Roselyn Sánchez, born Roselyn Sánchez Rodríguez; April 2, 1973 is a Puerto Rican singer-songwriter, model, actress, producer and writer of film and television.
Early life
Sánchez was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the youngest of four siblings, having three older brothers. She received her primary education in San Juan. At a young age, she showed an interest in both dancing and acting and would put on shows for her family. Sánchez enrolled in the University of Puerto Rico, where like her father and brothers she was to study marketing. However, this was not her calling and after three years she left the course. In 1991, at the age of 18, Sánchez moved to New York City, where she took classes in dancing, acting and singing. She returned to Puerto Rico, and in 1992 she made her movie debut, having landed a small part as an island girl in the movie Captain Ron, which was partly filmed in Puerto Rico, starring Martin Short and Kurt Russell.
Career
Rise to fame
In Puerto Rico, she gained public attention as a dancer and as co-host of a variety show called Qué Vacilón. At that time, in 1993, Sánchez won the Miss Puerto Rico Petite contest, and in 1994 she won the international title of Miss American Petite, bringing her international fame. Sánchez has been named to numerous annual lists of beautiful women including Maxim Magazine's "Hot 100" in 2001, 2002 and 2006; AskMen.com's "Top 99 Most Desirable Women" in 2005 and 2006; and FHM's "100 Sexiest Women" in 2005 and 2006.
Sánchez in Hollywood
In 2001, Sánchez was cast as Isabella Molina, an undercover United States Secret Service agent who was Jackie Chan's love interest in the hit movie Rush Hour 2. In 2003, she played the role of Lorena in the movie Chasing Papi, starring alongside Jaci Velasquez and Sofia Vergara. Sánchez has acted in some 20 movies, including as Maria in Edison and as Karen Lopez in Underclassman. She starred in the Puerto Rican film Cayo, released in 2005.
In the fall of 2005, she joined the cast of the television series Without a Trace, where she played Agent Elena Delgado.
She composed the musical Yellow, about a singer/dancer/actress who leaves Puerto Rico to hit the big time in New York, in which she played the principal part. The movie was filmed in 2005 and released in 2007.
Also in 2007, she acted as Monique, the ballet teacher, in The Game Plan, and in 2009, starred in The Perfect Sleep, a neo-noir drama, co-starring Patrick Bauchau, Tony Amendola, Isaac Singleton, and Peter Lucas.
Music career
In 2003, her first musical recording, Borinqueña, was released. The album's first single, "Amor Amor", gained a lot of attention as well as a Latin Grammy nomination for Best Music Video. She appeared in Craig David's music videos "Hidden Agenda" and "Personal" and in the Fabolous video for the song "Make Me Better".
Personal life
Sánchez was married to actor Gary Stretch from 9 August 1998, to 2001. After her divorce, she started a relationship with Puerto Rican salsa singer Víctor Manuelle. However, in December 2005, she announced that she had ended their relationship. The separation was amicable. She married actor Eric Winter on 29 November 2008, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In August, 2011, Sánchez announced that she and Winter are expecting their first child together.
Sánchez is a supporter of animal rights an active member of PETA. She recently appeared nude in a PETA ad in support of anti-fur campaign efforts.[8] She is the spokesperson of the Fundación de Niños San Jorge, which assists sick children from poor families.
Filmography
Film
1992 Captain Ron Clarise, Island Girl Film debut
1999 Held Up Trina
2001 Rush Hour 2 Isabella Molina
2002 Miss Miami Unknown Role TV movie
Boat Trip Gabriella
Nightstalker Gabriella Martinez
2003 Basic Nunez
Chasing Papi Lorena
2004 Larceny Angela
2005 Kojak ADA Carmen Warrick TV Movie
State Property 2 D.A.
Underclassman Karen Lopez
Cayo Young Julia
Edison Maria
Shooting Gallery Jezebel Black Direct-to-video
2006 Yellow Amaryllis Campos Also writer and producer
2007 The Game Plan Monique Vasquez
Rush Hour 3 Isabella Molina Cameo in deleted scene from DVD
2009 The Perfect Sleep Porphyria
2010 Act of Valor TBA (post-production)
Television
1996-1997 As the World Turns Pilar Domingo 24 episodes
1997-1998 Fame L.A. Lili Arguelo 21 episodes
1999 Ryan Caulfield: Year One Kim Veras 2 episodes
2000 Nash Bridges Belinda Cruz 2 episodes
2002 In-Laws Dani 1 episode
The Drew Carey Show Maria 1 episode
2003-2004 L.A. Dragnet Det. Elana Macias Recurring character
2005 Kojak ADA Carmen Warrick Recurring character
2005-2009 Without a Trace Elena Delgado 89 episodes
2009 Royal Pains Sofia Santos 1 episode
Chasing Papi is a 2003 Latino comedy film starring Roselyn Sanchez, Sofía Vergara, Jaci Velasquez, and Eduardo Verástegui. The women discover that their boyfriend has been dating all three of them at the same time—a discovery that leads them on an adventure throughout Los Angeles, California.
Plot
The movie opens with an animated telling of Tomás Fuentes' (Eduardo Verástegui) life, in which he is always surrounded by women. In his current life, he is a representative for the Olivero & Sanchez Marketing Group in Los Angeles and is busy travelling to visit all three of his girlfriends to give them each a gift. Cici (Sofía Vergara), a cocktail waitress from Miami, Patricia Sofia Ordonez Coronado del Pescador (Jaci Velasquez), a debutante of New York's high society and Lorena Morales (Roselyn Sanchez), a lawyer from Chicago, have fallen for him and given him the affectionate nickname "Papi".
