Birthday's to share this week : 7th - 13th January 2018.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Sam Riley does on 8th January - check out my tribute to this Actor and Singer Birthday Lad turning 38, 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 have 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 7th January

• Linda Kozlowski - Born 1958, turns 60 - Actress  
• David Caruso - Born 1956, turns 62 - Actor | Producer
• Nicolas Cage - Born 1964, turns 54 - Actor | Producer
• Irrfan Khan - Born 1967, turns 51 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Jeremy Renner - Born 1971, turns 47 - Actor | Producer | Singer | Songwriter

Monday 8th January

• John McTiernan - Born 1951, turns 67 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Sam Riley - Born 1980, turns 38 - Actor | Singer

Tuesday 9th January

• J.K.Simmons - Born 1955, turns 63 - Actor
• Imelda Staunton - Born 1956, turns 62 - Actress
• Joely Richardson - Born 1965, turns 53 - Actress 

Wednesday 10th January

• Fran Walsh - Born 1959, turns 59 - Producer | Writer | Songwriter
• Walter Hill - Born 1942, turns 76 - Director | Producer | Writer 
• Jemaine Clement - Born 1974, turns 44 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director | Singer | Songwriter | Musician

Thursday 11th January

• Jason Connery - Born 1963, turns 55 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Amanda Peet - Born 1972, turns 46 - Actress

Friday 12th January

• Kirstie Alley - Born 1951, turns 67 - Actress | Producer | Writer
• Anthony Andrews - Born 1948, turns 70 - Actor | Producer
• John Lasseter - Born 1957, turns 61 - Producer | Director | Writer | Animator | Voice Actor
• Oliver Platt - Born 1960, turns 58 - Actor
• Rob Zombie (aka Robert Bartleh Cummings) - Born 1965, turns 53 - Producer | Director | Writer | Actor | Singer | Songwriter | Composer 
• Aaron Seltzer - Born 1974, turns 44 - Director | Writer | Producer | Songwriter

Saturday 13th January

• William B. Davis - Born 1938, turns 80 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer | Editor
• Bill Bailey - Born 1965, turns 53 - Writer | Actor | Television Personality | Singer | Composer
• Patrick Dempsey - Born 1966, turns 52 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Michael Pena - Born 1976, turns 42 - Actor | Producer
• Orlando Bloom - Born 1977, turns 41 - Actor | Producer
• Liam Hemsworth - Born 1990, turns 28 - Actor
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus - Born 1961, turns 57 - Actress | Producer | Singer  

Samuel Peter Riley was born in the village of Menston, West Yorkshire, England, UK to mother Amanda, a nursery school teacher, and father Andrew Riley a textile agent. He attended the co-ed independent preparatory Malsis School, in Crosshills in North Yorkshire (which has subsequently closed), and then the co-ed independent secondary Uppingham School, in Uppingham, Rutland. He played with the National Youth Theatre for a time, and then for a few years in the early 2000's, Riley was the frontman for Leeds based band '10,000 Things' with whom he enjoyed some success, releasing their first single on an independent record label in 2002. From there the band signed up with Polydor for a self-titled album, before disbanding in 2005. Riley's brother George, played bass with the band. 

In 2002 Riley secured his small screen debut in a couple of made for television films - 'Tough Love' with Ray Winstone and Adrian Dunbar, and then 'Lenny Blue'. It would be five years before another screen appearance, with the short 30 minute made for television comedy movie 'Sound' in 2007. His breakout role came later that year, in the Anton Corbijn Directed musical biographical drama charting the early rise and untimely death of Ian Curtis (as played by Riley) the enigmatic singer of post-punk band Joy Division in 'Control'. The film was critically acclaimed picking up 31 award wins and another 34 nominations, including several wins and nods for Riley's convincing performance as the troubled lead singer who committed suicide at the age of just 23.

Next up in 2008 was the Sci-Fi fantasy drama offering 'Franklyn' with Eva Green, Ryan Phillippe, Bernard Hill, Art Malik and Susannah York seeing out the decade. 2010 launched with '13' with Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke and Ray Winstone and then that same year the remake of the classic 'Brighton Rock' based on the Graham Greene novel of the same name released in 1938 and first made into a feature film in 1948 with David Attenborough and William Hartnell. Directed by Rowan Joffe this crime thriller '60's set period piece also starred Helen Mirren, John Hurt, Andy Serkis, Andrea Riseborough and Phil Davis.

German comedy 'Woman in Love' came next in 2011 in which Riley was cast alongside his wife of then two years Alexandra Maria Lara, followed by 'On The Road' in 2012, Directed by Walter Salles based on the book by Jack Kerouac and starring Garrett Hedlund, Kristen Stewart, Amy Adams, Elisabeth Moss, Kirsten Dunst and Viggo Mortensen. Neil Jordan's Directed fantasy horror drama 'Byzantium' with Saoirse Ronan , Gemma Arterton and Caleb Landry Jones was also released in 2012.

The Austrian/German Co-Produced mystery Western 'The Dark Valley' came next in 2014 picking up 26 award wins and five other nominations from around the mostly European circuit, with the Disney Studios live action dark fantasy spin on the tale of Sleeping Beauty with 'Maleficent' also starring Angelina Jolie in the title role, with Sharlto Copley, Elle Fanning, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple and Brenton Thwaites. The film grossed US$759M from its circa US$220M budget outlay, and a sequel is in the works apparently with Jolie set to reprise her role. 2015 saw the British/French/Belgian Co-Produced WWII romantic drama film 'Suite Francaise' with Michelle Williams, Kristen Scott Thomas, Ruth Wilson, Margot Robbie, Matthias Schoenaerts and Riley's wife, Alexandra Maria Lara once again. The film generated largely positive press, but failed to make back less than half of its production budget in Box Office Receipts, which closed at just over US$9M.

The 'romantic' action horror offering 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies' followed up in 2016 with Lily James, Charles Dance, Matt Smith, Lena Headey and Jack Huston. That same year Riley lent his voice talents, together with John Boyega, to the children's animated series 'Tinkershrimp & Dutch' which has so far had a very limited run of just five episodes of five minutes each. Ben Wheatley's Boston set 1978 shoot 'em up film 'Free Fire' with Armie Hammer, Sharlto Copley, Cillian Murphy, Noah Taylor, Jack Reynor, Patrick Bergin and Brie Larson was released in 2107 as was the German produced childrens adventure comedy 'Robbi, Tobbi und das Filewatuut' which also starred Riley's wife once more Alexandra Maria Lara.

