Birthday's to share this week : 23rd - 29th July 2017

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau does on 27th July - check out my tribute to this Birthday Lad turning 47, 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 23rd July

• Ronny Cox - Born 1938, turns 79 - Actor | Writer | Producer
• Woody Harrelson - Born 1961, turns 56 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director
• Shawn Levy - Born 1968, turns 49 - Director | Producer | Actor
• Daniel Radcliffe - Born 1989, turns 28 - Actor | Singer | Producer  

Monday 24th July

• Dan Hedaya - Born 1940, turns 77 - Actor
• Gus Van Sant - Born 1952, turns 65 - Director | Producer | Writer | Editor | Actor
• Doug Liman - Born 1965, turns 52 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Lynda Carter - Born 1951, turns 66 - Actress | Singer | Songwriter
• Jennifer Lopez - Born 1969, turns 48 - Actress | Producer | Singer | Songwriter | Composer
• Rose Byrne - Born 1979, turns 38 - Actress 
• Elizabeth Moss - Born 1982, turns 35 - Actress | Producer
• Anna Paquin - Born 1982, turns 35 - Actress | Producer  

Tuesday 25th July

• Matt LeBlanc - Born 1967, turns 50 - Actor | Producer | Singer
• D.B. Woodside - Born 1969, turns 48 - Actor   

Wednesday 26th July

• Mick Jagger - Born 1943, turns 74 - Singer | Songwriter | Composer | Producer | Actor | Writer
• Kevin Spacey - Born 1959, turns 58 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer | Singer
• Jeremy Piven - Born 1965, turns 52 - Actor | Producer
• Jason Statham - Born 1967, turns 50 - Actor | Producer 
• Helen Mirren - Born 1945, turns 72 - Actress | Producer | Director
• Susan George - Born 1950, turns 67 - Actress | Producer
• Sandra Bullock - Born 1964, turns 53 - Actress | Producer 
• Olivia Williams - Born 1968, turns 49 - Actress 
• Kate Beckinsale - Born 1973, turns 44 - Actress 

Thursday 27th July

• Cliff Curtis - Born 1968, turns 49 - Actor | Producer
• Julian McMahon - Born 1968, turns 49 - Actor | Producer
• Nikolaj Coster-Waldau - Born 1970, turns 47 - Actor | Producer
• Jonathan Rhys Meyers - Born 1977, turns 40 - Actor | Producer  

Friday 28th July

• Randall Wallace - Born 1949, turns 68 - Director | Producer | Writer    

Saturday 29th July 

• David Warner - Born 1941, turns 76 - Actor
• Stephen Dorff - Born 1973, turns 44 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Singer

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau was born in Rudkobing, a small town on the island of Langeland in Denmark, to mother Hanne Soborg Coster, a librarian and father Jorgen Oscar Fritzer Waldau who died in 1998. He has commented in the past about his fathers struggle with alcohol and about his parents divorce, as a result of which Nikolaj and his two older sisters were mostly raised by their mother. He grew up in the small village of Tybjerg in southern Zealand - the largest and most populated island in Denmark (other than Greenland). Nikolaj studied at the Danish National School of Theatre and Contemporary Dance in Copenhagen, where he was educated from 1989 through to 1993, and he was the youngest Actor to be admitted there. 

Coster-Waldau made his stage acting debut in a production of 'Hamlet' at Copenhagen's Betty Nansen Theatre in 1992 and '93 before securing his small screen introduction in television movie 'Slaget pa tasken' in 1993. In 1994 the young Actor scored his big screen breakthrough role in horror thriller 'Nightwatch' (not to be confused with the Timur Bekmambetov Russian fantasy supernatural thriller of 2004) which was well received in his native country. He then appeared in a number of locally made for television short films, and stage plays in and around Copenhagen, until being cast in his British debut feature film 'Bent' in 1997 alongside Clive Owen, Jude Law, Mick Jagger, Paul Bettany, Ian McKellen and Rachel Weisz, and Directed by Sean Mathias. More Danish productions followed including 'Wildside' with Mads Mikkelsen in 1998 which he also Co-Wrote, horror offering 'Angel of the Night' that same year, 'The Cable Club' in 1999 and 'Misery Harbour' seeing out the decade.