Cici enjoys being the center of attention and wants to be "a real dancer." She's very jealous and has even threatened Tomas with a visit by a demon called "La Llorona" who is a spirit in Latin mythology who haunts naughty children. Lorena is a workaholic fighting for "the people who have no voice." She enjoys how Tomas' ability to whisper sweet nothings in her ear makes her feel sexy, even if she doesn't even know she is. Patricia is growing tired of her mother's (Maria Conchita Alonso) continuous attempts to marry her off. Tomás gives her hope of escaping her boring life and offers her the excitement she craves. She continues seeing Tomás against her mother's wishes and will run away if she has to. Each one believes she is the only woman in Fuentes' life.
Upon returning to Los Angeles, Tomas gives a presentation of a new perfume, Memento, to potential investors. He hallucinates visions of his three girlfriends and the screams of "La Llorona" and passes out. His doctor learns of the love triangle, advises Tomás to choose only one woman, prescribes tranquilizers and advises against driving, alcohol and women.
By strange coincidence, all three of his girlfriends go to Los Angeles after hearing their horoscopes read by Walter Mercado, Univision's Primer Impacto fortune teller. Unfortunately, they arrive before he gets home from the doctor's and only end up surprising each other. It is revealed that Tomás gave them all the same gift: red lingerie. Instead of fighting each other, all three agree to leave and quit Tomas cold turkey in return for his cheating on them. In their absence, Tomás arrives home and takes his tranquilizers with alcohol. The girls each have second thoughts about leaving and return to confront Tomás directly. First Lorena, then Patricia and finally Cici, causing Tomás to overdose on alcohol and tranquilizers and pass out again.
Mary (Joy Enriquez), Tomás' secretary, calls hoping he is doing better. Outside Tomas' house, FBI agent Carmen Rivera (Lisa Vidal), is waiting. She followed Cici to Los Angeles as part of an investigation. Fala, Cici's business partner, had Cici do her boyfriend, Ricky, a favor by taking a car that he sold online to the buyer in Los Angeles. Ricky is involved in the Whittaker counterfeit ring Agent Rivera is investigating. The girls spot her while panicking about what to do with Tomas and think she is "the L.A. woman" who just called, probably from a cell phone.
Scared by Agent Rivera's firearm, the girls decide to take Tomás out of the house and wait until he wakes up and decide which girls he wants to be with. They load all their bags in Ricky's car, not realizing that there's one more in the trunk. A short chase ensues but, with Cici driving, they manage to lose the "hoochie mama." Realizing they're going to need a place to stay, Patricia insists on a Marriott hotel over Cici's suggestion of a Motel 6. Cici convinces a bellhop to load the unconscious Tomás in a luggage cart with their bags while Patricia gets them a room. Unfortunately, Patricia's credit cards have been canceled by her mother. However, Lorena is their saving grace. The Miss Latina American Beauty Pageant is being held in that very same hotel and Miss Puerto Rico's flight was delayed. Lorena bears a resemblance to the real beauty contestant and takes her place. Cici passes herself off as Lorena's manager and Patricia as the maid. When moving their bags to Miss Puerto Rico's room, the extra bag from the trunk falls off the cart onto the luggage room floor.
In the hotel room, all three girls have dinner, empty three bottles of champagne and share their life stories with each other. They each then have a dream in which they end up with Tomás. However, in all three girls' dreams, they each feel bad in leaving the other two behind.
The next morning, Lorena has to meet the judges. However, it's also time for Cici to deliver Ricky's car to a man named Rodrigo (D.L. Hughley) who apparently bought it. Threatening to reveal the truth about Lorena's identity, Cici gets the girls come to an agreement. They leave Tomás but, in their absence, he's taken by Agent Rivera who has followed them to the hotel and used her credentials to get into the room. Upon returning to hotel in Ricky's car with Rodrigo's associate, Victor (Freddy Rodriguez) who is in pain from a root canal, the girls discover Tomás is missing and a note that reads, "If you want your Papi back, bring the money to the Don Quixote puppet at L.A. Latin festival at 5 PM. No cops."
Patricia knocks Victor out with a lamp and Cici calls Fala in Miami for answers about the car but doesn't get any. All that is left is to follow the instructions in the note but they are stopped once again, this time by Costas Delgado (Paul Rodriguez, uncredited), the director of the pageant, who has been looking for Lorena and needs her to meet with the judges immediately. Patricia finds the extra bag filled with money in the luggage room and Cici gets a map to the festival. Victor comes to, calls Rodrigo and they plan to catch the girls at the festival.
At the beauty pageant, the contestants are being interviewed by judges. While Miss Mexico is being interviewed, Lorena unbuttons her blouse slightly to show off her cleavage and Costas helps her with her sash. During Lorena's interview, Patricia and Cici arrive and take their place in the audience. Lorena's political side shows as she proposes entrance exams for all contestants and speaks of the goals of Latina beauty pageants. All is unfortunately for naught as the real Miss Puerto Rico (Nicole Scherzinger) storms in and outs Lorena as an impostor. Cici trips her, allowing all three to escape. Outside, Tomás wakes up in Agent Rivera's car. It appears that Agent Rivera has left the note. She intends to use Tomás and his three girlfriends in order to detain Victor and Rodrigo and follows the girls to the festival as they leave in Ricky's car. On the way, Tomás opens up to Agent Rivera and even hits on her but she doesn't bite.
Tomás is reunited with all three of his girlfriends. He apologizes to them for his deception and is unable to choose between them. The girls, however, have all found their inner strengths through their adventure and choose to leave Tomás instead. Tomás decides to take Agent Carmen's advice and spend some time alone. But first, he invites Carmen out for dinner. Returning to the festival crowds, the girls are invited to return to the stage where they dance to Christina Vidal's song It's All About Nothing.