Bringing us up to date is the television mini-series 'SS-GB' in which Riley stars in all five episodes of the first season so far as Douglas Archer, a British homicide detective investigating a murder in a German-occupied England in a parallel universe where the Nazis won World War II. Also starring James Cosmo, Kate Bosworth and Jason Flemyng. Currently in post-production is 'Triple Word Score' a drama about a missing son, and the fathers love of the 'Scrabble' word game that leads him on a hunt for an online opponent in the game, that just may be that missing son. Also starring Bull Nighy, Jenny Agutter and Tim McInnerny.

All up Riley has nineteen Acting credits to his name. He has so far garnered seven award wins and ten further nominations, the most of which were for his role in 'Control'. He was nominated for the BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2008 too. In 2009 he married German Actress Alexandra Maria Lara and together they have a son, Ben, born in early 2014. Aside from his acting and early singing career, Riley has also carved out a place in modelling, having successfully modelled for British fashion house 'Burberry' in 2008, in 2014 for 'Ermenegildo Zegna' and in 2015 he was named as one of the Top 50 Best Dressed Men in Britain by GQ magazine.

Sam Riley - has worked across just about all genres including fantasy, horror, biographical, comedy, crime, Western, historical, musical, animation and foreign language; appears to be quite choosy about his roles and his output; is nonetheless in demand but prefers to be out of the spotlight living in relative safety and isolation in Germany. Keep up the good, albeit selective, work Sam and we'll keep watching. Happy Birthday to you, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 31st December 2017 - 6th January 2018.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Norman Reedus does on 6th January - check out my tribute to this Actor, Producer, Director and Writer Birthday Lad turning 49, 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 have 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 31st December

• Anthony Hopkins - Born 1937, turns 80 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer | Composer | Singer | Songwriter
• Ben Kingsley - Born 1943, turns 74 - Actor | Producer 
• James Remar - Born 1953, turns 64 - Actor 
• Val Kilmer - Born 1959, turns 58 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer | Singer 
• Barbara Carrera - Born 1945, turns 72 - Actress   

Monday 1st January

• Angourie Rice - Born 2001, turns 17 - Actress 
• Frank Langella - Born 1938, turns 80 - Actor 
• Verne Troyer - Born 1969, turns 49 - Actor 

Tuesday 2nd January 

• Todd Haynes - Born 1961, turns 57 - Director | Writer | Producer | 
• Cuba Gooding Jnr. - Born 1968, turns 50 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Taye Diggs - Born 1971, turns 47 - Actor | Producer | Singer
• Dax Shepard - Born 1975, turns 43 - Actor | Director | Writer | Producer | Editor | Singer  
• Tia Carrere - Born 1967, turns 51 - Actress | Producer | Singer
• Paz Vega - Born 1976, turns 42 - Actress 
• Kate Bosworth - Born 1983, turns 35 - Actress | Producer

Wednesday 3rd January

• Victoria Principal - Born 1950, turns 68 - Actress | Producer
• Florence Pugh - Born 1996, turns 22 - Actress
• Dabney Coleman - Born 1932, turns 86 - Actor 
• Mel Gibson - Born 1956, turns 62 - Actor | Director | Producer | Writer  
• Matt Ross - Born 1970, turns 48 - Actor | Director | Writer 

Thursday 4th January

• Graham McTavish - Born 1961, turns 57 - Actor | Singer
• Julia Ormond - Born 1965, turns 53 - Actress | Producer  

Friday 5th January

• Diane Keaton - Born 1946, turns 72 - Actress | Director | Producer | Singer
• January Jones - Born 1978, turns 40 - Actress 
• Robert Duvall - Born 1931, turns 87 - Actor | Producer | Director 
• Hayao Miyazaki - Born 1941, turns 77 - Writer | Director | Animator | Producer | Editor | Songwriter | Voice Actor
• Roger Spottiswoode - Born 1945, turns 73 - Director | Producer | Writer | Editor
• Clancy Brown - Born 1959, turns 59 - Actor | Producer | Singer
• Vinnie Jones - Born 1965, turns 53 - Actor | Singer
• Bradley Cooper - Born 1975, turns 43 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer  

Saturday 6th January

• Rowan Atkinson - Born 1955, turns 63 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Singer
• Norman Reedus - Born 1969, turns 49 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer 
• Eddie Redmayne - Born 1982, turns 36 - Actor | Singer 
• Sylvia Syms - Born 1934, turns 84 - Actress 
• Kate McKinnon - Born 1984, turns 34 - Actress | Writer | Singer

Norman Mark Reedus was born in Hollywood, Florida, USA to mother Marianne Yarber, a teacher, and father Ira Norman Reedus. In his teenage years he worked in a Harley-Davidson dealership in Venice, California and through his artwork interests was a regular contributor to various shows exhibiting his painting, photography, sculpting and video work skills. His first taste for the acting craft came in the stage play 'Maps for Drowners' at The Tiffany Theatre on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. He was discovered at a Los Angeles party when he started screaming wearing huge sunglasses, and another party guest asked him if he wanted to act in a play. And the rest as they say, is history!

Reedus gained his big screen debut in Guillermo del Toro's horror Sci-Fi offering 'Mimic' in 1997 with Josh Brolin, F. Murray Abraham, Jeremy Northam and Mira Sorvino. This was followed up that same year by coming of age romantic drama 'Floating', then the comedy crime drama 'Six Ways to Sunday' with Debbie Harry and Adrien Brody, and then the likes of 'I'm Losing You', 'Dark Harbour', 'Reach The Rock', 'Davis is Dead', 'Let The Devil Wear Black' before Joel Schumacher's mystery thriller '8MM' with Nicolas Cage, Joaquin Phoenix, James Gandolfini and Peter Stormare. This in turn led to action crime thriller 'The Boondocks Saints' in 1999 with Willem Dafoe, Billy Connolly and Sean Patrick Flanery. Reedus plays brother Murphy MacManus to Flanery's Conor MacManus in this Boston set underworld revenge and retribution offering, which saw Reedus, Flanery and Connolly reprise their roles in the 2009 sequel 'The Boondocks Saints II : All Saints Day'.

The new decade in 2000 opened with 'Beat' with Keifer Sutherland, 'Gossip' with James Marsden and Lena Headey, 'Bad Seed', 'Sand', 'Beatnicks', Luster' and Guillermo del Toro's action Sci-Fi horror sequel 'Blade II' with Wesley Snipes, Ron Perlman and Kris Kristofferson. 'Deuces Wild', 'Nobody Needs to Know', 'Tough Luck', 'Octane' and 'Until the Night' closed out 2004. In the meantime there had been two episodes on television series 'Charmed'. 

2005 saw 'Antibodies', historical biography 'The Notorious Bettie Page' with Gretchen Mol in the title role, then 'A Crime' in 2006 with Harvey Keitel and Ridley Scott's acclaimed 'American Gangster' in 2007 with Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. 'Moscow Chill' was released also in 2007, then 'Hero Wanted' with Cuba Gooding Jnr., horror thriller 'Red Canyon', 'Cadillac Records' in 2008 with Adrien Brody and Sci-Fi action horror offering 'Pandorum' with Ben Foster and Dennis Quaid seeing out 2009 with the aforementioned 'The Boondocks Saints II : All Saints Day'.

