Birthday's to share this week : 2nd July - 8th July 2017.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Geoffrey Rush does on 6th July - check out my tribute to this Birthday Boy turning 66, 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 2nd July

• Lindsay Lohan - Born 1986, turns 31 - Actress | Producer Singer | Songwriter
• Margot Robbie - Born 1990, turns 27 - Actress | Producer
• Larry David - Born 1947, turns 70 - Writer | Producer | Actor | Singer

Monday 3rd July 

• Tom Stoppard - Born 1937, turns 80 - Writer | Producer | Director
• Tom Cruise - Born 1962, turns 55 - Actor | Producer | Singer 
• Patrick Wilson - Born 1973, turns 44 - Actor | Producer | Singer
• Connie Nielsen - Born 1965, turns 52 - Actress 

Tuesday 4th July

• Eva Marie Saint - Born 1924, turns 93 - Actress 
• Neil Morrissey - Born 1962, turns 55 - Actor | Singer  

Wednesday 5th July

• Edie Falco - Born 1963, turns 54 - Actress   

Thursday 6th July

• Geraldine James - Born 1950, turns 67 - Actress
• Jennifer Saunders - Born 1958, turns 59 - Actress | Writer | Singer | Producer
• Eva Green - Born 1980, turns 37 - Actress
• Burt Ward - Born 1945, turns 72 - Actor
• Sylvester Stallone - Born 1946, turns 71 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director
• Geoffrey Rush - Born 1951, turns 66 - Actor | Producer  
• Kevin Hart - Born 1979, turns 38 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Singer 
• 50 Cent (aka Curtis Jackson) - Born 1975, turns 42 - Singer | Songwriter | Actor | Producer | Writer | Composer

Friday 7th July

• Ringo Starr - Born 1940, turns 77 - Singer | Songwriter | Composer | Actor | Producer | Director
• Akiva Goldsman - Born 1962, turns 55 - Producer | Writer | Director | Actor  
• Shelley Duvall - Born 1949, turns 68 - Actress | Writer | Producer 

Saturday 8th July

• Anjelica Huston - Born 1951, turns 66 - Actress | Director | Producer
• Jeffrey Tambor - Born 1944, turns 73 - Actor 
• Kevin Bacon - Born 1958, turns 59 - Actor | Producer | Director | Singer | Songwriter
• Robert Knepper - Born 1959, turns 58 - Actor
• Wally Pfister - Born 1961, turns 56 - Cinematographer | Cameraman | Director 
• Billy Crudup - Born 1968, turns 49 - Actor | Singer
• Jaden Smith - Born 1998, turns 19 - Actor | Singer | Songwriter

Geoffrey Roy Rush was born in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia (125kms west of the State's capital city, Brisbane) to mother Merle Bischof, a department store sales assistant and father Roy Baden Rush, an accountant for the Royal Australian Air Force. When young Geoffrey was just five, his parents divorced, and his mother relocated to Brisbane with the young lad. There, Geoffrey attended Everton Park State High School, and went on to graduate from the University of Queensland with a Bachelor's Degree in Arts. While at University he was spotted by a talent scout from the Queensland Theatre Company, which kick started his stage acting career appearing in seventeen subsequent productions. In 1975, Rush moved to Paris where he studied mime, movement and theatre at L'Ecole Internationale de Theatre Jacques Lecoq.

Over the years, his stage acting career took in multiple Shakespeare plays, and notable others including 'The Importance of Being Earnest', 'The Marriage of Figaro' and 'Exit the King' in Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. He took 'Exit the King' to Broadway in 2009 which was to be his debut there alongside Susan Sarandon, and for which he won numerous awards including the 2009 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play.