The movie's timeline advances five months later and the girls have kept in touch. Patricia has moved into her own apartment with her dog Fifi and has gotten a job at an art gallery. Cici is an entertainer on a cruise liner with her business partner Fala. Lorena is still a lawyer working pro-bono but puts her time off to good use and becomes the self-proclaimed "Queen of Tango". Fifi hears her horoscope that advises her to "go outside the door because love is waiting for [her]." The movie ends with Fifi finding her "Puppy Chulo."
Cast
Roselyn Sanchez as Lorena
Sofía Vergara as Cici
Jaci Velasquez as Patricia
Eduardo Verástegui as Tomás "Papi" Fuentes
Lisa Vidal as Carmen
Freddy Rodríguez as Victor
D.L. Hughley as Rodrigo
Maria Conchita Alonso as Maria
Walter Mercado as Himself
Carlos Ponce as Himself
Joy Enriquez as Mary
Ian Gomez as Doctor Chu
Diana-Maria Riva as Fala (as Diana Maria Riva)
Ivette Sosa as Gloria
Barbara Bermudo as Miami TV Reporter
Cameos and appearances
The movie features several cameo appearances, including singer Carlos Ponce and Primer Impacto news reporter Barbara Bermudo.
Other entertainers who act in the film include ex-Eden's Crush members Nicole Scherzinger and Ivette Sosa, and Maria Conchita Alonso.
Critical reception
Critics gave generally negative reviews of Chasing Papi. It received an overall low rating of 33% from Metacritic. Rotten Tomatoes gave it a rating of only 13% based on 47 reviews. The film failed to appeal to a mainstream audience beyond its target Latino demographic.
Elizabeth Weitzman from the New York Daily News wrote "The credits on this film are genuinely impressive: Each of the talented actresses is already a popular Latina star, and the film was produced by Forest Whitaker, who directed Waiting to Exhale. No doubt he expected it to speak to an underrecognized audience in the way that one did. Instead, it just speaks down to them and the rest of us."
Sofía Margarita Vergara Vergara, born July 10, 1972 is a Colombian actress, television hostess, model, and entrepreneur.
Vergara had been widely known for co-hosting two TV shows for Univisión in the late 1990s. Her TV career opened up for her a window of exposure to North American audiences prior to her first notable acting job in English, the 2003 film Chasing Papi. Subsequently, she appeared in films, including two Tyler Perry films, Meet the Browns (2008) and Madea Goes to Jail (2009), receiving an ALMA Award nomination for the latter.
Vergara currently stars on the critically acclaimed ABC series Modern Family as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Early life
Vergara was born in Barranquilla, Colombia. Her mother, Margarita Vergara Dávila de Vergara, is a homemaker, and her father, Julio Enrique Vergara Robayo, produced cattle for the meat industry. "Toti" was the nickname given to Vergara by her five brothers and sisters and many cousins, including television news anchor and reporter Carlos Vergara. She grew up in her hometown of Barranquilla, and was raised as a devout Catholic in a well-off family, attending a private bilingual Spanish/English school.
After her divorce, Vergara studied pre-dentistry at a university in Colombia for three years. Then, many opportunities arose to work in modeling and in show business, and Vergara decided to pursue these in Latin America, leaving two semesters shy of graduating from dental school. Soon she decided to move to Miami, Florida, to take advantage of opportunities and to move away from unrest in Colombia (her older brother had been murdered in 1998 during an attempt to kidnap him). She brought her son, mother and sister with her. Her sister, Sandra, is now a minor movie and television actress in the United States.
Career
Vergara was discovered by a photographer while walking on a Colombian beach. Soon she was presented with offers in modeling and television work, and she considered accepting them despite being raised both conservatively and religiously. According to an article in the January 2002 issue of Maxim, Vergara was "apprehensive about doing her first television commercial—until her Catholic schoolteachers gave her their personal permission to take the assignment."Vergara made her first appearance as a performer at the age of seventeen, in a Pepsi commercial that was widely broadcast in Latin America.
Vergara moved to Bogotá, Colombia, at the age of twenty, where she worked as a runway model and on television. From 1995 to 1998, she was co-host with Fernando Fiore on Fuera de serie ("Out of the Ordinary" or "Over-the-Top"), a travel series that sent her to exotic places around the world. It was telecast on the international Univisión Spanish-language television network, and it made her a star in the Latin American market. It also gave Vergara television exposure in the United States via the Univisión stations there. She co-hosted the Univisión show A que no te atreves ("I Dare You"). She appeared as a guest star in the season-four opening of the HBO series Entourage.
Besides runway and catalog modeling work, Vergara did independent projects. She was photographed for posters and swimsuit calendars in 1998, 2000, and 2002.
Vergara is 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) tall, and she has naturally blonde hair. (for movies and television, she is sometimes asked to color it brunette to make her look more stereotypically Latina). Vergara was under an exclusive television contract with Univision for several years, and after it expired she accepted a role with the ABC network in the United States. Vergara appeared on the ABC situation comedies Hot Properties and The Knights of Prosperity. She currently stars on the ABC sitcom Modern Family as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett, for which she was nominated for the 2010 and 2011 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series along with a Golden Globe Award, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations.
Vergara plays Alicia Oviedo in the television show Amas de Casa Desesperadas, the Colombian version of Desperate Housewives. Her character is essentially the Colombian counterpart to the Mary Alice Young character in the American show. She also appeared on the ABC drama Dirty Sexy Money as Jeremy Darling's love interest. Vergara has made guest appearances in the Mexican telenovela Fuego En La Sangre.
In 2009, Vergara had a five-week stint on Broadway as "Mama" Morton in the revival of Chicago.
In 2011, Vergara was supposed to star in The Paperboy, an independent drama directed by Lee Daniels. Due to delays, shooting was pushed back a week (which conflicted with Vergara shooting Season 3 of Modern Family), so she was forced to drop out.
