London Academy of Media Film TV

EARLY LIFE

Angelina Jolie

Born Angelina Jolie Voight on the 4th of June, 1975, in Los Angeles, California; Angelina is the youngest of two children to actors Marcheline Bertrand and Jon Voight. Her parents separated a year after she was born and she was primarily raised in New York by her mother. With the soon-to-be actress having a somewhat tempestuous relationship with her father, Angelina has credited her interest in acting to her childhood experiences with her mother, though she made her debut film appearance in her father’s poorly received comedy Lookin’ to Get Out released in 1982. Angelina pursued her interest in the profession in her early teenage years when she began studying at the Lee Strasbourg Theatre Institute in 1986, making several stage appearances during her studies. She also briefly considered a career as a funeral director during her more troubled years; with the young actress collecting knives and experimenting with self-harm when she was 16 years old, before achieving some success as a professional model.

MODELING CAREER

Angelina found success as a model across the globe; working in London, Los Angeles, and New York, earning the attentions of the music industry with the teenage model appearing in numerous music videos for the likes of Lenny Kravitz, Meatloaf, and the Rolling Stones. With her passion for acting reignited, Angelina enrolled at the MET theater company in Los Angeles to pursue a career as an actress. After appearing in a couple of shorts by Secretary director Steven Shainberg in 1993, Angelina quickly made her film debut as an adult in the low-budget sci-fi thriller, Cyborg 2 (1993).

COMMERCIAL BREAKTHROUGH

After making numerous appearances in low-profile genre films, including Hackers (1995) with Johnny Lee Miller, and Playing God (1997) with David Duchovny, Angelina earned her first taste of critical acclaim with television biopic Gia (1998) portraying doomed model Gia Carangi. She was nominated for an Emmy for her performance and won a Golden Globe award, planting her firmly on the Hollywood map. More high profile roles soon followed with Angelina starring opposite Billy Bob Thornton in romantic drama Pushing Tin (1999), and Denzel Washington in crime thriller The Bone Collector (1999), before making her breakthrough performance in Girl, Interrupted (1999). She won an Oscar for her performance and quickly established herself as one of Hollywood’s highest earning stars with a string of blockbuster hits.

BOX OFFICE QUEEN

With Gone in 60 Seconds (2000) opposite Nicolas Cage, highly anticipated video-game adaptation Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), action comedy Mr and Mrs Smith (2005), and roles in animated hits Shark Tale (2004), and Kung Fu Panda (2008) grossing over $100 million each in America alone, Angelina became a certified box office star. Though she has starred in her fair share of box office flops, including Original Sin (2001) with Antonio Banderas and Thomas Jane, and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004) with Jude Law, Angelina has remained one of cinema’s biggest draws, and has endeavoured to balance more challenging dramatic work with box office blockbusters. She earned a second Oscar nomination for her performances in Clint Eastwood’s Changeling (2008), and has recently lit up the box office with blockbusters Wanted (2008), Salt (2010), and The Tourist (2011) with Johnny Depp. She will next be seen in the animated sequel Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011).

HUMANITARIAN WORK

However, Angelina’s most fulfilling work has been away from the big screen with the actress using her celebrity status to raise awareness for humanitarian causes across the world. She has visited many third world countries and conflict zones including Sierra Leone, Namibia, Darfur, and Haiti, and has made numerous donations from her own fortune. She has made public speeches at fundraising events including World Refugee Day, and in 2001 was named a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN. She has been awarded the Citizen of the World award, and a Global Humanitarian award for her prolific charity work.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt

PERSONAL LIFE

Aside from her highly-publicized estrangement from her father, Angelina has been the subject of controversy with her love life too, earning a reputation as a wild child. At her first wedding, to actor Johnny Lee Miller (1996-1999), Angelina had written the groom’s name on her shirt in her own blood, and the star has professed that she wore a vial of her spouse’s blood during her marriage to second husband Billy Bob Thornton (2000-2003). Her current relationship to actor Brad Pitt has also been the subject of obsessive media speculation with Angelina rumored to have been the cause for the dissolution of Brad’s marriage to actress Jennifer Aniston. Angelina has 3 adopted children; Maddox (adopted 2002) from Cambodia, Zahara Marley (adopted 2005) from Ethiopia, and Pax Thien (adopted 2007) from Vietnam. She also has three biological children with Brad; Shiloh Nouvel (born 2006), and twins Vivienne Marcheline and Knox Leon (born 2008). Angelina is currently represented by United Talent Agency.

