Birthday's to share this week : 30th April - 6th May 2017.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Kirsten Dunst does on 30th April - check out my tribute to this Birthday Girl turning 35, 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 30th April

• Jane Campion - Born 1954, turns 63 - Director | Writer | Producer 
• Kirsten Dunst - Born 1982, turns 35 - Actress | Writer | Producer | Director
• Gal Gadot - Born 1985, turns 32 - Actress  
• Lars von Trier - Born 1956, turns 61 - Director | Writer | Producer | Actor | Cinematographer | Editor | Songwriter

Monday 1st May

• Wes Anderson - Born 1969, turns 48 - Director | Writer | Producer | Actor
• James Badge Dale - Born 1978, turns 39 - Actor 
• Jamie Dornan - Born 1982, turns 35 - Actor
• Joanna Lumley - Born 1946, turns 71 - Actress |   

Tuesday 2nd May

• Lone Scherfig - Born 1959, turns 58 - Director | Writer 
• David Suchet - Born 1946, turns 71 - Actor | Producer 
• Stephen Daldry - Born 1960, turns 57 - Director | Producer
• Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson - Born 1972, turns 45 - Actor | Producer | Singer

Wednesday 3rd May

• Rob Brydon - Born 1965, turns 52 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Television Personality
• Bobby Cannavale - Born 1970, turns 47 - Actor 
• Amy Ryan - Born 1968, turns 49 - Actress 
• Christina Hendricks - Born 1975, turns 42 - Actress  

Thursday 4th May

• Richard Jenkins - Born 1947, turns 70 - Actor
• Will Arnett - Born 1970, turns 47 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Singer  

Friday 5th May

• Lance Henriksen - Born 1940, turns 77 - Actor 
• Michael Palin - Born 1943, turns 74 - Actor | Writer | Television Personality | Singer | Songwriter
• John Rhys-Davies - Born 1944, turns 73 - Actor | Producer
• Richard E. Grant - Born 1957, turns 60 - Actor | Writer | Director
• Henry Cavill - Born 1983, turns 34 - Actor  

Saturday 6th May

• Alan Dale - Born 1947, turns 70 - Actor 
• George Clooney - Born 1961, turns 56 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer

Kirsten Caroline Dunst was born in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, USA to mother Inez Dunst, a Lufthansa airline hostess and occasional artist and former gallery owner, and father Klaus Hermann Dunst, a medical services executive. Up to the age of eleven, the young Kirsten lived in the Brick Township of New Jersey attending the independent coeducational Ranney School. In 1993 her parents split and she relocated with her mother and younger brother, Christian, to Los Angeles where she attended Laurel Hall School in North Hollywood and then the coeducational Catholic College Notre Dame High School. Her parents divorced in 1995. By the time she had graduated from Notre Dame in 2000, Dunst had already spent ten years or so in the acting business, and chose to continue along that path that had launched her career at age three as a child fashion model on television commercials having signed up with Elite Model Management and Ford Models.

At the age of six Dunst made her feature film debut in a minor role in Woody Allen's short film 'Oedipus Wrecks' which was part of the anthology film 'New York Stories' comprising three short films with the central theme being New York City as Directed by Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola. In 1989 she lent her voice talents to the English language version of the Japanese animated feature film 'Kiki's Delivery Service', and followed this up in 1990 with 'The Bonfire of the Vanities' playing the daughter to the character played by Tom Hanks. The film also starred Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman and Melanie Griffiths. 'High Strung' and 'Greedy' both came before 'Interview with the Vampire : The Vampire Chronicles' based on the Anne Rice best seller in which Dunst plays child vampire and surrogate daughter to the characters played by Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. She had her first on-screen kiss with Pitt, aged eleven. Her performance garnered several award wins and nominations including her first Golden Globe nod. That same year came 'Little Women' opposite Winona Ryder, Claire Danes, Susan Sarandon, Christian Bale and Gabriel Byrne. 

1995 saw the release of Joe Johnston's 'Jumanji' with Robin Williams which was a commercial success raking in US$263M. In 1996 Dunst played on six episodes of 'ER' as a child prostitute taken under the stewardship of George Clooney's Dr. Doug Ross. The following years she starred in 'Tower of Terror' for 'The Wonderful World of Disney' television series, and then lent her voice work to the animated feature 'Anastasia' and followed this up that same year with Barry Levinson's 'Wag the Dog' with Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, William H. Macy and Woody Harrelson, and then 'True Heart' also that same year. Closing out the decade was 'All I Wanna Do', 'Small Soldiers', Drop Dead Gorgeous', 'Dick' and 'The Virgin Suicides' for Sofia Coppola with James Woods, Scott Glenn, Danny DeVito, Josh Hartnett and Kathleen Turner.