2000 saw Danish war time drama 'Foreign Fields', then two episodes on the short lived Channel 4 television adaptation of 'Lock, Stock . . . ' and then Michael Apted's 2001 'Enigma' with Kate Winslet, Saffron Burrows and Dougray Scott. Coster-Waldau launched his US career courtesy of Ridley Scott who cast him in 2001 as Delta Force Medal of Honor recipient Gary Gordon in 'Black Hawk Down' with an all star cast. More locally produced Scandinavian films followed including 'Stealing Rembrandt', 'The Bouncer', 'My Name Is Modesty' and 'The Good Cop' before being cast in 2004 in Richard Loncraine's tennis RomCom 'Wimbledon'. In 2005 Ridley Scott came knocking again, casting Coster-Waldau in the epic historical drama 'Kingdom of Heaven' again with an all star cast. 'The Headsman' (aka 'Shadow of the Sword') came next, and then crime thriller 'Firewall' for Director Richard Loncraine again with Harrison Ford, Paul Bettany, Robert Forster and Alan Arkin. 

Up next was comedy drama 'Filthy Gorgeous' with Isabella Rossellini, comedy thriller 'The Baker' with Damian Lewis, Swedish comedy drama 'Wonderful and Loved by All', Norwegian historical drama 'The Kautokeino Rebellion', Danish crime drama 'Himmerland', Peter Berg's Sci-Fi drama 'Virtuality' and then Danish action adventure 'At World's End' in 2009. In between time there was top billing for Coster-Waldau on Fox Television's Sci-Fi detective drama series that ran for a single season of eight episodes 'New Amsterdam', with the Actor playing immortal New York homicide cop John Amsterdam.

Western 'Blackthorn' followed in 2011, then Norwegian action thriller 'Headhunters' based on the novel by Jo Nesbo and Directed by Morten Tyldum and which was both a critical and commercial success in its native Norway, with a US version allegedly in the works. 2013 saw supernatural horror film 'Mama' with Jessica Chastain and Directed by Andrew Muschietti, taking US$147M from its US$15M budget outlay. A turn in the Tom Cruise post-apocalyptic SciFi offering 'Oblivion' with Morgan Freeman too proved to be another commercial success bringing in US$287M from its US$120M budget, before 'A Thousand Times Good Night' opposite Juliette Binoche and U2's Larry Mullen Jnr., and Nick Cassavetes comedy film 'The Other Woman' with Cameron Diaz in 2014, leading on to Danish thriller 'A Second Chance' later that year.

2015 opened with comedy drama 'Klown Forever', and then in 2016 Alex Proyas' epic fantasy action adventure offering 'Gods of Egypt' with an all star cast that included Gerard Butler, Bryan Brown, Brenton Thwaites, Geoffrey Rush, Rufus Sewell but despite this the film was panned by critics for just about every reason under the sun and it recovered US$151M in ticket sales from its US$140M budget investment. Later that year he also appeared in the fifteen minute short film Written and Directed by James D'Arcy 'Chicken/Egg' also starring Hayley Atwell.

This year in a Netflix Original Film he took top billing in 'Small Crimes' with Jacki Weaver, Robert Forster and Gary Cole, the Danish drama film '3 Things', and due for imminent release is prison crime drama 'Shot Caller' with Jon Bernthal and Benjamin Bratt. 'Domino' which is currently filming is due for a 2018 release and is Directed by Brian De Palma and also stars Christina Hendricks and Guy Pearce.

This brings us up to date, however, not forgetting the role that made Coster-Waldau a household name the world over as Jaime Lannister on the hugely successful HBO series 'Game of Thrones', based on the George R.R. Martin best selling fantasy action novel series of books 'A Song of Ice and Fire'. 'GOT' started screening in early 2011 and has just aired its first episode of Season 7. Coster-Waldau has starred in 46 episodes to date and plays a central character, for which he is paid two million pounds sterling per episode for this current season, making him one of the highest paid Actors working in television today.

All up Coster-Waldau has 52 Acting credits to his name, five as Producer and one as Writer on 1998's 'Wildside'. He has fifteen awards nominations including Critics Choice Television Awards, People's Choice Awards and Screen Actors Guild Awards nods - all for 'GOT'. Coster-Waldau is married to Greenlandic Singer, Actress and 1990 Miss Greenland Sascha Nukaaka Motzfeldt, with whom he has two daughters - Filippa (born in 2000) and Safina (born in 2003). They live in the northern suburbs of Copenhagen, Denmark. He has supported the Danish Red Cross since 2003, and in 2016 he has also supported (PRODUCT) RED in engaging with the private sector in raising awareness and funding to help eliminate HIV/AIDS across eight African countries. In late 2016 he was appointed a United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador to help raise awareness and support for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to end poverty, fight inequality and stop climate change.

