Bhatt goes to jail, wife sees threat to his life from ‘police under CM

Ahmedabad, Oct. 1: Gujarat IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, who has accused chief minister Narendra Modi of inaction in the 2002 Gujarat riots, was today remanded in judicial custody for 15 days after a court rejected a plea for police remand.


The police had asked for a seven-day custody of the officer who was arrested yesterday.


Earlier in the day, Bhatt’s wife Sweta had written to the state police chief and the Ahmedabad police commissioner saying she feared for her husband’s life. Sweta was also not allowed to meet Bhatt this morning.


The police officer is accused of forcing a constable, K.D. Pant, to file a false affidavit claiming he had seen Bhatt at the chief minister’s bungalow the night before the riots began. Bhatt had told the apex court last April that at the meeting, Modi had asked the police to let “Hindus vent their anger”.


Modi and then state police chief K. Chakravarthy have denied that Bhatt, who was deputy commissioner with the state intelligence bureau then, was at the meeting.


The officer was suspended last month for going on “unauthorised leave”.


In the letter to the top police officers, Sweta wrote that she and her husband would “never get justice in Gujarat” as the atmosphere was so vitiated. At the time she wrote to director-general of police Chittaranjan Singh and Ahmedabad police chief Sudhir Sinha, Bhatt was in the custody of the crime branch.


Sweta wrote the crime branch officers “are encounter specialists”. “I can’t trust them at all. I fear for his life.”


Bhatt’s residence at Memnagar was raided this afternoon — the second time in two days.


Earlier in the day, Bhatt was taken from Ghatlodia police station to the office of the Crime Branch, prompting his wife Shweta to write to the police chiefs of Gujarat and Ahmedabad that she feared for his life because the Crime Branch “is directly under the control of the chief minister”, and has a “notorious reputation for carrying out fake encounters”.


Bhatt has alleged Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s complicity in the 2002 riots. He was arrested yesterday after Constable K D Pant alleged that Bhatt had forced him to give false testimony before the amicus curiae appointed by the Supreme Court.


The police today searched Bhatt’s home and took away the hard disk of his computer. They also added the more stringent Sec. 194 IPC to the charges under Sections 195, 189 and 342. Sec. 194, like 195, deals with fabricating evidence with intent to procure conviction, but denies bail to the accused and provides for the death penalty if an innocent person is convicted on the basis of this evidence.

Sonia's first appearance post-surgery; pays tribute to Mahatma

HUBLI: Mahila Vidya Peetha (MVP) in the city assumes the status a pilgrimage place on October 2 every year. Gandhians make it a point to visit this place on Gandhi Jayanti because the Mahatma's ashes are preserved here.


The founders of the institute, Saradar Veerangowda Patil and his wife Nagamma Patil were freedom fighters and had close association with Gandhiji after they plunged into the freedom struggle in response to the call given by the Mahatma.


Their close association with Gandhiji made the government to choose MVP to preserve the ashes of Gandhiji officially. Besides Hubli, ashes of Gandhiji are also preserved in Shivapur of Mandya district, Markera of Kodagu and Kudlagi of Bellary district in Karnataka.


Speaking to Times of India, K T Patil, secretary, MVP, said ashes were initially kept in a pot at the prayer hall for some years. Later, at the behest of the Centre, a small pedestal was built around it which later turned into a sacred place with people beginning to worship it, he added.


Chief minister Sheila Dikshit and Union urban development minister Kamalnath were also present at the memorial among others.


Leaders of various religions also offered prayers at the Gandhi samadhi.


After the prayers, Advani was seen talking to Gandhi apparently enquiring about her health.


Gandhi had undergone a surgery for undisclosed aliment in August and returned to the capital last month.


Though she had attended a couple of meetings with top Congress leaders, she had not attended any public function so far.

All bets are off if Rudd returns: Wilkie

Andrew Wilkie is Tony Abbott's best chance of becoming Prime Minister. Here's one possible scenario. The day after the next budget in May, Wilkie will walk into the Senate courtyard and, with maximum theatrical flourish, tear up his agreement to support Julia Gillard. That is the threat from the Tasmanian Independent if Federal Parliament does not pass laws by then to restrict the amount of money problem gamblers can flush down poker machines.
He bases his stand on principle, just as he did when he took the courageous step of becoming a whistleblower against John Howard. ''This man is fearless,'' says Nick Xenophon, the Independent in the Senate who won his place on an anti-pokies campaign.


But would the left-leaning Wilkie insist on such purity of principle that would result in bringing down the minority Labor Government - over just one issue?


And what if, despite Labor's best efforts, the legislation to impose mandatory pre-commitment technology is sunk by his fellow Independents? How would the nation react then, not to mention his constituents in Hobart, to the nation-stopping spectacle of an MP who scored 13,788 first preference votes, deciding to bring down the Federal Government?


He is the one who has drawn the line in the sand on pokies - but then Julia Gillard, for whatever reason, acceded to his demand, under the demanding pressure of trying to stitch together a minority government.


These questions highlight the enormity of the power play now underway between Wilkie and Gillard.


Pokies were a core issue for Wilkie's campaign in the electorate of Dennison which he won in 2010 from Labor on the retirement of popular MP, Duncan Kerr, a former Keating government minister.


His anti-pokie campaign may have been inspired by his time with the Greens who have a similar policy and will support his bill in the Senate. He was a Greens candidate for Bennelong against John Howard in 2004 and for the Senate in Tasmania in 2007.