In July 2011, she finished filming for the Farrelly Brothers’ The Three Stooges, her first lead role in a film. Vergara said, "I play a mean woman that tries to manipulate the Three Stooges into killing her husband so that she gets all the money."
Endorsements
In 2011, Vergara was named the new face of CoverGirl. It will be her first ever campaign for the cosmetics company. The advertisements will debut in January 2012.
In April 2011, Vergara debuted in a Diet Pepsi commercial with David Beckham. Diet Pepsi's marketing director has said that Pepsi has formalized its relationship with Vergara, but it is not known when or where follow-up commercials will air.
In September 2011, it was announced that Vergara is designing a clothing line for K-Mart targeting "soccer moms."
Honors and awards
In 2008, Vergara was 62 on Maxim magazine's "Hot 100" list. She was named one of People magazine's "50 most beautiful people" and has been recognized by both the Hollywood Reporter and Billboard as one of the most influential Latinas in Hollywood.
Personal life
Vergara was married at the age of 18 to her childhood sweetheart, and she gave birth to her son Manolo Gonzalez-Ripoll Vergara on September 16, 1992, at the age of 20.
In 1998 Vergara's older brother, Rafael, was murdered on the streets of Bogota, Colombia. On May 9, 2011, Vergara's younger brother, Julio, was deported back to Colombia after being arrested in April; Julio also had a longtime drug addiction and brushes with the law. "To see somebody dying over 10 years, little by little, that's the worst punishment," Vergara told Parade magazine. "Now he's like another person."
Vergara was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2000. She followed the treatment recommended by her doctors (surgery, iodine radiation) and made a full recovery.
Filmography
Films
2002 Big Trouble Nina
2003 Chasing Papi Cici
2004 The 24th Day Isabella
Soul Plane Blanca
2005 Lords of Dogtown Amelia
Four Brothers Sofi Nominated – Black Reel Award: Best Ensemble
2006 Grilled Loridonna
National Lampoon's Pledge This Herself
2008 Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns Cheryl
2009 Madea Goes to Jail T.T. Nominated – ALMA Award for Best Actress in Film
2011 The Smurfs Odile
New Year's Eve Ava Post-production
Happy Feet 2 Carmen Post-production
2012 The Three Stooges Lydia Post-production
Television
1995–1998 Fuera de serie Herself Co-host
1999 A que no te atreves Herself Co-host
Baywatch Herself 1 episode
2002 My Wife and Kids Selma 1 episode
2004 Eve April Perez 1 episode
Rodney Carmen 1 episode
2005 Hot Properties Lola Hernandez Main Cast
Punk'd Herself 1 episode
2007 Entourage Jungle Girl 1 episode
Amas de Casa Desesperadas Alicia Oviedo Main Cast
The Knights of Prosperity Esperanza Villalobos Main Cast
Dirty Sexy Money Sofia Montoya 4 episodes
2008 Fuego En La Sangre Leonora 10 episodes
Men in Trees Pilar Romero 2 episodes
2009 Dancing with the Stars Herself Guest Appearance
2009–present Modern Family Gloria Delgado-Prichett Main Cast
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (2011)
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2010)
Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film
Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (2010 & 2011)
Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2009)
Trace Cyrus and Brenda Song are engaged! Miley Cyrus' bro asked his girlfriend to marry him and announced the good news on Twitter.
"I am very excited to say, last week I asked my girlfriend Brenda Song to marry me and she said YES!" the former Metro Station rocker posted on Twitter Friday. "We are both very excited to be engaged!"
Miley also tweeted about the good news: "@TraceCyrus can't wait for Brenda to be a Cyrus :)" she wrote, adding "Couldn't be more excited about my 'sister in law to be' yay :)."
Cyrus announced the big news on Twitter, saying, “I am very excited to say, last week I asked my girlfriend Brenda Song to marry me and she said YES! We are both very excited to be engaged!”
It was the last tweet sent on his old phone, as he followed up the engagement report with the announcement that he had purchased a new iPhone 4s with a new phone number.
According to Zap2it, Cyrus’ famous sister Miley Cyrus took to Twitter to congratulate the happy couple and welcoming Song into the family, saying, “Can’t wait for Brenda to be a Cyrus :) couldn’t be more excited about my ‘sister in law to be’ yay :).”
In August, news spread that Song, 23, was pregnant and Cyrus was the father.
A source at the time said, “[The pregnancy] was not expected. They were both startled to find out she’s pregnant… They are figuring out how to handle it.”
Cyrus is a musician and former lead guitarist for the band Metro Station before moving on to form the band Ashland High. Cyrus has also started his own clothing line. Song, meanwhile, is currently lending her voice to an upcoming TV animated movie, Tinker Bell and the Pixie Hollow Games.
Brenda Song, born March 27, 1988 is an American actress, film producer, and model. Song started in show business as a child fashion model. Her early television work included roles in the shows Fudge (1995) and 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd (1999). After many commercials and television roles in the late 1990s, Song won a Young Artist Award for her performance in The Ultimate Christmas Present (2000). She made her screen debut in Santa with Muscles (1996) and appeared in 20th Century Fox's Like Mike (2002). Her movies on the Disney Channel include Get a Clue (2002) and Stuck in the Suburbs (2004).
In 2005 Song began playing the lead female role of London Tipton in the Disney series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and The Suite Life on Deck. The character was noted as Disney's longest continuous female character in October 2009. Song gained more fame after she played the title role in the Disney Channel Original Movie, Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior, which received over 5.7 million viewers on the night of its premiere. In 2006 Song was named the "Queen of Disney" by Cosmogirl Magazine.