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau - made his name in 'GOT' and we love you for it and remain glued to the screen because of it, but equally securing diverse roles on both sides of the Atlantic and increasingly in demand in both local Scandinavian and international television and film, loves a good dramatic story and portraying characters with secrets, twists and who don't follow the rules. 'All Men Must Die' Jaime Lannister - will you survive into the final season of 'GOT' - let's hope so. In the meantime Happy Birthday to you Nikolaj, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 19th March - 25th March 2017.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Edgar Ramirez does on 25th March - check out my tribute to this Birthday Lad turning 40, 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 19th March

• Ursula Andress - Born 1936, turns 81 - Actress
• Glenn Close - Born 1947, turns 70 - Actress | Producer | Singer
• Harvey Weinstein - Born 1952, turns 65 - Producer | Director | Writer
• Bruce Willis - Born 1955, turns 62 - Actor | Producer | Singer  

Monday 20th March

• Carl Reiner - Born 1922, turns 95 - Director | Producer | Actor | Writer
• William Hurt - Born 1950, turns 67 - Actor
• Spike Lee - Born 1957, turns 60 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor
• David Thewlis - Born 1963, turns 54 - Actor | Writer | Director
• Michael Rappaport - Born 1970, turns 47 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Holly Hunter - Born 1958, turns 59 - Actress | Producer
• Ruby Rose - Born 1986, turns 31 - Actress

Tuesday 21st March

• Rosie O'Donnell - Born 1962, turns 55 - Actress | Producer | Writer | Singer
• Timothy Dalton - Born 1946, turns 71 - Actor
• Gary Oldman - Born 1958, turns 59 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Matthew Broderick - Born 1962, turns 55 - Actor | Producer | Director | Singer
• Scott Eastwood - Born 1986, turns 31 - Actor | Producer  

Wednesday 22nd March

• William Shatner - Born 1931, turns 86 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer | Singer
• M. Emmet Walsh - Born 1935, turns 82 - Actor
• Bruno Ganz - Born 1941, turns 76 - Actor
• Matthew Modine - Born 1959, turns 58 - Actor | Producer | Director | Cinematographer
• Reese Witherspoon - Born 1976, turns 41 - Actress | Producer | Singer   

Thursday 23rd March

• Amanda Plummer - Born 1957, turns 60 - Actress
• Catherine Keener - Born 1959, turns 58 - Actress | Producer
• Michelle Monaghan - Born 1976, turns 41 - Actress | Producer
• Jaume Collet-Serra - Born 1974, turns 43 - Director | Producer
• Daniel Espinosa - Born 1977, turns 40 - Director | Producer | Writer  

Friday 24th March

• Patrick Malahide - Born 1945, turns 72 - Actor | Writer
• Jim Parsons - Born 1973, turns 44 - Actor | Producer
• Kelly LeBrock - Born 1960, turns 57 - Actress
• Lara Flynn Boyle - Born 1970, turns 47 - Actress | Producer
• Jessica Chastain - Born 1977, turns 40 - Actress | Producer
• Keisha Castle-Hughes - Born 1990, turns 27 - Actress 

Saturday 25th March

• Sarah Jessica Parker - Born 1965, turns 52 - Actress | Producer | Singer 
• Paul Michael Glaser - Born 1943, turns 74 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Edgar Ramirez - Born 1977, turns 40 - Actor | Producer
• Lee Pace - Born 1979, turns 38 - Actor

Edgar Filiberto Ramirez Arellano was born in San Cristobal, Tachira, Venezuela, South America to mother Soday Arellano, a lawyer, and father Filbert Ramirez, an officer in the military service. He graduated from the Andres Bello Catholic University - a private and one of the largest universities in Venezuela, with its main campus in Caracas, in 1999 with a degree in mass communication. He had intended to pursue a career in international relations, and whilst at university he worked as a would-be journalist, reporting mainly on politics. He then became an Executive Director of 'Dale al Voto' - a foundation in Venezuela set up to engage and build the political understanding and reach of young people. For this, Ramirez and his team created campaigns that would appear on radio, television and in cinema. He also took charge of international promotions for the Viart Film Festival - a short film festival held in Caracas open to all students from Spanish speaking countries. Around about that time, Screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga was invited to attend the Viart Film Festival, and he saw Ramirez work in a short film being presented. He was so impressed that he offered Ramirez the chance to audition for 'Amores Perros' which he declined. The film Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu went on to international acclaim. Hindsight is a wonderful thing! At this point Ramirez decided to reignite his interest in an acting career.

