Birthday's to share this week : 25th September-1st October 2016

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Naomi Watts does on 28th September - check out my tribute to this Birthday Girl turning 48, at the end of this feature.

Do you also share your birthday with a well known, highly regarded & famous Actor or Actress; share your special day with a Director, Producer, Writer, Cinematographer, Singer/Songwriter or Composer of repute; or share an interest in whoever might notch up another year in the coming seven days? Then, look no further! Whilst there will be too many to mention in this small but not insignificant and beautifully written and presented Blog, here are the more notable and noteworthy icons of the big screen, and the small screen, that you will recognise, and that you might just share your birthday with in the week ahead. If so, Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online!

Sunday 25th September

• Heather Locklear - Born 1961, turns 55 - Actress | Producer
• Catherine Zeta-Jones - Born 1969, turns 47 - Actress | Singer
• Michael Douglas - Born 1944, turns 72 - Actor | Producer
• Pedro Almodovar - Born 1949, turns 67 - Director | Producer | Writer | Singer | Songwriter
• Mark Hamill - Born 1951, turns 65 - Actor | Producer | Singer
• Michael Madsen - Born 1958, turns 58 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Jason Flemyng - Born 1966, turns 50 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Will Smith - Born 1968, turns 48 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Singer | Songwriter  

Monday 26th September

• Jim Caviezel - Born 1968, turns 48 - Actor
• Linda Hamilton - Born 1956, turns 60 - Actress
• Olivia Newton-John - Born 1948, turns 68 - Singer | Songwriter | Actress  

Tuesday 27th September

• Gwyneth Paltrow - Born 1972, turns 44 - Actress | Producer | Singer
• Denis Lawson - Born 1947, turns 69 - Actor | Writer | Director
• Meat Loaf (aka Marvin or Michael Lee Aday)- Born 1947, turns 69 - Singer | Actor | Producer  

Wednesday 28th September

• Brigitte Bardot - Born 1934, turns 82 - Actress | Singer
• Mira Sorvino - Born 1967, turns 49 - Actress | Producer
• Naomi Watts - Born 1968, turns 48 - Actress | Producer
• Hilary Duff - Born 1987, turns 29 - Actress | Producer | Singer | Songwriter  

Thursday 29th September

• Ian McShane - Born 1942, turns 74 - Actor | Producer
• Luke Goss - Born 1968, turns 48 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director | Singer | Songwriter
• Nicolas Winding Refn - Born 1970, turns 46 - Director | Producer | Writer  

Friday 30th September

• Ezra Miller - Born 1992, turns 24 - Actor
• Eric Stoltz - Born 1961, turns 55 - Actor | Producer | Director 
• Ian Ogilvy - Born 1943, turns 73 - Actor
• Angie Dickinson - Born 1931, turns 85 - Actress
• Victoria Tennant - Born 1950, turns 66 - Actress | Producer
• Fran Drescher - Born 1957, turns 59 - Actress | Writer | Producer | Director
• Monica Bellucci - Born 1964, turns 52 - Actress
• Marion Cotillard - Born 1975, turns 41 - Actress | Singer  

Saturday 1st October

• Brie Larson - Born 1989, turns 27 - Actress | Writer | Producer | Director
• Julie Andrews - Born 1935, turns 81 - Actress | Producer | Singer
• Randy Quaid - Born 1950, turns 66 - Actor | Producer
• Zach Galifianakis - Born 1969, turns 47 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Tom Hooper - Born 1972, turns 44 - Director | Producer | Writer  

Naomi Ellen Watts was born in Shoreham, Kent, England to mother Myfanwy Roberts - a dealer in antiques and latterly a costume/set designer for film and television, and father Peter Watts who died at age 30 of an apparent heroin overdose. He was a sound engineer and road manager for British progressive rock band Pink Floyd. Her parents divorced when the young Watts was just four years of age, and within three years her father was dead. The family, including older brother Ben then moved to North Wales where she attended Ysgol Gyfun Llangefni. Three or so years later her mother remarried and the family moved to Suffolk, in East Anglia where she attended the Thomas Mills High School. In 1980 she saw the hit song and dance film 'Fame' and seeing her mother perform live on stage cemented a career as an Actress in Naomi's mind. At age fourteen the family relocated to Sydney, Australia where mother Myfanwy established a career in the film and television business. Taking acting lessons and attending auditions she met up, and became good friends with young Nicole Kidman. In Sydney she attended Mosman High School and then North Sydney Girls High School, but failing to graduate she worked sundry jobs to pay her way. At eighteen she had a brief time with a modelling agency which proved unsuccessful. She then took part in a drama workshop by chance invitation, which reignited her interest in acting.