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London Academy of Media Film TV

EARLY LIFE

George Clooney

Born George Timothy Clooney on 6th May, 1961, in Lexington, Kentucky, George is the youngest of two children to former pageant queen Nina, and television newscaster Nick Clooney. George’s family had many showbiz connections; his aunt Rosemary was a singer, and George’s cousin, actor Miguel Ferrer, is her son with actor Jose Ferrer. George would soon follow suit with the youngster spending much of his youth on his father’s sets where he proved popular with studio audiences. However, George’s early passion was for baseball with the young man excelling at the sport during his studies at Augusta High School in Kentucky, unsuccessfully trying out for the Cincinnati Reds in 1977.

ACTING DEBUT

He went on to study broadcast journalism at Northern Kentucky University, but discovered a love for acting when his cousin Miguel landed him a small role in unreleased drama And They’re Off. Another minor role followed in 1978 mini-series Centennial, yet George would have to wait nearly 6 years to be cast again, doing odd jobs in construction whilst auditioning for roles. His first break would come in 1984 when he was cast in short-lived medical comedy E/R (1984-85). George quickly became a television regular; appearing in the likes of The Facts of Life (1985-87), Murder She Wrote (1987), and Roseanne (1988-1991), as well as low-profile features Return to Horror High (1987) and Return of the Killer Tomatoes (1988), yet his star-making turn would come in another ER, when he was cast as Dr Doug Ross in Michael Crichton’s acclaimed medical series ER.

ER AND MAINSTREAM BREAKTHROUGH

ER proved to be instantly popular with George quickly becoming a firm favorite with female viewers, even guest-starring as a doctor in an episode of hit sitcom Friends in 1995 with co-star Noah Wyle. He earned 2 Emmy and 3 Golden Globe nominations for his performance as Doug Ross, and was soon landing lead parts in increasingly high-profile films including From Dusk Til Dawn (1996), and romantic drama One Fine Day (1996). However, George’s big screen breakthrough would have to wait when his star-making turn as Batman in Joel Schumacher’s Batman & Robin (1997) debuted to universally negative reviews, derailing the franchise and George’s big-screen prospects. His big-screen desires were not to be contained though and the star made a critical comeback a year later in Steven Soderbergh’s independent crime thriller Out of Sight (1998). He left ER as a series regular a year later to focus on his burgeoning film career; appearing in the likes of Three Kings (1999) and The Perfect Storm (2000) – both with Mark Wahlberg, and the Coen brothers’ O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), before reuniting with Soderbergh for the star-studded remake Ocean’s Eleven (2001).

OCEAN’S ELEVEN AND BEYOND

Ocean’s was a critical and commercial success, sealing George’s reputation as an A-list star. He would reunite with Soderbergh on numerous occasions; starring in Solaris (2002), and The Good German (2006), as well as reprising the role of Danny Ocean for sequels Twelve, and Thirteen in 2004 and 2007 respectively. He has also frequently collaborated with the Coen brothers, starring in Intolerable Cruelty (2003), and Burn After Reading (2008), and has earned rave reviews and 3 Oscar nominations for his performances in Syriana (2005) for which he won Best Supporting Actor, Michael Clayton (2007), and Up in the Air (2009). He has most recently starred in Anton Corbijn’s hitman thriller The American (2011) and will next be seen in The Descendants (2011). George has also proven his talent behind the camera as well as in front of it; directing and starring in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002), Good Night and Good Luck (2005), Leatherheads (2008), and the forthcoming drama The Ides of March (2011).