During the '90's Ramirez appeared sporadically in a number of television and film roles locally in Venezuela - kicking off with short lived television series 'Cuando Ilega el amor' in 1990, then 'Aqui esp-p-pantan', a horror fantasy comedy from 1993 involving ghosts terrorising a young couple who have recently moved into their house, and this was followed up in 1999 by '. . . sol y lluvia' about a young Venezuelan woman's dreams and aspirations of becoming Miss Venezuela. 2002 saw 'Plan B' a Venezuelan action crime drama in which Ramirez gained his first lead role. In 2003 he followed this up with a string of appearances on the romantic drama telenovela 'Cosita Rica' which ran from 2003 through 2004 for a total 270 episodes. In 2003 there was also Christmas drama 'Yotama se va volando', and then 'A Dot and a Line' the following year,

2005 saw Ramirez break into the Hollywood scene with his appearance in Tony Scott's 'Domino' inspired by the bounty hunting exploits of Domino Harvey, with Keira Knightley in the lead role, with Mickey Rourke, Delroy Lindo, Lucy Liu, Christopher Walken, Jacqueline Bisset, Mo'Nique and Ramirez as Choco - Domino's love interest. In 2006 he appeared in action crime offering 'El Don' and then Mexican film 'Elipsis' with Ramirez in the lead role once more.




The following year saw Ramirez appear alongside Matt Damon in the hugely successful Jason Bourne series in 'The Bourne Ultimatum', Directed by Paul Greengrass, in the role of Paz, a Blackbriar assassin, and later that same year in 'Cyrano Fernandez' in the lead role in this romantic action drama offering loosely based on the French play 'Cyrano de Bergerac'. The year after, 2008, he appeared in Steven Soderbergh's 'Che' - the biopic of the Argentine Marxist revolutionary Ernesto 'Che' Guevara with Benicio del Toro in the title role, and Ramirez appearing with an all star cast as Ciro Redondo (a Cuban revolutionary who fought amongst Ché Guevara). 'Vantage Point' followed that same year with again an all star cast including William Hurt, Matthew Fox, Forest Whittaker, Dennis Quaid and Sigourney Weaver, with Ramirez cast as Javier, an ex-special forces soldier forced to kidnap the American President in order to get his brother back.

Ramirez saw the decade out with his turn as 'Carlos' about the life of the 1970's Venezuelan revolutionary Carlos the Jackal (Ilich Ramírez Sánchez), covering his first series of attacks in 1973 until his arrest in 1994. This highly acclaimed three part mini-series which ran out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 2010 for its full five and half hour run time, garnered many award wins and nominations along the way, including Best Actor Golden Globe, Primetime Emmy, and SAG nods for Ramirez and multiple wins too, including France's Cesar Award for Most Promising Actor.

Up next in 2011 was Colombian vengeance action drama 'Greetings to the Devil', followed by the sequel to 2010's 'Clash of the Titans' with 'Wrath of the Titans' in which Ramirez plays Ares, the God of War, alongside Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Toby Kebbel, Bill Nighy and Rosamund Pike. French film 'An Open Heart' was next in 2012 with Juliette Binoche, before his turn in Kathryn Bigelow's multiple award winning 'Zero Dark Thirty' with Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton, Chris Pratt, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Mark Strong and James Gandolfini.

2013 saw Ramirez star in Venezuelan historical biopic 'The Liberator' - the story of Simon Bolivar as portrayed by Ramirez, who fought in over one hundred battles against the Spanish Empire in South America, rode over seventy thousand miles on horseback in the process and his military campaigns covered twice the territory of Alexander the Great. He never once conquered in battle, instead, he liberated, believing in freedom for all! Working with Director Ridley Scott came next in 'The Counsellor' with Michael Fassbender, Javier Bardem, Brad Pitt, Bruno Ganz, Cameron Diaz and Penelope Cruz, and then 'Deliver Us from Evil' for Director Scott Derrickson with Eric Bana playing real life New York Police Officer Ralph Sarchie investigating a number of paranormal crimes who joins forces with Ramirez Mendoza character - a somewhat unconventional Priest versed in the way of exorcism and demonic possession.