Mr Wilkie told Sky News this morning he would be "hard pressed" to support another Labor leader in this parliamentary term because it would demonstrate serious instability.
"It wouldn't be in the public interest," he said.
But Mr Wilkie would not rule it out in some circumstances, depending on who was installed as leader.
"There would be another period of negotiation, my view and, I suspect, the view of my colleagues on the cross bench is that, all bets are off and we would need to sit around the table again and negotiate a new agreement," he said.
He doubted there would be an leadership change.
"It's in the ALP's best interest to demonstrate stability," he said.
Mr Wilkie said the best chance the government had of re-election was letting voters live under their policies.
He cited the household compensation package for a carbon price as an example.

Rachel Weisz over her performance in The Whistleblower

Rachel Weisz fell in love with her husband Daniel Craig on the set of "Dream House" and said the dark film was not just a terrifying thriller, as it was grounded in a love story.


"It's very romantic and just unusual," Weisz said of the script in an interview provided by Universal Pictures. "I've never read anything that quite had the same tone of romance and the supernatural and horror and it's a love story as well."


"Dream House" follows a family whose new home becomes their worst nightmare. Will Atenton (Craig) and his wife Libby (Weisz) move their family to New England for a change of pace. But they soon discover a woman and her two daughters were killed in the house, and everyone thinks the father did it. Now the killer is after Atenton's family and he must discover the truth about the murder to protect those he loves.


"I play Libby, Will Atenton's wife. I'm in the suburbs, which is not somewhere I fit into comfortably, but my husband's bought us a big house so I'm happy to be raising the girls there," Weisz said. "I think I'm a bit of a fish out of water but actually, my character never has a scene outside of the house -- I'm in my 'dream house' the whole time."


The movie also stars Naomi Watts as the family's mysterious neighbor, Ann Patterson who knows more than she will admit.


"Ann Patterson, who lives across the street from us is played by Naomi Watts and throughout the film, she knows the secret of Will's identity and the secret of the murders," Weisz continued. "She basically knows the story that the audience won't know, so you need an actress who can portray a lot of reactions and a lot of sensitivity because you will sense from her that there is something troubling her and there is a secret but she won't say what and I think that's something Naomi can portray with great delicacy. She's got a lot of complexity and she's the kind of actress that you can just see things float across her face without having dialogue because she can't say it."


The film was directed by six-time Oscar nominated director Jim Sheridan, who helmed "Brothers," "In America," "In the Name of the Father" and "My Left Foot."


"Jim Sheridan is directing this movie and what he brings to this film that is unique is Jim Sheridan," Weisz said of Sheridan, laughing. "He's the most unique human being I've ever come across in my whole life. He's a story teller."


In June, Weisz, 41, and Craig, 43, tied the knot in a low-key wedding in upstate New York, spokespeople for both stars told OnTheRedCarpet.com at the time. Just four people attended the wedding - Daniel's daughter Ella, 18, Weisz's son Henry, 5, and two friends.


Filming for "Dream House" began in January 2010 and around the end of last year, the two were photographed in public and were said to have spent Christmas together.


In mid-2010, Weisz and boyfriend Darren Aronofsky, Henry's father and the director of the ballet thriller "Black Swan," broke up after nine years together.


But Weisz says she's very much the reluctant movie star.


"I'm a little fearful of the way your life changes when you become too well known," she says.


"I'm also fairly reserved and it's quite embarrassing to deal with that kind of attention. I'd rather float about anonymously. I don't really think of myself as a sex symbol or a celebrity at all."


It's this reluctance at being a celebrity that is behind Weisz keeping her relationship and marriage to 43-year-old James Bond star, Daniel Craig, a closely guarded secret. The couple got together on the set of The Dream House in December last year, a month after it was announced she had split with her partner of 10 years, US director Darren Aronofsky.


They revealed they had been apart for months but were remaining friends for their son, five-year-old Henry Chance.


Meanwhile, Craig was also emerging from a long term relationship - he also announced in November he had split from Satsuki Mitchell, 32, whom he had been engaged to since 2007.


Weisz and Craig had been friends for years, but romance blossomed on the set of the film, which is due for release in December and also stars Naomi Watts.


After a whirlwind courtship they tied the knot in front of just four guests at their low-key ceremony in New York in June.


Weisz doesn't talk openly about their relationship, but she reveals it's only recently (since she has been with Craig) she has felt more at ease with herself.


"For a long time I was quite shy and conflicted about my life, and it's only lately that I've started to feel freer and become more open to enjoying life," she said. "That's made me become more serious about my work."


The role of Bolkovac is definitely serious, but it's something Weisz relished.


What next for Weisz? She has touched on the possibility she may be thinking about having another child with Craig.


In a recent interview with US magazine Lucky she revealed: "Oh, I wouldn't make one just for the sake of giving my son a sibling. But you never know."


Her son Henry plays an important part in her acting decisions. "I have a child now, so you have to be able to go deep into something and then switch off at the end of the day," she said. "It's the only way to remain sane."


She was originally offered the role of Bolkovac when she was pregnant with her son and it was due to him she initially turned it down.


"I was pregnant. Very pregnant. And I read it and thought it was one of the most incredible stories and scripts I had ever read," she said.


"But it was too challenging and traumatic to engage in at that moment. Because of my physical state. I just couldn't get my head around it. But I couldn't forget it. I guess I was just haunted by the story. I contacted them about it again, two years later."