2010 saw another busy year with numerous release films including 'Meskada', the Robert Redford Directed 'The Conspirator' with James McAvoy, Kevin Kline, Tom Wilkinson, Danny Huston, Toby Kebbel and Robin Wright, then 'Hello Herman', mystery horror offering 'Night of the Templar', 'Sunlight Jr.' with Matt Dillon and Naomi Watts, followed by 'Pawn Shop Chronicles' with Matt Dillon again and Elijah Wood, Paul Walker, Brendan Fraser and Vincent D'Onofrio, and then 'Stretch' in 2014 with Patrick Wilson, Ed Helms, Ray Liotta, David Hasselhoff and Jessica Alba.

In between time Reedus was cast as the motorcycle riding crossbow wielding Daryl Dixon in the hugely popular and highly acclaimed AMC post zombie apocalypse television series 'The Walking Dead' which has aired for seven seasons so far, with Season Eight due in 2018, and spanning 115 episodes in which Reedus has appeared in 113 of those episodes to date. The series created by Frank Durabont based on the graphic novels by Robert Kirkman have so far garnered 66 award wins and 183 nominations, including three award wins and three nods for Reedus as Best Supporting Actor in the series. He stars beside Andrew Lincoln, Chandler Riggs, Melissa McBride, Lauran Cohan, Danai Gurira and Steven Yuen as the principle cast.

2015 saw another outing for the Griswold clan in 'Vacation' with Ed Helms, Chevy Chase, Chris Hemsworth, Christina Applegate, and Leslie Mann, followed up by Sci-Fi drama 'Air' with Djimon Hounsou, and then the drama 'Sky' with Diane Kruger. 2016 brought along John Hillcoat's Police crime drama film 'Triple 9' with Chiwetel Ejiofor, Woody Harrelson, Casey Affleck, Anthony Mackie, Aaron Paul, Kate Winslet, Gal Gadot and Teresa Palmer. Meanwhile there had been several one off appearances on 'American Dad', 'Turbo FAST', 'Robot Chicken' and 'Voltron' with several video games to which Reedus had lent his voice including 'The Walking Dead : Survival Instinct', 'The Walking Dead : No Man's Land', 'Iron Man : Rise of Technovore' and currently filming is the video game 'Death Stranding' also featuring Mads Mikkelsen and Guillermo del Toro.

Bringing us up to date, is 'Ride with Norman Reedus'. The series follows the Actor and motorcycle enthusiast where he and a guest of the week travel across to a different destination on a motorcycle while exploring the city's biker culture and checking out various locales. The travel series Premiered on AMC in mid-2016, with a second season going to air in late 2017, with a third season commissioned for 2018.

All up Reedus has 72 acting credits to his name, two as Producer, two as Writer and two as Director. He has garnered so far four award wins for his work on 'The Walking Dead' and 'Floating' and a further five nominations.

Aside from his successful acting career, Reedus has modelled over the years for the likes of Prada, Levi's and Lexus, and has also appeared in numerous music videos for prominent recording artists including Keith Richards, Bjork, The Goo Goo Dolls, Ugly Kid Joe, R.E.M. and Radiohead, and more recently Lady Gaga, Hilary Duff and Tricky. He has also showcased his painting, sculpting and photographic works in galleries in New York, Berlin and Frankfurt.

Reedus was in a five year relationship with supermodel Helena Christensen from 1998 through until 2003 with whom they have a son Mingus Lucien Reedus (Born in 1999). In 2005 Reedus was involved in a bad motorcycle accident in Germany resulting in him needing a nose reconstruction with the aid for four screws and a new left eye socket made from titanium.

Norman Reedus - heavily tattooed; reconstructed like a Terminator; collects masks for a hobby; multi-talented; has worked across multiple genres; has his own New York based Production Company called 'Bigbaldhead' (as in the sun rising up like a  . . . ); and is often seen wearing sun glasses, donning a beard or goatee, carrying a weapon of some kind, and speaking in his trademark deep husky voice. We love you in 'The Walking Dead' and watch out for your other productions too with much interest and anticipation. Happy Birthday to you Norman, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 24th - 30th December 2017.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Timothee Chalamet does on 27th December - check out my tribute to this Actor Birthday Lad turning 22, 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 24th December

• Gavin O'Connor - Born 1963, turns 54 - Director | Producer | Writer  

Monday 25th December

• Nicholas Hope - Born 1958, turns 59 - Actor 
• Sissy Spacek - Born 1949, turns 68 - Actress   

Tuesday 26th December

• Steve Bisley - Born 1951, turns 66 - Actor
• Temuera Morrison - Born 1960, turns 57 - Actor | Director
• Jared Leto - Born 1971, turns 46 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer | Songwriter | Composer
• Shane Meadows - Born 1972, turns 45 - Director | Writer | 
• Kit Harrington - Born 1986, turns 31 - Actor | Writer | Producer 

Wednesday 27th December

• Gerard Depardieu - Born 1948, turns 69 - Actor | Producer | Director | Singer
• Timothee Chalamet - Born 1995, turns 22 - Actor  
• Maryam d'Abo - Born 1960, turns 57 - Actress | Producer | Writer 
• Elizabeth Rodriguez - Born 1980, turns 37 - Actress

Thursday 28th December

• Maggie Smith - Born 1934, turns 83 - Actress 
• Noomi Rapace - Born 1979, turns 38 - Actress | Producer
• Sienna Miller - Born 1981, turns 36 - Actress 
• Stan Lee - Born 1922, turns 95 - Writer | Producer | Actor | Consultant
• James Foley - Born 1953, turns 64 - Director | Writer 
• Denzel Washington - Born 1954, turns 63 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Alex Dimitriades - Born 1973, turns 44 - Actor   

Friday 29th December

• Bernard Cribbins - Born 1928, turns 89 - Actor 
• Jon Voight - Born 1938, turns 79 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director 
• Ted Danson - Born 1947, turns 70 - Actor | Producer | Singer
• Jude Law - Born 1972, turns 45 - Actor | Producer
• Danny McBride - Born 1976, turns 41 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director | Singer
• Diego Luna - Born 1979, turns 38 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Patricia Clarkson - Born 1959, turns 58 - Actress 
• Lilly Wachowski - Born 1967, turns 50 - Writer | Producer | Director
• Alison Brie - Born 1982, turns 35 - Actress | Producer | Singer  