The turn of the new decade saw Dunst graduate from High School and lurch into 'The Crow : Salvation' the supernatural action film and the third instalment in 'The Crow' series based on the comic book of the same name. After a very limited release this film went straight to video. This was followed up by the likes of 'Luckytown', teen comedy 'Bring It On' which has become a bit of a cult classic and recovered US$90M from its US$11M budget, then 'Deeply' and then into 2001 with 'Get Over It', 'Crazy/Beautiful', Peter Bogdanovich's period drama 'The Cat's Meow', and then 'Lover's Prayer'. This leads us to 'Spiderman' based on the Marvel comic book teen web slinging hero as played by Tobey Maguire with Dunst playing Mary Jane Watson - Peter Parker's (aka Spiderman) love interest. Directed by Sam Raimi the film cost US$140M to make and brought in US$822M at the global Box Office. Dunst would reprise her role in 'Spiderman 2' released in 2004 and again in 'Spiderman 3' released in 2007. The latter two films made a combined US$1,68B against production costs of US$458M.

'Levity' came next in 2003 with Billy Bob Thornton and Morgan Freeman, then Mike Newell's 'Mona Lisa Smile' with Julia Roberts, Julia Stiles and Maggie Gyllenhaal followed by Michael Gondry's 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' with Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Mark Ruffalo and Tom Wilkinson. 'Wimbledon' followed in 2004 with Paul Bettany; Cameron Crowe's 'Elizabethtown' in 2005 with Orlando Bloom; Sofia Coppola's 'Marie Antoinette' in 2006 with Dunst in the title role, and then 'How to Lose Friends & Alienate People' in 2008 with Simon Pegg.

Another new decade dawned with 'All Good Things' opposite Ryan Gosling, and then Lars von Trier's Written and Directed 'Melancholia' alongside Keifer Sutherland, John Hurt, Stellen Skarsgard, Alexander Skarsgard, Charlotte Rampling and Charlotte Gainsbourg. Comedy Romance 'Bachelorette' followed in 2012 with Isla Fisher, Lizzy Caplin and Rebel Wilson, and later that same year came 'On the Road' based on novel by Jack Kerouac and Directed by Walter Salles with Garret Hedlund, Viggo Mortensen, Kristen Stewart, Amy Adams, and Elisabeth Moss. 'Upside Down' followed with Jim Sturgess, then an uncredited turn in Sofia Coppola's 'The Bling Ring', then 'Anchorman 2 : The Legend Continues' with Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, followed up with 'The Two Faces of January' with Viggo Mortensen and Oscar Isaac.

Jeff Nichols 'Midnight Special' with Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton and Adam Driver and the still on general release 'Hidden Figures' with Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae and Kevin Costner bring us up to date in terms of feature films. In between time Dunst Directed and Co-Wrote two short films - the sixteen minute 'Welcome' in 2007 and the seven minute 'Bastard' in 2010 which was shown at both the Tribeca and Cannes Film Festivals. Over the years she has also appeared in numerous made for television films such as 'The Siege at Ruby Ridge', 'Fifteen and Pregnant', and 'The Devil's Arithmetic', and television series appearances including 'Sisters' in 1993, 'Touched by an Angel' and 'The Outer Limits' in 1997 and most recently as Peggy Blomquist in the second season of the acclaimed TV adaptation of 'Fargo'.

Next up for Dunst is drama film offering 'Woodshock' starring Pilou Asbaek and Lorelei Linklater and due for release later this year. As is a remake of 'The Beguiled' for Sofia Coppola and also starring Nicole Kidman, Elle Fanning, Angourie Rice and Colin Farrell. Recently announced is made for television film 'On Becoming a God in Central Florida' and her own feature film Directing debut which she has also Written and is Executive Producing on - 'The Bell Jar' and will star Dakota Fanning, Patricia Arquette and Jesse Plemons and is due out in 2018.