Rush made his small screen
debut in the 13 episode television series 'Menotti' about a progressive priest involved with issues within his inner-city Sydney community. His big screen debut came in 1981 with crime drama 'Hoodwink' with Judy Davis, Michael Caton, Colin Friels and John Hargreaves. This was followed up a year later with Gilliam Armstrong's musical comedy 'Starstruck'. His next screen appearance came five years later with a Shakespeare adaptation of 'Twelfth Night' and then 1995's comedy 'Dad and Dave : On Our Selection' with Leo McKern, Joan Sutherland, Barry Otto and Noah Taylor. It was, however, Rush's convincing portrayal of pianist David Helfgott in Scott Hicks bio-pic 'Shine' in 1996 that really catapulted Rush into the international spotlight, from which he has never looked back. For his performance Rush won the Academy Award, the Golden Globe, the BAFTA and the SAG Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor. All up the film garnered 46 wins and another 49 nominations. 

Aussie Stalinist comedy drama 'Children of the Revolution' with Judy Davis, Sam Neill, Richard Roxburgh, Rachel Griffiths and F. Murray Abraham was released in 1996, followed by a turn as Narrator on Gilliam Armstrong's 'Oscar and Lucinda' with Ralph Fiennes and Cate Blanchett in 1997, 'Little Bit of Soul' in 1998. 'Les Miserables' that same year with Liam Neeson, Claire Danes, and Uma Thurman, then came the highly acclaimed and multi-award winning 'Elizabeth' also in 1998 with Cate Blanchett in the title role as Queen Elizabeth I and an all star cast, and 'Shakespeare in Love' again in 1998 which once more was highly acclaimed and multi-award winning with Joseph Fiennes in the lead role as Will Shakespeare  and also featuring an ensemble cast. The lesser known superhero 'Mystery Men' film with Ben Stiller, William H. Macy, Greg Kinnear and Hank Azaria came next in 1999, and then horror mystery thriller 'House on Haunted Hill' saw out the decade.

'Quills' opened up the new decade and multi-award nominations for Rush in his portrayal of The Marquis de Sade in this Philip Kaufman Directed film also starring Kate Winslet, Joaquin Phoenix, Michael Caine, and Billie Whitelaw. This was followed up by the likes of 'The Tailor of Panama' with Pierce Brosnan, 'Lantana' with Anthony LaPaglia, 'Frida' with Salma Hayek, 'The Banger Sisters' with Goldie Hawn and Susan Sarandon, 'Swimming Upstream' with Judy Davis again and Gregor Jordan's action adventure bio-pic 'Ned Kelly' with Heath Ledger in the title role. 

2003 saw the first instalment in the epic Disney theme park ride big screen adaptation of 'Pirates of the Caribbean : The Curse of the Black Pearl' in which Rush plays Captain Hector Barbossa alongside Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow. Over the following fourteen years Rush would reprise his role in the multi-award winning and huge Box Office draw card franchise in four successive films taking in 2006's 'Dead Man's Chest', 2007's 'At World's End', 2011's 'On Stranger Tides' and this years 'Dead Men Tell No Tales'. The five films in the franchise have so far taken close to US$4.4B at the worldwide Box Office off a combined budget outlay of US$1.3B, with the last film still on general release around the world.

In between time there has been Joel and Ethan Coen's 'Intolerable Cruelty' with George Clooney, 'The Life and Death of Peter Sellers' with Rush playing Sellers for which he won the Golden Globe, the Primetime Emmy and the SAG Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor, and then Steven Spielberg's 'Munich' with Eric Bana, 'Candy' with Heath Ledger again, and then a reprisal of his role as Sir Frances Walsingham in 'Elizabeth : The Golden Age' with Cate Blanchett playing an older Queen Elizabeth I. Aussie musical comedy drama 'Bran Nue Dae' with Ernie Dingo and Jessica Mauboy saw out 2009.

2010 launched with Director Tom Hooper's highly acclaimed bio-pic 'The King's Speech' with Colin Firth playing King George VI and Rush playing his speech therapist Lionel Logue. The film won four Academy Awards including Best Actor for Firth and Best Director for Hooper, and for Rush an Oscar, Golden Globe and SAG nod and the BAFTA win for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role. The film garnered a total awards haul of 107 wins and a further 194 nominations.