Extreme sport crime drama actioner remake of the classic Kathryn Bigelow 'Point Break' opened 2016, with Ramirez playing the Bodhi character previously portrayed by Patrick Swayze, with Luke Bracey playing Johnny Utah as played by a young Keanu Reeves back in 1991. The film received less that favourable Reviews generally and made US$134M from its US$105M budget outlay. David O'Russell's biographical dramedy 'Joy' followed with Jennifer Lawrence as Joy Mangano the inventor of the miracle mop, Robert De Niro and Bradley Cooper with Ramirez playing Tony Miranne, Joy's ex-husband.

'Hands of Stone' was released last year with Ramirez playing Panamanian former professional boxer Roberto Duran. The film received a fifteen minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival last year, but this and Robert De Niro, John Turturro, Usher and Ellen Barkin also starring wasn't enough to save it from mixed critical Reviews and poor Box Office taking back just a quarter of its US$20M budget. Also last year came 'The Girl on the Train' with Emily Blunt and most recently 'Gold' with Matthew McConaughey bringing us up to date.



Next up for Ramirez is Sci-Fi crime fantasy 'Bright' for Director David Ayer and with Will Smith, Joel Edgerton and Noomi Rapace due later this year, then 'Love Child' for Director Todd Solondz with Penelope Cruz, and then television true crime series 'American Crime Story' with Ramirez set to play Gianni Versace in Season Three. Recently announced for 2018 is the pilot season for 'Black or White, Never Grey' running over thirteen episodes of the crime drama offering set in 1989.

Ramirez supports the 'Don't Shoot' campaign for Amnesty International which strives to eliminate the number of injuries and deaths caused by the irresponsible use of guns. He also took part in '5 Senses of Action' - an organisation which benefits children with special needs, and he has acted as the United Nations Children's Fund Goodwill Ambassador in the past too. All up Ramirez has 34 acting credits to his name and five as Producer. He has eleven award wins and a further ten nominations including Golden Globe, Primetime Emmy and SAG nods for 'Carlos'.

Edgar Ramirez - fluent in five languages - Spanish, English, French, Italian and German; had his US$150K watch collection stolen from his home in Caracas; has a deep fascination with human nature and all its virtues and flaws; is disciplined, structured, organised; believes in God, kindness and love; and is able to channel his personal feelings and beliefs into the roles he portrays with a convincing realism. Happy 40th Birthday to you Edgar, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 27th November-3rd December 2016.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Lucy Liu does on 2nd December - 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 27th November

• Kathryn Bigelow - Born 1951, turns 65 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Robin Givens - Born 1964, turns 52 - Actress | Producer
• William Fichtner - Born 1956, turns 60 - Actor | Producer
• Sharlto Copley - Born 1973, turns 43 - Actor | Producer  

Monday 28th November

• Randy Newman - Born 1943, turns 73 - Composer | Singer | Songwriter
• Joe Dante - Born 1946, turns 70 - Director | Producer | Actor | Editor
• Ed Harris - Born 1950, turns 66 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Judd Nelson - Born 1959, turns 57 - Actor  | Producer | Writer
• Alfonso Cuaron - Born 1961, turns 55 - Director | Producer | Writer | Editor | Cinematographer
• Ryan Kwanten - Born 1976, turns 40 - Actor
• Mary Elizabeth Winstead - Born 1984, turns 32 - Actress | Producer

Tuesday 29th November

• Anna Faris - Born 1976, turns 40 - Actress | Producer | Singer
• Joel Cohen - Born 1954, turns 62 - Director | Producer | Writer | Editor
• Tom Sizemore - Born 1961, turns 55 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Andrew McCarthy - Born 1962, turns 54 - Actor | Director
• Don Cheadle - Born 1964, turns 52 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer | Singer
• Lucas Black - Born 1982, turns 34 - Actor  

Wednesday 30th November

• Ridley Scott - Born 1937, turns 79 - Director | Producer
• Terrence Malick - Born 1943, turns 73 - Director | Producer | Writer
• David Mamet - Born 1947, turns 69 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Mandy Patinkin - Born 1952, turns 64 - Actor | Singer
• David Yates - Born 1963, turns 53 - Director | Producer
• Ben Stiller - Born 1965, turns 51 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer | Singer
• Mark Foster - Born 1969, turns 47 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Gael Garcia Bernal - Born 1978, turns 38 - Actor | Director | Producer | Writer  

