Orlando Bloom

Orlando Jonathan Blanchard Bloom
Born - 13 January 1977
He is an English actor. He had his break-through role as the elf-prince Legolas in The Lord of the Rings and blacksmith Will Turner in the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy of films, and Troy, Elizabethtown, and Kingdom of Heaven. Also in the sequels of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.

Derek Jeter Biography

Derek Sanderson Jeter was born June 26th, 1974, to parents Charles Jeter and Dorothy Conner, in Pequannock, New Jersey. When Jeter was four, the family (which includes sister Sharlee) moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan. By the age of six, Jeter's grandmother had introduced him to baseball and he began rooting for the Yankees.

Almost immediately, the young Jeter dreamed of playing for the "Bronx Bombers." One of the Yankee players that Derek Jeter looked up to was Hall of Famer Dave Winfield.

junior jeter shows promise

Upon entering Kalamazoo High School, Jeter focused his attention on baseball. He wasn't one for getting into trouble, as his father, a substance abuse counselor, was a tremendous influence. Jeter's high-school academic performance was outstanding, and he was named to the National Honor Society.

In his senior year, Jeter batted .508 for the baseball team, with twelve stolen bases. Although he was recruited to go to college, Jeter chose to pursue a baseball career and attend college in the off-season. He was the first high-school player chosen (sixth overall) by the Yankees in the 1992 free agent draft.

While playing for class (a) Tampa in 1992, Jeter batted just .202 and often cried. He was homesick and had a difficult time adjusting to minor league baseball life. But, his nest season was a huge improvement, as he batted .293 for (a) Greensboro. The following season, Jeter enjoyed immense success, as he batted .377 at (aa) Albany and .349 at (aaa) Columbus. He was named the Sporting News Minor League Player of the Year for 1994.

Jeter's 1995 season was split between Columbus and New York. On May 29th, 1995, Jeter made his major league debut with the Yankees. He managed to bat .250 in a limited time with New York, before being optioned back to (aaa) Columbus. Upon completion of the Yankees' 1995 season, manager Joe Torre announced that Derek Jeter would be his starting shortstop the following year.

a yankee to the finish

Having Jeter start the season with New York did wonders for his confidence. He went on to bat .314 and capture the American League's Rookie of the Year award. The Yankees went on to defeat the Atlanta Braves for the World Series title. Jeter batted .360 through all three rounds of the playoffs, cementing himself as one of the best "clutch" performers in all of baseball.

The 1997 season wasn't as productive as his first big league season. Nevertheless, Jeter still managed to score over 100 runs and bat .291. The Yankees did manage to make the playoffs, but were eliminated by Baltimore.

The 1998 season was a magical one for Derek Jeter and the Yankees. Not only did the Yankees have the best record in baseball, but Jeter also made his first all-star appearance. Derek finished the year with career highs in batting average, stolen bases, runs batted in, home runs, and runs scored. The Yankees capped off the season by winning the World Series over San Diego in four games. Jeter had a terrific World Series, batting .353 in the four games.

Looking to better his numbers from 1998, Derek Jeter had yet another career year in 1999. He posted his first 100 RBI season, as well as his first 20 home run year. Jeter led the Yankees to yet another World Series title over Atlanta, batting .375 for the entire postseason.

Although Jeter had another stellar year in 2000, his numbers didn't quite match up to those posted in 1999. After winning the 2000 MVP award for his third all-star game, Jeter made sure he saved his best for the postseason. Despite Jeter batting just .211 in the first round against Oakland, the Yankees managed to advance to the A.L. Championship Series. Facing the Mariners, Jeter improved his eye at the plate to bat .318 in six games.

Dubbed the "Subway Series," Jeter and the Yankees squared off versus their New York counterparts, the Mets. Not since the 1950s had two New York teams faced each other for baseball's most coveted prize. Derek rose to the challenge, as he hit .408 in five games, with two doubles, a triple and two home runs. Derek was awarded the World Series MVP trophy, as the Yankees took home their fourth title in five years.

jeter just keeps going

In 2001, Derek had another phenomenal season, as he topped .300, hit 21 home runs, stole 27 bases and earned another all-star selection. However, despite being the three-time defending champs, the Yankees were not even favored to represent the American League in the World Series. The Seattle Mariners, who lost to New York in the A.L. Championship Series in 2000, had one of the best regular season records ever in 2001.