'The Warrior's Way' came next also in 2010,  and then 'The Eye of the Storm' for Director Fred Schepisi and also starring Charlotte Rampling and Judy Davis once again. 'The Best Offer' with Jim Sturgess and Donald Sutherland followed in 2013, then 'The Book Thief' with Emily Watson, 'The Daughter' in 2015 with Sam Neill, 'Holding the Man' that same year, and the Alex Proyas Directed 'Gods of Egypt' which was critically panned and clawed back US$150M from its US$140M production budget.

Next up for Rush is 'Final Portrait' for Actor, Screenwriter and Director Stanley Tucci, due for release in Australia in October this year, but released for its Australian Premier and special screenings at the recently closed Sydney Film Festival, and as already Reviewed by the owner of this Blog. Here Rush plays world renowned painter, sculptor and artist Alberto Giacometti. Currently in pre-production is 'Storm Boy' due for a 2018 release with Jai Courtney, and airing this year for National Geographic is anthology period drama 'Genius' following the life of Albert Einstein, in which Rush plays the older Einstein in five episodes of the season of eight.

In the meantime, Rush has lent his voice talents to numerous films including 'The Magic Pudding' with Sam Neill, John Cleese and Hugo Weaving; 'Finding Nemo' with Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres and Willem Dafoe; '$9.99' with Anthony LaPaglia, Joel Edgerton, and Ben Mendelssohn; 'Legend of the Guardians : The Owls of Ga'Hoole' with Jim Sturgess, Hugo Weaving and David Wenham; on 'Green Lantern' as the voice of Tomar-Re, as the Narrator on sixteen episodes of comedy series centering around a hapless journalist in 'Lowdown', and as the Narrator also on 'Minions' with Sandra Bullock, Steve Carell and Jon Hamm.

All up Rush has sixty-four Acting credits to his name on screen, plus numerous others on stage, and two as Producer on 'The King's Speech' and 'Storm Boy'. He is the recipient of an Academy Award for his performance in 'Shine' and has been nominated three other times; he has won two Golden Globes and been nominated three other times; has won three BAFTA's and been nominated twice more; has won three Australian Film Institute Awards and been nominated three times also; and has won four SAG Awards and been nominated four times too. All up Rush has an Awards haul of 45 wins and 75 further nominations. Rush is also the youngest Actor to have won 'The Triple Crown of Acting' - these being an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award and a Tony Award, and he is also the first Actor to win the Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, BAFTA Award, SAG Award and the Critics Choice Movie Award for a single performance in film for his role in 'Shine', for which as an accomplished pianist he needed no hand-double and played most of the musical pieces himself.

Rush has been married to Australian Actress Jane Menelaus since 1988 with whom he has two children, Angelica born in 1992 and James born in 1995 and they now reside in Melbourne, Victoria.

Geoffrey Rush - the founding President of AACTA (Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts); was awarded by HRH Queen Elizabeth II The Australian Centenary Medal in the 2001 Queen's New Years Honours List; was awarded the 2012 Australian of the Year; appointed a 'Companion of the Order of Australia' in 2014 (Australia's highest civilian honour); has played real life characters convincingly, with conviction and often to critical acclaim - David Helfgott, Sir Francis Walsingham, Philip Henslowe, the Marquis de Sade, Leon Trotsky, Peter Sellers, Lionel Logue, Alberto Giacometti and Albert Einstein most recently. Your body of work continues to surprise and delight us and sending us out to the movies whether its playing a real life character, or a personality of fiction and across almost all genres. Keep up the great work Geoffrey, and a very Happy Birthday to you, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week - 26th June - 2nd July 2016.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Sam Claflin does on 27th June - check out my tribute to this Birthday Boy turning 30, 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 26th June