All up Dunst has 74 Acting credits to her name, three as Director (including 'The Bell Jar' currently in pre-production), three as Writer and two as Producer. Dunst has amassed thirty award wins to her name and a further 63 nominations including two Golden Globe nods for 'Fargo' and 'Interview with the Vampire', a Primetime Emmy Award nomination also for 'Fargo' and an AACTA Award nomination for 'Melancholia'. She works with the Elizabeth Glazer Paediatric AIDS Foundation and has worked in raising awareness for Breast Cancer. In 2008 she underwent treatment for depression checking herself into a treatment centre in Utah. Last year she began dating her 'Fargo' Co-Star Jesse Plemons and they are now engaged to be married.

Kirsten Dunst - only 35 but have spent your whole life over four decades in front of the camera and with the critical and commercial success to back it up; became a German citizen in 2011; has been named on various 'Top' lists over the years including '25 Hottest Stars Under 25', Entertainment Weekly's '30 Under 30'. '#25 out of the Top 102 Sexiest Women in the World', and one of People Magazine's '50 Most Beautiful People in the World' in 1995 and 2002; takes tap dancing lessons; has set up her own Production Company; has sung in numerous films and music videos for well known recording artists; is Sofia Coppola's go to girl; and has amassed a varied body of work across almost all genres from the age of seven that is truly enviable. Happy Birthday to you Kirsten, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-  

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 16th February 2017.

Continuing with all the glitz and glamour of Awards Season, Sunday evening 12th February saw the 70th BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) Awards hosted for the twelfth year by Stephen Fry from The Royal Albert Hall in London, England. Attended by the Who's Who of the movie industry and a couple of Royal Blue Bloods as well (HRH Prince William and Kate Middleton), this years winners and grinners who walked away with the golden mask were :-

* Best Film : 'LA LA LAND'
* Best British Film : 'I, DANIEL BLAKE'
* Best Animated Film : 'KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS'
* Best Film not in the English Language : 'SON OF SAUL'
* Best Director : DAMIEN CHAZELLE for 'La La Land'
* Best Actor : CASEY AFFLECK for 'Manchester By The Sea'
* Best Actress : EMMA STONE for 'La La Land'
* Best Supporting Actor : DEV PATEL for 'Lion'
* Best Supporting Actress : VIOLA DAVIS for  'Fences'
* Best Original Screenplay : KENNETH LONERGAN for 'Manchester By The Sea'
* Best Adapted Screenplay : LUKE DAVIS for 'Lion'
* Best Original Music : JUSTIN HURWITZ for 'La La Land'
* The EE Rising Star Award : TOM HOLLAND
* BAFTA Fellowship Award : MEL BROOKS

In other categories 'Jackie' picked up Best Costume Design; 'Hacksaw Ridge' won Best Editing; 'La La Land' Best Cinematography; Best Hair and Make-Up went to 'Florence Foster Jenkins'; Special Visual Effects went to 'The Jungle Book'; Best Production Design was awarded to 'Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them'; Best Sound went to 'Arrival', and Best Documentary Film went to '13th'.

Turning to this week, we have five new cinematic offerings to tease you out to your local multiplex or independent movie theatre. We start off with a highly acclaimed feel good movie of the '60's Space Race era and how three coloured women proved that they were better than any computer of the time, and so rewrote the history books in the process by putting an man in orbit and ensuring his safe return. The stuff of legend! We then have another historical drama but this time of the Chinese fantasy adventure kind that sees a European arrow slinging warrior face off against the might of an ancient marauding creature foe. Next up is a passion project by a renowned Director taking us on a 17th Century tale of Catholicism in a far way land where it is forbidden, and our two protagonists have their faith tested to the limit as they search for their learned colleague and mentor. We then turn attention to the streets of Las Vegas in a crime drama that pits an undercover cop against the underworld mob as family, work and loyalty collide. Wrapping up is an English crime story of three generations of a crime family and the passing of the baton from father to son to grandson amidst a conflict of interest and a new way of thinking for the younger generation keen on escaping that old way of life.

Remember that you are warmly invited to share your thoughts, observations and personal critique with your fellow readers here at Odeon Online, when you have sat through your film of choice in the coming week. Leave you constructive, relevant and pertinent thoughts in the Comments section below this or any other Post - as always - we'd love to hear from you. Meanwhile, enjoy your film experience in the coming week.

