Christina Applegate ashamed of smoking 'slip up'

Washington, Apr 30: Hollywood actress Christina Applegate has admitted that she was devastated when photographers caught her smoking just months after she won her cancer battle.

Applegate, who underwent a double mastectomy and was given the all-clear last August (08), revealed that she has stayed way from smoking since her diagnosis and it was a 'rare slip up'.


"It's been very painful because I feel it was discounting all the work that I've done. The day I found out I had cancer I quit everything that was bad for me that I was putting in my body," Contactmusic quoted Applegate, as telling People.

"Over the last year, with everything that's happened, there have been a couple of times that I've slipped up. That was one of those rare occasions - and of course they got the picture," Applegate added.

articleby:ani

Christina Applegate Biography

Born: 25 November 1971
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
Best Known As: Kelly Bundy on the TV series Married With Children
Christina Applegate played Kelly, the not-too-bright bombshell daughter of the dysfunctional Bundy family, on the sitcom Married... With Children. Applegate was a teenager when the persistently popular series began in 1987; she grew into the role and was a favorite with male viewers and Web surfers by the show's end in 1997. Her film career has included roles primarily in comedies and feel-good films, including Tim Burton's Mars Attacks (1996, opposite Jack Black), The Sweetest Thing (2002, starring Cameron Diaz), and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004, with Applegate as a newscaster rival to Will Ferrell). She starred as a single mom in the TV series Jesse (1998-99) and took the title role in the amnesia sitcom Samantha Who? in 2007. Applegate also starred on Broadway in a 2005 revival of the musical Sweet Charity, in the title role created by Gwen Verdon in the show's original 1966 run.

Applegate married actor Johnathon Schaech in 2001; they divorced in 2006... She played movie star Grace Kelly as a youngster in the 1983 TV movie Grace Kelly; Cheryl Ladd played the adult version of Kelly... The Broadway run of Sweet Charity was almost cancelled after Applegate broke her foot during a Chicago try-out of the show; she returned in May and was nominated for a Tony Award as best actress in a musical.

Born: Nov 25, 1971 in Hollywood, California
Occupation: Actor
Active: '80s-2000s
Major Genres: Comedy
Career Highlights: The Big Hit, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie
* First Major Screen Credit: Married... With Children (1987)

Biography
Originally famous as the bodacious, brain-challenged Bundy offspring Kelly on Fox's long-running dysfunctional family sitcom Married...With Children, Christina Applegate parlayed her comic talents and sexy image into a parallel movie career.

A natural blonde Hollywood baby, Applegate was raised by her actress mother, Nancy Priddy, after Priddy split from Applegate's father, record executive Bobby Applegate. Making her acting debut as an infant with her mother on TV's Days of Our Lives, Applegate subsequently landed her first movie role at age ten when she appeared with Priddy in the low-grade horror flick Jaws of Satan (1981). After playing Grace as a child in the TV biopic Grace Kelly (1983), Applegate guest starred on several TV shows before landing her own permanent series role in the short-lived Heart of the City (1986). Her next series, however, proved the charm. Debuting in 1987 on the fledgling Fox TV network, Married...With Children withstood criticisms about its all-around vulgarity to become one of Fox's first signature hits. During its ten-year run, Married...With Children also spawned the TV movie It's a Bundyful Life (1992), featuring Applegate and the rest of the Bundy clan in a spoof of holiday chestnut It's a Wonderful Life (1946). A bona fide teen heartthrob and star, Applegate attempted to show her serious side as a prostitute and drug addict in the gritty drama Streets (1990). Teen comedy Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead (1991) tried to capitalize on Applegate's TV fame while showcasing her as a smart, resourceful, anti-Bundy character. Also during Married...With Children's run, Applegate appeared in the female road movie Across the Moon (1994), mutilated rock musician-drama Vibrations (1995), and as the town whore in Walter Hill's underrated Western Wild Bill (1995). Applegate's Married fame further landed her a small part in the all-star ensemble populating Tim Burton's science fiction parody Mars Attacks! (1996), and wryly shaded her presence in Gregg Araki's Los Angeles teen anomie opus Nowhere (1997), the slickest entrant in his "teen apocalypse trilogy."

Ready to leave the TV-bred teen realm behind after Married went off the air in 1997, Applegate co-starred with Mark Wahlberg in the Hong Kong-tinged action comedy The Big Hit (1998) and played the WASP fiancée of a Mob scion in Jim Abrahams' Mafia movie parody Mafia! (1998). She co-starred with her eventual husband, Johnathon Schaech, and erstwhile teen idol Molly Ringwald in the high-school reunion thriller The Giving Tree (1999) as well. Inspired by her experience with her mother growing up, though, Applegate agreed to return to TV to star as a single mom balancing work and family in the sitcom Jesse (1998). Despite choice time slots, however, Jesse was canceled in 2000. Applegate returned to movie comedy co-starring with Jean Reno as a princess and modern gal in the ill-received remake of a French time-travel yarn Just Visiting (2001). Subsequently holding her own opposite some of her more lustrous film peers, Applegate earned far better reviews than the movie itself as Cameron Diaz's levelheaded best friend in the raunchy female bonding romp The Sweetest Thing (2002), and flew the friendly skies with Gwyneth Paltrow in the flight attendant comedy A View from the Top (2003).

In 2004, Applegate landed herself leading-lady roles in two of the year's most anticipated films. First, in July, she starred opposite Will Ferrell in the 70s-era comedy Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. Then, the following November, she could be seen with Ben Affleck in the holiday film Surviving Christmas. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide

Gilles Marini Wants to Give Sarah Jessica a Congratulatory Hug

Dancing with the Stars heartthrob Gilles Marini – who appeared in Sex and the City – can't wait to congratulate Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick on the news that they're expecting twin girls via surrogate.

"They're going to be amazing [parents]. I can't wait to see her and give her a big hug," says Marini, who found out about the news after his performance on Dancing Tuesday night.

As for the girls, he predicts,"They're going to be beautiful – and on top of everything, they're going to be extremely smart."


But it's possible that Marini and Parker will have more to talk about than just babies soon. Rumors have been swirling that Marini could be returning for more steamy scenes in the SATC sequel.

Still, nothing has been confirmed, says Marini. "I would love to do it because I think it would be a great opportunity for all of us," he says. "As soon as it's confirmed, trust me, you'll know."

Photo by: Jesse Grant /WireImage;Dara Kushner /INF

Kim Kardashian: vs. Miss California: The Battle Begins

Add another voice to the debate about Miss California Carrie Prejean's anti-gay marriage remarks.

Keeping Up With the Kardashians star Kim Kardashian lays into the beauty-queen contestant in an interview with People magazine, saying that Prejean's attitude "puts us back."

"I don't agree with her narrow-mindedness and neither do a lot of people," Kardashian opines. "I'm not so narrow-minded so I definitely think a lot broader. Everyone has the right to be happy and be treated equally and I think not allowing gay marriage just kind of puts us back."

Adds Kardashian, "I believe you're in love with who you're in love with, and you should be able to marry them. No one should tell someone else how to think or how to feel."


During Sunday night's Miss USA competition, Prejean replied to a question about the legalization of gay marriage by saying, "In my country, and in my family, I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman."

Prejean later told the Today show's Matt Lauer that her statement was "biblically correct."