• Paul Thomas Anderson - Born 1970, turns 46 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Chris O'Donnell - Born 1970, turns 46 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Sean Hayes - Born 1970, turns 46 - Actor | Producer | Singer
• Jason Schwartzmann - Born 1980, turns 36 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Composer | Singer | Songwriter
• Robert Davi - Born 1951, turns 65 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director

Monday 27th June

• J.J.Abrams - Born 1966, turns 50 - Producer | Director | Writer | Actor | Composer | Songwriter
• Tobey Maguire - Born 1975, turns 41 - Actor | Producer
• Sam Claflin - Born 1986, turns 30 - Actor

Tuesday 28th June

• John Cusack - Born 1966, turns 50 - Actor | Writer | Producer
• Bruce Davison - Born 1946, turns 70 - Actor | Director
• Mel Brooks - Born 1926, turns 90 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer | Singer | Songwriter
• Kathy Bates - Born 1948, turns 68 - Actress | Director | Singer 

Wednesday 29th June

• Gary Busey - Born 1944, turns 72 - Actor | Singer | Songwriter  

Thursday 30th June

• Vincent D'Onofrio - Born 1959, turns 57 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Rupert Graves - Born 1963, turns 53 - Actor | Producer  

Friday 1st July

• David Prowse - Born 1935, turns 81 - Actor
• Trevor Eve - Born 1951, turns 65 - Actor | Producer
• Dan Akyroyd - Born 1952, turns 64 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Singer 
• Genevieve Bujold - Born 1942, turns 74 - Actress
• Debbie Harry - Born 1945, turns 71 - Actress | Producer | Composer | Singer | Songwriter
• Pamela Anderson - Born 1967, turns 49 - Actress | Producer
• Lea Seydoux - Born 1985, turns 31 - Actress  

Saturday 2nd July

• Margot Robbie - Born 1990, turns 26 - Actress | Producer
• Lindsay Lohan - Born 1986, turns 30 - Actress | Producer | Singer
• Larry David - Born 1947, turns 69 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director | Singer

Samuel George Claflin was born in Ipswich, Suffolk, England to mother Sue - a classroom assistant, and father Mark, a finance officer. He has two older brothers, Benjamin and David, and one younger, Joseph - also in the acting profession. He grew up in Norwich, Norfolk and had more than a keen interest in football as a young lad - so much so that he was considering playing professionally until a broken ankle shattered that dream. He attended Costessey High School, where he made a decision to pursue acting after making a successful appearance in the school play, and having been encouraged to do so by his parents and drama teacher. In 2003 he studied performing arts at Norwich City College before attending the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, graduating in 2009.

In 2010, Claflin gained his small screen debut in 'The Pillars of the Earth' based on the Ken Follet novel of the same name. This eight part mini-series starred the likes of Donald Sutherland, Eddie Redmayne, Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell, Matthew Macfadyen and Hayley Attwell, cost US$40M to make, took a year to make and was Co-Produced by Tony & Ridley Scott amongst others. That same year he appeared in the made for television movie 'The Lost Future' with Sean Bean, and a four hour series 'Any Human Heart' with Jim Broadbent, Tom Hollander, Kim Catrall and Hayley Attwell.

The following year, he appeared in the television film 'United' playing Duncan Edwards - the English football player for Matt Busby's Manchester United team of the mid-'50's who died tragically aged 21 in the Munich Air Disaster of February 1958 with seven of his team mates.

After this Hollywood came knocking with his role in 2011 in the fourth instalment in the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' franchise 'On Stranger Tides' in the role of Philip Swift - a missionary captured by Blackbeard who falls in love with Syrena - a beautiful mermaid.