Saturday 30th December

• Tracey Ullman - Born 1959, turns 58 - Actress | Writer | Producer | Singer | Director 
• Eliza Dushku - Born 1980, turns 37 - Actress | Producer
• Bennett Miller - Born 1966, turns 51 - Director | Producer
• Tyrese Gibson - Born 1978, turns 39 - Actor | Producer | Singer | Songwriter | Writer 

Timothee Hal Chalamet was born in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, New York City, USA to American mother Nicole Flender, a real estate broker and former Broadway dancer and French father Marc Chalamet, an editor working for UNICEF. He spent his Summers as a child in France, where he learned to speak French fluently. His dream was to become a professional soccer player, and in his early teens he would coach younger players at soccer camp. Growing up in New York, he was given several roles in television commercials which he did not particularly enjoy. He graduated from these to the New York theatre environment, and from there to television work and eventually feature films. He was accepted into the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in Manhattan, and it was this experience that really gelled his appreciation for acting. He graduated from there in 2013. At the advice of Actress Claire Danes, Chalamet enrolled at Columbia University immediately following High School, and after a year of studying he briefly attended the New York University Gallatin School of Individualised Study to more actively pursue his career as an Actor. 

In 2008 Chalamet appeared in two short films - both horror offerings - the ten minute 'Sweet Tooth' and the six minute 'Clown' with Norman Reedus. 2009 saw a single episode on the television crime series 'Law & Order' and the made for television movie 'Loving Leah'. After a break from his chosen craft, four episodes on the long running comedy drama series 'Royal Pains' came next in 2012 and later that same year eight episodes on the highly acclaimed 'Homeland' with Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin and Damian Lewis playing the role of Finn Walden - the rebel son of the Vice President. 

2013 saw another made for television drama film - 'Trooper' alongside Mira Sorvino, and then in 2014 Chalamet gained this feature film debut in the Jason Reitman Co-Written and Directed comedy drama offering 'Men, Women and Children' with Adam Sandler, Jennifer Garner, Rosemarie Dewitt, Ansel Elgort and Emma Thompson. The thirteen minute short drama film 'Spinners' followed also in 2014 before Christoper Nolan's Co-Written and Directed adventure Sci-Fi drama 'Interstellar' alongside Matthew McConaughey, Michael Caine, Anne Hathaway, Ellen Burstyn, Jessica Chastain and John Lithgow. The film recovered US$675M from its US$165M budget outlay, won an Academy Award and a BAFTA amongst its total haul of forty-four award wins and a further 143 nominations. 'Worst Friends' closed out a somewhat busy 2014 for the young Actor. 

The fantasy drama thriller 'One & Two' opened up 2015, and later that year came the crime drama 'The Adderall Diaries' with James Franco, Ed Harris, Christian Slater, Amber Heard and Cynthia Nixon and then closing out that year came the Christmas themed comedy fantasy romance offering 'Love the Coopers' featuring Steve Martin, John Goodman, Ed Helms, Alan Arkin, Diane Keaton, Amanda Seyfried, and Marisa Tomei. 2016 brought High School comedy drama 'Miss Stevens'. 

Bringing us up to date and due for release on 26th December, is Chalamet's highly acclaimed turn as seventeen year old Elio who begins a relationship with the visiting research assistant Oliver during the Northern Italy Summer of 1983. 'Call Me By Your Name' stars Chalamet in the lead role alongside Armie Hammer's Oliver, whom he bonds with over his emerging sexuality, their shared Jewish heritage and the beautiful Italian landscape. The film has already picked up 25 award wins and another 68 nominations including 23 award wins and nominations for Chalamet as Best Actor. 

Due out in 2018 is the coming of age story set one Summer in Cape Cod back in 1991 - 'Hot Summer Nights' with William Fichtner and Thomas Jane, and due for release in Australia in February is the Greta Gerwig Written and Directed comedy drama 'Lady Bird' with Saoirse Ronan in the lead role in this early 2000's coming of age story set in Sacramento, California. This film too has received much Critical praise and is nominated for four Golden Globes and three SAG Awards amongst its tally so far of 26 award wins and a further 88 nominations. 

Also due for release in early 2018 is the Western adventure drama set in 1892 - 'Hostiles' Written and Directed by Scott Cooper and also starring Christian Bale, Stephen Lang, Jesse Plemmons, and Rosamund Pike in this story of a legendary Army Captain who reluctantly agrees to escort a Cheyenne Chief and his family across dangerous territory. 

Currently in Post-Production for a release later in 2018 is the true life telling 'Beautiful Boy' in which Chalamet plays Nic Sheff, the son of David Sheff played by Steve Carell and Vicki Sheff played by Amy Ryan chronicling meth addiction and subsequent recovery through the eyes of a father who must watch his son as he struggles with his addiction and the disease. And then also in Post-Production for next year is the next Woody Allen project 'A Rainy Day in New York' opposite Selena Gomez, Elle Fanning, Jude Law, Diego Luna, Liev Schreiber and Rebecca Hall. In the meantime, Chalamet also has two stage appearances under his belt too - the first in 2011 in 'The Talls' and in 2016 in 'Prodigal Son' - both productions were in New York. 

All up Chalamet has twenty-one Acting credits to his name, and he has already garnered twelve award wins all for 'Call Me By Your Name' and another seventeen nominations so far mostly for the same film but also for the ensemble cast in 'Lady Bird', 'Homeland' and 'Love the Coopers'. For a short period of time Chalamet was dating Madonna's daughter Lourdes Leon.

Timothee Chalamet - you may not yet have heard of him, but watch this space for this young lad is clearly going places; speaks fluent French and learned Italian on the set of 'Call Me By Your Name'; plays the piano and the guitar; is the brother to Actress, Writer and Director Pauline Chalamet; and this year was the youngest Actor to ever be awarded the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor for 'Call Me By Your Name'. We will watch your career take off with much interest Timothee, and may your star shine brightly. In the meantime, Happy Birthday to you, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 17th - 23rd December 2017.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Katheryn Winnick does on 17th December - check out my tribute to this Actress Birthday Girl 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 17th December

• Sarah Paulson - Born 1974, turns 43 - Actress | Singer
• Milla Jovovich - Born 1975, turns 42 - Actress | Singer | Songwriter
• Katheryn Winnick - Born 1977, turns 40 - Actress
• Armin Mueller-Stahl - Born 1930, turns 87 - Actor | Writer | Director
• Bernard Hill - Born 1944, turns 73 - Actor 
• Eugene Levy - Born 1946, turns 71 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director | Singer | Songwriter
• Bill Pullman - Born 1953, turns 64 - Actor | Director | Producer 
• Peter Farrelly - Born 1956, turns 61 - Writer | Producer | Director
• Rian Johnson - Born 1973, turns 44 - Director | Writer | Editor 
• Giovanni Ribisi - Born 1974, turns 43 - Actor | Producer

