spanish, and Italian productions, and appeared in films such as Crimson Rivers, Godzilla, The Da Vinci Code, Mission: Impossible, The Pink Panther, Ronin, Les visiteurs, The Big Blue, Hector and the Search for Happiness and Léon: The Professional.

 Juan Moreno y Herrera-Jiménez[1] (born 30 July 1948), known as Jean Reno (French: [ʒɑ̃ ʁeno]), is a French actor of Spanish descent. He has worked in French, English, Japanese, Spanish, and Italian productions, and appeared in films such as Crimson Rivers, Godzilla, The Da Vinci Code, Mission: Impossible, The Pink Panther, Ronin, Les visiteurs, The Big Blue, Hector and the Search for Happiness and Léon: The Professional.

After he started to get acting jobs in France, Juan adopted the French version of his name, Jean, and shortened his surname to Reno. Due to his large frame (1.88 m or 6 ft 2 in), Reno was called on to play "heavies" in his early career. He later appeared in romantic comedies and action films. He began his film career in France, appearing in many films by director Luc Besson, including his early Le dernier combat (1985). The two have continued to work together, collaborating in films produced, written, or directed by Besson. Of their joint work, those that have achieved the most critical and commercial success include: Nikita (1990), and the English-language films The Big Blue (1988) and Léon: The Professional (1994). Reno did the voice-over for Mufasa in the French-language version of The Lion King, a role originally performed in English by James Earl Jones. Reno has starred in such high-profile American films as French Kiss (1995) with Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline, Mission: Impossible (1996) with Tom Cruise, Ronin (1998) with Robert De Niro, and Godzilla (1998) with Matthew Broderick. Reno turned down the role of Agent Smith in The Matrix. He also acted in French productions: Les Visiteurs (1993) (which was remade in English as Just Visiting in 2001); The Crimson Rivers (2000), and Jet Lag (Décalage horaire) by Danièle Thompson (2002), which was also a box-office success in France.
In 2006, Reno had a prominent role in The Pink Panther 2006 remake and its sequel The Pink Panther 2, playing Gilbert Ponton, opposite Steve Martin as Inspector Clouseau. He portrayed Captain Bezu Fache in the Ron Howard film The Da Vinci Code. Among his most successful films are Les Visiteurs and L'Enquète corse.
In other media, Reno was involved in the production of the third installment in the popular Capcom series Onimusha (Onimusha 3: Demon Siege), lending his likeness to the protagonist Jacques Blanc, as well as providing the voice for the character's French dialogue. In advertising work, Reno has appeared in American television commercials for UPS and portrayed Doraemon in a series of Toyota ads in Japan, as part of the "ReBorn" campaign.

Sunday, July 9, 2023

Mark Edward Kelly, an American politician, former astronaut, and United States Navy captain

Mark Edward Kelly (born February 21, 1964) is an American politician, former astronaut, and United States Navy captain who has served as the junior United States senator from Arizona since 2020. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected in the special election held following the death of Senator John McCain, defeating incumbent Republican Martha McSally.
Kelly flew combat missions during the Gulf War as a naval aviator before being selected as a NASA Space Shuttle pilot in 1996. He flew his first space mission in 2001 as pilot of STS-108, piloted STS-121 in 2006, and commanded STS-124 in 2008 and STS-134 in 2011, the final mission of Space Shuttle Endeavour. His identical twin, Scott Kelly, is also a retired astronaut; they are the only siblings to have both traveled into orbit.

Sunday, July 2, 2023

Salma Hayek, a Mexican and American actress and film producer

Salma Hayek Pinault, born Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez; September 2, 1966) is a Mexican and American actress and film producer. She began her career in Mexico with starring roles in the telenovela Teresa (1989–1991) as well as the romantic drama Midaq Alley (1995). She soon established herself in Hollywood with appearances in films such as Desperado (1995), From Dusk till Dawn (1996), Wild Wild West (1999), and Dogma (1999). Pinault, born Salma Valgarma Hayek Jiménez; September 2, 1966)[3][4][5] is a Mexican and American actress and film producer. She began her career in Mexico with starring roles in the telenovela Teresa (1989–1991) as well as the romantic drama Midaq Alley (1995). She soon established herself in Hollywood with appearances in films such as Desperado (1995), From Dusk till Dawn (1996), Wild Wild West (1999), and Dogma (1999).

Saturday, June 24, 2023

Abraham Klein, former international football referee between 1965 and 1982

Abraham Klein is an Israeli former international football referee. He refereed international matches between 1965 and 1982, including the 1968 and 1976 Olympics and important matches at the Mexico 1970, Argentina 1978 and Spain 1982 World Cup Finals. He was also a linesman (now assistant referee) for the 1982 World Cup Final in Spain.

Klein was also given the Brazil v Italy fixture in the 1982 World Cup, the game in which Paolo Rossi scored a hat-trick. He ran the line in the final to the Brazilian referee Arnaldo Coelho and was, reputedly, offered the chance to officiate in the event of that final being repl


ayed.

Monday, June 19, 2023

Steve Hackett, an English guitarist, songwriter and record producer who gained prominence as the lead guitarist of the progressive rock band Genesis


 Stephen Richard Hackett (born 12 February 1950) is an English guitarist, songwriter and record producer who gained prominence as the lead guitarist of the progressive rock band Genesis from 1971 to 1977.[1] Hackett contributed to six Genesis studio albums, three live albums, seven singles and one EP[2] before he left to pursue a solo career. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Genesis in 2010.
Hackett released his first solo album, Voyage of the Acolyte, while still a member of Genesis in 1975. After a series of further solo albums beginning in 1978, Hackett co-founded the supergroup GTR with Steve Howe in 1986. The group released the self-titled album GTR, which peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard 200 in the United States and spawned the Top 20 single "When the Heart Rules the Mind".[3] When Hackett left GTR in 1987, the group disbanded. Hackett then resumed his solo career. He has released albums and toured worldwide on a regular basis since.