In the late 2000s, she starred in the coming-of-age drama Special Delivery, Walt Disney Pictures' College Road Trip, and The Social Network (2010). She was the celebrity endorser of Disney Cruise Lines in 2010. Song has been described as one of "young Hollywood’s most promising rising stars" and a "young phenomenon on the rise" by media outlets. TV Guide listed her in its 2008 list of "13 Hottest Young Stars to Watch".
Early life
Brenda Song was born in Carmichael, California, a suburb of Sacramento, to a Hmong father and a Thai mother who had been adopted by a Hmong family. Her paternal grandparents were from the Xiong clan, but changed their last name to Song when the family immigrated to the United States. Her parents were born in Asia and met as adults in Sacramento. Her father works as a schoolteacher and her mother is a homemaker. She has two younger brothers, Timmy and Nathan.
When she was six years old, Song moved with her mother to Los Angeles to support her acting career; the rest of the family followed two years later. As a young girl, Song wanted to do ballet, while her younger brother wanted to take taekwondo. She said, "My mom only wanted to take us to one place," so they settled on taekwondo. Although Song cried all the way through her first class, she now holds a black belt in taekwondo. Song was named an All-American Scholar in the ninth grade. She was homeschooled and earned a high school diploma at age 16, then took courses at a community college and online from the University of California, Berkeley,with a major in psychology and a minor in business.
Acting
Early work
Song started in show business as a child fashion model in San Francisco after being spotted in a shopping mall by an agent from a modeling school. She began acting at the age of five or six in a Little Caesars commercial, and then a Barbie commercial. Her first film role was in the 1995 Requiem, an AFI student short film by actress Elizabeth Sung. "She came in confident [at the auditions]. She was very focused, and it was very obvious that she loved what she was doing," said Sung.The film is about a waitress/dancer named Fong who remembers her loving brother and their bittersweet childhood in Hong Kong. The seven-year-old Song played a young version of "Fong", who is portrayed as an adult by Tamlyn Tomita. The film won a CINE Golden Eagle award. She appeared in another short film directed by Elizabeth Sung called The White Fox.
Song appeared in two episodes of the television program Thunder Alley, and was a regular in the children's television series Fudge, where she portrayed Jenny. Her theatrical film debut was in Santa with Muscles, a 1996 independent film starring professional wrestler Hulk Hogan. After a small role in Leave It to Beaver (1997), she appeared in the Nickelodeon television series 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd, where she played Sariffa Chung in thirteen episodes. After 100 Deeds, she had a number of small parts in television shows such as 7th Heaven, Judging Amy, ER, Once and Again, and Bette, where she met Ashley Tisdale.
Two of Song's early roles led to recognition in the Young Artist Awards. Her role in the 2000 Disney Channel Original Movie The Ultimate Christmas Present won her the award for "Best Performance in a TV Movie Comedy, Supporting Young Actress". The film centers on two teenage girls, Allison Thompson (Hallee Hirsh) and Samantha Kwan (Song), who find a weather machine and make it snow in Los Angeles. Her 2002 appearance on The Bernie Mac Show led to a nomination for "Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series, Guest Starring Young Actress". In the same year, she was in the 20th Century Fox family film Like Mike, which grossed over $60 million. The film stars rapper Bow Wow as an orphan who can suddenly play NBA-level basketball. Song portrays the character Reg Stevens, a thirteen-year old orphan. Although the film was criticized for its "frightening myths about adoption", it was successful enough to spawn a sequel. Song did not participate in the sequel.
In 2002 Song signed a contract with Disney and appeared in the Disney Channel movie Get a Clue. After 2002 Song continued to make guest appearances in American situation comedies such as That's So Raven and One on One. She had a recurring role as Tia in the Disney Channel series Phil of the Future, appearing in seven episodes of the series in 2004 and 2005.
In late 2004 Song starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie Stuck in the Suburbs, portraying Natasha Kwon-Schwartz. The television premiere received 3.7 million viewers. The film is about two teenage girls living in suburbia who accidentally exchange cell phones with a famous teen musician. She said later: "When Stuck came out it was crazy 'cause we went to Six Flags and we were there and so many kids recognized us from Stuck in the Suburbs, I'm like wow that movie must have done really well."That year, Song posed for the cover of Teen People with her Get a Clue co-star, Lindsay Lohan.
The Suite Life of Zack and Cody
In 2005 Song received the role of the spoiled heiress London Tipton in the Disney Channel Original Series, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. The role was named "Paris" in an early script and is an allusion to "Paris Hilton" (London spoofing Paris, and Tipton is the name of the hotel her father owns in the show). She got the role without an audition, and was surprised to find her friend, Ashley Tisdale, working in the show. Song says, "London is my fantasy person, I wish I could be her. I wish I had her closet."
The series is about the residents and workers at the fictional Tipton Hotel in Boston and mainly centers around the trouble-making twins, Zack and Cody Martin (Dylan and Cole Sprouse), and London Tipton (Song). The series premiered on the Disney Channel on March 18, 2005, receiving four million viewers, making it the most successful premiere for the Disney Channel in 2005. In 2007 the series was the top-rated television program among children aged 6 to 11, and was the second top-rated television program for children aged 9 to 14. Song's participation in the series led to her becoming highly popular among children between the ages of seven and ten. In 2006 Song was featured in Teen People's "Young Hollywood" issue, which described her role in the Suite Life as her breakout role.
Song's performance in the Suite Life series was often praised by critics. An April 2009 andPOP.com article stated that as London Tipton, "Song is the One to Steal the Spotlight" on the Disney Channel. They said, "if you ever watched an episode of ‘The Suite Life with Zack & Cody’ you should realize that show is watchable because of one character: London Tipton. Brenda plays the ditzy spoiled hotel heiress London (yup, an allusion to Paris Hilton) and, if I could say so myself, she does quite an excellent job doing so." While commenting on Song, MSN's 2009 cover story on the series stated, "Song is one of the main reasons why the "Suite Life" franchise remains one of the most successful and highly rated series in the Disney stable." In a 2009 People magazine article, the character was described as a "melodramatic high-seas diva."