In the first round of the 2001 playoffs, the Yankees were down two games to none in their best-of-five series with Oakland. With games three and four being played in Oakland, few observers gave New York a chance to win the series. In the final stages of game three, Derek Jeter came up with a play that turned the series around. He was able to make a leaping stab at a ball thrown weakly home, and then quickly relay it home to throw out an Oakland base runner. Had Jeter not made that play, the Yankees might not have won the last three games in the series and advanced to face the Mariners.

Despite the Mariners being favored and Jeter hitting just .118 in the A.L. Championship Series, the Yankees disposed of Seattle in five games. However, the Yankees were not able to successfully defend their title, as the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the Yankees in a thrilling seven-game series. Arizona scored the winning run on hit that sailed over Jeter's head and into shallow left field.

Currently, the Yankees are in a heated battle for the A.L. East Division and Jeter is a major part of their success. He continues to display the skills that have made him a household name. Jeter is looking forward to trying for his fifth World Series ring, and based on his track record, it's hard to bet against him.

Tom Brady

Tom Brady is one of the top quarterbacks in the National Football League and with three championships with the New England Patriots under his belt he is prepping a resume for the Hall of Fame. Brady has twice been named the Super Bowl MVP in his four appearances. He acts, plays and looks like a winner and garners a lot of attention on and off the field. In 2002, Brady was one of People magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People and in 2005 he was named Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated.

Off the field, Brady has made a few TV appearances on NFL Monday Night Football, Saturday Night Live, Late Show with David Letterman, The Simpsons, Family Guy, and he made a cameo as a computer geek in the movie Stuck On You.

As a celebrity himself, Brady’s handsome farm-boy charm has attracted the attention of a number of celebrity women, such as Tara Reid, Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, and Bridget Moynahan.

Behind the scenesBorn in San Mateo, California in 1977, Brady is a genuine, all-American nice guy in a sport built on tough and rough men. He is reportedly a person who treats everyone with respect and he is never arrogant. Proving that being a star quarterback doesn’t grant you the privilege to slack off, Tom is the first to arrive in the locker room and the last to leave.

Although Tom doesn’t have his own charity, he has contributed to those of his teammates, such as Lawyer Milloy, Joe Andruzzi and Lonie Paxton’s Active Force Foundation, which engineers, designs and provides adaptive sports equipment to people with physical disabilities. In addition to working with the Starlight Children’s Foundation of New England, Tom is the two-millionth member of the ONE Campaign -- an international movement to make poverty history and dedicated to encouraging Americans to lobby Congress for a 1% budget increase in humanitarian aid to the developing world.

On the horizon On a professional level, Brady continues to strive toward another Super Bowl. His head coach, Bill Belichick, keeps him focused on the future, leaving his three championship rings as a memory to enjoy during the off-season. At the rate Brady is going, an induction into Pro Football Hall of Fame is likely on the horizon.

On a personal level, Brady is not married and that figures to also be a pursuit considering his strong Roman Catholic roots.

Justin Timberlake

Biography
Grammy-winning recording artist and actor Justin Timberlake more or less grew up in the spotlight. Making his screen debut before he was even old enough to shave, Timberlake was a cast member of the early 1990s revamp of The Mickey Mouse Club (The Disney Channel, 1989-1994). His greatest claim to fame, however, was as the front man for the phenomenally popular boy band NSync. Striking out on his own in the early 2000s, Timberlake established credibility as a solo artist, soon eclipsing the careers of his N Sync colleagues. After securing his position as one of the modern music industrys most reliable artists and one half of pop musics cutest one-time couple, alongside fellow Mouseketeer Britney Spears Timberlake made his way to Hollywood, where he sought to re-ignite his acting career with a series of bold movie roles in off-beat films.