Watts secured her screen debut in the 1986 Australian film 'For Love Alone' Directed by Stephen Wallace and starring Sam Neill, Hugo Weaving and Hugh Keays-Byrne. After a period of absence her next gig was on the long running Australian comedy series 'Hey Dad' in 1990, and then five episodes of the six part mini-series 'The Brides of Christ' in 1991. That same year was John Duigan's 'Flirting' with Noah Taylor, Nicole Kidman and Thandie Newton in this sequel to the 1987 'The Year My Voice Broke' and was critically acclaimed. She followed this up with nineteen episodes on the Australian weekday soap opera 'Home and Away' in 1991 as the handicapped character Julie Gibson. She then took a 'gap year' and travelled to the USA and through Nicole Kidman's network sought to secure more acting work.

This led to small roles in the likes of Joe Dante's 'Matinee' with John Goodman in 1993 and then a return to Australia for three in a row with 'Wide Sargasso Sea' for John Duigan again, 'The Custodian' with Hugo Weaving and Anthony LaPaglia, and 'Gross Misconduct' with Jimmy Smits. Returning to the US Watts struggled to gain any traction with her acting work and became increasingly frustrated by the US film and television making machine. Encouraged to stick with it by good friend Nicole Kidman, she won a support role in 'Tank Girl' with Lori Petty, Ice-T and Malcolm McDowell.

The rest of the 90's saw small parts in feature length and made for television movies including 'Persons Unknown', 'Under the Lighthouse Dancing', 'Dangerous Beauty', 'and 'Strange Planet'. There was also 'Sleepwalkers' - a short-lived nine episode SciFi mystery drama series with Bruce Greenwood, and then perhaps her breakout role in 1999's David Lynch Directed 'Mulholland Drive' with Justin Theroux. Originally intended as a made for television film pilot for an extended TV series, it was never picked up by the networks. When it wasn't, Lynch completed the deliberately open ended pilot with a conclusion which he filmed in late 2000 and turned that into a feature length film released in 2001 to critical acclaim, picking up 46 award wins and another 57 nominations - many for Lynch's Directing, but also numerous for Watt's performance.

The American English language remake of the Japanese horror 'Ringu' with 2002's 'The Ring' receive further critical and commercial success with Watts in the lead role as investigative journalist Rachel Keller. Watts reprised her role in the 2005 follow up 'The Ring Two', but not the 2016 third film in the franchise 'Rings' still yet to be released but due before the end  of the year. The Australian bio-pic 'Ned Kelly' for Director Gregor Jordan with Heath Ledger in the title role alongside Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush and Joel Edgerton came in 2003, as did 'La Divorce', and the highly praised '21 Grams' for Alejandro G. Inarritu with Sean Penn and Benicio del Toro picking up 29 award wins and 73 nominations including an Oscar nod for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Watts.

'We Don't Live Here Anymore' with Mark Ruffalo, 'The Assassination of Richard Nixon' with Sean Penn, 'I Heart Huckabees' with Dustin Hoffman, 'Ellie Parker', 'Stay' with Ewan McGregor, and Peter Jackson's 'King Kong' remake with Adrien Brody and Jack Black in 2005 saw Watts playing the role of Ann Darrow made famous by Fay Wray in the 1933 version of the film. Jackson's film was another critical and commercial success story making US$550M from a US$207M budget and earning 45 award wins and another 92 nominations. For the balance of the decade highlights were David Cronenberg's 'Eastern Promises' with Viggo Mortensen, 'Funny Games' with Tim Roth, and 'The International' with Clive Owen.

The new decade kicked off in 2010 with Woody Allen's 'You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger', then Doug Liman's 'Fair Game' with Sean Penn again, Jim Sheridan's 'Dream Home' with Daniel Craig, Clint Eastwood's 'J. Edgar' with Leonardo DiCaprio, 'The Impossible' with Ewan McGregor again, 'Diana' as Princess Diana Spencer, and then Alejandro G. Inarritu's 'Birdman, or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance' with Michael Keaton which garnered 186 award wins and another 265 award nominations. 'St. Vincent' followed in 2014 with 'While We're Young' with Ben Stiller, 'The Sea of Trees' with Matthew McConaughey, 'About Ray' and 'Demolition' with Jake Gyllenhaal bringing us up to date, save for her reprised role as Evelyn in 'Insurgent', 'Allegiant' and the 2017 release of 'Ascendant' - the final film in the 'Divergent' series.