If she does have another baby with her Craig, Weisz could be having to make that decision to hold off on a role again in the very near future.

Daniel Craig

Daniel Wroughton Craig, born 2 March 1968 is an English actor. His early film roles include Elizabeth, The Power of One, A Kid in King Arthur's Court and the television episodes Sharpe's Eagle, Zorro and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles: Daredevils of the Desert. His breakthrough performances were in the films Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Road to Perdition, Layer Cake, Munich, and The Golden Compass.
Craig became well known internationally after he was cast as the sixth actor to portray fictional secret agent James Bond in the film series. He made his début as the character in the 2006 film, Casino Royale. He was critically acclaimed, and was nominated for a BAFTA award, for his portrayal in the film. He grew into other roles in films such as Defiance, Cowboys and Aliens, the upcoming English-language adaptation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and The Adventures of Tintin.




Early life


Craig was born in Chester, Cheshire, England. His mother, Carol Olivia (née Williams), was an art teacher, and his father, Timothy John Wroughton Craig, was the landlord of the pubs "Ring o' Bells" (in Frodsham) and "The Boot Inn" (Willington, Tarporley), and also served as a midshipman in the Merchant Navy. Both of Craig's parents were of half Welsh descent. He was brought up on the Wirral Peninsula, and attended a primary school in Frodsham and Hoylake called Holy Trinity Primary School. He attended Hilbre High School in later years. He began acting in school plays at age six.
Craig moved to London when he was sixteen to join the National Youth Theatre after a stay at Calday. He and his older sister, Lea, attended Hilbre High School and Calday Grange Grammar School in West Kirby. He played for Hoylake Rugby Club. He attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama at the Barbican and graduated in 1991 after three years of study under Colin McCormack.




Career


Craig appeared as Joe in the Royal National Theatre's production of Tony Kushner's Angels in America in November 1993. An early starring role was as 'Geordie' in the BBC's 1996 drama Our Friends in the North, with early film roles being as Angelina Jolie's rival and love interest in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), before appearing in Sam Mendes's movie Road to Perdition (2002), with Tom Hanks and Paul Newman. Other leading film roles include Sword of Honour (2001), The Mother (2003) with Anne Reid, Sylvia (2003) with Gwyneth Paltrow, Layer Cake (2004) with Sienna Miller, Enduring Love (2004) with Rhys Ifans, Steven Spielberg's Munich (2005) with Eric Bana, Infamous (2006), The Golden Compass (2007) and Defiance (2008).
[edit]James Bond: 2005–present
In 2005, Craig was contracted by EON Productions to portray James Bond. He stated that he "was aware of the challenges" of the James Bond franchise which he considers "a big machine" that "makes a lot of money". He aimed at bringing more "emotional depth" to the character. Being born in 1968, Craig is the first actor to portray James Bond to have been born after the Bond series already started, and Ian Fleming, the novels' writer, had died.
Significant controversy followed the decision, as it was doubted if the producers had made the right choice. Throughout the entire production period Internet campaigns expressed their dissatisfaction and threatened to boycott the film in protest. Craig, unlike previous actors, was not considered by the protesters to fit the tall, dark, handsome image of Bond to which viewers had been accustomed. The Daily Mirror ran a front page news story critical of Craig, with the headline, "The Name's Bland – James Bland."
Although the choice of Craig was controversial, numerous actors publicly voiced their support, most notably, four of the five actors who had previously portrayed Bond – Pierce Brosnan, Timothy Dalton, Sean Connery, and Roger Moore – called his casting a good decision. Clive Owen, who had been linked to the role, also spoke in defence of Craig.
The first film, Casino Royale, premièred on 14 November 2006 and grossed a total of US$594,239,066 worldwide, which makes the film the highest grossing Bond film to date. After the film was released, Craig's performance was highly acclaimed.

Wax figure of Daniel Craig at Madame
 Tussauds, London.

As production of Casino Royale reached its conclusion, producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli announced that pre-production work had already begun on the 22nd Bond film. After several months of speculation as to the release date, Wilson and Broccoli officially announced on 20 July 2006 that the follow-up film, Quantum of Solace, was to be released on 7 November 2008 and that Craig plays Bond with an option for a third film. On 25 October 2007, MGM CEO Harry Sloan revealed at the Forbes Meet II Conference that Craig had signed on for four more Bond films, through to Bond 25.
In 2006, Craig was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.






On 12 June 2008, Craig sliced the top of one of his fingers off while filming Quantum of Solace. The accident was the latest in a string of incidents surrounding the shoot, including a fire at one of the sets in Pinewood Studios, UK; a car crash that left the stunt driver in a serious condition; and an Aston Martin skidding off the roads in heavy rains while being transported to the set in northern Italy and plunging into Lake Garda.

Craig at the 81st Academy Awards in 2009.