Monday 18th December

• Keith Richards - Born 1943, turns 74 - Songwriter | Singer | Musician | Composer | Actor
• Steven Spielberg - Born 1946, turns 71 - Producer | Director | Writer | Actor
• Ray Liotta - Born 1954, turns 63 - Actor | Producer
• Brad Pitt - Born 1963, turns 54 - Actor | Producer 
• Steve Austin - Born 1964, turns 53 - Actor | Producer
• Robson Green - Born 1964, turns 53 - Actor | Producer 
• Casper Van Dien - Born 1968, turns 49 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Rachel Griffiths - Born 1968, turns 49 - Actress | Director | Producer | Writer
• Katie Holmes - Born 1978, turns 39 - Actress | Producer | Director | Singer

Tuesday 19th December

• Jennifer Beals - Born 1963, turns 54 - Actress | Producer | Singer
• Jake Gyllenhaal - Born 1980, turns 37 - Actor | Producer  

Wednesday 20th December

• Todd Phillips - Born 1970, turns 47 - Producer | Director | Writer | Actor | Songwriter
• Jonah Hill - Born 1983, turns 34 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director
• Jenny Agutter - Born 1952, turns 65 - Actress   

Thursday 21st December

• Jane Fonda - Born 1937, turns 80 - Actress | Producer
• Julie Delpy - Born 1969, turns 48 - Actress | Writer | Director | Producer | Singer | Songwriter | Composer | Editor
• Samuel L. Jackson - Born 1948, turns 69 - Actor | Producer | Singer 
• Ray Romano - Born 1957, turns 60 - Actor | Writer | Producer 
• Kiefer Sutherland - Born 1966, turns 51 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Steven Yuen - Born 1983, turns 34 - Actor 

Friday 22nd December

• Hector Elizondo - Born 1936, turns 81 - Actor | Producer
• Ralph Fiennes - Born 1962, turns 55 - Actor | Director | Producer | Singer
• Vanessa Paradis - Born 1972, turns  45 - Actress | Singer 

Saturday 23rd December

• Estella Warren - Born 1978, turns 39 - Actress
• Nick Moran - Born 1969, turns 48 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director 

Katerena Anna Vinitska (aka Katheryn Winnick) was born in Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada (now part of the greater City of Toronto). She is of Ukrainian descent and spoke Ukrainian as her first language at home until she was eight years of age, before speaking English. From the age of seven she began training in martial arts, and by the time she turned thirteen she had already attained her first black belt. She opened her first martial arts studio at the age of sixteen, and by the time she was 21 she had opened two others - one in Toronto and the other in New York. She holds a third-degree black belt in Taekwondo and a second-degree black belt in Karate, and is also a licensed bodyguard. She was kicked out of Summer Camp when she was fourteen for reckless behaviour, and clearly needing something to vent her anger and frustration at the world, so she turned wholesale to martial arts ultimately winning silver at the Canadian National Taekwondo finals. She studied at the York University in Toronto, and then acting at New York's William Esper Studio before actively pursuing an acting career initially in New York and then Los Angeles. 

Winnick gained her television debut on an episode of 'PSI Factor : Chronicles of the Paranormal' in 1999 and then on five episodes of high school television series 'Student Bodies' and a single episode of Tia Carrere's television series 'Relic Hunter' that same year too. Winnick secured her first film role in the 2001 Sci-Fi horror mystery offering 'Biohazardous' and 'Smoking Herb' the following year together with mystery drama thriller 'Fabled' and 'Two Weeks Notice' with Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock. Crime drama 'What Alice Found' was released in 2003, then '50 First Dates' with Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore and then horror crime film 'Satan's Little Helper' in 2004 and 'Going the Distance' also that year. In between time there were one off appearances on television shows including 'Oz', '1-800-Missing', 'Wild Card' and 'CSI : Miami'.

In 2005 Winnick played Ivana Trump in the biographical drama film 'Trump Unauthorised' (if only she knew then what she knows now!!), then the straight to video horror offering 'Hellraiser : Hellworld', the made for television movie '13 Graves', then the sport comedy 'Cloud 9' with Burt Reynolds and the RomCom 'Failure to Launch' with Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker. 'Kiss Me Again', 'Tipping Point', horror thriller 'Amusement' and 'Cold Souls' with Paul Giamatti saw out the decade. Meanwhile there had been further appearances on television shows including 'Criminal Minds', 'House', ' Law & Order' and 'CSI : Crime Scene Investigation'. 

'Tranced', action RomCom 'Killers', 'Radio Free Albemuth', Edward Zwick's 'Love & Other Drugs' with Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway and the 48 minute short film 'Night and Day' were all released in 2010. The following year saw crime horror drama 'Choose' with Kevin Pollack and Bruce Dern, then 'Bat $#*! Crazy' and 'Stand Up Guys' with Al Pacino, Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin and then Roman Coppola's 'A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III' with Charlie Sheen, Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman. 'The Art of the Steal' with Kurt Russell, Matt Dillon and Jay Baruchel came along in 2013 and in the meantime there had been more regular TV work on seven episodes of 'Bones', and ' The Glades', 'Nikita', and 'Transporter : The Series'.

In 2013 she starred in the History Channel's acclaimed television series 'Vikings' in so far fifty two episodes spanning now six seasons as Lagertha who according to legend was a Viking shieldmaiden and ruler from what is now Norway and the onetime wife of famous Viking Ragnar Lodbrok played in the series by Travis Fimmel. Over the years this series has been nominated for eleven Primetime Emmy Awards and has amassed a total 22 wins and 75 nominations so far. Winnick has herself been nominated six times for her portrayal of Lagertha, and it has been reported that her role as Lagertha 'may be the most exciting feminist character on TV'.

Whilst filming episodes of 'Vikings' Winnick also appeared in a single episode of 'Person of Interest', the twelve minute short film 'Stripped' in 2016, and the Stephen King adapted 'The Dark Tower' earlier this year with Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba which went on to gross US$112M at the Box Office from its US$60M budget outlay despite its generally negative Reviews. Next up for Winnick is crime drama 'Speed Kills' with John Travolta, Matthew Modine, Kellan Lutz, James Remar and Jennifer Esposito, and she lent her voice to the cast of video game 'Call of Duty : WWII' recently released.

All up Winnick has sixty Acting credits to her name and she has so far garnered two award wins and another seven nominations. In 2009 she was selected by Vanity Fair magazine to appear in the high-profile and very selective 'Vanities' section, and in 2015 Winnick was named brand ambassador for luxury Swiss watch maker Raymond Weil, and in 2016 the face of their feminine Shine Collection.