In 2012 he appeared in the six part BBC television series 'White Heat', and his first appearance as Prince William, the childhood friend of Snow White in 'Snow White and the Huntsman' with Chris Hemsworth, Kristen Stewart and Charlize Theron - a role he would reprise in the sequel released earlier this year with 'The Huntsman : Winters War'. That same year Claflin starred in 'The Quiet Ones' - a supernatural horror film which was released in 2014. Although it received only average reviews, it did make US$18M off its meagre US$200K budget outlay - so commercially a solid enough return.

2013 saw the release of 'The Hunger Games : Catching Fire' with his strong supporting role as Finnick Odair - a role he would reprise in the two concluding films of the franchise - 2014's 'The Hunger Games : Mockingly Part 1', and 'Part 2' in 2015. 'The Riot Club' came next also in 2014 with the backdrop of a fictitious elite all male exclusive dining club at Oxford University that prides itself on hedonism, and a firmly held belief that money can buy anything. Claflin's performance in the film was critically praised. 

Later that year he appeared as the male lead of Alex Stewart, opposite Lily Collins as Rosie Dunn in 'Love, Rosie' based on the novel 'Where Rainbows End' by Cecelia Ahern. The film took less that US$5M and was not so well received. Most recently, Claflin has starred in 'Me Before You' - released earlier this month with Emilia Clarke in the lead role opposite. This romantic drama film sees Claflin's character William Traynor paralysed from the neck down and wheelchair bound. The film has so far grossed US$85M.

Next up is 'We Happy Few' - a RomCom based in a 1940's WWII torn Britain and starring Bill Nighy, Richard E.Grant, Eddie Marsan and Gemma Arterton, and Directed by Lone Scherfig, who also Directed Claflin in 'Riot Club'. The film is in post-production for release later in 2016.  'My Cousin Rachel' is currently filming for 2017 with Rachel Weisz and Iain Glen and based on a Daphne Du Maurier novel, with 'Friday' recently announced. 

All up Claflin has nineteen Acting credits to his name. He has eight award nominations and one award win. In July 2013 he married British Actress, Laura Haddock who is currently filming the next 'Transformers' offering 'The Last Knight' for Director Michael Bay with Mark Wahlberg and Anthony Hopkins. The couple live in London and have a young son together, born in December last year.

Sam Claflin - keeping it grounded, keeping it real, keeping it true; is out to prove himself; is determined not to be typecast; has a self confessed 'thing' about Chris Hemsworth; and clearly is on the rise, and more and more in demand. Happy 30th Birthday to you Sam from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 6th - 12th December 2015.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Bill Nighy does on 12th December - check out my tribute to this Birthday Boy, turning 66, 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 6th December

• Judd Apatow - Born 1967, turns 48 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Nick Park - Born 1958, turns 57 - Director | Producer | Writer | Animator
• JoBeth Williams - Born 1948, turns 67 - Actress | Producer

Monday 7th December

• Ellen Burstyn - Born 1932, turns 83 - Actress
• Nicholas Hoult - Born 1989, turns 26 - Actor
• Jeffrey Wright - Born 1965, turns 50 - Actor

Tuesday 8th December

• Dominic Monaghan - Born 1976, turns 39 - Actor | Producer
• Rick Baker - Born 1950, turns 65 - Make-up Artist | Special Effects Designer | Actor
• Kim Basinger - Born 1953, turns 62 - Actress
• Teri Hatcher - Born 1964, turns 51 - Actress

Wednesday 9th December

• Judi Dench - Born 1934, turns 81 - Actress
• Kirk Douglas - Born 1916, turns 99 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• John Malkovich - Born 1953, turns 62 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Beau Bridges - Born 1941, turns 74 - Actor | Producer | Director

Thursday 10th December

• Kenneth Branagh - Born 1960, turns 55 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Xavier Samuel - Born 1983, turns 32 - Actor

Friday 11th December

• Hailee Steinfeld - Born 1996, turns 19 - Actress
• Mo'Nique - Born 1967, turns 48 - Actress | Producer | Writer