Craig describes his portrayal of Bond as an anti-hero: “The question I keep asking myself while playing the role is, ‘Am I the good guy or just a bad guy who works for the good side?’ Bond’s role, after all, is that of an assassin when you come down to it. I have never played a role in which someone’s dark side shouldn’t be explored. I don’t think it should be confusing by the end of the movie, but during the movie you should be questioning who he is.” Craig also states that his favourite previous Bond actor was Sean Connery, but says, "I'd never copy somebody else. I would never do an impression of anybody else or try and improve on what they did. That would be a pointless exercise for me". His favourite Bond film is From Russia with Love. On a James Bond-centric episode of The South Bank Show, Connery divulged his thoughts on Craig's casting as Bond, whom he described as "fantastic, marvelous in the part." When he was told that Craig had taken particular note of his performances, Connery said that he was "flattered," and that Craig "really gets" the 'danger element' to Bond's character.
On 19 April 2010, Craig's expected third Bond film (the 23rd overall in the series) was announced to have been suspended indefinitely due to the crippling debt and uncertain future of MGM. However, both Craig and Sam Mendes hoped to resume work on the film soon. The film has since resumed and Craig will return as Bond once again, with the film due for release on 9 November 2012.






Other projects

Daniel Craig at the Orange British Academy Film Awards in London's
Royal Opera House, 11 February 2007.

In 1999, Craig starred as Richard in a TV drama called Shockers: The Visitor. In 2007, he portrayed Lord Asriel in The Golden Compass, the film adaptation of Philip Pullman's novel. Eva Green, who played Bond girl Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale, also starred in the film, although she did not appear in any scenes with Craig. In a stage version of the book, Asriel had previously been played by Timothy Dalton, one of Craig's predecessors in the role of James Bond.
In early 2001, Craig expressed an interest in being a part of the Star Trek franchise, professing his love of the series to the World Entertainment News Network and a desire to have a "stint in the TV show or a film. It's been a secret ambition of mine for years." On 16 March 2007, Craig made a cameo appearance as himself in a sketch with Catherine Tate who appeared in the guise of her character Elaine Figgis from The Catherine Tate Show. The sketch was made for the BBC Red Nose Day 2007 fundraising programme.
In 2008's Defiance, he played Tuvia Bielski, a Jewish resistance fighter in the woods of Belarus during World War II who saved 1,200 people.
The shot in Casino Royale of Craig sporting swimming trunks has often topped many sexiest male celebrity polls, and in 2009 Del Monte Foods launched an ice pop moulded to resemble Craig emerging from the sea.
Craig co-starred with Hugh Jackman, in a limited engagement of the play A Steady Rain, on Broadway at the Schoenfeld Theatre, which opened in previews on 10 September 2009 and closed on 6 December 2009.
Craig lent his voice and likeness as James Bond for both the Wii game GoldenEye 007, an enhanced remake of the 1997 game for the Nintendo 64, and Blood Stone, an original game for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo DS, and Microsoft Windows.
As of August 2010, Craig has been cast as crusading journalist Mikael Blomkvist in David Fincher's adaptation of Stieg Larsson's novel The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
Craig co-starred with Harrison Ford and Olivia Wilde in Cowboys & Aliens, an American science fiction Western film, based on Scott Mitchell Rosenberg's 2006 graphic novel of the same name.




Personal life


In 1992, Craig married Scottish actress Fiona Loudon, with whom he has a daughter, Ella. However, the marriage ended in divorce in 1994.
After his divorce, he was in a seven-year relationship with German actress Heike Makatsch, ending in 2001. He subsequently dated film producer Satsuki Mitchell from 2004 until 2010.
Craig and actress Rachel Weisz began dating in December 2010. Craig and Weisz married on 22 June 201. in a private New York ceremony, with only four guests in attendance, including Craig's 18-year-old daughter Ella, and Weisz's four-year-old son Henry. Craig and Weisz had been friends for many years and had worked together on the movie Dream House shortly before they began dating in late 2010.
In October 2008, Craig paid £4 million for an apartment near Regent's Park, London. He is a Liverpool F.C. supporter.






Filmography


Film and television


1992 The Power of One Sgt. Botha, a.k.a. The Judge
1993 Zorro Lt Hidalgo Two episodes of a US TV series filmed in Madrid.
1993 Sharpe's Eagle Lt. Berry Television drama
1995 A Kid in King Arthur's Court Master Kane
1996 Kiss And Tell Matt Kearney TV film
1996 The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders James "Jemmy" Seagrave Television drama
1996 Our Friends in the North George "Geordie" Peacock Television drama: 8 episodes
1997 Obsession – Besessene Seelen John McHale
1997 The Ice House D.S. Andy McLoughlin TV mystery/drama from the novel by Minette Walters
1997 The Hunger
1998 Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon George Dyer Edinburgh International Film Festival Award for Best British Performance
1998 Love and Rage James Lynchehaun
1998 Elizabeth John Ballard
1999 The Trench Sgt. Telford Winter Nominated – British Independent Film Award for Best Actor
1999 The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Daredevils of the Desert Schiller
2000 Some Voices Ray British Independent Film Award for Best Actor
2000 Hotel Splendide Ronald Blanche
2000 I Dreamed of Africa Declan Fielding
2001 Lara Croft: Tomb Raider Alex West
2001 Sword of Honour Guy Crouchback
2002 Copenhagen Werner Heisenberg Television drama (stage adaptation)
2002 Ten Minutes Older: The Cello Cecil
2002 Road to Perdition Connor Rooney
2003 Sylvia Ted Hughes
2003 The Mother Darren Nominated—British Independent Film Award for Best Actor
Nominated—European Film Audience Award for Best Actor
Nominated—London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
2004 Layer Cake Mr. X Nominated—Empire Award for Best Actor
Nominated—European Film Awards Audience Award for Best Actor also for Enduring Love
2004 Enduring Love Joe Nominated – British Independent Film Award for Best Actor
Nominated – European Film Awards Audience Award for Best Actor also for Layer Cake
2005 Munich Steve
2005 Archangel Christopher Kelso Television drama
2005 Fateless American Soldier
2005 The Jacket Rudy Mackenzie
2006 Casino Royale James Bond Empire Award for Best Actor
Evening Standard British Film Awards Award for Best Actor
Sant Jordi Award for Best Foreign Actor
Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Actor
2006 Renaissance Barthélémy Karas Voice role
2006 Infamous Perry Smith Nominated—Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male
2007 The Golden Compass Lord Asriel
2007 The Invasion Ben Driscoll
2008 Flashbacks of a Fool Joe Scot Also Executive Producer
2008 Quantum of Solace James Bond Nominated – Empire Award for Best Actor
2008 Defiance Tuvia Bielski
2011 Cowboys & Aliens Jake Lonergan
2011 Dream House Will Attenton
2011 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Mikael Blomkvist Post-production
2011 The Adventures of Tintin Red Rackham
2012 Bond 23 James Bond Pre-production

