1.
Thank You for Smoking (novel)
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Thank You for Smoking is a novel by Christopher Buckley, first published in 1994, which tells the story of Nick Naylor, a tobacco lobbyist during the 1990s. Nick Naylor is the spokesman for the Academy of Tobacco Studies. He utilizes high-profile media events and intentionally provocative rhetoric in order to highlight what his clients view as a crusade against tobacco. Collectively, they form what is known as the M. O. D, squad, a reference to the title of a police drama, although in this case, M. O. D. A pivotal point in the plot occurs when Naylor is kidnapped by a group who attempt to kill him by covering him with nicotine patches. The search for the perpetrators of the leads to surprising results. In this respect, the plot one of Buckleys other satirical novels. A movie based on the novel was released in 2005, while the characters are essentially the same, the plot differs in some significant ways. Most noticeably, Naylors relationship with his son is given a prominent role. In addition, the ending is different in both events and tone
2.
Jason Reitman
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Jason Reitman is a Canadian-American film director, screenwriter, and producer, best known for directing the films Thank You for Smoking, Juno, Up in the Air, and Young Adult. As of February 2,2010, he has received one Grammy Award and four Academy Award nominations, Reitman is a dual citizen of Canada and the United States. He is the son of director Ivan Reitman, Reitman was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the son of Geneviève Robert, an actress sometimes billed as Geneviève Deloir, and comedy director Ivan Reitman. Reitman has two sisters, Catherine, an actress, who is three years younger than him, and Caroline, a nurse, who is 12 years younger. Reitmans father was born in Czechoslovakia, to Jewish parents who were Holocaust survivors, Reitmans paternal grandfather ran a dry cleaner and then a car wash. His mother is from a Christian background, and of French-Canadian descent, when he was still a child, his family moved to Los Angeles. His father, Ivan, directed the films Ghostbusters, Stripes, and Kindergarten Cop. Reitman grew up on set and this showed him that making movies is a job that people do, that its not just this piece of magic that happens. Jason described his childhood self as a loser, in the late 1980s, Reitman began appearing in small acting parts and serving as a production assistant on his fathers films. He spent time in the rooms of his fathers movies. Reitman graduated from Harvard-Westlake School in 1995, Reitman was a jumper in high school. Reitman attended Skidmore College and was going to major in pre-med studies before transferring to the University of Southern California to major in English/Creative Writing, at USC he performed with improv group Commedus Interruptus. Reitman started out making short films during his time at USC, throughout his 20s, instead of accepting offers to make commercial feature films, Reitman began making his own short films and directing commercials. Although he was offered the opportunity to direct Dude, Wheres My Car. on two occasions, he declined. Reitmans first feature film, Thank You for Smoking, opened in 2006, Reitman developed the Christopher Buckley novel into a screenplay and, eventually, a film. The film was a commercial and critical success and it grossed over $39 million worldwide by the end of its run, and was nominated for two Golden Globes. After the success of Thank You for Smoking, Reitman mentioned in an interview that his film would be adapting another book into a film. He also mentioned that he had plans to work with Buckley again on an original project, although the first of these projects would eventually become Up in the Air, this second project has not come to fruition. His second film, Juno, generated great buzz after it premiered at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival and was released in December 2007
3.
David O. Sacks
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David Oliver Sacks is the former chief executive officer of Zenefits. He has been an entrepreneur, executive and investor in technology firms since the late 1990s. As a result of Yammer’s acquisition by Microsoft in July 2012, on December 10,2014 he joined Zenefits, a San Francisco based startup company, as COO. On February 8,2016 he was promoted to CEO following the departure of Zenefits founder Parker Conrad, born in Cape Town, South Africa, Sacks immigrated with his family to the United States when he was 5 years old. Sacks attended Memphis University School in Memphis, Tennessee and he earned his B. A. in Economics from Stanford University in 1994 and received a J. D. from the University of Chicago Law School in 1998. In 1999, Sacks left his job as a management consultant for McKinsey & Company to join e-commerce service PayPal as its chief operating officer, in February 2002, PayPal went public, it was one of the first IPO after the September 11,2001 attacks. The stock rose more than 54% that first day and closed at $20.09, in October 2002, eBay acquired PayPal for $1.5 billion. Sacks is a member of the PayPal Mafia—a group of founders and they are often credited with inspiring Web 2.0 and for the re-emergence of consumer-focused Internet companies after the dot com bust of 2001. Sacks is the co-author with Peter Thiel of the 1995 book The Diversity Myth, Multiculturalism, the book is critical of political correctness in higher education and the consequent dilution of academic rigor. In 2016, Sacks apologized for two statements made in the book, The purpose of the rape crisis movement seems as much about vilifying men as about raising awareness. But since a multicultural rape charge may indicate nothing more than belated regret, said Sacks, This is college journalism written over 20 years ago. It does not represent who I am or what I believe today, im embarrassed by some of my former views and regret writing them. Following PayPal’s acquisition, Sacks moved to Hollywood where he produced and financed the hit movie Thank You For Smoking through his independent production company, the 2006 film won praise from film critics and was nominated for two Golden Globes. In 2006, Sacks founded Geni. com, a website that enables family members to collaboratively build an online family tree. At Geni, he wanted more visibility into what was going on across the organization, in 2008, Sacks and co-founder Adam Pisoni spun this internal communications tool into a standalone company called Yammer. Geni was acquired by MyHeritage in 2012, and Sacks continues to serve on its board, Yammer launched at TechCrunch50 in September 2008, winning the grand prize. It is among the fastest-growing enterprise software companies in history, exceeding five million users in just four years. The company raised $142 million in funding from top tier firms and is used by more than 300,000 companies worldwide
4.
Christopher Buckley (novelist)
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He is the son of writer William F. Buckley Jr. and socialite Patricia Buckley. After a classical education at the Portsmouth Abbey School, Buckley graduated from Yale University in 1975 and he was a member of Skull and Bones like his father, living at Jonathan Edwards College. He became managing editor of Esquire, in 1981, he moved to Washington, D. C. to work as chief speechwriter for Vice President George H. W. Bush. This experience led to his novel The White House Mess, a satire on White House office politics, buckleys Thank You for Smoking is another satire, its protagonist a lobbyist for the tobacco industry, Nick Naylor. He followed that more humor about Washington in the form of Little Green Men. His No Way To Treat A First Lady has the wife on trial for assassinating her husband. His one serious novel, Wet Work, is about a billionaire businessman avenging his granddaughters death from drugs, Thank You for Smoking was adapted into a movie written and directed by Jason Reitman, and starring Aaron Eckhart. It was released on 17 March 2006, Buckley also wrote the non-fiction Steaming To Bamboola, about the merchant marine, as well as contributed to an oral history of Milford, Connecticut, and is an editor at Forbes magazine. For a brief time in summer and fall 2008, Christopher Buckley also wrote the column for National Review. This came to an end after Buckley endorsed the 2008 Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama in October 2008, buckleys endorsement, entitled Sorry Dad, Im Voting for Obama, appeared in The Daily Beast. He chose The Daily Beast to avoid complications with National Review, after many readers and contributors expressed their displeasure, Buckley resigned from National Review. Buckley disavowed the title of his article endorsing Obama but continues to write for The Daily Beast. An only child, Buckley found his mother easier to talk to than his father because of her attitude toward religion and he first married Lucy Gregg, daughter of Donald Gregg, who served as assistant to Vice President Bush for national security affairs. They have two children, Caitlin and William and he also has a son Jonathan, from a relationship with former Random House publicist Irina Woelfle. Buckley and Gregg divorced in spring 2011, in 2012, Buckley married Dr. Katherine Katy Close. Christopher Buckley PBS interview by David Brancaccio, in Depth interview with Buckley, May 3,2009
5.
Aaron Eckhart
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Aaron Edward Eckhart is an American film and stage actor. Born in Cupertino, California, he moved to the UK at age 13, several years later, he began his acting career by performing in school plays, before moving to Sydney, Australia for his high school senior year. He left high school without graduating, but earned a diploma through an education course. For much of the mid-1990s, he lived in New York City as a struggling, as an undergraduate at BYU, Eckhart met director and writer Neil LaBute, who cast him in several of his own original plays. Five years later Eckhart made a debut as an unctuous, sociopathic ladies man in LaButes black comedy film In the Company of Men, under LaButes guidance he worked in the directors films Your Friends & Neighbors, Nurse Betty, and Possession. Another mainstream breakout occurred in 2008 when he starred in the blockbuster Batman film The Dark Knight as District Attorney Harvey Dent. Other key roles include The Pledge, The Core, Rabbit Hole Battle, Los Angeles, Olympus Has Fallen, Olympus sequel, London Has Fallen and Sully. Eckhart was born on March 12,1968 in Cupertino, California, the son of Mary Martha Eckhart, a writer, artist, and poet, and James Conrad Eckhart and he is the youngest of three brothers. His father is of German descent, while his mother is of English, Scottish, German and he was raised as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and served a two-year LDS mission in France and Switzerland. Eckharts family relocated to England in 1981, following his fathers job in information technology, the family resided in Ripley, Surrey, then moved onto Walton-on-Thames, later moving to Cobham. While living in England, Eckhart attended American Community School, known as ACS International Schools, in the autumn of his senior year Eckhart left school to take a job working at the Warringah Mall movie theater. He eventually earned his diploma through an education course. This also allowed Eckhart time to enjoy a year of surfing in Hawaii, in 1988, Eckhart returned to the United States and enrolled as a film major at Brigham Young University–Hawaii, but later transferred to Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. He graduated in 1994 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, while at Brigham Young University, Eckhart appeared in the Mormon-themed film Godly Sorrow, and the role marked Eckharts professional debut. At this time he met director/writer Neil LaBute, who cast him in several of his own original plays, after graduating from BYU, Eckhart moved to New York City, acquired an agent, and took various occasional jobs, including bartending, bus driving, and construction work. His first television roles were in commercials, in 1994 he appeared as an extra on the television drama series Beverly Hills,90210. Eckhart followed this part with roles in documentary re-enactments, made-for-television movies. In 1997 Eckhart was approached by Neil LaBute to star in an adaptation of LaButes stage play In the Company of Men
6.