Next up is 'The Bleeder' with Liev Schreiber, 'Shut In' due later this year, 'The Glass Castle' with Brie Larson currently filming, 'The Book of Henry' now completed filming, new television series 'Gypsy' with Billy Crudup, and the series return of the highly acclaimed 'Twin Peaks' in 2017. Australian animated outback adventure 'Larrikins' for Tim Minchin for which Watts is lending her voice talents is currently filming for a 2018 release, and 'Ophelia' has been recently announced also for 2018 too.

All up Watts has 76 acting credits to her name and nine as Producer. To date, she has amassed 52 award wins and another 81 nominations including two Academy Award, one Golden Globe and one BAFTA nod for her work on '21 Grams' and 'The Impossible'. Watts was romantically linked to Heath Ledger from 2002 until 2004, and then Liev Schreiber since 2005 with whom she has two boys - Alexander Pete (born in 2007) and Samuel Kai (born in 2008). In 2006, she became a goodwill ambassador for the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, and has supported many associated initiatives in the ensuing years.

Naomi Watts - considers herself as much Australian as English; good friends with Nicole Kidman, Simon Baker, Sean Penn, Kate Hudson, Mark Ruffalo et al; has worked with the best Actors and Directors in the business; has worked across just about every genre; has been voted on numerous 'Top Lists' in the last fifteen years; practices yoga, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and is vegetarian; and continues to surprise and delight us with her film choices and her performances. Happy Birthday to you Naomi, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthdays to share this week : 17th - 23rd August.

Is it your Birthday this week?

Do you share your birthday with a well known, highly regarded & famous Actor or Actress; share your special day with a Director, Producer, Writer, Cinematographer or Singer/Songwriter or Composer of repute; or share an interest in whoever might notch up another year in the coming seven days? Then, look no further! Whilst there will be too many to mention in this small but not insignificant and beautifully written and presented Blog, here are the more notable and noteworthy icons of the big screen, and the small screen, that you will recognise, and that you might just share your birthday with in the week ahead. If so, Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online!

Check out too the spotlight on this weeks Birthday Boy on 17th August, Sean Penn, at the end of this feature.

Sunday 17th August

• Steven East - Born 1963, turns 51 - Freelance Cinema Correspondent at Odeon Online
• Robert DeNiro - Born 1943, turns 71 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Sean Penn - Born 1960, turns 54 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Donnie Wahlberg - Born 1969, turns 45 - Actor | Producer

Monday 18th August

• Edward Norton - Born 1969, turns 45 - Actor | Producer
• Robert Redford - Born 1936, turns 78 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Madeline Stowe - Born 1858, turns 56 - Actress
• Christian Slater - Born 1969, turns 45 - Actor | Producer
• Roman Polanski - Born 1933, turns 81 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor

Tuesday 19th August 

• Matthew Perry - Born 1969, turns 45 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Kyra Sedgwick - Born 1965, turns 49 - Actress | Producer

Wednesday 20th August

• Andrew Garfield - Born 1983, turns 31 - Actor
• Jean Allen - Born 1956, turns 58 - Actress
• David O. Russell - Born 1958, turns 56 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Sylvester McCoy - Born 1943, turns 71 - Actor

Thursday 21st August

• Hayden Panettiere - Born 1989, turns 25 - Actress
• Kim Cattrall - Born 1956, turns 58 - Actress | Producer
• Carrie Anne-Moss - Born 1967, turns 47 - Actress
• Peter Weir - Born 1944, turns 70 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Kenny Rogers - Born 1938, turns 76 - Singer | Actor

Friday 22nd August

• Kristen Wiig - Born 1973, turns 41 - Actress | Producer | Writer
• Ty Burrell - Born 1967, turns 47 - Actor
• Honor Blackman - Born 1925, turns 89 - Actress

Saturday 23rd August 

• Scott Caan - Born 1976, turns 38 - Actor
• Charley Boorman - Born 1966, turns 48 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Roger Avery - Born 1965, turns 49 - Producer | Director | Writer
• Shelley Long - Born 1949, turns 65 - Actress | Producer

Sean Justin Penn was born in Santa Monica, California. He attended Santa Monica High School and from his childhood was making short films with his buddies Emilio Estevez and Charlie Sheen who lived close by. He is the son of Actor/Director Leo Penn and mother Eileen Ryan is also an Actress. His older brother Michael Penn is a musician, and his younger brother Chris Penn was an Actor too, who died of heart disease in 2006. In his teens Penn knew that he wanted to act having been in and around film and TV all his life. He scored his first role playing in 'Little House on the Prairie' - an episode being Directed by his Father, Leo. This was followed by a handful of appearances in TV Series and made for TV Movies culminating in him taking acting classes in the late 70's with another up-and-comer, Michelle Pfeiffer.