George Clooney with Matt Damon in Ocean's Eleven

POLITICAL ACTIVISM AND HUMANITARIAN WORK

George has publicly opposed America’s involvement in Iraq, and campaigned in support of Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election. In 2007 George and fellow actor Don Cheadle were awarded the Summit Peace Award at the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to raise awareness for the civil war in Darfur. George has made public speeches at rallies and in front of the UN regarding the conflict, and has frequently visited the region to produce several documentaries highlighting the atrocities the conflict has caused. In 2008 George was named as a Messenger of Peace by the UN.

PERSONAL LIFE

George has famously had several high profile relationships, but has publicly stated he will not marry again after the breakdown of his marriage to Talia Balsam (1989-1993). He has previously dated models Lisa Snowden and Sarah Larson, and is currently in a relationship with actress Elisabetta Canalis. George is currently represented by Creative Artists Agency.

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Stephen Daldry

EARLY LIFE

Born in Dorset, England, in 1961 to bank manager Patrick Daldry and singer Cherry Thompson, Stephen (David) Daldry, director of both theatre and film, is probably best known for his Academy Award nominated film, The Hours. Daldry’s father died of cancer when he was an adolescent, a crucial period in a teenager’s life. Although he reportedly went through a difficult period, he managed to somehow persevere and find his way to stardom and success.

TRAINING & CAREER

Daldry studied at Sheffield University where his career began. After the University of Sheffield he took on an apprenticeship at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield where he worked with the late British Artistic Director, Clare (Rosamund) Veneables who was known to be a great director herself. Daldry also trained at East 15 Acting School in Essex, England. He has worked as Artistic Director in theatres throughout England including the Royal Court Theatre and the famous Gate Theatre in Notting Hill. He was known for transforming the theatre into a talent market, which gained international recognition.

Daldry broke into film in 1998 with a thirteen minute short film titled Eight, written by Tim Clague. It tells the story of a young boy that is fanatical about football. Eight was nominated for a BAFTA in 1999 for Best Short Film. It was produced by Working Title Films. Two years later he directed the film Billy Elliot, written by Lee Hall. The film itself won 5 British Independent Film (UK) Awards. In 2001 it won 3 BAFTA’s including Best British Film and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture, (Drama).

Stephen Daldry

In 2001 Daldry co-produced The Billy Elliot Boy, which told the true story about the child actor that played Billy Elliot in the film.

In 2002 he directed an exceptionally successful film, The Hours, a screenplay adapted by David Hare and produced by Robert Fox and Scott Rudin, starring Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep & Juliane Moore. The film earned 80 nominations and 26 wins. Included in these were Best Director nominations from the Academy Awards, BAFTA, (British Academy Film Award), and the Golden Globes. A Golden Globe was won for Best Drama Film. In total Daldry was nominated six times for Best Director and won one award from the Vancouver Film Critics Circle.

In 2008 Daldry reunited with writer David Hare who wrote The Reader starring Kate Winslett, directed by Daldry himself and produced by Anthony Minghella & Sydney Pollack. The Reader was also successful; nominated for fourteen awards and winner of eight, two being in the category of ‘Top 10 Film’ and four nominations for Best Director. The Best Director nominations were from The Academy Awards, BAFTA, Golden Globe and the Satellite Awards.

Outside of film Daldry has won two prestigious Tony Awards for Best Director of JB Priestly’s, An Inspector Calls, and in 2009 he won Best Direction of a Musical for Billy Elliot the Musical.

Stephen Daldry & wife, Lucy Sexton

Daldry’s personal life appears to be as diverse as his career. He has identified himself as gay although he is married to an American woman, Lucy Sexton , a senior editor at Unlimited Magazine. They have one daughter, Annabel Clare, born in 2003. Prior to his current marriage, Daldry was in a long-term relationship with British Scenic Director, Ian Mac Neil. The former couple met in 1988 in Lancaster England. They lived in Camberwell, a borough in South East London. They worked together in theatre on An Inspector Calls and Billy Elliot the Musical.