'HIDDEN FIGURES' (Rated PG) - this highly acclaimed historical biographical drama film is Directed, Co-Produced and Co-Written for the screen by Thoedore Melfi, is based on the non-fiction book of the same name by Margot Lee Shetterly and so far has gained three Academy Award nominations whose winners are yet to be announced, as well as a haul to date of 25 wins and a further sixty-one nominations. The film cost US$25M to make, and has so far grossed US$141M since its release Stateside at Christmas.

Beginning in 1961 at the start of the Space Race, mathematician Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson) works as a human computer in a division of Langley Research Centre in Hampton, Virginia with her two colleagues Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae) an engineer, and Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) another mathematician and unofficial supervisor. After the Russians successfully launch a space satellite, so the race hots up to put a man into orbit. Katherine is quickly assigned by her supervisor Vivian Mitchell (Kirsten Dunst) to support the Space Task Group headed up by Al Harrison (Kevin Costner) and become the first coloured woman on the team. Over time the three woman prove their worth to the space race by helping to launch John Glenn into space and his successful and safe return after the newly installed and trusted IBM 7090 computer shows flaws in its calculations and Katherine has to step in with her brain power to save the day, and win the confidence of the nation, and indeed the world. These unsung heroes of the early days of space exploration crossed political, race and gender lines to create something bigger, more valuable and more important than they ever could have imagined and inspired a generation that came after, to dream big. Also starring Mahershala Ali and Jim Parsons, this is a crowd pleasing, uplifting, heart warming not to be missed true story and one to watch.

'THE GREAT WALL' (Rated M) - representing the most expensive Chinese movie ever made at a budget of US$150M, this film is the first English film Directed by Zhang Yimou and is best described as an epic historical action adventure fantasy monster film. It was released in China in mid-December and has so far grossed US$225M before its release in Australia on 16th and the US on 17th February. Set in the China of about a thousand years ago, European mercenary warrior William Garin (Matt Damon) is searching for black powder to secure his wealth, but is subsequently held captive within the Great Wall of China. He quickly becomes caught up in an epic battle with ancient marauding creatures who attack just once every sixty years and so his search for fame and fortune turns into a journey of strength, heroics and survival as he joins an elite team of highly trained warriors to thwart a formidable and seemingly unstoppable enemy. Also starring Willem Dafoe, Pedro Pascal, Andy Lau and Tian Jing. This film has received mixed Reviews and perhaps some unfair criticism but for an epic English language Chinese production the like of which we have never seen before, I think it's gotta be worth a look!

'SILENCE' (Rated MA15+) - this film has been a passion project for Martin Scorsese since reading the book back in 1988 and acquiring the film rights back in 1990. After approaching thirty years in gestation, this historical drama film is Directed by Martin Scorsese, Co-Written and Co-Produced by him too, and is based on the 1966 book of the same name by Shusaku Endo. Costing US$40M to make, the film was released in the US at Christmas and has so far earned back US$14M. The film follows two 17th Century Portuguese Jesuit Priests - Sebastiao Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) and Francisco Garupe (Adam Driver) who travel from their home country to Japan to search for their mentor Father Cristovao Ferreira (Liam Neeson) who has renounced his faith after being tortured. At a time when Catholicism was outlawed and their very presence in Japan was forbidden, the two must face physical dangers and a test of their own faith in God before their journey and their quest can be complete. Also starring Ciaran Hinds as Father Alessandro Valignano who first hears news of Father Cristovao Ferreira. The film has a Cinematography nomination at the upcoming Academy Awards, and has so far picked up six award wins and another 35 nominations.

'SLEEPLESS' (Rated MA15+) - is a crime drama film Directed by Baran bo Odar, made on a budget of US30M, released Stateside mid-January, has so far recovered US$21M with generally poor Reviews along the way. Starring Jamie Foxx as Vincent Downes a Las Vegas Police Department undercover cop who partners up with Sean Cass (T.I.) to rob an incoming shipment of cocaine, belonging to Stanley Rubino (Dermot Mulroney) whose in cahoots with Rob Novak (Scoot McNairy) who happens to be the son of a powerful underworld king pin. Rubin quickly establishes that Downes did the thieving and so kidnap his son, Thomas (Octavius J. Johnson) while dad is driving his son to soccer practise, demanding the return of his cocaine in exchange for the life of Thomas. What ensues is a high stakes game of corrupt cops, revengeful mobsters and internal affairs as the clock ticks down on a sleepless night to save himself, his son and ensure that justice is served.