His big break came in 1981 starring alongside a new fresh faced Tom Cruise in 'Taps' also starring George C. Scott, Ronny Cox and Timothy Hutton, and from here on in, there was no looking back. This was followed up by 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' in 1982 gaining him much positive endorsement from fans and critics alike. 

The 80's were Penn's proving ground with 'The Falcon and the Snowman', 'At Close Range', 'Casualties of War', 'Colors' and 'We're no Angels' proving to be the highlights, with the opposing lowlight coming in the form of 'Shanghai Surprise' with his then wife, Madonna. This was critically slammed, but he bounced back quickly with the advent of the 90's.

This decade saw standout performances bring more critical acclaim with outings including 'Carlito's Way', 'Dead Man Walking', 'The Game', 'U-Turn', 'The Thin Red Line', and 'Sweet and Lowdown'. The 90's also saw Penn turn his hand to Directing with his 'The Indian Runner' being a very acceptable Directorial debut, and then 'The Crossing Guard' a few years later.

As the new century crossed over, he remained active and equally prominent both in front and behind the camera. His work in 'I Am Sam', 'Mystic River', '21 Grams', 'The Assassination of Richard Nixon', and 'Milk' continued to bring him much acclaim and awards recognition, with his Directing interests continuing with 'The Pledge' and 'Into The Wild'.

His political opinions also brought him under the spotlight with his strong outspoken views against President George W. Bush - taking out a US$56K advertisement in The Washington Post in 2002 in the form of an open letter asking when the President was going to end the cycle of violence, the pending attack on Iraq and the War on Terror that he was propagating. Penn visited Iraq later that year and subsequently over the ensuing years formed relationships with a number of world leaders - President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, who praised him for acting against Bush, amongst others.  He was involved too in a number of humanitarian causes including his rescue attempt in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005; his relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake; and his support efforts after the 2012 Pakistan floods. He has openly expressed his views in support of same-sex marriage. In 2012 he visited the President of Argentina and was outspoken about the Argentinian/UK claim to the Malvinas/Falkland Islands and went on record hoping to establish the dialogue between the two nations so that common sense could prevail.

In the second decade of the new century he has starred in 'The Tree of Life', 'Gangster Squad' and more recently 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty', with 'The Gunman' currently in post-production for a 2015 release. 

His other film credits not already mentioned include 'Racing with the Moon', 'At Close Range', 'Judgement in Berlin', 'State of Grace', 'She's so Lovely', 'Hurlyburly', 'Before Night Falls', 'The Interpreter', 'All The King's Men', 'Fair Game' and 'This Must be the Place'. He has 55 acting credits to his name, ten Producer credits, eight Director credits and five Writing credits.

He won the Academy Award in 2004 for Best Actor for 'Mystic River' and in 2009 for 'Milk', and has three other nominations. He won the Golden Globe for Best Actor for 'Mystic River' and has four other nominations. and has three BAFTA nominations for 'Milk', '21 Grams' and 'Mystic River'. All up he has a global awards haul of 76 wins and 62 nominations to date. He has appeared in four films nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award - 'The Thin Red Line', 'Mystic River', 'Milk' and 'The Tree of Life'. He is only the second Actor after Jack Lemmon to have won Awards at the other three main international Film Festivals - Berlin, Cannes and Venice, and, he has won in three consecutive years at those Festivals - 1995 - Berlin for 'Dead Man Walking'; 1996 - Cannes for 'She's So Lovely'; and 1997 - Venice for 'Hurlyburly'.

He is good friends with Robert DeNiro with whom he shares the same birth date, and will often have co-parties to celebrate. Also he is close to Jack Nicholson and formerly Dennis Hopper after whom he named his son - Hopper Jack. He was married to Madonna from 1985 to 1989 and to Robin Wright from 1996 to 2010 with whom he has two children - daughter Dylan Frances born in 1991, and son Hopper Jack born in 1993. He has served jail time in 1987 for 32 days for assaulting an extra, and in 2010 was ordered to complete 300 hours community service and attend 36 hours anger management  therapy following his arrest for a violent attack on a paparazzi.

Sean Penn - often outspoken, sometimes controversial, at times unpredictable, politically opinionated, plays emotionally intense, often unsympathetic and violent characters, is multi-talented, much in demand and that's why we love ya - Happy Birthday from Odeon Online . . . and to me and Bob too!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-