Since then, Prejean has been criticized by several in the entertainment community, notably Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus.

But even though Kardashian is siding with the critics, she says she respects Prejean's right to her opinion.

"I obviously have a completely different opinion but I think her answer was true to her, "That answer represented her and how she felt. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion."

Miley Cyrus Tweets Her Tolerance

Miley Cyrus and Miss USA contestant Carrie Prejean don't see eye to eye on the issue of gay marriage—and the Hannah Montana actress is making the distinction known via the magic of Twitter.

Though she lost the Miss USA competition on Sunday, Miss California Prejean made headlines this week, due to her answer to a judge's question about the legalization of gay marriage.

"In my country, and in my family, I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman," Prejean replied.

Earlier this week, Prejean defended her statement, calling it "biblically correct."

Now Cyrus has reached out to that particular judge, letting him know that - despite her own devotion to the Lord's teachings—she sits on the opposite side of the fence from the beauty-pageant contestant when it comes to the topic of gay marriage.


"That's lame!" Cyrus wrote in a series of tweets that began yesterday morning. "God's greatest commandment is to love. and judging is not loving. thats why christians have such a bad rep."

Later, she added, "Jesus loves you AND your partner and wants you to know how much he cares! That's like a daddy not loving his lil boy cuz hes gay."

And now we know where Miley Cyrus stands on the subject of gay marriage. One more thing to thank God for.

Creativity pays off for stylish Fergie at Hot Hollywood party

Fergie is shocked that anyone would consider her a style icon.

"I'm actually never surprised when they put me in the 'don't wear this' column; I've definitely been there before," giggled the newly brunette singer - "I'm in the brunette club now, girl!" - Wednesday night at the Us Weekly Hot Hollywood Style party.

The singer and actress was honored as the Style Icon of the Year by the magazine. The event attracted an eclectic mix of celebrities, including actress Taraji P. Henson, country crooner Martina McBride and glam rock girl Kelly Osbourne.

"For me, it's such an honor. I really pay attention to fashion. I love to get creative with my fashion, just like my music. It's a very creative process for me," said Fergie, who wore a mix of high- and low-end clothing (a Donna Karan clutch and Target vest).Henson was knighted The Surprise Siren by the magazine.

"As an aspiring actor … you pick up these magazines and there's always a list of people who have made it to some list and you think 'Maybe one day I'll make it to the list.' Well, today is that day for me," said Henson, who wore Emanuel Ungaro. "It's just not about the acting, it's about everything. It's the whole package."

Henson, nominated this year for an Oscar, said she's still recovering from awards season.

After the Academy Awards, "there was a moment of exhale and then a withdrawal," she said. "Because I was so busy, busy, busy, then I hit a brick wall and it was like what do I do now? Thank God Tyler Perry called and I was working in three weeks. I didn't have much time off!"

Jordana Brewster looked anything but casual, draped in a black Dior dress. The Fast and Furious actress received the Casual Clotheshorse honor.

"Sometimes when I'm too dressed up, my husband is like 'Um, why aren't you wearing the jeans?' " Brewster said. "But I like playing dress-up. That's what's fun about this job."

Paris Hilton Thinks Boyfriend Doug Reinhardt Is Her Perfect Man

Paris Hilton thinks her current boyfriend is her perfect man - because he can keep up with her globetrotting lifestyle. The hotel heiress is so smitten with "The Hills" star Doug Reinhardt, she can't bear to be apart from him so he accompanies her wherever she goes.

Speaking at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in California, she said: "We literally flew in from London last night and went straight to a party, we totally missed Paul McCartney."

"It takes a lot to keep up with me and he's just about managing."

Paris - who split from rocker Benji Madden last November - also gushed again about how she wants to make Doug, 23, her husband.

The 27-year-old socialite said: "We are going to get married one day so he'll need to keep up with me. I'm super happy right now. He's amazing. I really want the whole romantic thing."

Paris - who began dating Doug in February - recently denied rumors the pair are engaged, but insisted they will tie the knot in the near future.

She said: "He's going to be my husband. We're best friends. It's not like we just met. We've known each other over the past year. I was in a relationship before and we reconnected. I'm really in love and really happy."
photo by World Faces

Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves: Malibu Night

Leaving their little one Levi home with a babysitter, Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves were spotted making their rounds in Malibu, California last night (April 21).

The “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” and his beautiful Brazilian babymama opted for a delicious dinner at the swanky Nobu restaurant, looking very lovey-dovey as they made their way inside.

Earlier in the evening, Matthew and Camila were spotted over at the Malibu Lumber Yard grand opening event along with stars like Jeremy Piven, Minnie Driver and Vanessa Minnillo.

And of course, both Mr. McConaughey and Miss Alves were looking stunning in coordinated all-black ensembles.

Analysis: Obama channels FDR amid crises

WASHINGTON - Banks failing and the economy in shambles, the new U.S. president reassured a nationwide audience that his administration was putting America back on the right track.

"It was the government's job to straighten out this situation and do it as quickly as possible," Franklin Delano Roosevelt said in the first of a series of radio addresses dubbed fireside chats, "and the job is being performed."

More than seven decades later, Barack Obama borrowed heavily from FDR's playbook as he tried to slip as effortlessly into the role of comforter in chief. "Every American should know that their entire government is taking the utmost precautions and preparations," Obama said of the flu outbreak Wednesday night.

Balancing two wars, a creaky economy and - now, suddenly - a flu bug of near-pandemic proportions, this new president used his third prime-time news conference to assure America that its oft-derided government could rise to the challenge. At the same time, he sought to inspire citizens to help themselves rather than rely solely on Washington.

This is not to say Obama will be as popular or successful as Roosevelt, a president whose record is still vulnerable to criticism. But the parallels between these two relatively young, challenged-by-crises presidents are too tempting to ignore - particularly when Obama seems to be channeling FDR as a communicator.

Like Roosevelt, Obama inherited a global economic crisis and moved quickly to address it, drawing stiff criticism even as he tried to lower expectations for a fast turnaround.

"Our troubles will not be over tomorrow," FDR said during an Oct. 22, 1933, radio address, "but we are on our way, and we are headed in the right direction."

Reading from the same script, Obama declared Wednesday night, "I think we're off to a good start, but it's just a start. I'm proud of what we've achieved, but I'm not content. I'm pleased with our progress, but I'm not satisfied.

So far, Americans seem to be giving Obama credit for trying.

An AP-GfK poll marking Obama's first 100 days in office found that, for the first time in years, more people think the country is headed in the right direction than not. The percentage of "right direction" voters has jumped a remarkable 31 points since October, the month before Obama's election.

Roosevelt managed to retain the public's support throughout the Great Depression, despite signs that much of his New Deal didn't work. He had a gift of inspiring confidence in the future.

Are Obama's gifts as great?

He has benefited from his political team's ability to use new media - such as YouTube and text messaging - to get his views out to a fast-changing public. Roosevelt used new media, too: the radio.

This was Obama's third prime-time news conference. He's on TV all the time. And yet, the AP-GfK poll shows that few people think Obama is overexposed.

Read the transcripts of FDR's fireside chats. You'll find that he spoke in plain, sometimes folksy language to methodically explain the nation's problems and outline his proposed solutions. Agree or not with Obama's politics, it's hard to argue that he doesn't communicate as effectively as Roosevelt.