Maria Bello
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Maria Elena Bello is an American actress and writer. She has appeared in the films Permanent Midnight, Payback, Coyote Ugly, The Cooler, A History of Violence, Thank You for Smoking, The Jane Austen Book Club, Bello is known for her role as Dr. Anna Del Amico on the NBC medical drama ER. She starred as Lucy Robbins on the Fox series Touch alongside Kiefer Sutherland in 2013, Bello was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania, to Kathy, a school nurse and teacher, and Joe Bello, a contractor. Her father is Italian American, with roots in Montella, Italy and she grew up in a working-class Roman Catholic family and graduated from Archbishop John Carroll High School in Radnor, Pennsylvania. She majored in science at Villanova University. Following graduation, Bello honed her skills in a number of New York theater productions. Bellos early TV appearances include episodes of The Commish, Due South, Nowhere Man, Misery Loves Company and ER. Her breakthrough came when she was cast as Mrs. Smith in the TV series spy show Mr. & Mrs. Smith, though the show was canceled after eight weeks. She then appeared in the three episodes of the third season of ER as pediatrician Dr. Anna Del Amico and was a regular cast member during the medical dramas fourth season. Bello moved on to films, landing a role in Coyote Ugly and she was nominated for the Golden Globe award twice, for Best Supporting Actress in The Cooler and for Best Actress in A History of Violence. She starred in The Jane Austen Book Club as Jocelyn, in 2008, Bello starred in The Mummy, Tomb of the Dragon Emperor as Evelyn OConnell. In December 2008, Bello began developing a drama for HBO, besides starring in the new series, Bello will also serve as an executive producer. She starred in the 2009 drama film The Yellow Handkerchief, which was released in theatres on February 26,2010 by Samuel Goldwyn Films, in 2010 Bello guest starred in two episodes of Law & Order, Special Victims Unit. The following year, she starred in the TV series Prime Suspect, Bello sits on the board of The CQ Matrix Company. In 2014, she starred alongside Frank Grillo in the James Wan-produced thriller Demonic, in the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Bello founded WE ADVANCE with Aleda Frishman, Alison Thompson and Barbara Guillaume. It is an organization that encourages Haitian women to collaborate in making healthcare a priority, currently the organization is based in a health clinic and a community outreach center in Cité Soleil. Bello is also a member of Darfur Women Action Group. Bello has a son with former boyfriend Dan McDermott, in November 2013, Bello wrote about having a same-sex relationship with her then-partner and then-friend, Clare Munn
7.
Cameron Bright
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Cameron Bright is a Canadian actor. He has appeared in the films Godsend, Birth, Running Scared, Ultraviolet, X-Men, The Last Stand, Thank You for Smoking, Bright was born in Victoria, British Columbia the son of Anne Bright and Jake Crigger. He was given his middle name Douglas after his maternal grandfather and his first acting job was in a commercial for Telus, which was soon followed by a guest appearance on the television series, Higher Ground. He subsequently appeared in minor roles in made-for-television films, and was credited as Cameron Crigger for his roles. After a supporting part in The Butterfly Effect, Brights first major role was in Godsend, a horror film co-starring Robert De Niro, in his next film, Birth, he played a ten-year-old boy who claims to be the reincarnation of a womans deceased husband. Two scenes within the movie sparked controversy and drew attention to Bright. In one scene, Bright and Kidmans characters kiss, in the other, Bright was cast in several Hollywood films released in 2006, including Thank You for Smoking, Ultraviolet, and the action-thriller named Running Scared. He starred in X-Men, The Last Stand, where he played the mutant Leech and he also appeared on an episode of The 4400 as a high school student named Graham Holt who develops an ability after injecting himself with Promicin. He has also played a host carrier for a cure for humanity in more than one movie, Bright plays the Volturi vampire Alec, twin brother to Jane who is played by Dakota Fanning, in the Twilight films New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn, Part II. Cameron Bright at the Internet Movie Database
8.
Adam Brody
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Adam Jared Brody is an American actor, writer, musician and producer. Brody was born in San Diego, to Valerie and Mark Brody and he has younger twin brothers, Sean and Matt. His parents, both Jewish, are originally from Detroit, Michigan, and Brody had a Bar Mitzvah ceremony, Brody attended Wangenheim Middle School and Scripps Ranch High School, receiving poor grades, and grew up in suburban San Diego, where he spent his time surfing. He has said that he pretty much lived at the beach, Brody attended community college for one year, dropped out at the age of nineteen, and moved to Hollywood in order to become an actor. He subsequently hired a coach and signed with a talent manager. After a year of training and auditioning, Brody landed the role of Barry Williams in the television film Growing Up Brady and he also appeared in the Canadian comedy series The Sausage Factory. In 2001, he played a role in American Pie 2. Brodys first major role in a series came in 2002. In 2003, he appeared in the feature film Grind, the same year, Brody was cast in his breakout role as Seth Cohen on the teen drama series The O. C. Brody is reported to have improvised some of the characters comedic dialogue. Brody was the first male on the cover of Elle Girl and his next film role was in the romantic comedy In the Land of Women, starring Meg Ryan and Kristen Stewart. Brody played a writer who returns to his mothers Michigan hometown in order to care of his sick grandmother. The O. C. ended its run in 2007 after four seasons. Brody had said that he was not unhappy with the cancellation. After the end of The O. C. s run, the same year, Brody appeared in supporting roles in the films Smiley Face and The Ten. In 2009, he co-starred with Josh Lucas in Boaz Yakins drama Death in Love, in 2010, he appeared in Kevin Smiths film Cop Out, which co-starred Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan, and then in The Romantics alongside Katie Holmes and Josh Duhamel. In July 2010, it was announced that Brody landed the role of Detective Hoss in Scream 4, in 2011, Brody voiced Woodie in the MTV animated series Good Vibes. The same year, Brody appeared in The Oranges alongside Leighton Meester and he then co-starred with Meester again in Life Partners. In 2015, he appeared in Sleeping with Other People, and began starring as Billy Jones in Direct TVs sitcom Billy, aside from acting, Brody is credited as a musician and writer, stating that he writes screenplays and songs during spare time
9.
Sam Elliott
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Samuel Pack Sam Elliott is an American actor. His lanky physique, thick horseshoe moustache, deep and resonant voice, Elliott was born in Sacramento, California, to a mother who was a physical training instructor and a father who worked for the Department of the Interior. He moved to Portland, Oregon with his family during his teenage years and he attended Clark College in Vancouver, Washington, where he completed a two-year program and was cast as one of the leads in Guys and Dolls. The local newspaper suggested that Elliott should be a professional actor, soon after, Elliott declared he was going to Hollywood to become a star. Elliott is a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity at California State University and he worked in construction while studying acting and served in the California Army National Guard. He also lived for a time in Princeton, West Virginia. He claims that he has heritage from the west, specifically the state of Texas. Elliott began his career as a actor, his appearance, voice. One of his first film roles was as a player in Butch Cassidy. He played Tom Keating in the mini-series Aspen in 1977 and he had the starring role as Rick Carlson in the summer hit sleeper Lifeguard. In 1979, he played the oldest brother in the made-for-TV miniseries The Sacketts and he later played a wife killer in the miniseries Murder in Texas and A Death in California. Elliotts breakthrough came with his role in Mask. In 1986, he starred in TV movie Gone to Texas, Elliott played Wade Garrett in Road House and Virgil Earp in Tombstone. In 1998, Elliot was named the grand marshal of the Calgary Stampede parade and rode in the procession before an estimated 300,000 spectators and he co-starred in We Were Soldiers, which is based on the book We Were Soldiers Once… And Young, portraying Sgt. He portrayed General John Buford in the 1993 film Gettysburg and he played General Thunderbolt Ross in the 2003 film Hulk. Elliott played The Stranger, a character narrating the story of The Big Lebowski, in 2005, he appeared in Thank You for Smoking, as a former Marlboro Man advertisement cowboy who has developed lung cancer. In 2007, Elliott joined the book adaptation Ghost Rider. In 2009, Elliott had a role in Up In The Air in which he portrayed the Chief Pilot of American Airlines
10.