Katheryn Winnick - a self confessed 'tom-boy'; the literal translation of her name in Ukrainian is 'winemaker'; has served her time in horror films, straight to video productions, one off television appearances and has risen to prominence with 'Vikings'; has worked with some big name Hollywood heavy hitters; has the talent, the brains and the beauty and is definitely on the up and up. Happy 40th Birthday to you Katheryn, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 10th - 16th December 2017.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Natascha McElhone does on 14th December - check out my tribute to this Actress 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 10th December

• Kenneth Branagh - Born 1960, turns 57 - Actor | Director | Producer | Writer | Singer | Songwriter
• Xavier Samuel - Born 1983, turns 34 - Actor  

Monday 11th December

• Jean-Louis Trintignant - Born 1930, turns 87 - Actor | Writer | 
• Hailee Steinfeld - Born 1996, turns 21 - Actress | Singer
• Mo'Nique (aka Monique Imes) - Born 1967, turns 50 - Actress | Producer  

Tuesday 12th December

• Jennifer Connolly - Born 1970, turns 47 - Actress
• Bill Nighy - Born 1949, turns 68 - Actor | Singer  

Wednesday 13th December

• Dick Van Dyke - Born 1925, turns 92 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Singer 
• Christopher Plummer - Born 1929, turns 88 - Actor | Producer | Singer
• Robert Lindsay - Born 1949, turns 68 - Actor | Singer
• Steve Buscemi - Born 1957, turns 60 - Actor | Director | Producer | Singer 
• Jamie Foxx - Born 1967, turns 50 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director | Singer | Songwriter | Composer 

Thursday 14th December

• Rebecca Gibney - Born 1964, turns 53 - Actress | Producer | Writer
• Natascha McElhone - Born 1969, turns 48 - Actress  
• Sophie Monk - Born 1979, turns 38 - Actress 

Friday 15th December

• Don Johnson - Born 1949, turns 68 - Actor | Producer | Director | Singer
• Alex Cox - Born 1954, turns 63 - Actor | Director | Writer | Producer | Editor
• John Lee Hancock - Born 1956, turns 61 - Director | Writer | Producer
• Stuart Townsend - Born 1972, turns 45 - Actor | Writer | Director | Producer  
• Charlie Cox - Born 1982, turns 35 - Actor

Saturday 16th December

• Ben Cross - Born 1947, turns 70 - Actor 
• Shane Black - Born 1961, turns 56 - Writer | Actor | Director | Producer
• Benjamin Bratt - Born 1963, turns 54 - Actor | Producer
• James Mangold - Born 1963, turns 54 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Theo James - Born 1984, turns 33 - Actor
• Miranda Otto - Born 1967, turns 50 - Actress 

Natascha Abigail Taylor was born in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England to Noreen McElhone and Michael Taylor, both working as journalists. Her parents separated when the young girl was just two years of age, and with her mother and brother Damon the family moved to Brighton, Sussex, where Noreen later married the Fleet Street journalist and columnist Roy Greenslade. Natascha took Irish Dancing lessons from the age of six up until her twelfth year and was educated at the private independent boarding school - St. Mary's Hall School for Girls in Brighton. She went on to graduate in 1993 from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. When her acting aspirations began to materialise, Natascha took her mothers maiden name of McElhone, as her stage name. 

McElhone began her acting career on the stage appearing in a number of productions including 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', 'Richard III', 'The Count of Monte Cristo' and 'The Cherry Orchard'. Her small screen debut came in 1990 in a two part episode of 'The Ruth Rendell Mysteries', and then in a single episode of the long running BBC detective series 'Bergerac' in 1991, followed up in 1994 on a single episode of 'Absolutely Fabulous' and 'Minder'. More similar television appearances followed, up until her big screen debut in 1996 in the Merchant Ivory biographical drama production of 'Surviving Picasso' Directed by James Ivory and starring Anthony Hopkins as the great artist Pablo Picasso, Julianne Moore, Joss Ackland and Joan Plowright with McElhone playing Picasso's mistress and muse Francoise Gilot.  

1997 saw the Alan J. Pakula Directed IRA crime drama 'The Devil's Own' with Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt, followed up by the romantic drama period piece 'Mrs. Dalloway' with Vanessa Redgrave, Lena Headey, John Standing, Robert Hardy and Rupert Graves. Peter Weir's 'The Truman Show' with Jim Carrey, Ed Harris and Laura Linney was released to much critical acclaim in 1998 picking up 38 award wins and another 68 nominations followed by lawyers in love courtroom RomCom 'What Rats Won't Do', before closing out the decade that same year with John Frankenheimer's action crime adventure offering 'Ronin' featuring an all star cast including Robert De Niro, Jean Reno, Sean Bean, Stellan Skarsgard and Jonathan Pryce.

2000 launched with Kenneth Branagh's modern retelling of the classic Shakespeare story 'Love's Labour's Lost' with Alicia Silverstone, Kenneth Branagh, Carmen Ejogo, Emily Mortimer, Nathan Lane, Timothy Spall, Geraldine McEwan and Richard Briers. 'Contaminated Man' was also released that year with William Hurt and Peter Weller and then 2002 saw a raft of films taking in 'Killing Me Softly' with Joseph Fiennes and Heather Graham; 'Laurel Canyon' with Frances McDormand and Christian Bale; the horror crime thriller 'Feardotcom' with Stephen Dorff and Stephen Rea; the Matt Dillon Written, Directed and starring 'City of Ghosts' with James Caan and Gerard Depardieu; and then Steven Soderbergh's 'Solaris' with George Clooney and Viola Davis. 

2003 saw the made for television film 'The Other Boleyn Girl' with McElhone playing Mary Boleyn to Jodi May's Anne Boleyn to Jared Harris' King Henry VIII based on the Philippa Gregory novel. The next year saw the Charles Dance Directed 'Ladies in Lavender' with Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Daniel Bruhl, David Warner and Toby Jones; followed by 'Guy X' with Jeremy Northam and Jason Biggs; then comedy crime caper 'Big Nothing' with Simon Pegg and David Schwimmer; family fantasy adventure film 'The Secret of Moonacre' and then 'Blessed' with James Nesbitt closing out another decade. In between time there were also the six episode pre-Apocalypse fantasy mystery drama mini-series 'Revelations' with Bill Pullman, Tobin Bell and John Rhys-Davies that aired in 2005, and then two out of the six episodes on 'The Company' with Chris O'Donnell, Michael Keaton, Alfred Molina and Tom Hollander.