Rachel Weisz

Rachel Hannah Weisz.  born 7 March 1970 is an English film and theatre actress and fashion model. She started her acting career at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where she co-founded the theatrical group Cambridge Talking Tongues. The group was awarded the Student Drama Award for the improvised piece Slight Possession during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe by The Guardian.
Weisz started working in television, appearing in Inspector Morse, the British mini-series The Scarlet and the Black, and the television movie Advocates II. She made her film début in the 1994 film Death Machine, but her breakthrough role came in the 1996 movie Chain Reaction, leading to a high-profile role as Evelyn Carnahan-O'Connell in the films The Mummy, in 1999, and The Mummy Returns in 2001. Other notable films featuring Weisz are Enemy at the Gates, About a Boy, Constantine, The Fountain and The Constant Gardener, for which she received an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild award for her supporting role as Tessa Quayle.
Weisz also works in theatre. Her stage breakthrough was the 1994 revival of Noel Coward's play Design for Living, which earned her the 'London Critics' Circle Award for the most promising newcomer. Weisz's performances also include the 1999 Donmar Warehouse production of Tennessee Williams' Suddenly Last Summer, and their 2009 revival of A Streetcar Named Desire. Her portrayal of Blanche DuBois in the latter play earned her the Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Actress of 2009.



Early life and background


Weisz was born in Westminster, London, England, and grew up in the Hampstead Garden Suburb. Her mother, Edith Ruth (née Teich), is a teacher turned psychotherapist who was born in Vienna, Austria. Her father, George Weisz, was a Hungarian-born inventor and engineer. Her parents fled to England during the Holocaust and Second World War. Her father is Jewish and her mother is of Jewish, "Catholic Viennese", and Italian descent. Her maternal grandfather, Alexander Teich, was a secretary of the World Union of Jewish Students; whilst one of her maternal great-grandmothers was from Italy. She has a sister, Minnie, who is a photographer and curator.
Weisz's parents valued the arts, and encouraged her and her sister to form opinions of their own by introducing them to family debates.[Her parents later divorced).Weisz left North London Collegiate School and attended Benenden for one year completing A' levels at St Paul's Girls School. Weisz claimed that she was a bad student until an English Literature teacher inspired her at the age of sixteen.
Weisz started modeling when she was fourteen. In 1984, she gained public attention when she turned down an offer to star in King David, along with Richard Gere.
After school, she entered Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where she graduated with a 2:1 in English. During her university years, she appeared in various student productions, co-founding a student drama group called Cambridge Talking Tongues. It won a Guardian Student Drama Award at the 1991 Edinburgh Fringe Festival for an improvised piece called Slight Possession, directed by David Farr. The group existed until 1993.




Career


Once Weisz finished her university education, she was offered a place at drama school, but she chose to look for work. In those years, she started taking small television roles. Despite her rising career, she felt deeply unhappy at times, having days in which she could not drag herself out of bed because of her unhappiness. This situation led to her undergoing therapy three times a week for five years.




Films


1992–1998
She appeared on the 1992 television movie Advocates II, followed by roles in the Inspector Morse episode "Twilight of the Gods", and Scarlet and Black alongside Ewan McGregor.

Weisz started her film career with a minor role in the 1994 film Death Machine, but her first major role came in the 1996 film Chain Reaction, which also starred Keanu Reeves and Morgan Freeman. She next appeared as Miranda Fox in Stealing Beauty, directed by the Italian Academy Award-winner Bernardo Bertolucci.
Following this, Weisz found roles in the 1997 American drama Swept from the Sea, the 1998 television comedy-drama My Summer with Des, the Michael Winterbottom's crime movie I Want You, and David Leland's The Land Girls, based on Angela Huth's book of the same name.