Thursday 1st December

• Woody Allen - Born 1935, turns 81 - Director | Writer | Actor
• Larry Charles - Born 1956, turns 60 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Jeremy Northam - Born 1961, turns 54 - Actor | Singer
• Bette Midler - Born 1945, turns 71 - Actress | Producer | Director | Singer
• Zoe Kravitz - Born 1988, turns 28 - Actress  

Friday 2nd December

• Lucy Liu - Born 1968, turns 48 - Actress | Producer | Director  

Saturday 3rd December

• Julianne Moore - Born 1960, turns 56 - Actress | Singer
• Daryl Hannah - Born 1960, turns 56 - Actress | Producer
• Amanda Seyfried - Born 1985, turns 31 - Actress | Singer
• Jean-Luc Godard - Born 1930, turns 86 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor | Editor | Cinematographer
• Brendan Fraser - Born 1968, turns 48 - Actor | Producer

Lucy Alexis Liu was born in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York City to mother Cecilia who worked as a biochemist and father Tom Liu who was a civil engineer and sold digital clock pens. Her parents came separately from China via time in Taiwan before meeting in New York. She has an older brother Alex and an older sister Jenny. Liu learned Mandarin at home and began learning English from five years of age. She attended the public Joseph Pulitzer Middle School in Jackson Heights and graduated from Stuyvesant High School in New York in 1986. From there she attended New York University before moving to the University of Michigan from where she graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Asian languages and cultures.

While in her final year at the University of Michigan she scored the lead role in a college production of 'Alice in Wonderland' and her performance was hailed a great success. Spurned on by this, she decided to pursue more acting opportunities. In 1990 she auditioned for 'Miss Saigon' on Broadway. She made her stage debut in 'Fairy Bones' in 1992. Her break into television came in 1991 with an episode on 'Beverly Hills 90210' with a string of television appearances following throughout the '90's including 'L.A. Law', 'Home Improvement', 'Hercules : The Legendary Journeys', 'ER', 'Nash Bridges', 'The X-Files', 'NYPD Blue', on 22 episodes of 'Pearl' and then she scored a role in the main cast of 'Ally McBeal' which for Liu ran for 72 episodes between 1998 and 2002.

Liu's big screen debut came in the Honk Kong production of 'Rhythm of Destiny' in 1992, with a short 25 minute film, 'Protozoa' following for Director Darren Aronofsky. A small part in 'Bang' came before 'Jerry Maguire' with Tom Cruise, 'Gridlock'd' with Tim Roth, 'City of Industry' with Harvey Keitel, 'Flypaper' with Vincent D'Onofrio, 'Payback' with Mel Gibson, 'True Crime' with Clint Eastwood and 'Play It To The Bone' with Woody Harrelson and Antonio Banderas seeing out the decade.

'Shanghai Noon' opened up the new decade with Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson, followed by the big screen adaptation of the late '70's television series 'Charlie's Angels' with Liu appearing next to Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz as Alex Munday - one of three Angels of the title. The film made US$264M and spawned a sequel in 2003 - 'Charlie's Angels : Full Throttle' in which Liu reprised her role, with that film bringing in US$259M. 

'Hotel' followed for Director Mike Figgis, and then 'Ballistic : Ecks vs Sever' in 2002 which was critically panned and a commercial disaster, subsequently appearing on many 'most hated films' and 'worst ever movie' lists. That same year year came 'Cypher', and then 'Chicago' with Richard Gere which raked in six Academy Awards plus another 49 award wins and a further 121 nominations together with a Box Office haul of US$307M. 

'Kill Bill Volumes 1 and 2' for Director Quentin Tarantino followed in 2003 and 2004 with Liu playing head of the Tokyo Yakuza O-Ren Ishii. '3 Needles', bounty hunter autobiography 'Domino' for Tony Scott, 'Lucky Number Slevin' with Bruce Willis, 'Rise : Blood Hunter', and then the Dreamworks animated smash hit 'Kung Fu Panda' to which Liu would lend her voice talents as Master Viper  - a role she would reprise in 2011 in 'Kung Fu Panda 2', in 2016 in 'Kung Fu Panda 3' and reportedly in the upcoming 'Kung Fu Panda 4' which has been announced. Liu also lent her voice talents to the character of Silvermist in five DisneyToon Studios productions of 'Tinker Bell' in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2014 - all direct to DVD releases.

During the decade there were also further television show appearances on the likes of 'Futurama', 'King of the Hill', 'Game Over', 'The Simpsons', 'Sex and the City', 'Ugly Betty', 'Cashmere Mafia' and 'Dirty Sexy Money'.