Katie Holmes
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Kate Noelle Katie Holmes is an American actress, model, and filmmaker who first achieved fame for her role as Joey Potter on The WB television teen drama Dawsons Creek from 1998 to 2003. She appeared in 1998s Disturbing Behavior, a thriller, which won her an MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance, in 2000 Holmes featured in Wonder Boys which got positive attention from many leading critics. Holmes had a role in 2003s Pieces of April, a gritty comedy about a dysfunctional family on Thanksgiving. In the 2005 film Batman Begins, the most successful film of her career to date, she played Rachel Dawes, Gotham Citys assistant district attorney and Bruce Waynes childhood sweetheart. She also appeared in art films such as The Ice Storm, horror films such as Dont Be Afraid of the Dark. She has also played on Broadway in a production of Arthur Millers All My Sons and had numerous guest roles on programs such as How I Met Your Mother. In 2011, she starred as Jacqueline Kennedy in the The Kennedys miniseries and her marriage to actor Tom Cruise from 2006 to 2012 led to a great deal of media attention, with the pair being called a supercouple and given the nickname TomKat. Holmes was born in Toledo, Ohio and she is the youngest of five children born to Kathleen, a homemaker and philanthropist, and Martin Joseph Holmes, Sr. an attorney. She has three sisters and one brother, Holmes was baptized a Roman Catholic and attended Christ the King Church in Toledo. She graduated from the all-female Notre Dame Academy in Toledo, where she was a 4.0 student. At St. Johns Jesuit and St. Francis de Sales, nearby high schools, Holmes appeared in school musicals, playing a waitress in Hello, Dolly. She scored 1310 out of 1600 on her SAT and was accepted to Columbia University, at age 14, she began classes at a modeling school in Toledo which led her to the International Modeling and Talent Association Competition held in New York City in 1996. Eventually, Holmes was signed to an agent after performing a monologue from To Kill a Mockingbird, in January 1997, Holmes went to Los Angeles for pilot season, when producers cast and shoot new programs in the hopes of securing a spot on a network schedule. The Toledo Blade reported she was offered the lead in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I was doing my school play, Damn Yankees. I even got to wear the feather boa, I thought, There is no way Im not playing Lola to go audition for some network. I couldnt let my school down and we had already sold a lot of tickets. So I told Kevin and The WB, Im sorry, I just cant meet with you this week. The producers permitted her to audition on videotape, Holmes read for the part of Joey Potter, the tomboy best friend of the title character Dawson, on a videotape shot in her basement, her mother reading Dawsons lines
11.
David Koechner
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David Michael Koechner is an American actor, voice actor and comedian, best known for playing roles such as Champ Kind in the Anchorman films and Todd Packer on NBCs The Office. Koechner first became involved in performing when he began studying improvisational comedy in Chicago at ImprovOlympic, under the teachings of Del Close, the act became a hit at Hollywood clubs such as Largo, and Allen and Koechner were invited to open for Tenacious D. In 2007, Koechner and Allen created and starred together in a Naked Trucker & T-Bones Show sketch comedy series that ran for one season on Comedy Central, semi-Pro, The Goods, Live Hard, Sell Hard, and Extract. His first leading role, as Coach Lambeau Fields in Fox Atomics sports comedy. He also currently co-stars in the Comedy Central series Another Period, Koechner was born in Tipton, Missouri, to Margaret Ann and Cecil Stephen Koechner. He has two brothers, Mark and Joe, and three sisters, Mary-Rose, Cecilia and Joan and his father ran a business that manufactured turkey coops. He was raised Catholic, and is of German, English, Koechner studied Political Science at Benedictine College and the University of Missouri, before he eventually decided to pursue a career in improvisational comedy and moved to Chicago. After studying at Chicagos ImprovOlympic, under famed improvisation instructor Del Close, Koechner joined The Second City comedy troupe in Chicago, in 1995, Koechner landed a year-long stint on Whos Line is it Anyway, joining the show with Second City friends Nancy Walls and Adam McKay. During his time at SNL, he befriended guest-writer David Gruber Allen, some of Koechners recurring skits included Bill Brasky, the British Fops, Gary Macdonald, Will Ferrells Get Off the Shed sketches, and Gerald T-Bones Tibbons. Koechner impersonated several celebrities, including Burt Reynolds, Mike Ditka, Charlie Sheen, Robert Shapiro, Willard Scott, Oliver Stone, Phil Gramm, David Kaczynski, after his one-season on SNL, Koechner joined the 1996–97 sketch cast of Late Night with Conan OBrien. On the set of the 1999 country music mockumentary, Dill Scallion, Koechner struck a partnership with SNL friend David Gruber Allen, joining Allens improvisational comedy act, The Naked Trucker Show. Koechner joined the act as Gerald T-Bones Tibbons, a character he had playing on comedy stages for a few years. Gerald Tibbons dates back to 1995, when he filmed a television pilot based on the characters misadventures. The Naked Trucker and T-Bones Show toured with fellow comedic musical duo, in 2004, Koechner landed his largest film role up to that point, as sports reporter Champ Kind in Anchorman, The Legend of Ron Burgundy. As part of the Anchorman ensemble, Koechner shared two MTV Movie Award nominations for Best On-Screen Team and Best Musical Performance, mTVs initial press release accidentally listed Fred Armisen instead of David Koechner, but eventually corrected the error on their website, crediting Koechner during the broadcast. Following this role, he landed small and supporting roles in films such The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Talladega Nights, The Dukes of Hazzard. In 2006, he made his acting debut in Barnyard as Dag. That same year, he had a role as a gun lobbyist in the critically acclaimed satire
12.
Rob Lowe
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Robert Hepler Lowe is an American actor. He came to prominence in the 1980s, playing teen and young adult roles in such as The Outsiders, Oxford Blues, St. Elmos Fire. However, he continued acting in less prominent film roles, and went on to roles in television series such as The West Wing, Brothers & Sisters. Lowe was born in Charlottesville, Virginia, the son of Barbara Lynn, a schoolteacher and native of Ohio, and Charles Davis Lowe and his parents divorced when Lowe and his younger brother, actor Chad, were very young. As a result of a virus during infancy, he is deaf in his right ear, Lowe was baptized into the Episcopal church. He is of German, English, Irish, Scottish, on the show Who Do You Think You Are. Lowe found out one of his ancestors, Christopher East, was a Hessian soldier. His ancestor was fighting under the command of Colonel Johann Gottlieb Rall and was captured at the American Victory at Trenton, as an American POW, his ancestor was given a choice, and took the option to stay in the US. Lowe was raised in a traditional setting in Dayton, Ohio, attending Oakwood Junior High School, before moving to the Point Dume area of Malibu, California. Lowe attended Santa Monica High School, as did fellow actors Emilio Estevez, Charlie Sheen, Robert Downey, Jr. Sean Penn and his breakthrough role was his big screen debut in 1983, when he and Emilio Estevez were cast in Francis Ford Coppolas The Outsiders. Lowe played the role of Sodapop Curtis, the brother of the main character Ponyboy Curtis, Lowe and Estevez reunited in St. Elmos Fire, making them the two more prominent actors from the group known as the Brat Pack. He then received his second Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the mentally disabled Rory in Square Dance, in August,1987 he performed on stage, playing Baron Tusenbach in Chekovs The Three Sisters at The Williamstown Theatre Festival. Lowe is well known for playing Sam Seaborn in the television series The West Wing from 1999 to 2003 and his performance in the show garnered Lowe a Primetime Emmy Award nomination and two Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Actor in a Drama Series. Lowe was drawn to the role because of his love of politics, and his longstanding personal relationship with Martin Sheen. When the show premiered, Seaborn was considered the lead, Lowe and series creator Aaron Sorkin soon found themselves at odds over the networks meddling with the show, most notably the network demanding changes in the Sam Seaborn character. Eventually, Lowe left the series, not long before Sorkin, during the final season of The West Wing, Lowe returned to his role of Sam Seaborn, appearing in two of the final four episodes. In 2011, Lowe appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and stated that he left the show because he did not feel he was being respected, after leaving the show, Lowe was the star and executive producer of a failed NBC drama, The Lyons Den. In 2004, he tried again in a series entitled Dr. Vegas, in 2005, he starred as Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee in a London West End production of Sorkins play A Few Good Men, the first time the two had worked together since The West Wing
13.
William H. Macy
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William Hall Macy, Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter, teacher and theater director. His film career has been mostly on his appearances in small, independent films. Macy has described himself as sort of a Middle American, WASPy, Macy has won two Emmy Awards and three Screen Actors Guild Awards, as well as being nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Since 2011, he has played Frank Gallagher, a character in the Showtime television series Shameless. Macy and actress Felicity Huffman have been married since 1997, Macy was born in Miami, Florida, and grew up in Georgia and Maryland. His father, William Hall Macy, Sr and his mother, Lois, was a war widow who met Macys father after her first husband died in 1943, Macy has described her as a Southern belle. Macy graduated from Allegany High School in Cumberland, Maryland in 1968, at Goddard, he first met playwright David Mamet. After graduating from Goddard in 1971, Macy moved to Chicago, Illinois, working as a bartender to pay the rent. Within a year, he and David Mamet, among others, founded St. Nicholas Theater Company, while in Chicago in his twenties, he did a TV commercial. He was required to join AFTRA in order to do the commercial, and received his SAG card within a year, Macy spent time in Los Angeles, before moving to New York City in 1980, where he had roles in over 50 Off Broadway and Broadway plays. One of his early roles was as a turtle named Socrates in the direct-to-video film The Boy Who Loved Trolls. He also had a role as a hospital orderly on the sitcom Kate & Allie in the fourth-season episode General Hospital. He has appeared in films that Mamet wrote and/or directed, such as House of Games, Things Change, Homicide, Oleanna, Wag the Dog, State and Main. Macy may be best known for his role in Fargo. The role helped boost his career and recognizability, though at the expense of nearly confining him to a narrow typecast of a man down on his luck. In 2003, he won a Peabody Award and two Emmy Awards, one for starring in the role, and one as co-writer. Door to Door is a based on the true story of Bill Porter. His work on ER and Sports Night has also recognized with Emmy nominations
14.