1999–2003


In 1999 Weisz played Greta in the historical film Sunshine. The same year, her international breakthrough came with the 1999 adventure movie The Mummy, in which she played the female lead opposite Brendan Fraser. Her character was the English Egyptologist Evelyn Carnahan, who undertook an expedition to the fictional ancient Egyptian city of Hamunaptra to discover an ancient book. Variety criticized the direction of the movie, writing: "(the actors) have been directed to broad, undisciplined performances  Buffoonery hardly seems like Weisz's natural domain, as the actress strains for comic effects that she can't achieve". She followed this up with the sequel The Mummy Returns in 2001, which grossed an estimated $433 million worldwide, (equivalent to $537 million in 2011 dollars ) higher than the original's $260 million (equal to $343 million in 2011 dollars ). In 2000 she portrayed Petula in the film Beautiful Creatures, following this up with 2001's Enemy at the Gates, and the 2002 comedy-drama About a Boy, with Hugh Grant, based on Nick Hornby's 1998 novel. In 2003 she played Marlee in the adaptation of John Grisham's legal thriller novel The Runaway Jury, along with Dustin Hoffman, John Cusack and Gene Hackman;as well as starring in the film adaptation of the romantic comedy-drama play The Shape of Things.




2004–2009


In 2004, Weisz appeared in the comedy Envy, opposite Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Christopher Walken. The movie failed at the box office.[34] Variety magazine opined that Weisz and co-star Amy Poehler "get fewer choice moments than they deserve." Her next role was alongside Keanu Reeves in Constantine, based on the comic book Hellblazer. Film Threat called her portrayal "effective at projecting scepticism and, eventually, dawning horror".
Her next appearance, in 2005, was in Fernando Meirelles's The Constant Gardener, a film adaptation of a John le Carré thriller set in the slums of Kibera and Loiyangalani, Kenya. Weisz played an activist, Tessa Quayle, married to a British embassy official. The movie was critically acclaimed, earning Weisz the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress, and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role. UK newspaper The Guardian noted that the film "established her in the front rank of British actors", while BBC wrote: "Weisz is exceptional: film star charisma coupled with raw emotion in a performance to fall in love with".

Rachel Weisz in 2007

In 2006, she starred in Darren Aronofsky's romantic drama The Fountain. The San Francisco Chronicle found her portrayal of Queen Isabel "less convincing" than other roles. That same year, she provided the voice for Saphira in the fantasy film Eragon; and rejected an offer to star in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor due to script issues. The part eventually went to Maria Bello. Her subsequent films include the 2007 Wong Kar-wai drama My Blueberry Nights, and Rian Johnson's 2008 caper film The Brothers Bloom, alongside Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo. In 2009 she played the lead role of Hypatia of Alexandria in the historical drama film Agora, a Spanish production directed by Alejandro Amenábar. The New York Times called her portrayal "adept", noting that she imparted "a sympathetic presence".




2010–present


Weisz's latest film, The Whistleblower, debuted at the Toronto Film Festival in 2010. The film was based on the true story of human trafficking by employees of contractor DynCorp. During its première, the intense depiction of the treatment meted out to victims by the kidnappers made a woman in the audience faint. Variety magazine wrote performance "Weisz's performance holds the viewer every step of the way.". That same year, she guest-starred in the animated series The Simpsons, in the 22nd season episode "How Munched is That Birdie in the Window?".
Weisz's upcoming roles include an adaptation of Terence Rattigan's play The Deep Blue Sea, the thriller film Dream House alongside Daniel Craig, and an upcoming romantic drama written and directed by Terrence Malick, which would see her starring alongside Ben Affleck, Olga Kurylenko, Javier Bardem and Rachel McAdams. As of February 2011, other upcoming movies include BBC's espionage thriller Page 8,and Fernando Meirelles' psychosexual drama 360. She is in talks with Walt Disney Pictures to play Evanora in Oz: The Great and Powerful.




Theatre


On stage, Weisz's breakthrough role was that of Gilda in Sean Mathias's 1994 revival of Noel Coward's Design for Living at the Gielgud Theatre, for which she received the London Critics' Circle Award for the most promising newcomer.Her portrayal was described as "wonderful" by a contemporary review. In 1999, she played the role of Catherine in the Donmar Warehouse production of Tennessee Williams' Suddenly Last Summer, What's on Stage called her "captivating", stating that she brought "a degree of credibility to a difficult part". The same year, Weisz appeared in Neil LaBute's The Shape of Things at the Almeida Theatre, then temporarily located in London's Kings Cross. CurtainUp called her "a sophisticated, independent artist" with "great stage presence". In 2009, she appeared Blanche DuBois, in Rob Ashford's revival of the play A Streetcar Named Desire. Her performance in the play was praised by the critics, The Daily Telegraph noted that she "rises to the challenge magnificently".




Awards and honours


Film


Weisz gained honours for her work in The Constant Gardener, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture. She was also nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Furthermore, the role also led to her receiving the London Critics Circle Film Award for British Actress of the Year, the British Independent Film Award for Best Actress, and the San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress. Additionally, she was nominated for the Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 2006, Weisz was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and was also honored at the Los Angeles BAFTA ceremony with the Britannia Award for Artist of the Year.




Theatre


In 1991 Weisz received the Student Drama Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, for her part in the play Slight Possession. In 1994 she was awarded with the London Critics' Circle Award for Most Promising Newcomer, for the play Design for Living. In January 2010, the Critics' Circle Theatre Awards in London named her Best Actress of 2009, for her performance as Blanche Dubois in the Donmar revival of A Streetcar Named Desire. She also won the coveted 2010 Olivier Award for Best Actress for the same role.