While FDR patiently explained to Americans that a bank doesn't keep people's money in vaults ("it invests your money"), Obama didn't think it was beneath his office to offer health tips for the flu.

"I've asked every American to take the same steps you would take to prevent any other flu: keep your hands washed, cover your mouth when you cough, stay home from work if you're sick and keep your children home from school if they're sick," Obama said.

"We'll continue to provide regular updates to the American people as we receive more information," Obama said more than seven decades after Roosevelt promised to give Americans regular radio updates.

"And everyone should rest assured that this government is prepared to do whatever it takes to control the impact of this virus."

By RON FOURNIER

Tara Leigh Patrick Biography

Tara Leigh Patrick (born April 20, 1972), professionally known as Carmen Electra, is an American glamour model, actress, television personality, dancer, entertainer and sex symbol. She gained fame for her appearances in Playboy magazine, on the MTV game show Singled Out, on the TV series Baywatch and Summerland, for her appearances dancing with the Pussycat Dolls, and has since had roles in the parody films Scary Movie, Date Movie, Epic Movie, Meet the Spartans, and Disaster Movie.

Career
Prince persuaded her to change her name to Carmen Electra and record a solo album. In 1995, Electra started appearing in television programs. Electra was featured in Playboy the magazine four more times, with her second appearance in June 1997, third in December 2000, fourth in April 2003 and her fifth in the January 2009 anniversary issue. Electra has appeared in films such as Good Burger (1997), The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human (1999), the horror spoof Scary Movie (2000) and also appeared in Meet the Spartans (2008), Scary Movie 4 (2006), Epic Movie (2007), Date Movie (2006), the remake of the 1970s TV show Starsky & Hutch (2004) and Cheaper by the Dozen 2. Electra is the spokesmodel for Ritz Camera Centers, appearing in their television and print ads with CEO David Ritz. She is featured in some video spoofs of Lonelygirl15 that are advertising Epic Movie.


Early life
Carmen graduated from Princeton High School in Sharonville.

Electra portrayed Velvita, also known as lonelygirl362436, as a spoof of lonelygirl15 as an Epic Movie teaser.

Carmen Electra Aerobic Striptease is a five-disc DVD exercise series that combines teaching classic stripping moves with a low impact cardio workout also starring Jon Eby.

Released in January 2008, the Electra Pole is a pole dancing kit inspired and endorsed by Carmen Electra that users can assemble in their home. Embrace is a comic book putatively written by Electra for London Night Studios. "Glam Slam Ulysses" Interactive Musical Theatrical Production,” conceived by Prince, choreographed by Jamie King. Electra also appeared in commercials for Maxim Men's Hair Color products (2004-2005) and Taco Bell (2006-2007).

Personal life
Electra had a short relationship with Prince. When B-Real and Electra were guests on The Howard Stern Show, it was revealed that B-Real had bought Electra's breast implants.

On November 22, 2003, Electra married Dave Navarro, lead guitarist for the rock band Jane's Addiction. The couple documented their courtship and marriage in an MTV celebrity reality show called 'Til Death Do Us Part: Carmen & Dave. In June 2007, talk show host Jimmy Kimmel asked Electra if her relationship with Jett was romantic.

Charity work
Carmen Electra organized a fundraiser for Head to Hollywood, a non-profit organization which offers support to brain tumor survivors.

Jamie Lynn Marie Spears Biography

* Birth Name: Jamie Lynn Marie Spears
* Birth Place: McComb, MS
* Date of Birth / Zodiac Sign: 04/04/1991, Aries
* Profession: Actor; singer
* User Rating:(993 ratings)

Although this perpetually perky singer/actress started out riding on the sequined coattails of her older sister, pop superstar Britney, Spears has managed to carve out her own career without displaying much talent. The spitting image of her famous sibling, Spears appeared in a few of her sis' projects before landing a spot on Nickelodeon's juvenile improvisational sketch-comedy series All That. After the show ended, the network gave Spears her own vehicle, the inexplicably popular tween-oriented sitcom Zoey 101, in which she mugged her way through a string of misadventures. In 2007, the 16-year-old stunned when she announced her pregnancy, showing that this Spears hadn't completely escaped the life of turmoil and controversy that plagued her older sister.

Jamie Lynn Spears Fast Facts:

* Sang the theme song — written by sister Britney Spears — to Zoey 101.
* Made her film debut playing the younger version of Britney Spears' character in Crossroads (2002).
* Received a Kids Choice Award nomination as Favorite Television Actress in 2004 for All That and was nominated for the same award in 2006 for Zoey 101.

Jamie Lynn Spears Relationships:
* Britney Spears - Sister
* Lynne Spears - Mother
* Bryan Spears - Brother
* Jamie Spears - Father
* Jayden James Federline - Nephew
* Sean Preston Federline - Nephew
* Casey Aldridge - Fiancé
* Maddie Briann Aldridge - Daughter

Catfight thriller 'Obsessed' claws way to No. 1

LOS ANGELES - Ladies, ladies, please! We don't have to tear each other apart in the name of love or jealousy or territory or fame.

But when we do, people will watch - as they did this past weekend, when the thriller "Obsessed" scratched and clawed its way to the top of the box office.

Featuring Beyonce Knowles as a wife whose marriage is threatened by another woman (Ali Larter) and propelled by a furniture-smashing catfight between the two sexy stars, "Obsessed" made a surprising $28.6 million in its opening weekend.

So what is it about the catfight that's so irresistible? Maybe it's all that animalistic physical contact - the slapping and grappling, the hair-pulling and body-slamming - which is so passionate, it seems to hold the promise that the women involved just might end up kissing afterward.

It's a long and not-so-proud pop culture tradition. Some choice examples:

* Linda Evans vs. Joan Collins on "Dynasty": Pretty much the gold standard for shlock - the defining guilty-pleasure moment in a series notorious for them. You know the back story: Krystle (Evans) is wealthy Blake Carrington's wife, Alexis (Collins) is his vicious ex. Lots of girly pushing and splashing in the lily pond until Krystle starts repeatedly punching Alexis in the face. Thankfully, the shoulder pads on their dresses can be used as flotation devices.

* Denise Richards vs. Neve Campbell in "Wild Things": This is, like, the ultimate male fantasy because it truly is a hair-yanking, swimming-pool catfight that evolves into a make-out session. The naughty rich girl (Richards) and the naughty poor girl (Campbell) smack each other - hard - but their sapphic tendencies, and their joint interest in framing Matt Dillon for rape, bring them together.

* Sigourney Weaver vs. the Alien Queen in "Aliens": Such a famous movie moment, they even turned it into a DirecTV commercial. Weaver climbs inside a big, clunky, metal loader to take on the mama alien whose sweet little hatchlings have been causing so much carnage. The line she growls at the start - "Get away from her, you bitch!" - is a classic.

* Michelle Yeoh vs. Zhang Ziyi in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon": OK, so maybe this doesn't qualify as a catfight in the traditional sense. As part of a film that won four Academy Awards, including the foreign-language award, it's too classy, too artsy, too elegant. But it does feature two gorgeous women trying to destroy each other, albeit with exquisite choreography.