J. K. Simmons
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Jonathan Kimble J. K. Simmons is an American actor and voice actor. In television, he is known for playing Dr. Emil Skoda on the NBC series Law & Order, neo-Nazi Vernon Schillinger on the HBO prison-drama Oz and his film roles include J. Jonah Jameson in Sam Raimis Spider-Man trilogy and music instructor Terence Fletcher in 2014s Whiplash. He is also known for voicing Cave Johnson in the video game Portal 2, Tenzin in The Legend of Korra, Stanford Pines in Gravity Falls, Kai in Kung Fu Panda 3, and Mayor Lionheart in Zootopia. Simmons also reprised his role as J. Jonah Jameson in various Marvel animated series and he has also appeared in a series of television commercials for Farmers Insurance. Jonathan Kimble Simmons was born on January 9,1955 in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, the son of Patricia, an administrator, and Donald William Simmons, in 1965, when he was 10 years old, his family moved to Worthington, Ohio. In 1973, when he was 18, they moved to Missoula, Montana, the younger Simmons graduated from the University of Montana in 1978 with a music degree. During his tenure, he was part of the music-oriented fraternity Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. Later, Simmons moved to Seattle and became a member of the Seattle Repertory Theatre, on Broadway, Simmons played Benny Southstreet in the 1992 revival of Guys and Dolls. In 1994 he sang roles in the Wagner opera satire. He also played the role of Jigger in a revival of Carousel with the Houston Grand Opera and he also stars as Ralph Earnhardt, the father of race-car driver Dale Earnhardt, in 3, The Dale Earnhardt Story. He plays Will Pope, Assistant Chief of the LAPD, in the series The Closer. In an interesting precursor to his joining the Law & Order cast as Skoda, Simmons appeared in Homicide, Life on the Street, portraying a criminal in a Law & Order cross-over episode. Other roles include that of a general in the television sitcom Arrested Development. He played B. R. in the film Thank You for Smoking and has been praised for his performance in Juno as Mac McGuff, in all three of Sam Raimis Spider-Man films, Simmons played J. Jonah Jameson, editor-in-chief of the newspaper Daily Bugle. In 2008, he played a CIA superior in Burn After Reading and he also appeared in I Love You, Man. Simmons starred in films produced or directed by his friend Jason Reitman, including Thank You for Smoking, Juno, Up in the Air. In 2013, he had a role as Mr. Jervis in Reitmans film Labor Day. He voices Tenzin, an Airbending master and the son of Aang and Katara and he starred as blind lawyer Mel Fisher in Growing Up Fisher
15.
Robert Duvall
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Robert Selden Duvall is an American actor and filmmaker. He has been nominated for seven Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes, and has multiple nominations and one win each of the BAFTA, Screen Actors Guild Award and he received the National Medal of Arts in 2005. Duvall began appearing in theatre during the late 1950s, moving into television and film roles during the early 1960s, playing Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird and appearing in Captain Newman and this was followed by a series of critically lauded performances in commercially successful films. Duvall was born January 5,1931, in San Diego, California, the son of Mildred Virginia, an actress, and William Howard Duvall. He has English, and smaller amounts of Belgian, French Huguenot, German, Scottish, Swiss-German, and Welsh ancestry. His mother was a relative of American Civil War General Robert E. Lee, Duvall was raised in the Christian Science religion and has stated that, while it is his belief, he does not attend church. He grew up primarily in Annapolis, Maryland, site of the United States Naval Academy and he recalled, I was a Navy brat. My father started at the Academy when he was 16, made captain at 39 and he attended Severn School in Severna Park, Maryland, and The Principia in St. Louis, Missouri. He graduated, in 1953, from Principia College in Elsah, Duvall served in the United States Army for a brief period shortly after the Korean War leaving the Army as private first class. Thats led to confusion in the press, he explained in 1984. Hell, I barely qualified with the M-1 rifle in basic training, while stationed at Camp Gordon in Georgia, Duvall acted in an amateur production of the comedy Room Service in nearby Augusta, Georgia. In the winter of 1955, Duvall began studies at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City, under Sanford Meisner and he was there for two years. Dustin Hoffman, Gene Hackman, and James Caan were among his classmates and he was there in 1957 attending Meisners classes. While studying acting, he worked as a Manhattan post office clerk, Duvall remains friends today with fellow California-born actors Hoffman and Hackman, who he knew during their years as struggling actors. In 1955, Duvall roomed with Hoffman in a New York City apartment while they were studying together at the Playhouse. Around this time, he roomed with Hackman, while working odd jobs such as clerking at Macys, sorting mail at the post office. The three roommates have since earned, among themselves,19 Academy Award nominations, with five wins, Duvall began his professional acting career with the Gateway Playhouse, an Equity summer theatre based in Bellport, Long Island, New York. Arguably his stage debut was in its 1952 season when he played the Pilot in Laughter In The Stars, after a years absence when he was with the U. S
16.
Fox Searchlight Pictures
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Slumdog Millionaire is also Searchlights largest commercial success, with over $377 million of box office receipts, against a production budget of only $15 million. The most notable of the releases under these banners include Bill Cosby, Himself, Eating Raoul, The Gods Must Be Crazy, Reuben, Reuben, and Ziggy Stardust, in 2006, a sub-label, Fox Atomic, was created to produce and/or distribute genre films. Fox Atomic closed down in 2009, the Fox Searchlight Pictures logo is quite similar to the regular 20th Century-Fox logo, with even Alfred Newmans fanfare music accompanying it. The animation was used for Fox Videos third logo
17.
2005 Toronto International Film Festival
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The 30th Toronto International Film Festival ran from September 8–17 and screened 335 films from 52 countries -109 of these films were world premieres, and 78 were North American premieres. At the Festivals closing event, the prizes were awarded, The Peoples Choice Award. The Discovery Award, presented to Sarah Watts Look Both Ways, the Fipresci Prize, presented to South Korean director Kang Yi-kwan for Sa-kwa. A tie for the Citytv Award for Best Canadian First Feature, presented to Louise Archambaults Familia and Michael Mabbotts The Life, the Toronto – City Award for Best Canadian Feature Film, presented to C. R. A. Z. Y. The Bravo. FACT Short Cuts Canada Award, presented to Renuka Jeyapalans Big Girl, because the vote for the Peoples Choice Award was so close, at the awards ceremony Piers Handling announced four runners-up. However, in the subsequent reporting there was confusion about the order of the runners-up
18.
Satirical
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Although satire is usually meant to be humorous, its greater purpose is often constructive social criticism, using wit to draw attention to both particular and wider issues in society. This militant irony or sarcasm often professes to approve of the things the satirist wishes to attack. Satire is nowadays found in artistic forms of expression, including literature, plays, commentary, television shows. The word satire comes from the Latin word satur and the subsequent phrase lanx satura, satur meant full but the juxtaposition with lanx shifted the meaning to miscellany or medley, the expression lanx satura literally means a full dish of various kinds of fruits. The word satura as used by Quintilian, however, was used to denote only Roman verse satire, a genre that imposed hexameter form. Quintilian famously said that satura, that is a satire in hexameter verses, was a genre of wholly Roman origin. He was aware of and commented on Greek satire, but at the time did not label it as such, the first critic to use the term satire in the modern broader sense was Apuleius. To Quintilian, the satire was a literary form. The odd result is that the English “satire” comes from the Latin satura, by about the 4th century AD the writer of satires came to be known as satyricus, St. Jerome, for example, was called by one of his enemies a satirist in prose. Subsequent orthographic modifications obscured the Latin origin of the satire, satura becomes satyra. The word satire derives from satura, and its origin was not influenced by the Greek mythological figure of the satyr, in the 17th century, philologist Isaac Casaubon was the first to dispute the etymology of satire from satyr, contrary to the belief up to that time. Laughter is not a component of satire, in fact there are types of satire that are not meant to be funny at all. Conversely, not all humour, even on such topics as politics, religion or art is necessarily satirical, even when it uses the tools of irony, parody. Even light-hearted satire has a serious after-taste, the organizers of the Ig Nobel Prize describe this as first make people laugh, Satire and irony in some cases have been regarded as the most effective source to understand a society, the oldest form of social study. They provide the keenest insights into a groups collective psyche, reveal its deepest values and tastes, some authors have regarded satire as superior to non-comic and non-artistic disciplines like history or anthropology. In a prominent example from ancient Greece, philosopher Plato, when asked by a friend for a book to understand Athenian society, historically, satire has satisfied the popular need to debunk and ridicule the leading figures in politics, economy, religion and other prominent realms of power. Satire confronts public discourse and the imaginary, playing as a public opinion counterweight to power, by challenging leaders. For instance, it forces administrations to clarify, amend or establish their policies, Satires job is to expose problems and contradictions, and its not obligated to solve them
19.