The new decade launched with the Nick Moran Directed true story of 'The Kid' with Ioan Gruffud, Bernard Hill, James Fox and Rupert Friend in the title role. That same year came police investigative serial killer mystery drama 'Thorne : Sleepyhead' and then in 2013 'The Sea' for Director Stephen Brown and starring also Ciaran Hinds, Charlotte Rampling, Rufus Sewell, then giving way to an updated telling of 'Romeo & Juliet' with Damian Lewis, Stellan Skarsgard, Douglas Booth, Hailee Steinfeld, and Kodi Smit-McPhee. 2013 also saw the release of 'Believe' with Brian Cox playing Matt Busby the legendary Manchester United football coach who comes out of retirement to help a young gifted player. 2016 saw 'Mr. Church' Directed by Bruce Beresford with Eddie Murphy in the title role with Britt Robertson and Xavier Samuel and then 'London Town' set in the late '70's London music scene with the backdrop of the punk rock scene and in particular the influence that The Clash have on a fourteen year old lad.

In between time, there was the hugely successful, if somewhat controversial, television series which ran for seven seasons from 2007 through to 2014 - 'Californication' with David Duchovny in the lead role as Hank Moody with McElhone playing his long term and long suffering girlfriend Karen across 84 episodes. The show won six awards and was nominated for 31 others including successive Golden Globes, Primetime Emmy's and a BAFTA and SAG nod.



2016 brought television series 'Designated Survivor' with Keifer Sutherland in the lead role as Tom Kirkman, a low level US Cabinet member who becomes President of the United States after a catastrophic attack kills everyone else above him in the line of succession. McElhone plays Kirkman's wife Alex, appearing in 31 episodes so far out of the first two seasons of 34 episodes. The second series is currently airing.




In 2014 she starred in the role as Alex Forrest in the London West End stage production of 'Fatal Attraction' (the role made famous in the 1987 film of the same name by Glenn Close), and in 2015 she appeared in the Royal Shakespeare Company production of 'Queen Anne'. There was also a two part television mini-series 'Saints and Strangers' which aired in 2015 about the voyage of the Mayflower and the first year of settlement in the New World for the Pilgrims of America. Next up for McElhone is television Sci-Fi drama series 'The First' currently in production for a 2018 release.

All up McElhone has 43 acting credits to her name and she has accumulated five awards nominations. McElhone married plastic surgeon Martin Hirigoyen Kelly in May 1998 with whom she had three sons - Theodore (born in 2000), Otis (born in 2003) and Rex (born in 2008). Rex was born five months after the death of her husband from dilated cardiomyopathy (enlarging of the heart so that it can no longer pump blood effectively). As a means of coping with the sudden loss of her husband, McElhone wrote a book of her letters and diary notes to and about her husband which was published in 2010 titled 'After You : Letters of Love, and Loss, to a Husband and Father'.

Natascha McElhone - established herself as a lead Actress by the time she left drama school; following her rites of passage through theatre and small time TV series appearances she quickly escalated to feature films working for some big name Director's and heavy hitting Co-Stars; has been in demand ever since; has worked across multiple genres; and has come full circle starring in two very popular and successful television series while still juggling feature films, and three growing boys. Very much in demand, talented and clearly comfortable on the big screen, the small screen, the stage and in writing too. Happy Birthday to you Natascha, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 3rd - 9th December 2017.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Jack Huston does on 7th December - check out my tribute to this Actor Birthday Boy 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 3rd December

• Jean-Luc Godard - Born 1930, turns 87 - Director | Writer | Editor | Actor | Producer | Cinematographer
• Brendan Fraser - Born 1968, turns 49 - Actor | Producer 
• Julianne Moore - Born 1960, turns 57 - Actress | Producer | Singer
• Daryl Hannah - Born 1960, turns 57 - Actress | Producer | Director | Writer
• Amanda Seyfried - Born 1985, turns 32 - Actress | Producer | Singer  

Monday 4th December

• Pamela Stephenson - Born 1949, turns 68 - Actress | Writer 
• Marisa Tomei - Born 1964, turns 53 - Actress | Producer
• Jeff Bridges - Born 1949, turns 68 - Actor | Producer | Singer | Songwriter 
• Jay Z (aka Shawn Corey Carter) - Born 1969, turns 48 - Singer | Songwriter | Composer | Producer | Actor  

Tuesday 5th December

• Nick Stahl - Born 1979, turns 38 - Actor | Producer
• Frankie Muniz - Born 1985, turns 32 - Actor | Producer | Writer  

Wednesday 6th December

• Tom Hulce - Born 1953, turns 64 - Actor | Producer | Singer
• Nick Park - Born 1958, turns 59 - Writer | Producer | Director | Animator 
• Judd Apatow - Born 1967, turns 50 - Producer | Writer | Director | Actor | Songwriter
• JoBeth Williams - Born 1948, turns 69 - Actress | Producer | Director | Singer  

Thursday 7th December

• Ellen Burstyn - Born 1932, turns 85 - Actress | Producer | Director
• Emily Browning - Born 1988, turns 29 - Actress | Singer
• Tom Waits - Born 1949, turns 68 - Singer | Songwriter | Composer | Actor 
• Jeffrey Wright - Born 1965, turns 52 - Actor | Singer
• Jeff Nichols - Born 1978, turns 39 - Writer | Director | Producer
• Jack Huston - Born 1982, turns 35 - Actor | Singer
• Nicholas Hoult - Born 1989, turns 28 - Actor   

Friday 8th December

• Rick Baker - Born 1950, turns 67 - Make-Up Artist | Special FX Director | Actor | Producer
• Dominic Monaghan - Born 1976, turns 41 - Actor | Producer | Singer | Songwriter
• Matthias Schoenaerts - Born 1977, turns 40 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Kim Basinger - Born 1953, turns 64 - Actress | Producer 
• Teri Hatcher - Born 1964, turns 53 - Actress  

Saturday 9th December 

• Felicity Huffman - Born 1962, turns 55 - Actress 
• Judi Dench - Born 1934, turns 83 - Actress | Singer
• Beau Bridges - Born 1941, turns 76 - Actor | Director | Producer
• John Malkovich - Born 1953, turns 64 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer

Jack Alexander Huston was born in King's Lynn, Norfolk, England to mother Lady Margot Cholmondeley and father Tony Huston, an Actor, Writer and Assistant Director. His mother is English and his father is American, and his paternal aunt is Actress Anjelica Huston and his paternal uncle is Actor Danny Huston, his paternal grandfather was Director John Huston and he is the great grandson of Canadian Actor Walter Huston. On his mothers side, his great grandfather George Cholmondeley, the 5th Marquess, Jack is descended from Robert Walpole, the first Prime Minister of Britain, and from Mayer Amschel Rothschild, the founder of the Rothschild international banking dynasty. Jack had made his mind up to become an Actor after appearing in a school production of 'Peter Pan' at just six years old. He attended the private, residential co-educational Hurtwood House, a sixth form college located in Dorking, Surrey where he studied drama. 