'TRESPASS AGAINST US' (Rated MA15+) - Directed by Adam Smith this family crime drama film has had a limited release in the US and opens in the UK on 3rd March. The film is set across three generations of the Cutler family, outlaws living in their own anarchic corner of Britain's richest countryside. Chad Cutler (Michael Fassbender) is heir apparent to his over bearing and dominant criminal father, Colby (Brendan Gleeson) and has been groomed to spend his life hunting, thieving and tormenting the Police. However, when his own son Tyson (Georgie Smith) steps over into adulthood, Chad soon finds himself at odds with his father over what the future holds for his young family. When Colby learns of Chad's dreams and aspirations for another life he sets out to tie his son and grandson into the archaic order that has shaped the Cutler family for generations and made them in to what they are today. Also starring Sean Harris, Rory Kinnear and Lyndsey Marshal.

With three historical and two crime dramas to choose from this week there's no better way to escape the record breaking heat of a scorching Australian Summer than to retreat to an air conditioned comfort of a movie theatre. Share your views afterwards with us here, and in the meantime I'll see you sometime, somewhere in the week ahead at the Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 12th - 18th February 2017.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Mahershala Ali does on 16th February - check out my tribute to this Birthday Lad turning 43, 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 12th February

• Joe Don Baker - Born 1936, turns 81 - Actor
• Michael Ironside - Born 1950, turns 67 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director
• Josh Brolin - Born 1968, turns 49  -Actor | Producer
• Darren Aronofsky - Born 1969, turns 48 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Christina Ricci - Born 1980, turns 37 - Actress | Producer

Monday 13th February

• Kim Novak - Born 1933, turns 84 - Actress
• Stockard Channing - Born 1944, turns 73 - Actress
• Mena Suvari - Born 1979, turns 38 - Actress
• George Segal - Born 1934, turns 83 - Actor
• Neal McDonough - Born 1966, turns 51 - Actor | Producer  

Tuesday 14th February

• Alan Parker - Born 1944, turns 73 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Simon Pegg - Born 1970, turns 47 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Freddie Highmore - Born 1992, turns 25 - Actor  

Wednesday 15th February

• Matt Groening - Born 1954, turns 63 - Producer | Writer | Animator | Actor | Singer
• Claire Bloom - Born 1931, turns 86 - Actress
• Jane Seymour - Born 1951, turns 66 - Actress | Producer
• Jessica De Gouw - Born 1988, turns 29 - Actress  

Thursday 16th February

• Elizabeth Olsen - Born 1989, turns 28 - Actress
• Ice-T (aka Tracy Lauren Marrow) - Born 1958, turns 59 - Actor | Producer | Singer | Songwriter | Composer
• Christopher Eccleston - Born 1964, turns 53 - Actor
• Mahershala Ali - Born 1974, turns 43 - Actor   

Friday 17th February

• Hal Holbrook - Born 1925, turns 92 - Actor
• Lou Diamond Phillips - Born 1962, turns 55 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Singer | Songwriter
• Michael Bay - Born 1965, turns 52 - Director | Producer | Actor | Cameraman
• Dominic Purcell - Born 1970, turns 47 - Actor | Producer
• Jerry O'Connell - Born 1974, turns 43 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Rory Kinnear - Born 1978, turns 39 - Actor
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt - Born 1981, turns 36 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director | Singer
• Renee Russo - Born 1954, turns 63 - Actress
• Denise Richards - Born 1971, turns 46 - Actress | Producer  

Saturday 18th February

• Cybill Shepherd - Born 1950, turns 67 - Actress | Producer | Singer
• Greta Scacchi - Born 1960, turns 57 - Actress
• Molly Ringwald - Born 1968, turns 49 - Actress
• Milos Forman - Born 1932, turns 85 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor
• John Travolta - Born 1954, turns 63 - Actor | Producer | Singer
• Matt Dillon - Born 1964, turns 53 - Actor | Producer | Writer

Mahershalalhashbaz 'Mahershala' Gilmore was born in Oakland, California and was raised in Hayward, California in the East Bay area of San Francisco Bay. His mother Willicia Goines, was an ordained Christian Church Minister, and his father Phillip F. Gilmore, appeared in stage plays on Broadway. Raised a Christian, he converted to Islam and in so doing changed his surname from Gilmore to Ali. He attended St. Mary's College of California, a small private co-educational college in Moraga, about 15kms east of Oakland, on a basketball scholarship from which he graduated in 1996 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in mass communication. He became disillusioned with a career in sport however, and so developed an interest in Acting after earning a role in 'Spunk' that led to him gaining an apprenticeship at the California Shakespeare Theatre upon graduating from St. Mary's. Having taken  a year off he landed a job at the long established 'Gavin Report' - a San Francisco based radio industry trade publication which subsequently closed down in 2002. He then enrolled in the New York University Graduate Acting Programme gaining a Masters Degree in 2000.