Lobbying
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Lobbying is the act of attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of officials in their daily life, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by many types of people, associations and organized groups, including individuals in the sector, corporations, fellow legislators or government officials. Lobbyists may be among a legislators constituencies, meaning a voter or bloc of voters within their district, or not, they may engage in lobbying as a business. Professional lobbyists are people whose business is trying to influence legislation, regulation, or other government decisions, actions, individuals and nonprofit organizations can also lobby as an act of volunteering or as a small part of their normal job. Governments often define and regulate organized group lobbying that has become influential, the ethics and morality of lobbying are dual-edged. Lobbying is often spoken of with contempt, when the implication is that people with inordinate socioeconomic power are corrupting the law in order to serve their own interests. The failure of government officials to serve the public interest as a consequence of lobbying by special interests who provide benefits to the official is an example of agent misdirection. One story held that the term originated at the Willard Hotel in Washington, DC, a lobbyist is a person who tries to influence legislation on behalf of a special interest or a member of a lobby. Governments often define and regulate organized group lobbying as part of laws to prevent political corruption, Lobby groups may concentrate their efforts on the legislatures, where laws are created, but may also use the judicial branch to advance their causes. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, for example, filed suits in state and their efforts resulted in the Supreme Court declaring such laws unconstitutional. They may use a device known as amicus curiae, literally friend of the court. Briefs are written documents filed with a court, typically by parties to a lawsuit, amici curiae briefs are briefs filed by people or groups who are not parties to a suit. These briefs are entered into the records, and give additional background on the matter being decided upon. Advocacy groups use these briefs both to share their expertise and to promote their positions, over the past twenty years lobbying in Australia has grown from a small industry of a few hundred employees to a multibillion-dollar per year industry. Lobbying has become a fact of life and is now endemic in local, state. It is not just the local councillors and state and federal politicians being lobbied, in Australia, lobbyists are expected to organise a pass to obtain access to the federal parliament. The Parliamentary Pass must be signed by two parliamentarians and it is administered by the Department of Parliamentary Services and has the enforcement of the Criminal Code Act 1995. The Pass is valid for two years, however, the Parliamentary Pass is not absolutely necessary, as some lobbyists are simply signed in on the day of their visit as guests of Senators or Members
20.
Tobacco politics
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Tobacco politics refers to the politics surrounding the use and distribution of tobacco. Tobacco has been taxed by state governments in the United States for decades, the cumulative revenue of US tobacco taxation exceeded $32 billion in 2010, creating a major source of income for government. In 2010, the industry spent $16.6 million on lobbyists to represent the industry to Congress. Major big tobacco lobbying companies include Philip Morris, R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, the tobacco lobby lost a chunk of its support when the U. S. National Association of Attorneys General filed charges against the Tobacco Institute, a tobacco industry advocacy group. This resulted in the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement, which forced the organization to disband, the lawsuits brought against various tobacco manufacturers, attempting to hold them responsible for wrongful death, injury, or medical expenses related to cigarette smoking and other tobacco use. Cases have been brought both by individual plaintiffs and by government officials, including U. S. State Attorney General, punitive damages for the plaintiff have often been awarded as a result of a successful litigation. However, the vast majority of court decisions have been in favor of the defendant tobacco companies, there has been an increased number of deaths related to tobacco smoking in the past decades. People are more aware of the risks and dangers that can be associated with tobacco smoking, people have died as a result of lung cancer from tobacco smoking and were often unable to prove that it was the cigarettes of the tobacco manufacturer that caused the persons death. Tobacco litigation is not new but has involved thousands of people in class-actions as well as individual private lawsuits since the mid-20th Century, there was an explosion of tobacco litigations in the mid 1990s, worldwide, but in the United States in particular. The first major study that showed the causal link between smoking and lung cancer was published in a study done by Sir Richard Doll in 1950,1992, In Cipollone v. Liggett Group, Inc. June 2002, A District Court in Kansas awarded $15 million in damages against R. J. Reynolds Tobacco after calling the companys conduct highly blameworthy and deserving of significant punishment, june 2002, A Miami jury held three cigarette companies liable for $37.5 million in a lawsuit involving an ex–smoker who lost his tongue to tobacco–related oral cancer. October 2002, A Los Angeles jury issued $28 billion in damages against Philip Morris. This was later reduced to $28 million,2003, A Madison Country, Illinois jury awarded $10.1 billion against the tobacco company Philips Morris for deceptive cigarette advertising in a class action led by attorney Stephen Tillery. 2004, A New York jury issued $20 million to the wife of a long-term smoker who died of cancer at the age of 57. This was the first time that a New York court had held a tobacco company liable for an individual smokers death, the appeals court ultimately upheld their original damages. 2008, The Altria Group v. Good US Supreme Court case said that law is not preempted by a federal law regarding cigarette advertisement regulations. Civil Rights Tobacco companies have marketed menthol cigarettes specific to African Americans, design defects The design of tobacco products defectively causes adverse health effects
21.
Tobacco smoking
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Tobacco smoking is the practice of burning tobacco and inhaling the smoke. The practice was believed to begin as early as 5000–3000 BC, Tobacco was introduced to Eurasia in the late 17th century where it followed common trade routes. In 1950, British researchers demonstrated a relationship between smoking and cancer. Evidence continued to mount in the 1980s, which prompted political action against the practice, rates of consumption since 1965 in the developed world have either peaked or declined. However, they continue to climb in the developing world, Smoking is the most common method of consuming tobacco, and tobacco is the most common substance smoked. The agricultural product is mixed with additives and then combusted. The resulting smoke is inhaled and the active substances absorbed through the alveoli in the lungs. Combustion was traditionally enhanced by addition of potassium or other nitrates, many substances in cigarette smoke trigger chemical reactions in nerve endings, which heighten heart rate, alertness, and reaction time, among other things. Dopamine and endorphins are released, which are associated with pleasure. As of 2008 to 2010, tobacco is used by about 49% of men and 11% of women aged 15 or older in 14 low-income and middle-income countries, the gender gap tends to be less pronounced in lower age groups. Many smokers begin during adolescence or early adulthood, after an individual has smoked for some years, the avoidance of withdrawal symptoms and negative reinforcement become the key motivations to continue. In a study conducted by Jennifer OLoughlin and colleagues, first smoking experiences of students were studied. They found out that the most common factor leading students to smoke is cigarette advertisements, Smoking by parents, siblings and friends also encourage students to smoke. The practice worked its way into shamanistic rituals, many ancient civilizations — such as the Babylonians, the Indians, and the Chinese — burnt incense during religious rituals. Smoking in the Americas probably had its origins in the ceremonies of shamans but was later adopted for pleasure or as a social tool. The smoking of tobacco and various hallucinogenic drugs was used to achieve trances, adults as well as children enjoyed the practice. It was believed that tobacco was a gift from the Creator, apart from smoking, tobacco had a number of uses as medicine. As a pain killer it was used for earache and toothache, in 1612, six years after the settlement of Jamestown, John Rolfe was credited as the first settler to successfully raise tobacco as a cash crop
22.
Product placement
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Product placement stands out as a marketing strategy because it is the most direct attempt to derive commercial benefit from the context and environment within which the product is displayed or used. The technique can be beneficial for viewers, since interruptive advertising removes them from the entertainment, in April 2006, Broadcasting & Cable reported, Two thirds of advertisers employ branded entertainment—product placement, brand integration—with the vast majority of that in commercial TV programming. It said, Reasons for using in-show plugs varied from stronger emotional connection to better dovetailing with relevant content, a major growth driver is the increasing use of digital video recorders, which enable viewers to skip advertisements that interrupt a show. Product placement began in the nineteenth century, by the time Jules Verne published the adventure novel Around the World in Eighty Days, his fame had led transport and shipping companies to lobby to be mentioned in the story. Whether Verne was actually paid to do so, however, remains unknown, similarly, a painting by Eduoard Manet shows bar at Folies Bergere with distinctive bottles placed at either end of the counter. The beer bottle is immediately recognisable as Bass beer and this led to cinema becoming one of the earliest channels used for product placement. For example, the German magazine Die Woche in 1902 printed an article about a countess in her castle where she, in one of the photographs, held a copy of Die Woche in her hands. Product placement was a feature of many of the earliest actualities. During the next four decades, Harrisons Reports frequently cited cases of on-screen brand-name products and he condemned the practice as harmful to movie theaters. Publisher P. S. Harrison’s editorials reflected his hostility towards product placement in films, an editorial in Harrison’s Reports criticized the collaboration between the Corona Typewriter company and First National Pictures when a Corona typewriter appeared in the film The Lost World. Harrisons Reports criticized several incidents of Corona typewriters appearing in mid-1920s films, recognizable brand names appeared in movies from cinemas earliest history. In the first decade or so of film audiences attended films as fairground attractions interesting for their visual effects. This format was suited to product placement than narrative cinema. Gurevitch argued that early cinematic attractions have more in common with television advertisements in the 1950s than they do with traditional films, segrave detailed the industries that advertised in these early films. In the 1920s, Harrisons Reports published its first denunciation of that practice over Red Crown gasoline appearance in The Garage, a feature film that has expectations of reaching millions of viewers attracts marketers. In many cases no payment is made for product exposure and no promise of marketing support is made when consumer brands appear in movies. Film productions need props for scenes, so each movie’s property master, in addition to items for on-screen use, the product/service supplier might provide a production with large quantities of complementary products or services. Tapping product placement channels can be valuable for movies when a vintage product is required—such as a sign or bottle—that is not readily available
23.