'Nomads', 'Detachment', 'The Trouble With Bliss' and 'The Man with the Iron Fists' bring us up to date in terms of live action films. Since then there has been Liu's recurring role as Joan Watson on televisions 'Elementary' opposite Jonny Lee Miller's Sherlock Holmes in this modern day retelling of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries set in New York. The series has so far run for 103 episodes over five seasons and has picked up five award wins along the way and another eighteen nominations. There has also been 'Southland' and 45 episodes across three seasons of the television series spin off 'Kung Fu Panda : Legends of Awesomeness' running from 2011 through to 2016 so far. Next up is 'Future World' due in 2017 Directed by and starring James Franco.

All up Liu has 88 Acting credits to her name, three as Director and three as Producer. She has garnered fourteen award wins and another 28 nominations so far in her career.

When she's not working in film and television Liu works as an artist across several media showcasing her skills as a painter, photographer and collage artist. She attended the New York Studio for drawing, painting and sculpture from 2004 to 2006 and through a number of exhibits since has donated the profits to UNICEF. She works across other charitable organisations too including breast cancer research and education, as an ambassador for UNICEF, she supports gay and lesbian marriage equality and the Human Rights Campaign. She speaks Mandarin, Italian, Spanish, some Japanese and English of course. In August 2015 Liu welcomed to the world her first child - a boy Rockwell Lloyd born via a gestational surrogate.

Lucy Liu - busy, busy, busy; TV, Film, live action and animation featuring lots of voice work; keeps fit with rock climbing, skiing and horse riding; is proficient in the martial art of Kali-Eskrina-Silat (knife and stick fighting); is an acclaimed artist; is a spiritualist and is interested in all things metaphysical; and sits on the US Committee of 100 forging stronger links between the US and Greater China. Keep doing what you're doing Lucy and we'll keep watching - Happy Birthday to you, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthdays to share this week : 14th - 20th September.

Do you celebrate 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 who celebrates on 16th September, Mickey Rourke, at the end of this feature.

Sunday 14th September

• Andrew Lincoln - Born 1973, turns 41 - Actor
• Sam Neill - Born 1947, turns 67 - Actor | Director | Winemaker

Monday 15th September

• Tom Hardy - Born 1977, turns 37 - Actor
• Tommy Lee Jones - Born 1946, turns 68 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Oliver Stone - Born 1946, turns 68 - Director | Producer | Writer

Tuesday 16th September

• Mickey Rourke - Born 1952, turns 62 - Actor
• David Copperfield - Born 1956, turns 58 - Magician | Producer | Director | Actor
• Guy Hamilton - Born 1922, turns 92 - Director | Writer

Wednesday 17th September

• Bryan Singer - Born 1956, turns 49 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Baz Luhrmann - Born 1962, turns 52 - Director | Producer | Writer

Thursday 18th September

• Jada Pinkett Smith - Born 1971, turns 43 - Actress | Producer | Writer
• Tim McInnerney - Born 1956, turns 58 - Actor
• Patrick Schwarzenegger - Born 1993, turns 21 - Actor | Son of a very famous Actor, Politician and Bodybuilder!

Friday 19th September

• Jeremy Irons - Born 1948, turns 66 - Actor
• Adam West - Born 1928, turns 86 - Actor
• David McCallum - Born 1933, turns 81 - Actor
• Twiggy - Born 1949, turns 65 - Model | Actress
• Jimmy Fallon - Born 1974, turns 40 - Writer | TV Personality | Actor

Saturday 20th September

• Sophia Loren - born 1934, turns 80 - Actress
• Jon Bernthal - Born 1977, turns 37 - Actor
• Asia Argento - Born 1975, turns 39 - Actress | Director | Writer
• Gary Cole - Born 1956, turns 58 - Actor

Born Philip Andrew Rourke Jnr. in Schenectady, New York the young lad who would become Mickey Rourke moved to Miami, Florida with his mother at age six when his parents divorced. She remarried a year later, to a Miami Beach Police Officer and so the move to Miami Shores saw the young Rourke attend Horace Mann Junior High School and then onto Miami Beach Senior High School where he first got his taste for acting in the school play 'The Serpent'.

Whilst at school in his early teens he took up self-defence lessons where he learned boxing skills, winning his first boxing match at age 12 as a 118lbs (54kgs) bantamweight. He trained in various well known gyms and joined the Police Athletic League boxing programme. By 1971 he had already been concussed in two bouts and was told by his Doctors to ease up for twelve months. Over the following two years Rourke had a series of wins with straight KO's of his opponents in under a minute of the first round. By the time he retired from amateur boxing in 1973 he had a record of 27 wins under his belt with 17 wins by a knock-out and only three defeats.