Daldry is a successful Director and highly respected in both film and theatre. He is someone that has caught audiences by surprise with his works and personal choices. Overall, Daldry is an inspiration and we look forward to his future works. Currently, Daldry is working on a film titled Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, scheduled for release in 2012.

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London Academy of Media Film TV

EARLY LIFE

Natalie Portman

Born Natalie Hershlag in Jerusalem, Israel on June 9th 1981, Natalie is the only child of American homemaker Shelley Stevens and doctor Avner Hershlag. She has dual citizenship (for Israel and America), and moved with her family to Washington D.C, when she was 3 years old so her father could continue his career in medicine. After moving home between different American states, Natalie and her family finally settled in Long Island in 1988 where she studied at Syosset High School, graduating in 1999 after her film career had already began to heat up.

CHILD ACTOR

Natalie discovered a passion for acting at a young age after attending the Stagedoor Manor Performing Camp during her summer holidays. She was first discovered by a modeling scout at the age of 11, with her acting debut following a year later when she was cast in Luc Besson’s Leon: The Professional in 1994. Adopting her grandmother’s maiden name of Portman as her screen name, she received widespread acclaim for her performance and soon found herself the child actor of choice for challenging roles in more auteur-driven fare including Michael Mann’s Heat (1995), Woody Allen’s Everyone Says I Love You (1996), and Ted Demme’s Beautiful Girls (1996). Natalie would later make her Broadway debut, appearing as the titular Anne Frank in a stage adaptation of The Diary of Anne Frank in 1997. Her mainstream breakthrough came 2 years later when she was cast as Queen Amidala in George Lucas’ highly anticipated Star Wars prequel, The Phantom Menace, in 1999.

STAR WARS AND BEYOND

With Star Wars’ commercial success making Natalie a household name, she proceeded to use her growing status to appear in more personal, independent fare between her blockbuster commitments. She earned a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in Anywhere But Here (1999), and starred as a pregnant teen in Where the Heart Is (2000), before putting her film career on hold to study psychology at Harvard University. She filmed her role in Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones (2002) during a summer break from her studies, and made her big screen comeback a year later after her graduation, appearing in the likes of Anthony Minghella’s Cold Mountain (2003), Garden State (2004), and Closer (2004), for which she earned her first Oscar nomination. Natalie reprised her role in Star Wars for the concluding Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith in 2005, before sealing her box office appeal (and shaving her head) with a performance in the Wachowski brothers’ V for Vendetta (2006). She would later demonstrate her A-list status with an appearance in an episode of The Simpsons in 2007, and further proved her independent credentials with appearances in Wong Kar Wai’s My Blueberry Nights (2007), Wes Anderson’s The Darjeeling Limited (2007), and Jim Sheridan’s Brothers (2009). However, her most acclaimed performance to date was in celebrated director Darren Aronofsky’s highly acclaimed psychological horror Black Swan. Natalie earned numerous awards for her performance, including an Oscar for Best Actress, and tipped off the start of a very busy year with the actress appearing in rom-com No Strings Attached, forthcoming comedy Your Highness, and Marvel’s highly anticipated superhero adaptation Thor.

Natalie Portman in Black Swan

ACTIVIST WORK

Natalie has long been a vocal advocate of several worthy causes; she’s campaigned for animal rights since her childhood, culminating in her becoming a vegan in 2009, and has frequently sought to raise awareness for environmental issues and third world poverty through her role as an Ambassador for Hope at FINCA International. A democrat, Natalie’s political stance has also seen her campaign for democratic candidates John Kerry and Barack Obama in the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections respectively.

PERSONAL LIFE

Natalie is currently engaged and expecting her first child with choreographer Benjamin Milliepied whom she met whilst filming Black Swan. She has previously been romatically linked to musician Devendra Banhart, and actors Gael Garcia Bernal and Jake Gyllenhaal. She is currently managed by her mother, Shelley, and is represented by International Creative Management.