* Shirley MacLaine vs. Anne Bancroft in "The Turning Point": Two veteran actresses square off as former friends and ballerinas in this 1977 drama. MacLaine's Deedee, who gave up her career to have a family, is the mother of Emelia, a promising young dancer herself. Bancroft's Emma is a fading star who latches onto Emelia and lives vicariously through the girl's fresh success. Years of resentments explode when the two women go at it in front of the theater on Emelia's opening night.

* Lois Griffin vs. Gloria Ironbox on "Family Guy": Lois feels threatened when ultra-PC sensitivity trainer Gloria (voiced by Candice Bergen) taps into Peter's previously undiscovered sensitive side. But she turns violent when Gloria condescendingly questions her choice to be a stay-at-home mom. The ensuing fight is so hot, it snaps Peter back into his horny, doltish self.

* Miley Cyrus vs. Tyra Banks in "Hannah Montana: The Movie": Not quite a classic, but curiously it does reflect the depths to which these multimedia multimillionaires will stoop to get a laugh. The cause of their catfight? Shoes, of course - a pair both women want, and there's only one left in the store in their size. Because shoes are the only thing in a woman's life worth fighting for.

* Kate Hudson vs. Anne Hathaway in "Bride Wars": Not exactly a classic either, but blissfully it signals the climax of this shrill comedy about best friends who plan their dream weddings at the same place on the same day. A screechy frenzy of hair and veils and silk. But naturally, Hudson and Hathaway's characters find a way to hug and make up for a forced, feel-good ending.

* Melissa Gilbert vs. Alison Arngrim on "Little House on the Prairie": This one had been percolating for a long time. Their hatred finally boils over when that mean old Nellie (Arngrim) misleads Laura (Gilbert) about the content of a history test. Half-Pint lets her have it, dragging her into the mud and smothering her prissy white bonnet in dirt. But hunky Almanzo rides up in his carriage just in time to pull the girls apart and restore peace in Walnut Grove.

Alison Elizabeth Larter Biography

Alison Elizabeth "Ali" Larter (born February 28, 1976) is a Saturn Award-nominated American actress and former fashion model best known for her screen roles aimed at teenage audiences. Larter can currently be seen on the hit television series Heroes.

Career
In November 1994, Larter portrayed the hoax model Allegra Coleman in Esquire magazine. In 1999, Larter began her film career with an appearance in Varsity Blues which re-united her with Dawson's Creek star Van Der Beek, and close friend Amy Smart. Varsity Blues drew a domestic box office gross of $53 million, making Larter's first film a commercial success. Afterwards, Larter appeared in teen comedies, Giving It Up and Drive Me Crazy. That year as well, Larter starred in the horror remake House on Haunted Hill. In 2000, Larter starred in the teenage audience aimed horror film Final Destination as Clear Rivers. In 2003, Larter reprised her role as Clear Rivers in the sequel to Final Destination, Final Destination 2. In 2005, Larter appeared in the independent film Confess and the romantic comedy A Lot Like Love alongside Amanda Peet and Ashton Kutcher.


2006 saw Larter in the biographical film Crazy based on guitarist Hank Garland. As of September 2006, Larter has been portraying Jessica/Niki Sanders & Tracy Strauss on the NBC Emmy Award-nominated science fiction drama television series Heroes, created by Tim Kring. As of the third season, Larter portrays a new character, Tracy Strauss.

In 2007, Larter starred in the Bollywood Marigold as the title character alongside Salman Khan, which was released in August. She also joined the cast of the popular film franchise Resident Evil: Extinction portraying the character Claire Redfield in the horror film with Milla Jovovich. Larter explains on her character Claire, "She became the leader of this convoy. Larter was also featured as #6 in Maxim's Hot 100 for 2007.

Ali Larter was born in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, the daughter of Margaret, a homemaker, and Danforth Larter, a trucking executive. At seventeen, Larter settled temporarily in Japan. Larter is engaged to her longtime boyfriend, actor Hayes MacArthur.

Susan Magdalene Boyle Biography

Susan Boyle (born 1 April, 1961) is a Scottish singer and church volunteer who came to public attention on 11 April 2009, when she appeared as a contestant on the third series of Britain's Got Talent. Boyle found fame when she sang "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables in the competition's first round.

Before she sang, both the audience and the judges appeared to express scepticism based on her unpolished appearance. In contrast, her vocal performance was so well received that she has been dubbed "The Woman Who Shut Up Simon Cowell." She received a standing ovation from the live audience, garnering yes-votes from Cowell and Amanda Holden, and the "biggest yes I have ever given anybody" from Piers Morgan. The audition was recorded in January 2009 at the Clyde Auditorium in Glasgow, Scotland, and was first broadcast on Saturday, 11 April 2009 in Britain.

The juxtaposition of the reception to her voice with the audience's first impression of her triggered global interest. Articles about her appeared in newspapers all over the world, while the numbers who watched videos of her audition set an online record. By 20 April 2009, a mere 9 days after her televised debut, viral videos of her audition, subsequent interviews of her, and her 1999 rendition of "Cry Me a River" had been viewed over 100 million times on the Internet. Cowell is reported to be setting up a contract with Boyle with his Syco Music company label, a subsidiary of Sony Music.

Biography
Boyle was born in Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland to Patrick Boyle, a storeman at the British Leyland factory in Bathgate, and Bridget Boyle, a shorthand typist: her parents were Irish immigrants. The youngest in a family of four brothers and six sisters, of whom only six survive, Boyle was born when her mother was 47. The Sunday Times writes that it was a difficult birth, during which Boyle was briefly deprived of oxygen. She was diagnosed as having learning difficulties, which led to bullying. She was labelled "Susie Simple" at school but quickly learned to overcome those who derided her.

After leaving school with few qualifications, she was employed for the only time in her life as a trainee cook in the kitchen of West Lothian College for six months, and took part in government training schemes. She would visit the theatre from time to time to listen to professional singers, and performed at a number of local venues. She took singing lessons from a voice coach, Fred O'Neil. In 1995, she auditioned for Michael Barrymore's My Kind of People, which was looking for contestants at the Braehead Shopping Centre in Glasgow, but she said she was too nervous to make a good impression. The Guardian reports that she attended Edinburgh Acting School, and has taken part in the Edinburgh Fringe. In 1999 she recorded "Cry Me a River" for a charity CD funded by the local council to commemorate the Millennium. O'Neil has said Boyle abandoned an audition for The X Factor because she believed people were being chosen for their looks, and that she almost abandoned her plan to enter Britain's Got Talent. O'Neil told The Scotsman: "I remember a phone call late last year when she said she was too old and that it was a young person's game". O'Neil persuaded her to go to the audition.

Boyle's father died in the 1990s, and her siblings had left home, leaving Boyle to look after her ageing mother, who died in 2007 at the age of 91. Boyle still lives in the family home, a four-bedroom council house, with her ten-year-old cat, Pebbles. Boyle's devotion to caring for her mother was such that she did not have any time for herself. One neighbour reported that Boyle struggled to cope with the loss of her mother, stating that she "wouldn't come out for three or four days or answer the door or phone". Her mother had always encouraged her to enter local singing competitions, which she won several times, and tried to persuade her daughter to enter Britain's Got Talent, urging her to take the risk of singing in front of an audience larger than her parish church. Boyle has said she did not feel ready to do it until after her mother's death, saying that it was that event which propelled her to go on Britain's Got Talent and seek a musical career as her way of paying a tribute to her mother. Her performance on the show was the first time she had sung since then.