Los Angeles
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Los Angeles, officially the City of Los Angeles and often known by its initials L. A. is the cultural, financial, and commercial center of Southern California. With a census-estimated 2015 population of 3,971,883, it is the second-most populous city in the United States, Los Angeles is also the seat of Los Angeles County, the most populated county in the United States. The citys inhabitants are referred to as Angelenos, historically home to the Chumash and Tongva, Los Angeles was claimed by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo for Spain in 1542 along with the rest of what would become Alta California. The city was founded on September 4,1781, by Spanish governor Felipe de Neve. It became a part of Mexico in 1821 following the Mexican War of Independence, in 1848, at the end of the Mexican–American War, Los Angeles and the rest of California were purchased as part of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, thereby becoming part of the United States. Los Angeles was incorporated as a municipality on April 4,1850, the discovery of oil in the 1890s brought rapid growth to the city. The completion of the Los Angeles Aqueduct in 1913, delivering water from Eastern California, nicknamed the City of Angels, Los Angeles is known for its Mediterranean climate, ethnic diversity, and sprawling metropolis. Los Angeles also has an economy in culture, media, fashion, science, sports, technology, education, medicine. A global city, it has been ranked 6th in the Global Cities Index, the city is home to renowned institutions covering a broad range of professional and cultural fields, and is one of the most substantial economic engines within the United States. The Los Angeles combined statistical area has a gross metropolitan product of $831 billion, making it the third-largest in the world, after the Greater Tokyo and New York metropolitan areas. The city has hosted the Summer Olympic Games in 1932 and 1984 and is bidding to host the 2024 Summer Olympics and thus become the second city after London to have hosted the Games three times. The Los Angeles area also hosted the 1994 FIFA mens World Cup final match as well as the 1999 FIFA womens World Cup final match, the mens event was watched on television by over 700 million people worldwide. The Los Angeles coastal area was first settled by the Tongva, a Gabrielino settlement in the area was called iyáangẚ, meaning poison oak place. Gaspar de Portolà and Franciscan missionary Juan Crespí, reached the present site of Los Angeles on August 2,1769, in 1771, Franciscan friar Junípero Serra directed the building of the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, the first mission in the area. The Queen of the Angels is an honorific of the Virgin Mary, two-thirds of the settlers were mestizo or mulatto with a mixture of African, indigenous and European ancestry. The settlement remained a small town for decades, but by 1820. Today, the pueblo is commemorated in the district of Los Angeles Pueblo Plaza and Olvera Street. New Spain achieved its independence from the Spanish Empire in 1821, during Mexican rule, Governor Pío Pico made Los Angeles Alta Californias regional capital
24.
Skull and crossbones (symbol)
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A skull and crossbones is a symbol consisting of a human skull and two long bones crossed together under the skull. The design originates in the Late Middle Ages as a symbol of death, in modern contexts, it is generally used as a hazard symbol that warns of danger, usually in regard to poisonous substances, such as deadly chemicals. Unicode uses U+2620 ☠ SKULL AND CROSSBONES for the symbol, the symbol originates with the medieval Danse Macabre symbolism. By the 15th century, the symbol had developed into its familiar form and it came to be used specifically to mark the entrances of Spanish cemeteries, and has been used to mark poison and other dangerous liquids and powders since the 19th century. The skull and bones are used in military insignia, e. g. in coats of arms of some military regiments. In 1829, New York State required the labeling of all containers of poisonous substances, the skull and crossbones symbol appears to have been used for that purpose since the 1850s. Previously a variety of motifs had been used, including the Danish + + +, for this reason, in the United States there has been a proposal to replace the skull and crossbones by the Mr. Yuk symbol. This means that the name and graphic image cannot be used without a license from the owner—unlike the Skull and crossbones, ossuary Danse Macabre Hazard symbol Human skull symbolism Jolly Roger Mr. Yuk Totenkopf
25.
United States Senate
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The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress which, along with the House of Representatives, the lower chamber, composes the legislature of the United States. The composition and powers of the Senate are established by Article One of the United States Constitution. S. From 1789 until 1913, Senators were appointed by the legislatures of the states represented, following the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913. The Senate chamber is located in the wing of the Capitol, in Washington. It further has the responsibility of conducting trials of those impeached by the House, in the early 20th century, the practice of majority and minority parties electing their floor leaders began, although they are not constitutional officers. This idea of having one chamber represent people equally, while the other gives equal representation to states regardless of population, was known as the Connecticut Compromise, there was also a desire to have two Houses that could act as an internal check on each other. One was intended to be a Peoples House directly elected by the people, the other was intended to represent the states to such extent as they retained their sovereignty except for the powers expressly delegated to the national government. The Senate was thus not designed to serve the people of the United States equally, the Constitution provides that the approval of both chambers is necessary for the passage of legislation. First convened in 1789, the Senate of the United States was formed on the example of the ancient Roman Senate, the name is derived from the senatus, Latin for council of elders. James Madison made the comment about the Senate, In England, at this day, if elections were open to all classes of people. An agrarian law would take place. If these observations be just, our government ought to secure the permanent interests of the country against innovation, landholders ought to have a share in the government, to support these invaluable interests, and to balance and check the other. They ought to be so constituted as to protect the minority of the opulent against the majority, the senate, therefore, ought to be this body, and to answer these purposes, the people ought to have permanency and stability. The Constitution stipulates that no constitutional amendment may be created to deprive a state of its equal suffrage in the Senate without that states consent, the District of Columbia and all other territories are not entitled to representation in either House of the Congress. The District of Columbia elects two senators, but they are officials of the D. C. city government. The United States has had 50 states since 1959, thus the Senate has had 100 senators since 1959. In 1787, Virginia had roughly ten times the population of Rhode Island, whereas today California has roughly 70 times the population of Wyoming and this means some citizens are effectively two orders of magnitude better represented in the Senate than those in other states. Seats in the House of Representatives are approximately proportionate to the population of each state, before the adoption of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913, Senators were elected by the individual state legislatures
26.
Nicotine patch
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A nicotine patch is a transdermal patch that releases nicotine into the body through the skin. It is used as an aid in nicotine replacement therapy, a process for smoking cessation, dozens of clinical trials have shown that the patch approximately doubles success rates over placebo treatment. Placebo tests show a 5. 9% success rate, in comparison to the 7. 2% blind active tests, analysis of nicotine patches has shown that they contain tobacco-specific nitrosamines, known cancer-causing agents, in quantities of up to 173 mg per patch. Frank Etscorn Ph. D. filed a patent in the United States on January the 23rd 1985 and was issued the patent on July 1,1986. The University of California filed a patent application nearly 3 years after Etscorns filing on February the 19th,1988. Nicotine patches are under study to relieve the symptoms of post-surgical pain. Studies are being conducted about the use of nicotine patches to treat anxiety, depression. Transdermal nicotine patches can be used to relieve ulcerative colitis symptoms, however, this is not the case with Crohns disease, a similar health condition, where smoking and nicotine intake in general worsen the diseases effects. Smoking cessation Nicotine replacement therapy Nicotine lozenge Nicotine gum Transdermal patch
27.
Vermont
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Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It borders the other U. S. states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the north. Lake Champlain forms half of Vermonts western border with the state of New York, Vermont is the 2nd-least populous of the U. S. states, with nearly 50,000 more residents than Wyoming. The capital is Montpelier, the least populous state capital in the U. S, the most populous municipality, Burlington, is the least populous city in the U. S. to be the most populous within a state. As of 2015, Vermont continued to be the producer of maple syrup in the U. S. It was ranked as the safest state in the country in January 2016, for thousands of years inhabited by indigenous peoples, including the Algonquian-speaking Abenaki and Mohawk, much of the territory that is now Vermont was claimed by Frances colony of New France. France ceded the territory to Great Britain after being defeated in 1763 in the Seven Years War, for many years, the nearby colonies, especially the provinces of New Hampshire and New York, disputed control of the area. Settlers who held land titles granted by New York were opposed by the Green Mountain Boys militia, ultimately, those settlers prevailed in creating an independent state, the Vermont Republic. Founded in 1777 during the American Revolutionary War, the republic lasted for 14 years, aside from the original 13 states that were formerly colonies, Vermont is one of only four U. S. states that were previously sovereign states. Vermont was also the first state to join the U. S. as its 14th member state after the original 13, while still an independent republic, Vermont was the first of any future U. S. state to partially abolish slavery. It played an important geographic role in the Underground Railroad, sights in Vermont Vermont is located in the New England region of the northeastern United States and comprises 9,614 square miles, making it the 45th-largest state. It is the state that does not have any buildings taller than 124 feet. Land comprises 9,250 square miles and water comprises 365 square miles, making it the 43rd-largest in land area, in total area, it is larger than El Salvador and smaller than Haiti. The west bank of the Connecticut River marks the eastern border with New Hampshire. 41% of Vermonts land area is part of the Connecticut Rivers watershed, Lake Champlain, the major lake in Vermont, is the sixth-largest body of fresh water in the United States and separates Vermont from New York in the northwest portion of the state. From north to south, Vermont is 159 miles long and its greatest width, from east to west, is 89 miles at the Canada–U. S. Border, the narrowest width is 37 miles at the Massachusetts line, the states geographic center is approximately three miles east of Roxbury, in Washington County. There are fifteen U. S. federal border crossings between Vermont and Canada, the origin of the name Vermont is uncertain, but likely comes from the French les Verts Monts, meaning the Green Mountains
28.