The series eventually earned a 2007 Young Artist Award for "Best Family Television Series (comedy)", Emmy nominations for "Outstanding Children's Program" (twice) and "Outstanding Choreography", and three Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award nominations for "Favorite TV show" in 2007, 2008, and 2009. In 2006 Song earned an Asian Excellence Award nomination for "Outstanding Newcomer" for her part in the series.
After her debut on the Suite Life series, Song became a regular on the Disney Channel, and had a voice role in Disney Channel's American Dragon: Jake Long series. In 2006 Song had a voice-over role in Holidaze: The Christmas That Almost Didn't Happen. She later starred in an online series called London Tipton's Yay Me! based on the episode "Tiptonline" on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.
Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior
Song's first starring role as the title character was in the 2006 Disney Channel Original Movie Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior, which had over 5.7 million viewers at its premiere. At first, Wendy Wu was planned to be a comedy, but the directors of the film were having trouble finding a suitable actor with both the comedic presence and taekwondo ability to play the main character, originally named Kenny Lu. Lydia Cook, one of the films's directors, said, "Brenda was originally brought in to play the [supporting] monk’s role. We started training with her in martial arts, and that’s when we realized that she should be Kenny Lu. They quickly switched things around and offered Brenda the lead in the movie. She had the perfect combination of wit and martial arts." Song had to break a brick with her hand in a screen test before landing the title role.
According to The New York Times, the film became a "star vehicle" for Song. The film was about an average, popular Chinese-American teenager whose life is turned upside down by a visit from a young Chinese monk (Shin Koyamada). The monk claims she is the reincarnation of a powerful female warrior and the only person who can prevent an ancient evil spirit from destroying the world. In a second story line, Wendy and most of her family struggle with keeping their culture and heritage. Song felt she could relate to the message since she knew little about her own people before making the film. She said, "I really identified with Wendy because I don’t want to not know where I came from".To promote the film, she posed for the cover of Seventeen, Teen People, Teen, Seventeen Malaysia, and several other magazines, and traveled to Malaysia, Singapore, and Costa Rica. A Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior sequel, starring Song and Koyamada, was announced in the end of 2007.
The film received positive reviews from critics. UltimateDisney.com called the role "a strong departure from her flaky London Tipton character in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody", adding that Song "shows in this movie that she no longer has to restrict herself to playing the dumb one." The site praised the film, stating, "Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior is an enjoyable little telefilm, rife with killer action sequences (for a DCOM), and a great showcase of talent in both acting and martial for Brenda Song. Aside from a few totally cliched characters and situations, it's worth 91 minutes of your time." Allmovie described Song as a "charming and appealing personality, even when playing a shallow airhead".
While commending Disney for the strong Asian cast, a BellaOnline review noted that that it is rare to see a female martial arts star with a black belt. Song did most of her own stunt work for the film, with guidance from Koichi Sakamoto, executive producer for the Power Rangers series. Song was inspired to endure the stunt training by the way her mother dealt with breast cancer in 2005. Disney Channel executive vice president Gary Marsh called the film "Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" and said of Song: "She's incredibly talented, she's smart. She adds diversity to our network, and she's a real kid."
Theatrical films and Suite Life spin-off
Song at The Cheetah Girls: One World premiere, August 2008
In 2008 Song appeared in the Walt Disney Pictures film College Road Trip with Raven-Symoné and Martin Lawrence. In its opening weekend in March 2008, the film grossed $13.6 million, ranking #2 at the box office. The family film centers on college-bound teen Melanie Porter (Symoné), who goes on a road trip to different colleges with her father, while her college-bound friends Nancy Carter (Song) and Katie (Margo Harshman) surprise Melanie on her road trip. The film grossed $45 million in the United States and $6 million outside the United States. Although it earned a Teen Choice Award nomination for "choice movie comedy", the acting was panned, and the film mainly received negative reviews. A Daily Mail review said the film was "one of those churn-'em-out Disney comedies in which every performer seems to be competing to give the most annoying performance in cinematic history."
After being a captain for three years in the Disney Channel Games, Song was featured in Studio DC: Almost Live with other Disney stars. She had guest voice roles in Phineas & Ferb and The Emperor's New School. She starred in the Lifetime Movie Network telefilm Special Delivery, a film about bonded courier, Maxine (Lisa Edelstein), who is forced to take care of a 14-year old troubled teen, Alice (Song). The Daily Record called it a "likeable comedy".The Australian publication Urban CineFilm gave Song a positive review for her performance in the film.
Song reprised her role as London Tipton in the 2008 Suite Life spin-off/sequel, The Suite Life on Deck. The show's premiere on the Disney Channel drew 5.7 million viewers, and it became the most-watched series premiere on Canada's Family Channel. The show became the most-watched scripted series among children aged 6 to 11 and among tweens in 2008. In 2009 the show was the most-watched scripted series among children and the second most-watched scripted series among pre-teens. Disney ordered a second season for the series, which aired in August 2009. In May 2009 Disney Channel's executive vice president Gary Marsh issued a press release where he said, "with this second-season extension, the cast of 'The Suite Life' makes Disney Channel history by becoming the longest running continuous characters on our air – 138 half-hour episodes. We are thrilled for them, and for the brilliant, inspired production team that made this extraordinary run possible."Song's character, London Tipton, is Disney Channel's longest continuous female character.
Song starred as Paige in a December 2008 animated TV special for NBC, "Macy's Presents Little Spirit: Christmas in New York". The animated TV special is about a friendly New York cab driver (Danny DeVito) who tells a magical story to two sisters (Song and Rachel Shier). The television special received five million viewers. In late 2008 Song made a special appearance at the grand opening of the RTA HealthLine in Cleveland.