At the time of her Britain's Got Talent audition, Boyle was unemployed, yet active as a volunteer with the Roman Catholic church of Our Lady of Lourdes in Blackburn. She has never married; and during an interview just before she sang on the talent show, she said she had also "never been kissed" but later added, "Oh, I was just joking around. It was just banter and it has been blown way out of proportion.

Early recordings
The earliest known footage of Boyle's talents comes from her parents' golden wedding party, where she sang "I Don't Know How to Love Him" from the musical Jesus Christ Superstar, aged 25.

Boyle recorded a version of "Cry Me a River" for a compilation charity CD entitled "Music for a Millennium Celebration, Sounds of West Lothian", which was produced in 1999 at a school in Whitburn, West Lothian. A reviewer for the West Lothian Herald & Post wrote at the time, "... the true show-stopper for me is Susan Boyle's heartbreaking rendition of "Cry Me a River", which has been on repeat in my CD player ever since I got this CD..." This recording was released onto the web in the week after April 11, 2009, and gained immediate acclaim, with the New York Post writing that this showed that Boyle was not a "one trick pony" and that the rarity of the CD imprint, with only 1,000 produced, would make them valuable collector's items. Other media reaction was similarly positive, with Hello! magazine stating that the recording was a further illustration of the level of Boyle's talent, which "cements her status" as a singing star.

In 1999, Boyle used "all her savings" to pay for a professionally cut demo tape, which she later sent to record companies, radio talent competitions, local and national TV and which has now been released on the Internet. It consisted of "Cry Me a River" and her version of "Killing Me Softly with His Song". Boyle gave away a few copies to her close friends.

Susan Boyle, 'American Idol,' and other feel-good moments of the week

After starting off the week with a couple of real downers - Simon Cowell's possible departure from American Idol, Friday's season finale of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles -- the second half of this week provided a slew of uplifting stories. From Susan Boyle's unlikely stardom (watch her Early Show appearance below) to Matt Giraud's elimination save on Idol, there was a lot to feel good about, too.

10. Attention Twi-hards: Summit finally announced the rest of the New Moon cast. Did they get it right?

9. Have you seen the newest Harry Potter trailer? Three letters: O. M. G.

8. Simon Cowell is rumored to be leaving Idol at the end of this year, and Adam B. Vary isn't surprised.

7. Michael Slezak suggested a slew of songs for the Idols to sing on this week's Quentin Tarantino-mentored cinema night.

6. Adam B. Vary (and Smirkelstiltskin) reported on the scene from the American Idol performance and results shows.

5. Jeff Probst dedicated his weekly Survivor: Tocantins blog to the man everyone loves to hate, Coach, and the TV show he'd like to pitch about said man, The Dragon Slayer.

4. According to Benjamin Svetkey, Friday's season finale of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles ''left more than a few plot points hanging tantalizingly over cliffs.'' What did you think?

3. You reacted to American Idol's Songs of the Cinema week performances, and to the ''historical'' results show where the judges finally used their power to save a contestant from elimination.

2. Another week, another number one ranking for Adam Lambert on the American Idol Power List.

1. Britain's Got Talent contestant Susan Boyle became an unlikely star this week. The dowdy-looking Scot initially drew snickers when she appeared on the reality show, but her outstanding performance of a Les Miserables tune led Simon Cowell to his feet, Lisa Schwarzbaum to tears, and Adam Markovitz to wonder what the big deal was (and hoo boy - you told him).

Susan Boyle debut song uncovered

Susan Boyle's performance of I Dreamed A Dream on Britain's Got Talent
An early recording of Britain's Got Talent contestant Susan Boyle singing Cry Me a River for charity has emerged on the internet.
Just 1,000 copies of the CD were funded by Whitburn Community Council.
Ms Boyle, from Blackburn in West Lothian, has become a worldwide sensation after her voice stunned judges on the TV talent show.

Reduced to tears
So far over 19 million have watched her rendition of I Dreamed A Dream from Les Miserables, on Saturday's show.
West Lothian Council featured a clip of the song - thought to be her only previous recording - on its website.

Absolutely thrilled
A Ladbrokes spokesman said they are offering the "shortest odds we've ever offered at this early stage in the show".

Council leader Peter Johnston said local people were "absolutely thrilled" for Ms Boyle. He added: "Her voice is simply magic."

Speaking from her home, Ms Boyle said: "I just take it all in my stride, I'm enjoying it. I haven't had time to think."

Asked what it meant to her to get such support from Moore and Kutcher, Ms Boyle said: "That's overwhelming. That's something else."

Questioned about her chances of winning, she replied: "I can only do my best, like everybody else."

But judge Simon Cowell has said she has not won the competition yet.

Speaking on GMTV on Friday, he said: "There are some acts that you haven't seen yet, it's not quite the one horse race you are going to think this is."

The prize for winning the show is a chance to perform at the Royal Variety Performance.

Despite the phenomenon of Susan Boyle, we expect true talent to come wrapped in beautiful packages

"Beauty is truth, truth beauty. That is all ye know on Earth, and all ye need to know."

John Keats, Ode To A Grecian Urn

Yes, indeed. Let's blame it on the Greeks. Put it this way - how many Classical Hellenic statues in the Royal Ontario Museum put you in mind of Susan Boyle?

Rather, as Plato put it, "therefore if we are unable to net the good in a single concept, we must use three to capture it, namely beauty, proportion and truth."

From this comes the age-old mindset that it, or he - or especially she - has to be beautiful to be good.

Simon Cowell certainly knows the concept and its power. He did his best to look surprised (even though he owns the show) when the self-described "short and plump" Boyle performed her jaw-dropping number from Les Miz while auditioning for the show Britain's Got Talent.

But it's on American Idol - now down to its final five with the ouster of Lil Rounds and Anoop Desai this week - that beautiful-equals-good (and the corollary, ugly-equals-bad) has been honed to a science. It's particularly at play in the "audition weeks," the only part of the show some people watch because of the "car-crash factor."

There, the deluded far outnumber the talented, and out-ugly them too. Remember William Hung? As soon as you saw his crooked teeth, you knew he was there as a joke. There's no way anything but a mockable version of She Bangs was coming out of that mouth. Cowell himself has always tended to go straight to aesthetics when judging ("You look like one of those creatures that live in the woods with those massive eyes," he famously said to one lemur-like auditioner). The rule is, "If they're ugly, prepare to hear them croak like a frog. If they're pretty or handsome, get set to hear an angel sing."

Once past the Hollywood-audition gauntlet, however, Cowell remains obsessed with contestants "looking" like an Idol. One of the best voices ever on the show belonged to Mandisa, the unfortunately plus-sized diva who was the object of endless weight jokes from Cowell through to her ninth place finish in 2006 (starting with the "we're going to need a bigger stage" crack during her audition). Where somebody like Season Two champ Reuben Studdard could get away with being overweight, it's unthinkable for a less-than-beautiful woman to win (believe it or not, both Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood were lauded for being "ordinary-looking" in their pre-makeover phases).

As for this season, most figure it will come down to the prettiest boy, Adam Lambert (who admittedly has amazing pipes), and geeky-handsome Danny Gokey (who has the added sympathy element of being a widower).