Cholesterol
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Cholesterol, from the Ancient Greek chole- and stereos followed by the chemical suffix -ol for an alcohol, is an organic molecule. Cholesterol enables animal cells to dispense with a wall, thereby allowing animal cells to change shape rapidly. In addition to its importance for cell structure, cholesterol also serves as a precursor for the biosynthesis of steroid hormones, bile acid. Cholesterol is the principal sterol synthesized by all animals, in vertebrates, hepatic cells typically produce the greatest amounts. It is absent among prokaryotes, although there are exceptions, such as Mycoplasma. François Poulletier de la Salle first identified cholesterol in solid form in gallstones in 1769, however, it was not until 1815 that chemist Michel Eugène Chevreul named the compound cholesterine. Furthermore, it can be absorbed directly from animal-based foods, a human male weighing 68 kg normally synthesizes about 1 gram per day, and his body contains about 35 g, mostly contained within the cell membranes. Typical daily cholesterol dietary intake for a man in the United States is 307 mg, most ingested cholesterol is esterified, and esterified cholesterol is poorly absorbed. The body also compensates for any absorption of cholesterol by reducing cholesterol synthesis. For these reasons, cholesterol in food, seven to ten hours after ingestion, has little and it is also important to recognize, however, that the concentrations measured in the samples of blood plasma vary with the measurement methods used. Cholesterol is recycled in the body, the liver excretes it in a non-esterified form into the digestive tract. Typically, about 50% of the excreted cholesterol is reabsorbed by the small intestine back into the bloodstream, plants make cholesterol in very small amounts. Plants manufacture phytosterols, which can compete with cholesterol for reabsorption in the intestinal tract, when intestinal lining cells absorb phytosterols, in place of cholesterol, they usually excrete the phytosterol molecules back into the GI tract, an important protective mechanism. Cholesterol, given that it composes about 30% of all cell membranes, is required to build. The membrane remains stable and durable without being rigid, allowing cells to change shape. In this structural role, cholesterol also reduces the permeability of the membrane to neutral solutes, hydrogen ions. Within the cell membrane, cholesterol also functions in intracellular transport, cell signaling, cholesterol is essential for the structure and function of invaginated caveolae and clathrin-coated pits, including caveola-dependent and clathrin-dependent endocytosis. The role of cholesterol in endocytosis of these types can be investigated by using methyl beta cyclodextrin to remove cholesterol from the plasma membrane, in multiple layers, cholesterol and phospholipids, both electrical insulators, can facilitate speed of transmission of electrical impulses along nerve tissue
29.
Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement
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The Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement was entered in November 1998, originally between the four largest United States tobacco companies and the attorneys general of 46 states. The money also funds a new anti-smoking advocacy group, called the American Legacy Foundation, the settlement also dissolved the tobacco industry groups Tobacco Institute, the Center for Indoor Air Research, and the Council for Tobacco Research. In the MSA, the original participating manufacturers agreed to pay a minimum of $206 billion over the first 25 years of the agreement, in September 1950, an article was published in the British Medical Journal linking smoking to lung cancer and heart disease. In 1954 the British Doctors Study confirmed the suggestion, based on which the government issued advice that smoking and lung cancer rates were related, in 1964 the United States Surgeon Generals Report on Smoking and Health likewise began suggesting the relationship between smoking and cancer. By the mid-1950s, individuals in the United States began to sue the responsible for manufacturing and marketing cigarettes for damages related to the effects of smoking. In the forty years through 1994, over 800 private claims were brought against tobacco companies in state courts across the country, the individuals asserted claims for negligent manufacture, negligent advertising, fraud, and violation of various state consumer protection statutes. The tobacco companies enjoyed great success in these lawsuits, only two plaintiffs ever prevailed, and both of those decisions were reversed on appeal. As scientific evidence mounted in the 1980s, tobacco companies claimed contributory negligence as the health effects were previously unknown or lacked substantial credibility. In the mid 1990s, more than 40 states commenced litigation against the industry, seeking monetary, equitable. The first was declared in May 1994 by Mississippi Attorney General Mike Moore, as Moore declared, lawsuit is premised on a simple notion, you caused the health crisis, you pay for it. The states alleged a wide range of deceptive and fraudulent practices by the companies over decades of sales. The state lawsuits sought recovery for Medicaid and other public health expenses incurred in the treatment of smoking-induced illnesses, importantly, the defenses of personal responsibility that were so effective for the tobacco industry in suits by private individuals were inapplicable to the causes of action alleged by the states. Faced with the prospect of defending multiple actions nationwide, the Majors sought a congressional remedy, in June 1997, the National Association of Attorneys General and the Majors jointly petitioned Congress for a global resolution. On June 20,1997, Mississippi Attorney General Michael Moore, in exchange the companies would be freed from class-action suits and litigation costs would be capped. This proposed congressional remedy for the cigarette tobacco problem resembled the eventual Multistate Settlement Agreement, for example, although the congressional proposal would have earmarked one-third of all funds to combat teenage smoking, no such restrictions appear in the MSA. In addition, the proposal would have mandated Food and Drug Administration oversight. The congressional proposal called for payments to the states of $368.5 billion over 25 years, by contrast, assuming that the Majors would maintain their market share, the MSA provides baseline payments of about $200 billion over 25 years. The attorneys general did not have the authority to grant all this by themselves, senator John McCain of Arizona carried the bill, which was much more aggressive than even the global settlement
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Mobile phone radiation and health
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The effect of mobile phone radiation on human health is a subject of interest and study worldwide, as a result of the enormous increase in mobile phone usage throughout the world. As of 2015, there were 7.4 billion subscriptions worldwide, mobile phones use electromagnetic radiation in the microwave range. Other digital wireless systems, such as data communication networks, produce similar radiation, mobile phone use does not increase the risk of getting brain cancer or other head tumors. Evidence does not support the hypothesis that mobile phone radiation has an effect on the permeability of the blood-brain barrier, mobile phone use does not increase the risk of getting brain cancer or other head tumors. As the United States National Cancer Institute explains, Radiofrequency energy, unlike ionizing radiation and its only consistently observed biological effect in humans is tissue heating. In animal studies, it has not been found to cause cancer or to enhance the effects of known chemical carcinogens. Some users of mobile phones and similar devices have reported feeling various non-specific symptoms during, studies have failed to link any of these symptoms to electromagnetic exposure. Experts consulted by France considered it was mandatory that the antenna axis should not to be directly in front of a living place at a distance shorter than 100 metres. For radio stations, ICNIRP proposes two safety levels, one for exposure, another one for the general population. Currently there are underway to harmonise the different standards in existence. Radio base licensing procedures have been established in the majority of urban spaces regulated either at municipal/county, many governmental bodies also require that competing telecommunication companies try to achieve sharing of towers so as to decrease environmental and cosmetic impact. This issue is a factor of rejection of installation of new antennas. The safety standards in the US are set by the Federal Communications Commission, switzerland has set safety limits lower than the ICNIRP limits for certain sensitive areas. In the US, a number of personal injury lawsuits have been filed by individuals against cellphone manufacturers on the basis of allegations of causation of brain cancer. In US federal courts, expert testimony relating to science must be first evaluated by a judge, in a Daubert hearing, to be relevant and valid before it is admissible as evidence. In a 2002 case against Motorola, the plaintiffs alleged that the use of wireless handheld telephones could cause brain cancer, in February 2009, the telecom company Bouygues Telecom was ordered to take down a mobile phone mast due to uncertainty about its effect on health. Residents in the commune Charbonnières in the Rhône department had sued the company claiming adverse health effects from the emitted by the 19 meter tall antenna. As it takes time to cancer, the court disregarded short-term studies
31.
Michael Jordan
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Michael Jeffrey Jordan, also known by his initials, MJ, is an American retired professional basketball player, businessman, and principal owner and chairman of the Charlotte Hornets. Jordan played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association for the Chicago Bulls and his biography on the NBA website states, By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time. Jordan was one of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation and was considered instrumental in popularizing the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s, Jordan played three seasons for coach Dean Smith at the University of North Carolina. As a freshman, he was a member of the Tar Heels national championship team in 1982, Jordan joined the Bulls in 1984 as the third overall draft pick. He quickly emerged as a star, entertaining crowds with his prolific scoring. His leaping ability, demonstrated by performing slam dunks from the throw line in slam dunk contests, earned him the nicknames Air Jordan. He also gained a reputation for being one of the best defensive players in basketball, in 1991, he won his first NBA championship with the Bulls, and followed that achievement with titles in 1992 and 1993, securing a three-peat. Jordan retired for a time in January 1999, but returned for two more NBA seasons from 2001 to 2003 as a member of the Wizards. Among his numerous accomplishments, Jordan holds the NBA records for highest career regular season scoring average and highest career playoff scoring average. In 1999, he was named the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century by ESPN and he became a member of the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2015. Jordan is also known for his product endorsements and he fueled the success of Nikes Air Jordan sneakers, which were introduced in 1985 and remain popular today. Jordan also starred in the 1996 feature film Space Jam as himself, in 2006, he became part-owner and head of basketball operations for the then-Charlotte Bobcats, buying a controlling interest in 2010. In 2015, Jordan became the first billionaire NBA player in history as a result of the increase in value of NBA franchises and he is the third richest African American, behind Oprah Winfrey and Robert F. Smith. Jordan was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Deloris, who worked in banking and his family moved to Wilmington, North Carolina, when he was a toddler. Jordan is the fourth of five children and he has two older brothers, Larry Jordan and James R. Jordan, Jr. one older sister, Deloris, and a younger sister, Roslyn. Jordans brother James retired in 2006 as the Command Sergeant Major of the 35th Signal Brigade of the XVIII Airborne Corps in the U. S. Army. Jordan attended Emsley A. Laney High School in Wilmington, where he highlighted his athletic career by playing basketball, baseball and he tried out for the varsity basketball team during his sophomore year, but at 511, he was deemed too short to play at that level. His taller friend, Harvest Leroy Smith, was the only sophomore to make the team, motivated to prove his worth, Jordan became the star of Laneys junior varsity squad, and tallied several 40-point games
32.