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London Academy of Media Film TV

EARLY LIFE

Nicolas Cage

Born Nicolas Kim Coppola in Long Beach, California, on 7th January 1964, Nicolas is the youngest of three children to dancer/choreographer Joy and literature professor August Coppola. His grandfather Carmine was a composer, aunt Talia (Shire) is an actress, and uncle Francis Ford is an Oscar-winning director. He is also cousin to director Sofia Coppola, and actor Jason Schwartzman. He studied at Beverly Hills High School whilst acting in his brother Christopher’s short films, before abandoning his studies at the age of 15 to enrol at the American Conservatory Theatre in 1979. That is where he made his debut performance in a production of Golden Boy.

ASPIRING ACTOR

Nicolas made his television debut in the variety special, Best of Times, in 1981. His film debut came a year later in the Cameron Crowe-penned comedy Fast Times At Ridgmont High. 1983 marked several milestones in Nicolas’ early career; he landed his first lead role in Valley Girl, adopted the surname Cage (in reference to Marvel superhero Luke Cage) to avoid accusations of nepotism, and was featured in his first collaboration with his uncle, Francis Ford Coppola, Rumble Fish. From there, Nicolas’ acting career began to heat up and he soon earned himself a reputation as a distinctive method actor thanks to performances in Birdy (1984), for which he pulled out one of his own teeth, and in further collaborations with his uncle including Peggy Sue Got Married (1986). Nicolas continued to take varied roles throughout the late 1980s including the lead in the Coen Brothers’ Raising Arizona (1987), his first box office hit Moonstruck (1987), more method madness in Vampire’s Kiss (1988), and David Lynch’s Wild at Heart (1990). However, the role that would define his early career was in Mike Figgis’ 1995 drama Leaving Las Vegas for which he won an Oscar. Not content with critical acclaim, Nicolas sought to reinvent himself as an action star and began a lucrative partnership with producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

ACTION HERO

Box office hits The Rock (1996), Con Air (1997), and John Woo’s Face/Off (1997) helped to seal his burgeoning status as an action hero and earned him a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1998. Ever difficult to pigeonhole, Nicolas balanced his latest status with yet more diverse roles, including the romantic fantasy City of Angels (1998), and Martin Scorsese’s Bringing Out The Dead (1999). However, his box office fortunes have not fared quite so well since, with the Bruckheimer produced Gone in 60 Seconds (2000), National Treasure series (2004, 2007), and Marvel comic-adaptation Ghost Rider (2007) being the only bona-fide blockbusters amid a string of flops. He hit a career nadir in 2006 with the release of Neil Labute’s poorly received The Wicker Man, for which he earned a Razzie nomination, and has infrequently regained critical favour since thanks to box office bombs Next (2007), Bangkok Dangerous (2008), and Season of the Witch (2011). Nicolas did earn himself a second Oscar nomination for his dual role in Spike Jonze’s acclaimed Adaptation (2002), and has recently received praise for turns in Kick-Ass (2010), and Bad Lieutenant (2010).

Nicolas Cage in the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced National Treasure 2

PERSONAL INTERESTS

An avid comic book reader, Nicolas is thought to have a large collection and has created his own series called Voodoo Child. Aside from inspiring his own screen name, Nicolas’ passion for comics has furhter seeped into his personal life; naming his second son Kal-el (after Superman’s birthname). He is also a longtime fan of Elvis Presley. Nicolas has more recently set his talents towards producing and directing. His company, Saturn Films, released his directorial debut, Sonny, in 2002, and he served as an executive producer on the likes of Lord of War (2005) and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (2010).

PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS

Nicolas has been married three times; to Patricia Arquette (1995-2001), Lisa Marie Presley (2002-2004), and currently to Alice Kim (since 2004) with whom he shares a son, Kal-el, born 2005. He also has another son, Weston, born 1990, with actress Christina Fulton. He is currently represented by Richard Lovett of Creative Artists Agency.

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