In early 2009 Song started filming Boogie Town with Marques Houston and Vanessa Simmons. The film is compared to West Side Story; it is set in a future New York City where dancing battles occur in "Boogie Town". In the film Micah (Houston) falls in love with Natalie (Song), the sister of the head of a rival dance group, and the two become a modern Romeo and Juliet. The film was shot in downtown Los Angeles. Distributed by Vivendi Entertainment, it was scheduled to be released in the summer of 2009, but it was postponed, and was expected to be released theatrically in 2010.
In October 2009 Song joined the main cast of Columbia Pictures' The Social Network alongside Jesse Eisenberg and Justin Timberlake.[66] The film was about the founders of the popular social networking site, Facebook. Song portrays Eduardo Saverin's unbalanced girlfriend. Aaron Sorkin adapted the screenplay from the novel The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal. David Fincher directed the film,[67] which began filming in October 2009. The film won the "Hollywood Ensemble Award" from the Hollywood Awards, and was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Another theatrical film, Little Sister, was announced at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival in May 2010. The film is an independent film distributed by Goalpost Film and Goalpost Productions.
Song has been represented by the International Creative Management and Richard Konigsberg Management.
Music
Song was part of the Disney Channel Circle of Stars, a group of performers from several different Disney Channel television series. She took part in the recording and music video of a version of "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes". The recording was included on the special edition Cinderella DVD and on the DisneyMania 4 CD. The album CD was released in April 2005 under the Walt Disney Records label and peaked at #15 on the Billboard 200, and #2 on the Top Kids Audio chart and Top Compilation Albums chart.
In 2004 Song appeared in Jesse McCartney's music video for "Good Life". Film clips from Stuck in the Suburbs, which included Song, appeared in music videos for Anneliese van der Pol's song "Over It" and Taran Killam's "More Than Me", "On Top of the World", and "Make a Wish". In 2007 Song filmed a music video for "Open Up Your Eyes", which was featured in her movie Holidaze. She recorded a song for Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior called "I'm Not That Girl", which aired on Radio Disney and was on the Wendy Wu DVD. In the Suite Life High School Musical-themed episode, Song performed "Bop To The Top" and "Really Great". "Really Great" became the theme song for the online series, London Tipton's Yay Me!. She sang "Bling Is My Favourite Thing" on another Suite Life episode. Ian Scott wrote and produced demo songs for her. The songs are credited to Mark Jackson Productions, which is associated with Warner Bros. Records.
Public image and personal life
In 2006 Song was hostess for the "A World Of Change" annual charity fashion show to benefit Optimist Youth Homes & Family Services. She supported the 10th Annual L.A. Cancer Challenge, and was part of the Disney Channel Games, which supported various charities including Make-a-Wish Foundation and UNICEF. In 2008 Song was part of the "Power of Youth carnival", a benefit for the St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. In 2006 and 2007 she participated in the YMCA Healthy Kids Day in Chicago. She began hosting a Disney special daily segment called Pass the Plate in 2007, in which she helps children and their families learn more about nutrition and healthy food. The series is produced in ten countries in association with Disney Channel. Song returned for the second season of the miniseries.
In 2006 a series of articles by Scholastic included facts about Song and mathematical guidance from her. The first article in the series was "Maths Spotlight on... Brenda Song". Song also appeared alongside Paula Abdul and several other celebrities in a "Our Time to Vote" commercial, which aimed to encourage American citizens to vote during the 2008 presidential election.In 2009, Song participated in the "Diet Pepsi Easter Holiday House" event. She decorated an egg at the event which was sold in an online auction benefiting Feeding America.
According to Time, Song is one of the three Disney starlets who have not been involved in the Hollywood party girl scene, along with Hilary Duff and Raven-Symoné. Asiance Magazine calls her a "great role model" for young girls. She said in 2005: "Besides Hollywood grand-openings and award shows, I try to stay away from the parties. It’s so easy to be swept away from that whole scene because it’s expected of you. I’ve never drank or smoked in my entire life, but I’ve seen 15-year-olds drinking and smoking and I just think that’s gross." On being a young role model to kids, Song said: "Oh goodness, I hope I can set a good example. If I can do it, anyone can. I’m living my dream every single day."
In 2006 Song was named the "Queen of Disney" by Cosmogirl Magazine due to her major contributions on the Disney Channel. Song ranked ninth in Netscape's 2007 "Top 10 Pretty Petites in Entertainment",was voted one of AOL's "Top 20 Tween (and Teen) TV Stars", and was ranked #3 on Maxim's Asian Hot 100 of 2008 list. Song was also ranked #45 in AIM's "Top 100 Celebs Under 25" list. TV Guide listed her in its 2008 list of "13 Hottest Young Stars to Watch". In 2009, Song was featured in Celebuzz's "Rising Stars" list,[89] and was described as one of "young Hollywood’s most promising rising stars". In 2009 she was named one of the most influential Asian Americans under the age of 30 by the blog Angry Asian Man.
Song was a spokesperson for Disney's environmental campaign, Disney's Friends for Change.[91] She was featured in several commercials on the Disney Channel for the campaign. The charity's aim was to explain how children can help preserve the Earth and invited them to go to the Friends for Change website to register and pledge, offering them the chance to help choose how Disney will invest $1 million in environmental programs. In 2010 she was the celebrity endorser of the Walt Disney Company's Disney Cruise Line.
On October 14, 2011, People magazine reported Song was engaged to Trace Cyrus.