Charles Manson
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Charles Milles Manson, 136–7 is an American criminal and former cult leader who led what became known as the Manson Family, a quasi-commune that arose in California in the late 1960s. Mansons followers committed a series of nine murders at four locations over a period of five weeks in the middle of 1969. In 1971 he was guilty of conspiracy to commit the murders of seven people – most notably of the actress Sharon Tate – all of which were carried out by members of the group at his instruction. He is currently serving nine concurrent life sentences at Corcoran State Prison in Corcoran, Manson believed in what he called Helter Skelter, a term he took from the Beatles song of the same name. Manson believed Helter Skelter to be an impending race war. He believed the murders would help precipitate that war, from the beginning of his notoriety, a pop culture arose around him in which he ultimately became an emblem of insanity, violence and the macabre. At the time the Family began to form, Manson was a former convict. Before the murders, he was a singer-songwriter on the fringe of the Los Angeles music industry, chiefly through an association with Dennis Wilson, drummer. After Manson was charged with the crimes of which he was convicted, recordings of songs written. Various musicians have covered some of his songs, born to an unmarried 16-year-old named Kathleen Maddox, in the General Hospital, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Manson was first named no name Maddox. Within weeks, he was called Charles Milles Maddox. 136–7 For a period after his birth and his biological father appears to have been Colonel Walker Scott against whom Kathleen Maddox filed a paternity suit that resulted in an agreed judgment in 1937. In the biography Manson in His Own Words, Colonel Scott is said to have been a young drugstore cowboy, a transient laborer working on a nearby dam project. It is not clear what nearby means, the description is in a paragraph that indicates Kathleen Maddox gave birth to Manson while living in Cincinnati, after she had run away from her own home, in Ashland, Kentucky. There is much about Mansons early life that is in dispute because of the stories he has offered to interviewers. Mansons mother was allegedly a heavy drinker. 136–7 According to Manson, she sold her son for a pitcher of beer to a childless waitress. In 1947, Kathleen Maddox tried to have her son placed in a foster home, the court placed Manson in the Gibault School for Boys in Terre Haute, Indiana. He escaped after one day, but was recaptured and placed in Boys Town, four days after his arrival there, he escaped with another boy. The pair committed two armed robberies on their way to the home of the boys uncle
33.
Kim Dickens
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Kimberly Jan Kim Dickens is an American actress whose film debut was a supporting role in the 1995 film comedy Palookaville. She later had roles in the movies Truth or Consequences. Dickens has had other supporting film roles, including in Hollow Man, House of Sand and Fog, The Blind Side. On television, Dickens had regular roles in the HBO dramas Deadwood and she currently stars as Madison Clark in the AMC horror-drama series, Fear the Walking Dead and as Kate Baldwin in the Netflix political drama series, House of Cards. Dickens was born in Huntsville, Alabama, the daughter of Pam Howell and Justin Dickens and she graduated from that citys Lee High School and attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in communication. Dickens soon moved to New York City, where she worked as a waitress, to continue her studies at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, in the late 1990s she moved to Los Angeles. Dickens made her debut in a student production of David Mamets Sexual Perversity in Chicago. In 1995, she made her screen debut in the Alan Taylors comedy film Palookaville. She spent the year playing supporting roles in the made-for-television films Voice from the Grave. In 1997, Dickens returned to film, playing leading role opposite Vincent Gallo again in neo-noir thriller Truth or Consequences. Film received negative reviews from critics, in 1999, she starred alongside Antonio Banderas in the comedy film The White River Kid. In 2000, Dickens had co-starring roles in films Committed opposite Heather Graham, Hollow Man with Elisabeth Shue and Kevin Bacon, the following year, she played the lead in the independent film, Things Behind the Sun. Dickens received critical acclaim for her performance, and Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead nomination, later that year, she was regular cast member in the short-lived CBS police drama series, Big Apple. In 2003, she co-starred opposite Felicity Huffman and Eric Stoltz in the Showtime miniseries Out of Order, in 2000s, Dickens basically worked on television, playing Joanie Stubbs, the madam, in the HBO western Deadwood from 2004 to 2006. She was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2007 for this role and she was regular cast member in the unaired HBO comedy series,12 Miles of Bad Road starring Lily Tomlin and Mary Kay Place. She had the roles on Lost and Friday Night Lights. In film, Dickens co-starred in House of Sand and Fog with Jennifer Connelly and Ben Kingsley, Thank You for Smoking, Wild Tigers I Have Known, Red and The Blind Side. From 2010 to 2013, Dickens was a regular on the HBO ensemble drama series, Treme, from 2013 to 2014, she had the recurring role as Colette Jane in the FX crime drama, Sons of Anarchy
34.
Dennis Miller
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Dennis Miller is an American stand-up comedian, talk show host, political commentator, sports commentator, actor, and television and radio personality. He rose to fame as a cast member of Saturday Night Live in 1985, from 2007 to 2015, Miller hosted a daily, three-hour, self-titled talk radio program, nationally syndicated by Westwood One. He is known for his critical assessments of current events, laced with pop culture references, Miller is listed as 21st on Comedy Centrals 100 greatest stand up comedians of all time, and was ranked as the best host of SNLs Weekend Update by Vulture. com. Miller was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and grew up in the suburb of Castle Shannon, Millers parents separated and he was raised by his mother, Norma, a dietitian at a Baptist home. Miller is reticent to speak about his father, usually just saying he moved on when I was very young and he is the oldest of Normas five children, and in his early life often looked after the rest of his siblings. Miller attended Saint Anne School, a Catholic elementary school, Millers personality during this period was not that of an innate performer but of a shy kid. Millers childhood pastimes included playing football, backyard baseball, playing basketball at St. Annes. At St. Annes Miller, served as manager for the Catholic Youth Organization basketball team for boys 15 to 16 years-old, Miller went on to Keystone Oaks High School. His two earliest childhood comedy heroes were Jonathan Winters and Tim Conway, by high school he had already developed a reputation for humor. Miller and his brother Rich had an invitation to the home of his best friend Ted Wasik. The Wasik parents, Pauline and Ted Herc Wasik Sr, at Keystone Oaks, Miller was a member of the Physical Fitness Club, and in his senior year he worked on the Keynote newspaper and served on student council. His senior year he served as co-master of ceremonies for the Keystone Oaks May Pageant. Despite a reputation for humor Millers actual personality at this time was one that was reserved, lacking self-confidence and he graduated high school in 1971 with the intent of studying to become a Sports Writer. At Point Park University Miller became a member of Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity, Miller likened his social status at this period as being lower than Booger of Revenge of the Nerds. Inspired by the film All the President’s Men Miller majored in Journalism, in the fall of his senior year at University, Miller began writing for the South Hills Record, mixing humor into his sports reporting. When the paper changed its payment structure to pay around an eighth of a penny per column inch Miller quit, Miller graduated from Point Park in 1976 with a degree in journalism. Miller would later reflect on why he did not continue to pursue Journalism saying Im just not that interested in peoples business. After College Miller was unable to work in journalism
35.
Mel Gibson
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Mel Colmcille Gerard Gibson AO is an American actor and filmmaker. He was born in Peekskill, New York, and moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia and he studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art. During the 1980s, he founded Icon Entertainment, a company which independent film director Atom Egoyan has called. Director Peter Weir cast him as one of the leads in the critically acclaimed World War I drama Gallipoli, the film also helped to earn Gibson the reputation of a serious, versatile actor. He later directed and produced the successful and controversial, biblical drama film The Passion of the Christ. He received further critical notice for his work of the action-adventure film Apocalypto. Gibson was born in Peekskill, New York, the sixth of eleven children, and the son of Hutton Gibson, a writer. One of Gibsons younger brothers, Donal, is also an actor, because of his mother, Gibson retains dual Irish and American citizenship. Mel was twelve years old at the time, Gibson was educated by members of the Congregation of Christian Brothers at St Leos Catholic College in Wahroonga, New South Wales, during his high school years. Gibson gained very favorable notices from critics when he first entered the cinematic scene. In 1982, Vincent Canby wrote that Mr. Gibson recalls the young Steve McQueen, I cant define star quality, but whatever it is, Mr. Gibson has it. Gibson has also likened to a combination Clark Gable and Humphrey Bogart. Gibsons roles in the Mad Max series of films, Peter Weirs Gallipoli, later, Gibson expanded into a variety of acting projects including human dramas such as Hamlet, and comedic roles such as those in Maverick and What Women Want. He expanded beyond acting into directing and producing, with, The Man Without a Face, in 1993, Braveheart, in 1995, The Passion of the Christ, in 2004, jess Cagle of Time compared Gibson with Cary Grant, Sean Connery, and Robert Redford. Connery once suggested Gibson should play the next James Bond to Connerys M. Gibson turned down the role, Gibson studied at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney. The students at NIDA were classically trained in the British-theater tradition rather than in preparation for screen acting. As students, Gibson and actress Judy Davis played the leads in Romeo and Juliet, and Gibson played the role of Queen Titania in an experimental production of A Midsummer Nights Dream. After graduation in 1977, Gibson immediately began work on the filming of Mad Max, but continued to work as a stage actor, and joined the State Theatre Company of South Australia in Adelaide
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