Personal life


Weisz began dating American filmmaker and producer Darren Aronofsky in the summer of 2001. They met backstage at London's Almeida Theatre, where she was starring in The Shape of Things. Weisz moved to New York City with Aronofsky the following year; in 2005, they were engaged. Their son, Henry Chance, was born on 31 May 2006 in New York City. The couple resided in the East Village in Manhattan. In November 2010, Weisz and Aronofsky announced that they had been apart for months, but remain close friends and are committed to raising their son together in New York.
Weisz began dating actor Daniel Craig in December 2010 and they married on 22 June 2011 in a private New York ceremony, with only four guests in attendance, including Weisz's son and Craig's daughter.
In 2009, Weisz expressed her views on Botox to Harper's Bazaar - "It should be banned for actors, as steroids are for sportsmen. Acting is all about expression; why would you want to iron out a frown?"
Weisz is represented by Creative Artists Agency. In 2001, she was involved in a traffic accident, while traveling in a cab that was hit by a truck, Weisz was unharmed. On 7 July 2007, she presented at the American leg of Live Earth, along with Alec Baldwin and Kevin Bacon.
During her career, she has been featured on the covers of magazines such as Vogue and Esquire. She serves as a muse to fashion designer Narciso Rodriguez, and was named L’Oréal's global ambassador in 2010.
Weisz, a British citizen by birth, became a naturalized American citizen in 2011.




Filmography


1995 Death Machine Junior Executive
1996 Chain Reaction Dr. Lily Sinclair
1996 Stealing Beauty Miranda Fox
1997 Bent Prostitute
1997 Going All the Way Marty Pilcher
1997 Swept from the Sea Amy Foster
1997 I Want You Helen
1998 My Summer with Des Rosie
1998 The Land Girls Ag (Agapanthus)
1999 The Mummy Evelyn "Evie" Carnahan
Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Actress
Nominated — Empire Award for Best British Actress
1999 Sunshine Greta Nominated — Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
1999 Tube Tales Angela
2000 Beautiful Creatures Petula
2000 This Is Not an Exit: The Fictional World of Bret Easton Ellis Lauren Hynde
2001 Enemy at the Gates Tania Chernova Nominated – European Film Award for Best Actress
2001 The Mummy Returns Evelyn Carnahan-O'Connell
Princess Nefertiri
2002 About a Boy Rachel
2003 Confidence Lily
2003 The Shape of Things Evelyn Ann Thompson Also Producer
2003 Runaway Jury Marlee
2004 Envy Debbie Dingman
2005 Constantine Angela Dodson/Isabel Dodson Nominated — Teen Choice: Movie Scream Scene
2005 The Constant Gardener Tessa Quayle Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
British Independent Film Award for Best Actress
Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture
Iowa Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress
London Film Critic's Circle Award for British Actress of the Year
San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress
Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture
St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Utah Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
Nominated — Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated — Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress
2006 The Fountain Izzi/Isabella I of Castile
2006 Eragon Saphira
2007 Fred Claus Wanda
2007 My Blueberry Nights Sue Lynn
2008 Definitely, Maybe Summer Hartley (Natasha)
2009 The Brothers Bloom Penelope
2009 The Lovely Bones Abigail Salmon
2009 Agora Hypatia Nominated — Goya Award for Best Actress
2010 The Whistleblower Kathryn Bolkovac
2011 Page Eight Nancy Pierpan
2011 Dream House Libby Attenton
2011 The Deep Blue Sea Hester Collyer Post-production
2012 Untitled Terrence Malick project Dinah Post-production
2012 360 Rose Post-production
2013 Oz: The Great and Powerful Evanora Filming

Kenan Thompson

Kenan Thompson, born May 10, 1978 is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his work as a cast member of NBC's long-running sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live. He is also known for his starring roles in the films Good Burger and Fat Albert, his portrayal of Kenan Rockmore on the Nickelodeon sitcom Kenan & Kel, and as an original cast member of the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series All That. He ranks at #88 on VH1's 100 Greatest Teen Stars. Throughout the 1990s, he frequently collaborated with fellow comedian Kel Mitchell.


Early life and career


He was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, the son of Fletcher and Elizabeth Ann Thompson. He has one sibling, Kerwin Thompson. He began acting at age 15, appearing in the school play The Gingerbread Duck. One of his earliest roles was as an entertainment for CNN's "Fake News for Kids", and he would go on to star in All That, and Kenan & Kel. While Kenan attended Tri-Cities High School, a Visual and Performing Arts Magnet School in East Point, Georgia, he began filming his first movie, D2: The Mighty Ducks.




Movie and TV career


Kenan has starred in several films including Good Burger, based on the All That sketch of the same name, and Fat Albert, in which he played the title character. He has also had supporting roles in the movies Heavyweights, D2: The Mighty Ducks, love Don't Cost a Thing, Barbershop 2: Back in Business,he also starred in Rocky and Bullwinkle the movie with co-star Kel Mitchell, and Snakes on a Plane. Kenan had a recurring role on The Steve Harvey Show as Junior, with co-star Kel Mitchell. Recently, he returned to Nickelodeon for the show The Mighty B! as the voice of Rocky Rhodes.
In 2009, Thompson was a regular voice actor in the Fox cartoon series, Sit Down, Shut Up. He was voice acting principal, "Sue Sezno," who, as evidenced by her last name, always says no. The series premiered on April 19, 2009, but was canceled after only four episodes due to low ratings and less than favorable reviews. Thompson provided the voice for the LeBron James puppet in Nike's MVP "Most Valuable Puppets" commercials, which were produced to be shown throughout the 2009 NBA Playoffs. Thompson also guest starred on the USA Network TV show Psych, Season 4's "High Top Fade Out" (episode 7). He played an estranged college singing buddy of the character Gus. In 2011 he briefly returned to Nickelodeon, as he guest starred in "iParty with Victorious", a crossover episode of tv sitcoms "iCarly" and "Victorious". Thompson is the current host of TeenNick's 1990's programming block, The '90s Are All That.