Huston gained his first film role in the made for television film adaptation of 'Spartacus' in 2004 alongside Goran Visnjic, Alan Bates, Angus Macfadyen, Ben Cross, Ross Kemp and Rhona Mitra. This led to the horror thriller 'Neighbourhood Watch' in 2005, then the biographical drama 'Factory Girl' with Sienna Miller, Guy Pearce, Jimmy Fallon, Hayden Christensen, James Naughton, Mena Suvari and Mary Elizabeth Winstead in 2006, and horror comedy offering 'Shrooms' in 2007. Sci-Fi actioner 'Outlander' followed in 2008 with Jim Caviezel, Ron Perlman and John Hurt with dramatic thriller 'The Garden of Eden' that same  year with Mena Suvari, Matthew Modine, and Richard E. Grant. 2009 saw comedy drama 'Shrink' with Kevin Spacey with comedy drama 'Boogie Woogie' also starring Danny Huston, Gillian Anderson, Alan Cumming, Heather Graham, Christopher Lee, Stellen Skarsgard, Charlotte Rampling and Amanda Seyfried seeing out the decade. 

2010 saw his appearance on eight out of the thirteen episode single season of the fantasy drama television series 'Eastwick', and then the biographical crime comedy caper 'Mr. Nice' with Rhys Ifans, David Thewlis and Chloe Sevigny. He then made a brief appearance in the 2010 instalment of the Stephanie Meyer novel big screen adaptation of 'The Twilight Saga : Eclipse' before scoring a turn in the Al Pacino Directed, Co-Written and starring docudrama 'Wilde Salome'. This led to the drama based on real events 'The Hot Potato' with Ray Winstone, and then '2 Jacks' alongside Danny Huston again, Sienna Miller, Jacqueline Bisset and Billy Zane in 2012. That year also saw 'Not Fade Away' and the five part television mini-series 'Parade's End' with Benedict Cumberbatch, Rupert Everett, Miranda Richardson and Rebecca Hall amongst notable others.

Up next for Huston was the biographical drama 'Kill Your Darlings' about the lives of acclaimed poets drawn together through a murder - Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs, with Daniel Radcliffe playing the former, Ben Foster the latter and Huston the guy in the middle. 'Night Train to Lisbon' followed with Jeremy Irons, Tom Courtenay, Bruno Ganz, Christopher Lee and Charlotte Rampling in this mystery romantic thriller, and then the highly acclaimed 'American Hustle' as Co-Written and Directed by David O'Russell with an ensemble cast including Jennifer Lawrence, Amy Adams, Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner and Michael Pena. The film was nominated for ten Academy Awards but failed to win one, but it did win three Golden Globes  and was nominated for four others, it won three BAFTA's and was nominated for a further seven, it won one SAG Award and was nominated for one more and it won two AACTA Awards and was nominated for a further five. All up it picked up seventy award wins and 218 nods, and took US$252M at the global Box Office from its US$40M budget outlay.

In between time, Huston starred in 41 episodes of the 57 episode series running over five seasons between 2010 and 2014 of the highly acclaimed 'Boardwalk Empire'. Starring as Richard Harrow alongside the likes of Steve Buscemi, Michael Shannon, Stephen Graham, Michael Kenneth Williams, Dabney Coleman, Kelly Macdonald and Gretchen Mol, the series won 64 awards and was nominated another 182 times, including multiple Golden Globe, Primetime Emmy and SAG Awards and nominations.

'Posthumous' was released in 2014, then the romantic drama 'The Longest Ride' with Scott Eastwood and Brit Robertson, then the undead period piece of rampaging flesh eaters marauding through 19th Century England in this romantic action horror offering of 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies' with Lily James, Lena Headey, Charles Dance, Matt Smith, and Sam Riley released in 2016. As was the Coen Brother's mystery comedy of Hollywood in the '50's starring Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Ralph Fiennes, Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Alden Ehrenreich, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton and Frances McDormand in 'Hail, Caesar'!'. The film was awarded eleven wins and a mother 39 nominations from around the traps including an Oscar and a BAFTA nod.

2016 also saw Timur Bekmambetov's remake of the classic swords and sandals epic 'Ben-Hur' with Huston playing Judah Ben-Hur, alongside Morgan Freeman, Toby Kebbel, Rodrigo Santoro and James Cosmo. The film cost US$100M plus marketing and distribution costs and failed to recoup that investment bringing home just US$94M at the worldwide Box Office, making it a bomb, as well a being poorly received by Critics and clearly audiences alike. This was followed up by WWII romantic comedy drama 'Their Finest' Directed by Lone Scherfig and also starring Bill Nighy, Sam Claflin, Richard E. Grant, Jeremy Irons, Eddie Marsan and Gemma Arterton. Closing out 2017 to date, the Iraq War drama 'Yellow Birds' was released early in the year and starred Jennifer Aniston, Tye Sheridan, Alden Ehrenreich, Toni Collette and Jason Patric. Meanwhile, there was also the television mini-series which ran for four episodes in 2014 'The Great Fire' recounting the events that unfolded during the Great Fire of London in early September 1666, with Huston playing King Charles II.

Next up for Houston is the recently wrapped Phillip Noyce Directed crime action thriller 'Above Suspicion' also starring Emilia Clarke, Thora Birch and Johnny Knoxville. In Post-Production is the comedy offering 'An Actor Prepares' also with Jeremy Irons, Matthew Modine and Will Patton, and currently filming is new television series from the creator of 'Mad Men' with 'The Romanoffs' due for airing sometime in 2018. Starring Aaron Eckhart, Paul Reiser, John Slattery, Corey Stoll, Christina Hendricks, Isabelle Huppert, Diane Lane and Amanda Peet amongst others, the first series is currently scheduled for six episodes on Amazon. Also filming for a 2018 release is the Martin Scorsese Directed biographical crime drama film 'The Irishman' starring Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Bobby Cannavale, Harvey Keitel, Ray Romano, Stephen Graham, Jesse Plemmons and Anna Paquin in a story about a mob hit man recounting his possible involvement with the slaying of Union Boss, Jimmy Hoffa.

All up Huston has 38 Acting credits to his name, and he has so far garnered eight award wins for 'American Hustle', 'Boardwalk Empire', 'Kill Your Darlings' with another four nominations. Huston is in a long term relationship with American model Shannan Click since 2011, with whom he has a daughter, Sage Lavinia (born in April 2013) and a son, Cypress Night (born in January 2016).

Jack Huston - hails from Hollywood Royalty and English Aristocracy; has played English Royalty (Charles II) and Roman Aristocracy (Judah Ben-Hur); has played across just about all genres except Sci-fi but seems to lean toward Biographical retellings, historical offerings and straight up drama; never typecast; is increasingly in demand; a star on the up; and another Brit doing great things Stateside and at home. Happy 35th Birthday to you Jack, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-