Born on Jan. 31, 1981, Justin Randall Timberlake grew up in the suburb of Millington, TN, just outside the city of Memphis. The grandson of a Baptist mister, Timberlake was raised in the religion and even attended the same Baptist church where his father, Randall, served as choir director. Randall Timberlake and Justins mother, Lynn Bomar Timberlake, divorced in 1985. However, Lynn remained an active part of her sons life and career well into his adulthood. Showing a proclivity for singing early on, the 11-year-old Timberlake appeared as a contestant on Star Search (Synd., 1983-1995) in 1993. Performing under the stage moniker of Justin Randall, Timberlake crooned cute country-western tunes to an appreciative audience. While he did not go home a winner that night, Timberlakes career was officially launched.

Soon after his Star Search appearance, Timberlake was tapped by an Orlando casting for a remake of the popular childrens variety series, The Mickey Mouse Club. The cast proved to be a talented assemblage in addition to Timberlake, other cast members included Timberlakes future girlfriend, Spears, future tour mate Christina Aguilera and future N Sync band member, J.C. Chasez. It was Timberlake and his short-cropped curly blonde hair with his burgeoning dancing and singing talents frequently on display who emerged as one of the shows brightest stars.

After The Mickey Mouse Club ended production in 1995, Timberlake was recruited by singer Chris Kirkpatrick and music producer Lou Pearlman to be a member of a new all-male vocal group. To help fill the remaining ranks, Timberlake recommended his fellow Mouseketeer, J.C. Chasez. Along with Joey Fatone and Lance Bass, the photogenic quintet was dubbed N Sync (or *NSYNC, as it was often stylized). Launching their careers in Germany first, the group later conquered U.S. charts. Their first album, 1998s self-titled *NSYNC spawned a number of Top 40 hits, most notably the chart topper "Tearin' Up My Heart" and the saccharine sweet puppy lust ballad, "God Must Have Spent a Little More Time On You." N Syncs next effort, 2000s No Strings Attached, fared even better, selling over 2.4 million albums in its first week eventually becoming the groups fastest selling album of all time.

Not surprisingly, expectations ran extraordinarily high for their next album, 2001s Celebrity. Although the album did well eventually selling well over 5 million units sales for Celebrity fell far short of the 15 million copies sold of No Strings Attached. Soon after the completion of the Celebrity tour in 2002, N Sync issued a press release stating that the group would be taking a sabbatical from the recording studio. As expected, Timberlake used the time off to pursue his long-rumored solo project. Tired of his squeaky-clean image, Timberlake actively sought out help from hip-hop producers Pharrell Williams and Timbaland to help him craft a sexier, edgier new sound. Mindful of his old fan base, Timberlake also hired R&B singer-producer Brian McKnight to polish his sexy pop-friendly ballads. Released on Nov. 5, 2002, Justified debuted at #2 on the charts and eventually went seven times platinum. In addition to winning the Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album of the year, Justified also spawned a Grammy-winning single Cry Me a River and a video that so obviously took a swipe at his now ex-girlfriend Spears.

Alas, Timberlakes road to success was not without its share of bumps In February 2004, the singer found himself thrust into the center of controversy as the result of a performance during the Super Bowl XXXVIII half-time show. Scheduled to sing Rock the Body live on-stage alongside Janet Jackson, Timberlake surprised audiences with an especially sultry rendition and sexually suggestive choreography. At the climax of the song, Timberlake tore off a part of Jacksons black leather outfit as part of a planned costume reveal. As part of her outfit detached, however, Jacksons right breast complete with metal nipple cover was briefly exposed before 140 million viewers worldwide. The fallout from this so-called wardrobe malfunction was surprisingly intense. The next day, CBS (the network that aired the Super Bowl that year) issued a press release, expressing outrage over the incident. Pressured into offering a mea culpa, Timberlake publicly apologized for the boob-boo at the 2004 Grammy Awards. For her part, Jackson seemed less contrite. Ironically enough, as a result, it was she much more so than Timberlake who ended up taking the brunt of the controversy.