But it's not Plato that made Jessica Simpson a singing star, but MTV (as per The Bugles' Video Killed the Radio Star). The fact is, when we didn't have to look at them, you could be unpleasing to the eye and then some. You could even be, as Eric Burdon described himself in Spill the Wine, "an overfed, long-haired leaping gnome," and still score as many groupies as Mick. I loved the Atlanta Rhythm Section back in the day, but they weren't going to win any beauty prizes. Both Janis and Mama Cass weren't conventionally beautiful, but they had voices that will live forever.

And we have our own ode to the prejudice of Greek Classicism in Rita MacNeil, the object of so many jokes and possessor of the greatest voice in Canadian music. I swear, every "morning zoo" deejay in the U.S. must have had a go at her when they saw her for the first time singing the national anthem at the World Series between Toronto and Philadelphia (a Philly columnist/Cowell precursor suggested she'd been brought to the field with a forklift. Pluckily, she responded to his classlessness saying she would only sing at another game if they did, indeed, chauffeur her on a forklift.)

Maybe Canadians are less Greek than our friends to the south. After all, Rush are rock gods here.

Interestingly, Plato's Republic only goes so far in the real world. I don't care if my auto mechanic's face could stop a clock as long as he keeps my mini-van purring. Frankly, I don't trust a skinny chef. And active prejudice against their looks would have kept me from seeing movies by Hitchcock or Kubrick or Peter Jackson, or reading books by Truman Capote or Fran Liebowitz or seeing musicals by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

By JIM SLOTEK

Talent Show singing sensation Susan Boyle

Susan Boyle's performance on "Britain's Got Talent"
Now, the "Britain's Got Talent" contestant is a viral-video sensation. The video clip of her performance on the British talent show has become a hit on the internet, been viewed more than 12 million times until Thursday.

This Ms Boyle, looking dowdy, unemployed, from a village of West Lothian in Scotland, stunned the three judges and the audience with her rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" from the musical Les Miserables during last Saturday's lauch show of the third series of "Britain's Got Talent", one of the hottest reality shows in Britain.

No one is laughing now. Susan obviously won over the hearts of millions around the world with sensation spreading across the Atlantic.

Hollywood actors Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore - who between them have nearly 1.5 million followers - are raving about her. 'Ordinary people are capable of extraordinary accomplishments,' one commenter says of Susan Boyle.

The Scotish talent made her live American debut via satellite connection on CBS's The Early Show, doing an interview and singing live from her room. And she already nabbed an invite from talk show host Oprah Winfrey.


Kimberly Noel and Kardashian

Introduction
The curvy, armenian daughter of famed OJ Simpson defense attorney Robert Karsadashian, Kim Kardashian has made a name for herself as a darling socialite, wardrobe stylist for the A-list of Hollywood, and It girl for numerous fashion magazines and tabloids. Voted #28 in the AskMen.com's Top 99 Women 2008 Edition.

Life Story
Kim grew up in a luxurious Beverly Hills mansion along with two sisters and a brother. When she was 10, her parents divorced and her mom married Olympic Gold Medal winner Bruce Jenner, bringing four kids of his own. Kim languished in relative obscurity until 2001 when a sex tape was released involving Kim and rapper Ray J. Kim sued Vivid Video and won her lawsuit in April 2007. Kim now hangs out with Paris Hilton and will star in her own reality TV show on E!, produced by Ryan Seacrest Productions. Kim will also star in the new Fallout Boy video “TThnks Fr Th Mmrs” as the love interest of band member Pete Wentz.

Britney's Circus: Starring Kim and Khloe!

I went to see Britney Spears in concert with Khloe, Farnaz and Alex. Melody Thorton of The Pussycat Dolls, who is a good friend of mine, was so nice to get us tickets! We went back stage after The Pussycat Dolls performed and saw all the Dolls, talked to Nicole about how we look like twins, and it made me miss Melody because I haven't seen her in forever! I am so proud of her and was just so happy to see her perform. The anticipation was mounting as Britney was about to go on... we were so excited! I got a chance to catch up with her family backstage.

I met Jamie Lynn who is such a sweet and beautiful girl. What a great family! Then we moved into the sound booth to watch the show! I cant believe we got to see the show from the sound booth! Maybe my pictures can show you how close we were! We sat on crates! We didnt even have seats! It was the best concert ever! Me and Khloe are such huge Britney fans. She was absolutely amazing! Have you guys been to see her in concert yet?

Carrie Prejean Miss California 2009

Carrie Prejean is a true California girl who was born and raised in beautiful San Diego. Carrie is 21 years old and a junior at San Diego Christian College. Carrie is a huge Padres fan. Carrie was crowned Miss Greater San Diego 2007, and was crowned MISS CALIFORNIA USA 2009.

Carrie is a model and was recently featured in "Blisss Magazine" as one of the center folds "Super Taste" model of the month. Carrie was featured on Deal or No Deal as a finalist in becoming a case model. Carrie even modeled for E! Carrie has a passion for people with special needs, whether it's a child with a disability or a grown adult living homeless on the streets. Carrie is an advocate for encouraging healthy lifestyles for young women. Carrie wants people to remember her as being compassionate and real. People enjoy being around Carrie because of her high energy and fun personality.

Carrie has a Chihuahua named "Biggie" who she spends most of her time with. Running on the beach, playing sports, shopping, relaxing, reading a good book, and spending time with her big Italian family, are some of Carries favorite past times. Carrie Prejean will go on to compete for the title of MISS USA 2009 in April.

CONGRATULATIONS TO CARRIE PREJEAN
FOR HER ACCOMPLISHMENT AS FIRST RUNNER-UP
IN THE MISS USA PAGEANT!


Carrie participated in the Miss California Pageant in late November and was crowned Miss California. With that accomplishment she was qualified to participate in the Miss USA pageant that took place on Sunday April 19 in Las Vegas.
At the end of the evening Carrie was named First Runner Up. With this honor comes the responsibility to assume the duties of MISS USA 2009 if the titleholder is named MISS UNIVERSE 2009 or for some reason cannot fulfill her duties.

In an e-mail to Carrie, Dr. Paul Ague, College President, stated “We are proud of your hard work and all that you accomplished. We know that you will be honored for this. We have received many well wishes on your behalf at the college and just want you to know that you are in many people’s thoughts and prayers.”

Carrie is currently a student at San Diego Christian College, but decided to take the spring semester off to prepare and compete in the Miss USA Pageant. Her goal is to return to SDCC to finish her Bachelors Degree, and to later obtain a Masters Degree in the field of Special Education.

As a community we congratulate Carrie on this accomplishment. She is a great example of a student who is seeking to have an impact on the world for Christ.

"I knew there were secular judges,
but I felt I needed to express my
passion for the Lord."

Carrie Prejean is dedicated to serving the Lord and is not at all shy about her Christianity-even on national television. As the new 2009 Miss California USA, Carrie has shown that she can balance the pressures of national competition with her desire to share Christ's love with younger women.

Carrie has recently been serving with a ministry that seeks to reveal Christ's transforming love to women in the adult entertainment industry. Led by a young women who herself was delivered by Christ, the group "gets real" with these women and discusses their problems and life struggles. Carrie feels that she can connect with women her age and believes that God is using her to bring hope to others.