Lawsuit
The original image from Song's website, which was used in the LA Weekly escort ad
On April 18, 2008, a picture of Song was used in an ad for an escort agency in the back of that week's LA Weekly. Disney lawyers were not pleased with the use of Song's copyrighted image for advertising adult activities. A rep from Disney told TMZ: "This is an unauthorized use of Brenda Song's image and her personal attorney has issued a cease and desist to the advertiser." Song filed a libel suit against the Vibe Media Inc. seeking at least $100,000 in damages. Song said: "As a role model to millions of young people, I feel I have to take a stand against this company in regard to its exploitation of my image."
Song's attorney said the photo used in the advertisement was taken when Song was 16 years old. Song's attorney later found that an individual, and not Vibe Media, was responsible for the use of the photo. He told Back Stage:
I'm not sure if they were trying to just find a picture of a pretty girl or an Asian-looking girl or whether they expected that Brenda would be recognized.... Brenda's demographic is a lot different from what I would suppose the clients of this business are. If you're the sort of person who would use the services of a business like this, it is quite possible that you have never heard of Brenda Song.
Song's attorney said that it would be hard to show how much the misuse of the photo hurt her career, but that a lawsuit was needed. "Brenda has been careful to not accept roles that would taint her in the way that some other young actors have been."
In January 2009, a tentative settlement was reached, although the terms were still being finalized. In March 2009, Radar reported Song won the lawsuit.
Filmography
Films
1995 Requiem Young Fong
1996 Santa with Muscles Susan
1997 Leave It to Beaver Susan Acustis
1999 The White Fox N/A Short film
2000 The Ultimate Christmas Present Samantha Kwan Disney Channel Original Movie, Young Artist Award
2002 Like Mike Reg Stevens
2002 Get a Clue Jennifer Disney Channel Original Movie
2004 Stuck in the Suburbs Natasha Kwon-Schwartz Disney Channel Original Movie
2004 A Cinderella Story[3] Kelly Anderson Warner Bros. film
2004 Costume Party Capers: The Incredibles Alex Voice
2006 Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior Wendy Wu Co-producer
2006 Holidaze: The Christmas That Almost Didn't Happen Treat Voice
2008 Special Delivery Alice Cantwell Lifetime Movie Network
2008 College Road Trip Nancy Walt Disney Pictures
2008 Macy's Presents Little Spirit: Christmas in New York Paige NBC television special
2010 The Social Network Christy Lee Columbia Pictures
2010 Little Sister Storyteller Independent film
2011 The Little Engine That Could Shiny Passenger Train Universal movie based on book
2011 The Suite Life Movie London Tipton Disney Channel Original Movie based on TV series
Television
1995 Fudge Jennie Season one regular
1999 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd Sariffa Chung
2004–2005 Phil of the Future Tia 7 episodes
2005–2008 The Suite Life of Zack & Cody London Tipton 88 episodes, co-producer
2007–2010 Pass the Plate Host Disney Channel miniseries
2008–2011 The Suite Life on Deck London Tipton 71 episodes
The secret marriage of Leticia and Billy Ray Cyrus didn't remain a secret very long. Newspapers were reporting about their wedding the day after they were married. Here is information about their wedding, their children, separation, and more.
Billy Ray Cyrus: "I've dropped the divorce," Cyrus, 49, said during an interview on The View scheduled to air on Friday. "I want to put my family back together … Things are the best they've ever been."
Wedding Date:
Leticia and Billy Ray began dating in 1991 and secretly married on December 28, 1993 at his home near Nashville, Tennessee.
Billy Ray wore "blue jeans and a cutup sweatshirt. The bride wore a dress over a catsuit."
Children:
The blended family of Leticia and Billy Ray Cyrus includes six children.
Brandi Cyrus: Born abt 1987. Brandi plays bass guitar. Her mother is Leticia Cyrus.
Trace Cyrus: Born abt 1989. Trace is a guitarist/singer for the band Metro Station. His mother is Leticia Cyrus and his father is Baxter Neal Helson.
Christopher Cody Cyrus: Born in 1992. His father is Billy Ray Cyrus and his mother is Kristen Luckey.
Miley Ray Cyrus: Born November 1992 in Franklin, Tennessee. Miley's birth name is Destiny Hope Cyrus. She changed her name legally in January 2008. Miley is an actress, musician, and songwriter. Miley is well known for playing the character "Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana." Her parents are Leticia and Billy Ray Cyrus.
Braison Chance Cyrus: Braison has appeared in the "Hannah Montana" series. His parents are Leticia and Billy Ray Cyrus.
Noah Lindsey Cyrus: Born January 2000 in Nashville, Tennessee. Noah has acted in television series. Her parents are Leticia and Billy Ray Cyrus.
Occupations:
Billy Ray: Award winning country music singer, songwriter, actor, and former Oldsmobile salesman.
Residences:
Billy Ray and Leticia have Singin' Hill Farm, a 500-acre farm in Thompson's Station, Tennessee and a home in Los Angeles, California.
Billy Ray: "The first time I saw this place, I said, "Cyrus, you're home.'"
Source: Beth Perry, Eileen Finan, "The Family Man", People, August 4, 2008, page 73.
Jacques Steinberg: "To devote themselves full-time to the production of "Hannah," on which Miley, a seventh grader, is tutored on the set, Mr. Cyrus and his wife, Tish, moved her and her four siblings to Los Angeles from Nashville. She reluctantly left behind her family's seven horses, as well as a number of good friends."
Quotes About the Marriage of Tish and Billy Ray Cyrus:
Billy Ray: "Oh, it's huge —- it [Hannah Montana] destroyed my family. I'll tell you right now — the damn show destroyed my family ... Heck, yeah. I'd erase it all in a second if I could."
Chris Heath. "Mr. Hannah Montana's Achy Broken Heart.
Billy Ray: "You know what, this train may come off the tracks, but I'm going to be a dad. I'm going to be a husband, and try to have something in my life that is right."