The only thing hotter than Timberlakes recording career was his personal life. Between 1998 to 2007, Timberlake was romantically linked with a bevy of A-list starlets and songstresses, starting with pop queen and former Mouseketeer, Spears. The relationship ended after four years in 2002 amid speculations of her infidelity which he had so blatantly revealed to the world with his Cry Me a River video, complete w/ a cheating Britney look-a-like but the two remained friendly after the break-up. After his split with Spears, Timberlake entered into another long-term romance, this time with actress, Cameron Diaz. The love connection between these two young, beautiful, and highly successful individuals lasted nearly four years, during which time the athletic twosome graced the covers of countless supermarket tabloids, often seeing golfing or surfing. In early 2007, however, the couple confirmed what many gossip columnists had predicted by splitting up. Timberlake reportedly wasted no time re-embracing his bachelorhood. Following his break-up with Diaz, Timberlake was publicly spotted in the company of some of Tinseltowns hottest ingénues, including a rumored Jessica Biel and Scarlett Johansson.

In September 2006, Timberlake released his second solo album, FutureSex/LoveSounds, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts. To promote the album, Timberlake appeared on Saturday Night Live (NBC, 1975- ) as both guest host and musical guest. The highlight of the evening was a mock music video that featured Timberlake and S.N.L. regular Adam Samberg for a song called D*ck in a Box. Shockingly vulgar and riotously funny, D*ck in a Box quickly gained a cult following on the internet, becoming one of the most downloaded video clips on YouTube.com. In addition to spawning two hit singles SexyBack and My Love (featuring T.I.) FutureSex/LoveSounds also garnered Timberlake two more Grammys for Best Dance Recording and Best Rap/Collaboration.

Hot off his latest musical triumphs, Timberlake launched his screen-acting career in 2007. Though Timberlake had a few small film roles in the past such as in the 2006 direct-to-video thriller, Edison Force Timberlakes first true role of substance was as Frankie Ballenbacher in director Nick Cassavettes Alpha Dog (2007). Based on the true-life story of baby-faced drug dealer, Jesse James Hollywood, Alpha Dog fared poorly at the box office, despite a strong marketing push from Universal Pictures. Timberlakes next project, the unsettling Black Snake Moan (2007) did nominally better, but reception of Timberlakes performance was decidedly mixed. Timberlake was such a hot property on so many levels, however, that Hollywood hardly cared, lining up to land the singer-turned-actor for roles in future film projects.

Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford is another one of those actors that many fancy at some point, be it by early exposure to Star Wars, Indiana Jones, or both. For me, it was Star Wars. I remember getting the SE boxset for Christmas in 7th grade, and spending the following, flu-addled weekend watching them for the first time while falling in and out of sleep. By the end of The Empire Strikes Back, I was most certainly smitten. He may not be an actor of great range, but he's still a fine dramatic actor, and is in my opinion the best action star of our age.


The Hot List
(1) Is the living definition of "ruggedly handsome".
(2) Has aged very well
(3) Oooooooh, that smirk.
(4) Can't hate him despite the fact that most of his movies since Air Force One sucked.
(5) Dates Calista Flockhart and I still can't hate him (although I could easily imagine him literally snapping her like a toothpick)
(6) The man is just undeniably cool in a DIY sort of way, with the flying and the woodworking and whatnot.

*sneaks off with IMDB bio and trivia while humming Indiana Jones theme*

Height

6' 1" (1.85 m)

Mini biography
His father was Irish, his mother Russian-Jewish. He was a lackluster student at Maine Township High School in Park Ridge Illinois (no athletic star, never above a C average). After dropping out of Ripon College in Wisconsin, where he did some acting and later summer stock, he signed a Hollywood contract with Columbia and later Universal. His roles in movies and TV ( "Ironside" (1967), "Virginian, The" (1962)) remained secondary and, discouraged, he turned to a career in professional carpentry. He came back big four years later, however, as Bob Falfa in American Graffiti (1973). Four years after that he hit colossal with the role of Han Solo in Star Wars (1977). Another four years and Ford was (words fail) Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Still another four years and he received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for his role as John Book in Witness (1985). All he managed four years after that was his third starring success as Indiana Jones; in fact, many of his earlier successful roles led to sequels as did his more recent portrayal of Jack Ryan in Patriot Games (1992). Another Golden Globe nomination came his way for the part of Dr. Richard Kimble in Fugitive, The (1993). He is clearly a well- established Hollywood superstar. He also maintains an 800-acre ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Spouse
Melissa Mathison (14 March 1983 - 6 January 2004) (divorced) 2 children
Mary Marquardt -- (18 June 1964 - 1979) (divorced) 2 children