In addition to her passion for young women, Carrie has volunteered at the local International Ministry Center where she has helped refugees learn to speak English. She is also involved with Voices for Children, a mentor program for children in foster care. "I've been extremely passionate about that. I especially have a heart for helping young girls with low self-esteem. I want to focus on San Diego and give back to my community", she said.

Carrie is currently a student at San Diego Christian College, but decided to take the spring semester of 2009 off to prepare and compete in the Miss USA Pageant, which took place on April 19th. Her goal is to return to SDCC to finish her Bachelors Degree, and to later obtain a Masters Degree in the field of Special Education.

Jennifer Jason Leigh joins Weeds cast

Nancy Botwin’s about to have a family reunion … with this woman.

Jennifer Jason Leigh will appear in several episodes of Season 5 of Weeds, Hollywood Reporter says. She’s been cast opposite Mary-Louise Parker as Jill, Nancy’s older sister who had a falling out with her years ago. As Nancy’s business and romantic interests move her closer to danger, she decides to have Andy take Shane, her youngest, to live with Jill for a while.

Turns out Jill also has some dissatisfaction with life in suburbia (all those "little boxes" no doubt), and she eventually decides to come back into Nancy’s life. TV critics expect the actresses to have terrific on-screen chemistry since they’re friends in real life.

Leigh initially balked at the role because it required at least one nude scene, the LA Times reports, but she changed her mind when producers started looking at other actresses. Whether she’ll show as much skin as she did in Single White Female or Fast Times at Ridgemont High is anyone’s guess.

by:jill

Hall of Fame: Jennifer Jason Leigh

The Hall of Fame is going to be a series of posts celebrating the greatest Directors, actors [male and female], and perhaps other technicians, in cinema now and throughout the years.
There are strict rules for inclusion. The Hall of Fame is not about one outstanding piece of work; it’s about a career, a body of work. There is no minimum age, but inductees must have had a career lasting at least a decade in the discipline for which they are being included. They must also have worked regularly (Erick Zonca, with his two films as a Director in a decade, great as they are, won’t be inducted). Most importantly their body of work, as a whole, must be of high quality and constitute a contribution to their discipline in cinema.

I’ve wracked my brain to come up with the first inductee, and I can’t think of anyone more deserving than Jennifer Jason Leigh.
Birth Name: Jennifer Lee Morrow
Occupation: Actor
Born: 5th Feb 1962, Hollywood
Age: 46
Family: Mother: Barbara Turner, Father: Vic Morrow, Sister: Carrie Morrow
Half-Sister: Mina Badie, Stepfather: Reza Badiyi
Spouse: Noah Baumbach
Film Debut: Eyes of a Stranger (1981)
Latest Film: Synecdoche, New York (2008)

Jennifer Jason Leigh’s film acting career spans more than 60 feature films and my entire life. She’s one of the most critically acclaimed actresses of her time and commands universal respect from her peers, and yet she’s never even been nominated for an Oscar and if you talk to a casual movie fan about her they’ll likely respond with “who?” That’s largely her own choice, she’s studiously avoided the limelight over the years, very little is known about her private life and she’s so transformed from role to role that even colleagues have been known to fail to recognise her. On the set of their second film together Robert Altman mistook Leigh for a production assistant and asked her to get him a coffee, while director Paul Verhoeven (for whom she made Flesh and Blood) has said of her “…She can be anything. Yet in real life it's almost as if she doesn't exist, as if she's always waiting for acting, and the acting is the real life…”

Jennifer Lee Morrow was born to a theatrical family, her father was an actor and stunt man (tragically killed in the infamous accident on the Twilight Zone set when Leigh was almost 20) and her mother was a writer for stage and screen. Leigh first appeared on film, in an uncredited, non-speaking role, at 9, when she played ‘girl playing with a rubber ball’ in Death of a Stranger. At 14 she began attending workshops given by Lee Strasberg (which seem to have made a great impression, given her immersive preparation for each part) and attended the Stagedoor Manor summer camp (other graduates include Zach Braff). At 16 Leigh landed her first breaks, with roles in TV series Baretta and Disney TV movie The Young Runaways. At this age she also adopted her stage name, taking Jason from family friend Jason Robards. Six weeks shy of graduation, in 1981 Leigh dropped out of high school to take her first really substantial role in Eyes of a Stranger.

It was a 1981 TV movie that really made people sit up and take notice of Jennifer Jason Leigh. The Best Little Girl in the World was the story of an anorexic teenager, a harrowing film and a demanding part, for which Leigh did what would become her customary immersive preparation. Already a slight woman with a slender 5’ 3” frame, Leigh dieted down to just 86lbs for the part. The transformation wasn’t simply physical though, even at this early stage Leigh is able to make you look past the actress and see the character. This was also the beginning of Leigh’s penchant for difficult, different, challenging roles; she’s said, "I could never play the ingénue, the girl next door or the very successful young doctor. That would be a bore." She’s done the first two, but always interestingly, always stretching and changing herself.

The breakthrough part came in 1982, as the girl next door, in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Stacy Hamilton is no cookie cutter dream girl though; she’s real and complex. This is probably as much down to Cameron Crowe’s very funny, and very well researched screenplay as much as it is to Leigh, but Leigh plays the corrupted innocent so well here that no less a critic than Roger Ebert ended up not reviewing her performance, but being taken in by it. He asked “How could they do this to Jennifer Jason Leigh? How could they put such a fresh and cheerful person into such a scuz-pit of a movie?” He’s really talking about Stacy here, and how she’s beaten down by the movie. Now that’s a good review. Ebert, in his 1 star review, also had more nice things to say about Leigh, noting that “I didn't even know who Leigh was when I walked into "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," and yet I was completely won over by her. She contained so much life and light that she was a joy to behold.”

In the 1980s Jennifer Jason Leigh built a strong career, specialising in roles in exploitation films, throwing herself into every character with amazing gusto, and usually ending up outclassing both the films and everyone else in them. A good example of this is almost (rightly) forgotten cop movie Under Cover, in which Leigh plays one of two cops sent back to high school to bust a drugs gang. It’s an awful, awful movie, but with her small part and dreary material Leigh still manages to pull out a couple of great scenes (particularly the one in which she first enters the classroom). It’s a shame that Paul Verhoeven’s Flesh and Blood was neither his nor Leigh’s best work – her English accent isn’t great, and she seems ill at ease at times, because as actress and director they would seem to be made for each other; two artists dedicated to pushing the boundaries. There were standout films as well as standout performances in this period though, particularly Robert Harmon’s brilliant exploitation horror The Hitcher, in which Leigh’s character suffers one of the most appalling fates in cinema.

In 1989 Leigh’s career kicked up a gear, the catalyst her astounding performance as Tralala in Uli Edel’s challenging Last Exit to Brooklyn. The part called on both Leigh’s skill and her daring, as it culminates in a shattering sequence in which Tra’ is gang raped by almost the entire male population of a bar. Tralala is a difficult part, a young woman with a tough exterior but a hopeful, vulnerable, interior, which comes to the fore when she meets, and appears to fall for, a sailor on leave. This performance was counterbalanced by another as a hooker, in George Armitage’s noirish 1990 comedy Miami Blues. Susie Waggoner was Tralala’s inverse; a dreamer who wanted nothing more than to be, literally, Susie Homemaker and Leigh is effortlessly sweet and warm in the role. 1991 marked perhaps the only time you could say that Leigh phoned in a performance. She has made her frustration with Ron Howard’s Backdraft known over the years, and is alleged to have told Howard that she wanted to play the fire, because it clearly had the best part in the film, but her boredom is quite plain to see in her only standard issue girlfriend role. It mattered little though, because Backdraft was a hit, and 1991 also brought Rush, the film is a rather overwrought adaptation of Kim Wozencraft’s fact based novel about her time as a drug addicted narcotics cop, but Leigh’s innocent adrift is yet another piece of stellar character acting.