His first screen break came in 2001 scoring the role of Dr. Trey Sanders on nineteen episodes of 'Crossing Jordan'. This was quickly followed up with single episodes on television shows 'Haunted', 'NYPD Blue', 'CSI : Crime Scene Investigation', and 'The Handler'. Fifteen episodes on Homeland Security drama thriller series 'Threat Matrix' and 32 episodes on Sci-Fi drama mystery series 'The 4400' with comedy film offering 'Making Revolution' coming in between time.

2008 saw his first major big screen role in David Fincher's 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' alongside Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. The film won three Oscar's and was nominated for another ten with an all up awards haul of 76 wins and 146 other nods. 'Crossing Over' followed in 2009 with Harrison Ford, Ashley Judd, Ray Liotta and Jim Sturgess with Sci-Fi actioner 'Predators' with Adrien Brody, Laurence Fishburn, Danny Trejo, Topher Grace and Walton Goggins in 2010. In between time there had been more television work on 'Lie to Me' with Tim Roth, 'Law & Order : SVU', 'Lights Out' with Stacy Keach, and 'Alcatraz' with Sam Neill.

The Derek Cianfrance Directed crime drama thriller about a bank robbing motorcycle stunt rider 'The Place Beyond the Pines' with Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Ben Mendelsohn and Eva Mendes was released in 2012, before John Sayles Written and Directed 'Go for Sisters' and 'Supremacy' in 2014. 'The Hungers Games : Mockingjay Parts 1 and 2' released in 2014 and 2015 saw Ali play Colonel Boggs. These two films returned a Box Office haul of US$1.41B off a budget of US$285M.



In between big screen appearances there were further small screen roles on six episodes of post Hurricane Katrina drama 'Treme', and twelve episodes on Sci-Fi action drama series about humans with enhanced abilities 'Alphas', and then 33 episodes of the highly acclaimed, very popular and much awarded 'House of Cards' as Remy Danton with Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright.

'Kicks' came next in 2016 with the Gary Ross Directed 'Free State of Jones' with Matthew McConaughey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and then the universally acclaimed 'Moonlight' which is nominated for eight Academy Awards including Best Supporting Actor for Ali, Best Picture and Best Directing for Barry Jenkins. It is also up for four BAFTA Awards including again the Best Supporting Actor nod for Ali. Both the BAFTA and Academy Awards are yet to be presented at the time of writing. In the meantime Ali won the SAG Award for his Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role and was nominated for a Golden Globe in the same category. The film cost just US$5M to make and has so far taken US$20M at the Box Office.

Since, he has starred in seven episodes of the Netflix small screen Marvel adaptation of 'Luke Cage' as Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes, before the pending release of the highly anticipated 'Hidden Figures' due in cinemas in Australia on 16th February and is also nominated for three Oscars and has so far picked up 25 wins and a total 64 nominations form around the traps. Next up is 'Roxanne Roxanne' due later this year and then Robert Rodriguez Directed and James Cameron Co-Written 26th Century action adventure offering 'Alita : Battle Angel' with Jennifer Connelly, Christoph Waltz, Ed Skrein and Jackie Earle Hayley bringing us up to date.

All up Ali has 37 Acting credits to his name so far, he has an outstanding nomination for this years Academy Awards and BAFTA's for his role in 'Moonlight' and he has 46 award wins in total and another 30 nominations. Not bad for someone you've probably only very recently heard of, or perhaps not at all! He married Amatus Sami-Karim in 2013, and in December 2016 the couple announced the pending arrival of their first child together.

Mahershala Ali - whose name hails from the Book of Isaiah in the Hebrew Bible and is a combination of four words 'Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz' meaning 'hurry to the spoils' or 'he has made haste to the plunder'. He is also a respected rapper in the hip-hop world, and aside from big and small screen appearances has appeared in numerous stage roles in both contemporary and classic plays. Get used to the name and seeing more of Mahershala as his star continues to rise and the spotlight is turned firmly in his direction. A very Happy Birthday to you Mahershala, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-