Trivia

In his spare time, as a hobby, is also a master craftsman.Revealed on the David Letterman show that he has some false teeth; 2 were pulled by a dentist after some others were damaged when he fell on a gun during a stunt for a TV appearance early in his career.

Private pilot, single engine fixed wing and helicopter. Owns a Bonanza, Gulfstream IV, DeHavland Beaver, and Bell 407 helicopter. Destroyed first 407 during simulated "engine-out" practice. Regularly flies himself between New York City and Wyoming homes. Has a loft in Tribeca, NYC.

Listed as one of 50 people barred from entering Tibet. Disney clashed with Chinese officials over the film Kundun (1997), which Ford's second wife, Melissa Mathison, wrote. [19 December 1996]

Studied at Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin, but left without obtaining a degree.

Considers Mosquito Coast, The (1986) to be his favorite of all the movies in which he has starred.

Lives in a white-painted ranch that he built himself in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Has a scar on his chin which he got when he tried to "buckle up" while already driving, and lost control of the car.

He was billed as Harrison J. Ford until 1970 for less confusion between him and a silent-screen actor Harrison Ford -- he actually has no middle name.

While in college Ford appeared as Mac the Knife in the musical play, "The Threepenny Opera".

Piloted his helicopter to rescue dehydrated 20 year old hiker Sarah George from Table Mountain near his Jackson Hole, Wyoming ranch. [31 July 2000]

Turned down the romance-action film _Proof Of Life(2000)_ (the 'Russell Crowe' role), the summer-blockbuster _Perfect Storm(2000)_ (the George Clooney role) and, finally, another summer-blockbuster, the war-epic _The Patriot(2000)_ (the 'Mel Gibson' role). Ford has said The Patriot was "too violent" for his tastes, especially considering that many children were killed and endangered throughout the film. Ford also told People Magazine that he turned down The Patriot because he felt the story was too simple: "The Revolutionary War boiled down to one man seeking revenge," he said.

Replaced Kevin Costner for the lead in Air Force One (1997).

Credited with "creating" what many believe to be the best scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) because he was suffering from a bout of dysentery at the time of filming: during the scene in Cairo with the swordsman in black, the script called for a much longer fight, but because of his condition, Harrison quietly asked director Spielberg if they could shorten the scene. Spielberg's reply was that the only way it could be done would be if Indy pulled out his gun and "just shot the guy." The rest of the crew, not aware of the change, laughed at this, and it remained in the final cut.

Honored for his work with the environment, Ford was asked to name a new breed of butterfly. He named it after his daughter, Georgia.

Kevin Costner's character in Dragonfly (2002) was written with the intention of Harrison Ford taking the film role. Ford turned down the role to take a year off from movies.

Has a species of ant named after him. Peidole harrisonfordi - a species of Central American ant was named in honour of the actor's conservation work. Also a spider - Calponia Harrisonfordi.

Both his Indiana Jones jacket and fedora are on display at the Smithsonian.

He nearly turned down the role of Henry in Regarding Henry (1991) because the main character was a trial lawyer. He had just played a trial lawyer in Presumed Innocent (1990), and was afraid of being typecast as a lawyer! He later took the role when he realized that Henry would only be functioning as a lawyer for the first ten minutes of the film.

Worked as a carpenter before hitting the big time. On the "Westside" of Los Angeles, it's a (pretty) big deal to have kitchen cabinets made by Harrison Ford.

Scared director Steven Spielberg and the crew during _Indiana Jones & The Temple of Doom (1984)_ when, without warning, he ran out across the rope bridge used in the film's climax to test its safety.