1992’s Single White Female ushered in something odd for Jennifer Jason Leigh; mainstream success. It should, like many of Leigh’s exploitation films, have been a pretty bad movie; it’s formulaic almost to the point of tedium, but tense direction from Barbet Schroeder and excellent performances from both Leigh and Bridget Fonda make Single White Female a better film than it really has any right to be. For her subtly deranged performance Leigh won one of her few major awards – MTV’s Best Villain trophy (She was the only woman nominated, with Michelle Pfeiffer snubbed as Catwoman, a role Leigh had auditioned for). Continuing to work at what seemed a furious pace Leigh spent time with phone sex workers in order to portray one in Robert Altman’s Short Cuts, channelled Rosalind Russell (giving her Katharine Hepburn’s voice) while revealing an unexpected talent for screwball comedy in the Coen brothers underrated The Hudsucker Proxy, then studied and mastered Dorothy Parker’s unique voice for one of her most acclaimed performances, in Alan Rudolph’s Mrs Parker and the Vicious Circle, before appearing as an abused daughter in Stephen King adaptation Dolores Claiborne.

By 1995 it had already begun to seem perverse that Jennifer Jason Leigh had never, despite critical plaudits for her every on screen appearance, even been nominated for an Oscar. It was widely expected that Georgia, a screenplay by her mother Barbara Turner in which she plays a drug and alcohol addicted singer who has to live in the shadow of her famous sister would right this much remarked upon wrong. Mare Winningham, as the sister, got a nomination but Leigh, once more, was snubbed, despite some of the best notices of her estimable career. 1995 also marked the end of Leigh’s short and tentative flirtation with the mainstream as, bar a lead role in period romance Washington Square (for which, in her obsessive way, she compiled 11 folders full of research just on the etiquette of the period) her choices became ever more different and daring. Mini series Thanks of a Grateful Nation saw Leigh give an exceptional performance as the working class wife of a gulf war syndrome victim, winning her a Golden Satellite Best Actress award in the process, but her other major project of 1999 was even more interesting.

Canadian auteur David Cronenberg, who directed her in eXistenZ, in which she played a revered computer game designer, said of Leigh “I had my eyes on her for some time. Tough. Unusual. Not afraid to do strange things. When we started talking she was already working herself into the role… She is a brilliant and serious actor, and like a lot of brilliant and serious actors, she is punished.” Leigh paid off his faith in her; Allegra Gellar is one of her most indelible roles, combining intellect, sexuality, a tinge of madness and danger within one fantastic, fascinating performance. Leigh’s next, The King is Alive, Thomas Vinterberg’s Dogme adaptation of King Lear, came and went more or less unnoticed, but her next step was an unexpected one.

Even though she had worked with him on a production of Cabaret it came as major surprise when Leigh teamed up with Scottish actor Alan Cumming for a shared directorial debut with The Anniversary Party. Starring many of their Hollywood friends (including an increasingly rare role for Leigh’s best friend of many years, Fast Times co-star Phoebe Cates). Their script wasn’t especially groundbreaking, but Leigh and Cumming’s free camera and the strong performances they draw from the cast (especially the underappreciated Jane Adams) make for an interesting and relatively accomplished debut. Asked recently if she would direct again Leigh said that she had written a screenplay, but by the time she had finished it she no longer liked it. After The Anniversary Party Leigh was absent from cinemas, bar a tiny role as Tom Hanks’ wife in Road to Perdition, for a while before turning up in Jane Campion’s disappointing In the Cut. Campion had asked Leigh to play the Holly Hunter part in The Piano, but she had been knee deep in Rush at the time. Leigh is terrific in In the Cut, and the silly mystery would always have been a problem, but it might well have been better had Leigh and the out of her depth Meg Ryan had traded roles.

In the Cut marked something of a comeback. After it came a quick one two with The Machinist, in which Leigh played her fourth sex worker, the prostitute who befriends client Christian Bale out of concern for his physical, and soon his mental, condition. The Jacket saw her playing a doctor (but not the successful young kind she was afraid of) caring for Adrien Brody, who may be mad or may be a time traveler. Co-star Keira Knightley spoke of her experience opposite Leigh; “In my big scene with Jennifer, I nearly forgot what I had to do because I spent the entire time staring at her, going, 'How do you do that’?” Those films were released close to one another, but between them she made Palindromes for Todd Solondz, a little seen film in which she plays one of the many incarnations of Aviva, a 12-year-old runaway. Leigh was 42 at the time, but she’s utterly convincing as a frightened adolescent in a performance that should be more widely seen.

In 2005 there was a personal change in Leigh’s life, she married writer/director Noah Baumbach, after several years quietly dating. This became a professional relationship with Margot at the Wedding, a caustic drama about sisters Pauline and Margot (Leigh and Nicole Kidman) reuniting for Pauline’s wedding to Malcolm (Jack Black), playing one of her most ‘normal’ characters ever Leigh excels, making Pauline feel completely and utterly real in a way that none of the other actors manage with their characters. A supporting role, buried beneath layers of old age make up, in Charlie Kaufman’s Synechdoche New York is Leigh’s most recent work, she pulled out of Scottish director David MacKenzie’s Spread, and there is a rumour that was due to her being pregnant, but there’s been no confirmation of that story.

Leigh has, despite her stellar filmography, become famous for refusing roles. Among the most notable is Pretty Woman, which, the story goes, she refused when director Garry Marshall told her that her character had only been a prostitute a few weeks “so it’s still kind of fun for her”. She also refused Chloe Sevigny’s infamous role in The Brown Bunny, which would have required her to perform fellatio on Vincent Gallo. Surprisingly Leigh actually wanted to take this part, she has said only that “things didn’t work out” and that she’d probably have done it had she not been in a relationship (with Baumbach).

So, why does Jennifer Jason Leigh belong in my hall of fame? First off she’s quite possibly the best actress alive, and has been consistently brilliant even in films that ask little of her and provide her little to work with. Second she’s an incredibly hard worker, her preparation is legendary, running to part time jobs, changes in her living arrangements and in-character diaries. Thirdly she never seems to have been chasing a paycheck, and if she has taken a role simply for the money then she’s hidden it well, beneath another great performance. Fourth, despite many outrageous snubs, she doesn't seem to be chasing the elusive Oscar, instead she's contentedly taking parts that offer her the chance to do interesting things and to challenge herself. Fifth, and this is where she genuinely advances her craft every time she appears on film, when you see Jennifer Jason Leigh in a film you never, ever see Jennifer Jason Leigh. She’s not there, Tralala is, or Allegra Gellar is, or Pauline is. She’s so completely consumed by her characters that she seems not to act but to become them. That’s her greatness, and that’s why, if you haven’t already, you need to see her films. Right now.

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