Having graduated from school in 1971, he worked for a short time in a local beach side restaurant before returning to New York to pursue a career in acting.  He continued to box until 1973, and subsequently some years later secured a bit part in a 24 minute video-short in 1976 in 'Love in the Hamptons'. His debut feature length film came a few years later in 1979 in Steven Spielberg's '1941', but it was 'Body Heat' in 1981 that really bought him to the attention of the film world. This was followed up with a string of more notable, critically acclaimed films during the 80's that included 'Diner', 'Rumble Fish', 'The Pope of Greenwich Village', '9 1/2 Weeks', 'BarFly', 'Angel Heart' and 'Year of the Dragon'. 

But for these successes there also came the less favourable reviews in the decade the followed with the likes of 'Wild Orchid', 'Desperate Hours' and 'Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man'. It was during this time that in 1991 Rourke decided to return to boxing as a professional. He made US$250 from his debut fight which he won within four rounds by decision. Within two years however, he had earned over US$1M from his professional boxing career, and so in 1994 he retired after eight straight wins, but he never got so far as to contest for the world title. During his professional bouts he received several facial fractures to his nose and cheekbones which required reconstructive surgery in subsequent years, and later on cosmetic surgery also.

In the latter half of the 90's he returned to acting but mostly in fairly forgettable roles in the likes of 'Shergar', 'Shades', 'Out in Fifty' and 'Another 9 1/2 Weeks'. As the new century turned over his star began to shine a little more brightly as he got his personal life together, and garnered favour with a number of Directors. Tony Scott cast him in 'Man on Fire' and then 'Domino' and Robert Rodriguez cast him in 'Once upon a time in Mexico' and then again in 'Sin City'.

In 2008 he scored the lead role in Darren Aronofsky's 'The Wrestler' which garnered him much critical acclaim and numerous awards and accolades. Since then there has been 'The Expendables', 'Iron Man 2', '13', 'Black November', 'The Informers' and 'Java Heat' amongst others.

Rourke has 72 film credits to his name including, those not already mentioned above - 'Heaven's Gate', 'Double Team', 'White Sands', 'Bullet', 'Buffalo 66', 'Animal Factory', 'The Rainmaker', 'Point Blank', 'Get Carter', 'The Pledge', 'Killshot', 'Spun', 'Passion Play', 'The Courier' and 'Immortals'. Due for imminent release is the follow-up to 'Sin City' and his character of 'Marv' in 'Sin City : A Dame to Kill For', with 'Skin Traffic' and 'Ashby' for future release.



During his career to date he has a total 35 award wins to his name and another 20 nominations, including his Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for 'The Wrestler', and the Golden Globe win and BAFTA win both for best Actor in a Lead Role for 'The Wrestler'. I can't help thinking what other great things Rourke might have done had he not turned down roles in 'Beverley Hills Cop', 'Pulp Fiction', 'Revolver', 'Highlander', 'The Untouchables', 'Rain Man', '48 Hours', 'Top Gun', 'Platoon', 'Silence of the Lambs', 'Tombstone' and the 80's iconic TV Series 'Miami Vice'?

Rourke was married to Debra Feuer from 1981 to 1989 and then Carre Otis from 1992 to 1998, and he is currently with Russian model Anastassija Makarenko with whom he has had a relationship since 2009. He has written six screen plays - three of which have been produced for the big screen - 'Homeboy' in 1988, 'F.T.W' (also known as 'The Last Ride') in 1994 and 'Bullet' in 1996. He has voiced video game characters, appeared in music videos for David Bowie and Enrique Inglesias and appeared in television commercials for Daihatsu cars, Lark cigarettes, Suntory Reserve Whisky and DirecTV.

He is a devout Catholic and attributes his re-emergence and his success to his faith. He is a keen motorcycle enthusiast and an ardent small-breed dog lover. His dogs, of which he has several, are obsessed over and he treats them like the children he never had, often taking them to film sets and even having them appear in his films.

Mickey Rourke - often outspoken, at times controversial, opinionated, angry, competitive! You have been around the block; risen up, fallen down and risen again; and with that unmistakable deep gravelly voice, beaten up features and that 50's fashion sense, we wish you a Happy Birthday from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-