Children: with Mary Marquardt, sons Benjamin (22.09.1967) and Willard (14.05.1969); with Melissa Mathison, son Malcolm (10.03.1987) and daughter Georgia (30.06.1991).

He had a role as the principal in _E.T. The Extra Terrestrial(1982)_ who lectures Elliot about the dangers of alcohol. The scene was cut because Spielberg felt that Ford's presence would break the flow of the film. His scene was filmed but never used. The only footage that is known to exist appeared in The E.T. Storybook, released at the same time as the film.

Said that _Blade Runner(1982)_ was one of the most frustrating films he'd ever done, because the actual shoot was very grueling and because of the post-production changes which were meant to (but didn't) help the film do better at the box office.


The Hot Films
(1) The Empire Strikes Back -- Shocking, I know. It's the best of the SW films overall, and features the most of everyone's favorite intergalactic scoundrel.
(2) Raiders of the Lost Ark -- Again, it's the best of its respective trilogy. Further evidence that nothing makes a man foxier than a fedora. Of course, I wish my archaeology professors could ever come close to being that handsome. *sigh* Oh well.
(3) Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade -- Ok, it's a little silly, it's still good, it's still good. Even when dressed like a Nazi, he looks like a million sexy bucks. Plus, my inner archaeology geek rejoices at the end, since it was shot at Petra, which is an awesome ancient site in Jordan.
(4) A New Hope -- Han at his butt-kicking best. I still love that "how you doin'" wink at the end.
(5) Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom -- This one so low mainly because of the presence of the ever-irritating Kate Capshaw and that not-quite-so-irritating Asian kid. On the other hand, you get Indy in a tux at the beginning, not to mention all the buff goodness near the end.
(6) Return of the Jedi -- I like this one more than most people, mainly because Luke just so damn cool by this film. Han's still great, but that bit of whininess over "Oh, you can tell Luke, but you can't tell me?" is not so cool.
(7) Witness -- Amish boy witnesses murder. Ford protects boy and his attractive widow mother by going undercover in Amish colony. Much tension between sexy cop and widow ensues. Megan is very pleased. Plus, if you look real hard, you can find Viggo Mortensen as another Amish guy.
(8) Air Force One -- Harrison Ford + Gary Oldman = . Too bad it's a mediocre Die Hard on a Plane, and that it features Glenn Close. Still, it's fairly entertaining, and who wouldn't want a guy like this for president?
(9) Blade Runner -- Really, I don't remember so much about his performance in this as I do the visuals. It's wasnt' bad though, and for future reference...Select the black box below with your cursor to view the spoiler text
Select the black box below with your cursor to view the spoiler text
I side with the "he's a replicant" theory. Feel free to disagree.

(10) What Lies Beneath -- The film over all was rather m'eh, and the ending was silly, but I give this film credit for casting Ford against type.

Matt Damon Biography

Matthew Paige Damon was born on October 8, 1970, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The son of a realtor and an early-childhood education professor, Damon was involved in several theater productions while studying at Cambridge Rindge & Latin School. His love of acting became apparent at an early age, and Damon and childhood buddy Ben Affleck made their debuts as extras in films that were being shot locally.

With no more than a credit in a commercial, as well as some experience in local plays and as a film extra, 16-year-old Damon was ready to head for New York City and try his hand at acting. His parents (who are now divorced) did not fund his trip, so he went with nothing more than a paycheck from a stint in a commercial. With the help of a casting agency, Damon made his feature film debut in Mystic Pizza, albeit a one-line role.

matt damon in school ties

Although he had landed parts -- he appeared in Rising Son and had a supporting role in the 1992 film School Ties -- Damon went on to further his education at his prestigious hometown university, Harvard. His minor glimpse of an acting career became more inspirational than the pursuit of an English Literature degree, and Damon left the preppy halls of Harvard (a mere 12 credits away from a degree) to join the throng of young aspiring actors in L.A.

As one of the acting hopefuls who did not have to wait too long for roles, Damon began his journey to stardom with a supporting role in Geronimo: An American Legend. Thanks to his work in the Western, Damon landed the lead in TNT's The Good Old Boys. By the time he was cast in Courage Under Fire in 1996, starring Denzel Washington and Meg Ryan, Damon had already worked with such heavy hitters as Gene Hackman, Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones.