Monday, June 12, 2023

Eva Green, a French actress

Eva Gaëlle Green is a French actress. The daughter of actress Marlène Jobert, she began her career in theatre before making her film debut in Bernardo Bertolucci's The Dreamers (2003). She portrayed Sibylla, Queen of Jerusalem in Ridley Scott's historical epic Kingdom of Heaven (2005). The following year, she played Bond girl Vesper Lynd in the James Bond film Casino Royale (2006), for which she received the BAFTA Rising Star Award.
 
 

Sunday, June 4, 2023

Răducan Necula, widely known as Rică Răducanu, a retired Romanian football goalkeeper.


 Rică Răducanu, nicknamed Tamango after the character played by Alex Cressan from the 1958 movie, Tamango was born on 18 May 1946 in Vlădeni, Ialomița, but grew up in the Giulești neighborhood from Bucharest and started to play football in 1958 in the offence at Victoria MIBC București, later moving to Divizia C club, Flacăra Roșie București where coach Sandu Frățilă started using him as a goalkeeper, giving him his senior debut in a 1–0 victory from the 1963–64 Cupa României against Divizia A club, Progresul București in which he saved a penalty from Nicolae Oaidă. He was seen by Rapid Bucuresti's coach, Valentin Stănescu who brought him at the team from Giulești, giving him his Divizia A debut on 8 May 1966 in a 2–1 home loss against Siderurgistul Galați. In the following season, Stănescu used Răducanu in 24 Divizia A games, helping the club win the first title from its history.He also won two Cupa României in 1972 and 1975 and took part in Rapid's 1971–72 UEFA Cup campaign, playing all six games, as the team reached the eight-finals, eliminating Napoli and Legia Warsaw, being eliminated by the team who would eventually win the competition, Tottenham, also taking part in the 1972–73 European Cup Winners' Cup campaign, playing all six games, helping the team reach the quarter-finals, eliminating Landskrona BoIS and Rapid Wien, being eliminated by Leeds United who reached the final.

Saturday, May 27, 2023

Ben Stiller, an American actor, comedian and filmmaker


 

 Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller (born November 30, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is the son of the comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. Stiller was a member of a group of comedic actors colloquially known as the Frat Pack. His films have grossed more than $2.6 billion in Canada and the United States, with an average of $79 million per film. Throughout his career, he has received various awards and honors, including an Emmy Award, multiple MTV Movie Awards, a Britannia Award and a Teen Choice Award.
While beginning his acting career, Stiller wrote several mockumentaries and was offered a variety sketch comedy series titled The Ben Stiller Show, which he produced and hosted for its 13-episode run. The series ran on MTV from 1990 to 1992, earning him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Program.

Friday, May 19, 2023

Shania Twain, a Canadian singer-songwriter and actress

Eilleen Regina "Shania" Twain is a Canadian singer-songwriter and actress. She has sold over 100 million records, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time and the best-selling female artist in country music history.
Her success garnered her several titles including the "Queen of Country Pop".
Billboard named her as the leader of the '90s country-pop crossover stars.


Friday, May 12, 2023

Josh Brolin, an American actor, pictured as Thanos in Marvel


Josh James Brolin is an American actor.
A son of actor James Brolin, he gained fame in his youth for his role in the adventure film The Goonies (1985). After years of decline, Brolin had a resurgence with his starring role in the crime film No Country for Old Men (2007). Brolin received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for portraying Dan White in the biopic Milk (2008).

Brolin gained wider recognition for playing Thanos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including in the films Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019), as well as Cable for Deadpool 2 (2018). His other notable films include W. (2008), Jonah Hex in the film Jonah Hex (2010), True Grit (2010), Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010), Men in Black 3 (2012) as a young version of Agent K, Oldboy (2013), Inherent Vice (2014), Everest (2015), Sicario (2015), Hail, Caesar! (2016), Only the Brave (2017), and Dune (2021).[3] In 2022, Brolin starred in the supernatural mystery series Outer Range.

Thursday, May 4, 2023

Elizabeth Hurley, an English actress and model


 Elizabeth Jane Hurley (born 10 June 1965) is an English actress and model.

As an actress, her best-known film roles have been as Vanessa Kensington in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) and as the Devil in Bedazzled (2000).[1] Hurley's television roles include the E! original series The Royals (2015–2018) and portraying Morgan le Fay in Runaways (2019), based on the Marvel Comics series of the same name.

Her first role in a big budget film was in Passenger 57 (1992). In 1994, Hurley accompanied Hugh Grant to the London premiere of his film Four Weddings and a Funeral,[2] in a plunging black Versace dress held together with gold safety pins, which gained her instant media attention

Friday, April 28, 2023

Steven Van Zandt, also known as Little Steven or Miami Steve, is an American musician and actor

Steven Van Zandt (né Lento; born November 22, 1950), also known as Little Steven or Miami Steve, is an American musician and actor. He is a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, in which he plays guitar and mandolin. He has appeared in several television drama series, including as Silvio Dante in The Sopranos (1999–2007) and as Frank Tagliano in Lilyhammer (2012–2014). Van Zandt has his own solo band called Little Steven and The Disciples of Soul, intermittently active since the 1980s. In 2014, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the E Street Band. Van Zandt has produced music, written songs, and had his own songs covered by Bruce SpringsteenMeat LoafNancy SinatraPearl JamArtists United Against Apartheid, and the Iron City Houserockers, among others.