Saturday Night Live


Kenan Thompson returned to sketch comedy when he joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in 2003, becoming the first SNL cast member to be born after SNL's premiere in 1975 and the first SNL cast member to have been a cast member on children's shows (All That and Kenan and Kel). He was a feature player until 2005 (spanning the 29th and 30th seasons), and was promoted to repertory player at the beginning of season 31 (the 2005-2006 season).




Personal life


On September 30, 2011, US Weekly announced that Thompson and his girlfriend Christina Evangeline are engaged to be married on November 11, 2011.




SNL characters


Thompson's recurring characters on Saturday Night Live include:
Deandre Cole (a talk-show host whose entire show, BET's "What Up With That?" is an extended musical number)
Barbara Birmingham (a chain-smoking nanny with outre advice on disciplining children)
DJ Dynasty Handbag from MTV4's Deep House Dish
Jake Denmont (Mrs. Denmont's son on Appalachian Emergency Room)
Jean K. Jean (a French Def Comedy Jam performer)
Lorenzo McIntosh (an imprisoned convict hired by local authorities to scare juvenile delinquents straight by using movie references)
Oscar Rogers (a financial analyst whose only advice for solving the current economic crisis is to "fix it!")
Virginiaca Hastings, a sassy woman who flirts with store clerks.






Celebrity impersonations
Thompson's celebrity impersonations include:
Amber Riley (as Mercedes Jones from Glee)
Al Roker
Al Sharpton
Alfonso Ribeiro (as himself and as Carlton from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air)
apl.de.ap from The Black Eyed Peas
Aretha Franklin
Barry Bonds
Bernie Mac
Bill Cosby (whom Thompson also impersonated on *All That)
Charles Barkley
Charles Rangel
Colin Powell
Don King
Emmanuel Lewis
Esther Rolle, (as Florida Evans on Good Times)
Flavor Flav
Fred Berry
Gary Coleman
George Clinton
George Foreman
Greg Gumbel
Herman Cain
James Harrison
Jennifer Hudson
Jeremiah Wright
Jimmy McMillan
Lil' Kim
Leslie David Baker (as Stanley Hudson)
Louis Armstrong
Maya Angelou
Michael Clark Duncan
Bobbi Kristina Brown
Michael Steele
Nipsey Russell
O.J. Simpson
Patti LaBelle
Plaxico Burress
Randy Jackson
Raven Symoné
Reba McEntire
Roland Burris
Sammy Sosa
Serena Williams
Sinbad
Sir Mix-A-Lot
Star Jones
Steve Harvey
Wanda Sykes
Whitman Mayo (as Grady Wilson)
Whoopi Goldberg
will.i.am
William "The Refrigerator" Perry
Donovan McNabb's mother, Wilma
Boyd Tinsley
Stuart Scott
Tiger Woods
Kanye West (vocal impression only; Jay Pharoah later did a physical and vocal impersonation of Kanye West)
Quincy Jones
Mo'Nique
Tyler Perry
SNL executive producer Lorne Michaels
Cee Lo Green
Ice Cube
Theodore Roosevelt.






Filmography


Television




Performing "An Evening with Kenan Thompson" in 2010
All That (1994–1999) - cast member
Kenan & Kel (1996–2000) - Kenan Rockmore
The Steve Harvey Show (1996–2002) - guest appearance
Sister, Sister (1997) - guest appearance
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (1998) - guest appearance
The Amanda Show (1999) - guest appearance
Oh Yeah! Cartoons (1999–2000) - host
Felicity (2001) - guest appearance
Saturday Night Live (2003 – present) - cast member
The Parkers (2003) - guest appearance
Clifford the Big Red Dog (2003) Hamburger (1 episode)
Wild 'N Out (2006) - guest appearance
Crank Yankers (2007) - guest appearance
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards 2007 (2007) - guest appearance
The Mighty B (2008–2009) - voice
Sit Down, Shut Up (2009) - Sue Sezno
Psych (2009) - guest appearance
Victorious (2010) - Cameo In Audience (Jade Dumps Beck)
iParty With Victorious, an iCarly and Victorious crossover (2011) - guest appearance
Toronto Zoo Penguins (2011) - various penguins (commercial)




Film




Thompson at the 2006 San Diego Comic-Con
D2: The Mighty Ducks (1994) - Russ Tyler
Heavyweights (1995) - Roy
D3: The Mighty Ducks (1996) - Russ Tyler
Good Burger (1997) - Dexter Reed
Cousin Skeeter (1999) - guest appearance
The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (2000) - Lewis
Two Heads Are Better Than None (2000)
Big Fat Liar (2002) - party guest
The Master of Disguise (2002) - Guy on computer
Love Don't Cost a Thing (2003) - Walter Colley
My Boss's Daughter (2003) - Hans
Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004) - Kenard
Fat Albert (2004) - Albert
Snakes on a Plane (2006) - Troy
Space Chimps (2008) - Ringmaster
Wieners (2008) - Wyatt
Stan Helsing (2009) - Teddy
The Smurfs (2011) - Greedy Smurf