Although Courage Under Fire showcased Damon's undeniable acting skills, The Rainmaker can be considered the role that launched him into the Hollywood spotlight. The film industry was abuzz about this fresh face who was cast by Francis Ford Coppola to star in the John Grisham film adaptation of the novel.

good will hunting is a hit

In the meantime, Damon and Affleck were doing the rounds of movie studios to pitch their script about a troubled genius. Studios were interested in the "little script that could," but were not interested in the proviso of the script: that Damon and Affleck co-star as the lead roles. After some script retooling, perseverance on the part of the childhood friends, and Damon's Rainmaker lead, Miramax bought the script.

Good Will Hunting, the brainchild of Damon and Affleck, became the sleeper hit of 1997, with Oscar nominations in the way of Best Actor Matt Damon, Best Supporting Actor Robin Williams, and Best Original Screenplay. Williams took home the Oscar, as did the writing team and shining duo of 1997, Damon and Affleck. Damon was nominated in the same categories at the Golden Globe Awards of that year.

matt damon in rounders and dogma

In 1998, Damon appeared in Saving Private Ryan as the titular role of Private James Francis Ryan, as well as a co-starring role with Edward Norton in Rounders. He followed up his role in the controversial Dogma (reuniting him with Ben Affleck) with the title role in the drama The Talented Mr. Ripley, sharing the screen with Gwyneth Paltrow and Jude Law.

Damon's romantic life seems to be as full as his acting repertoire. He has been romantically linked with model Kara Sands; his Rainmaker co-star, Claire Danes; and his Good Will Hunting co-star Minnie Driver. Damon also had a long-term relationship with Winona Ryder and was reportedly cozy with his All The Pretty Horses co-star, sexy Penelope Cruz.

matt does the film rounds

After providing one of the lead voices in 2000's animated feature Titan A.E., Damon portrayed a golfer in The Legend of Bagger Vance, which co-starred Will Smith and Charlize Theron.

In 2001, Matt Damon joined the star-studded cast of Ocean's Eleven, while his voice made a cameo in The Majestic. His voice was also used as the narrator of the 2002 animated featuire, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.

matt damon stars in bourne identity

The summer of 2002 saw Damon in the highly-anticipated spy thriller, The Bourne Identity, in which he stars alongside Franka Potente. Damon stars as Jason Bourne, an expert assassin unaware of his identity. Suffering from amnesia, he must run from the dangers of his past while trying to piece together why he's in danger.

Damon was also cast as a game show contestant in George Clooney's directorial debut, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, released in 2002. In 2003, Damon joined Greg Kinnear for the comedy Stuck On You. He had bit parts in Eurotrip and Jersey Girl, before reprising his role as Jason Bourne for The Bourne Supremacy.

matt damon in ocean's twelve

In December 2004, Damon stars in the heist sequel, Ocean's Twelve. In 2005, he can add The Brothers Grimm and Syriana to his resume.

Marcus Schenkenberg

NAME: Marcus Schenkenberg
NATIONALITY: Swedish
HEIGHT: 6'2"
HAIR: Brown
EYES: Brown
BORN: Stockholm, Sweden.
DISCOVERED: In 1987, Marcus traveled America with a friend. Two years later, while rollerblading on California's Venice Beach, he was discovered by a photographer. Schenkenberg (who had been earning money as a dogwalker and a nanny for two young children) agreed to have his picture taken and within months he was en route to the runways of Paris. His career really took off when Bruce Weber shot him showering naked for a Calvin Klein jeans ad.

AGENCY: Boss Models

RÉSUMÉ: Modeled for Gianni Versace, Donna Karan, Ungaro and Calvin Klein. His first magazine cover was in 1991 for Harpers Bazaar. He has appeared in hundreds of haute-couture shows and in magazines ranging from Vogue Italia to Elle.

KNOWN FOR: His sex appeal, his great body and for being the first well-known male supermodel.

HOME: Has an appartment in New York City.

SWEETIE: Dated actress Pamela Anderson.