Saturday 12th December

• Jennifer Connolly - Born 1970, turns 45 - Actress
• Paula Wagner - Born 1946, turns 69 - Producer
• Bill Nighy - Born 1949, turns 66 - Actor

William Francis Nighy was born in Caterham, Surrey, England to mother Catherine Josephine Whittaker, a psychiatric nurse, and father Alfred Martin Nighy, the manager of a car garage and former family chimney sweeping business owner. He was raised a Roman Catholic, and served as an alter boy. He attended the John Fischer School in Purley where he first took part in the school theatre group, and from where he graduated with two O'Levels in English Language and English Literature. Working as a messenger boy for The Croydon Advertiser, he later trained at the Guildford School of Acting.

Nighy made his stage debut in London at the National Theatre in 'Illuminatus' which first opened in 1977. His first small screen appearance came with the weekly television police force drama series 'Softly, Softly : Taskforce' in 1976 with three episodes on 'Play for Today' from 1978 to 1982. From that point on there has been regular television work throughout the years up until the present day with the likes of appearances on 'Minder', the acclaimed 'The Men's Room' in 1991, 'Bergerac', 'Peak Practice', 'Wycliffe', 'Kavanagh QC', 'State of Play', 'The Girl in the Cafe', 'Gideon's Daughter' and more recently the Worricker trilogy with Nighy playing the lead role of Johnny Worricker in 'Page Eight', 'Turks & Caicos', and 'Salting the Battlefield'.

His radio career is also worthy of mention. In 1981 he played Samwise Gamgee in 'The Lord of the Rings' BBC Radio dramatisation, and then there was the BBC Radio versions of the successful 80's television political satire series 'Yes, Minister' and the acclaimed 'Kerton's Story' and for BBC 4 'Baldi'.

In between television, radio and an increasingly busy film schedule there has also been notable stage appearances with The National Theatre again, including Tom Stoppard's 'Arcadia' and then Joe Penhall's 'Blue/Orange' for which he picked up an Olivier Award nomination for his performance.

Nighy's big screen debut came with an uncredited bit part in Joan Collin's 'The Bitch' in 1979, and another uncredited role in 'Death Watch' a year later, and the television movie 'Little Lord Fauntleroy', also uncredited that same year. His first credited film role came alongside Donald Sutherland in 1981's war time spy drama 'Eye of the Needle'. 'The Curse of the Pink Panther' followed in 1983 as Directed by Blake Edwards and with an all star line up including Moore, Niven, Wagner, Lom, Loggia and Lumley. The 80's saw out with 'Mack The Knife' and 'Phantom of the Opera'.

A bunch of television series and made for TV movies occupied Nighy in the early part of the 90's with the Robin Williams vehicle 'Being Human' being his first big screen role that decade in 1994. After some lesser fare he gained recognition for 1998's 'Still Crazy' as ageing Rock Star Ray Simms. 'Guest House Paradiso' followed in 1999 with Adrian Edmonson and Rik Mayall to see out the decade.

'Blow Dry' saw in the 2000's in 2001 with Alan Rickman and that same year the award winning 'Lawless Heart' and then 'Lucky Break'. But, it was playing an ageing Rock Star again that really helped establish his film career in 2003 with 'Love Actually', as Directed by Richard Curtis, and again featuring an all star cast. 

This was followed by vampire offering 'Underworld' in which Nighy world play Viktor alongside Kate Beckinsale - a role he would reprise in 2006 in 'Underworld : Evolution' and again in 2009 in 'Underworld : Rise of the Lycans'. After this came 'Shaun of the Dead', 'The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy', 'The Constant Gardner' and then in 2006 his first appearance (albeit almost unrecognisably) as Davy Jones in 'Pirates of the Caribbean : Dead Man's Chest' with a further reprisal of his character a year later in 'Pirates of the Caribbean : At World's End'.

'Notes on a Scandal' came next in 2006 with Blanchett and Dench, 'Hot Fuzz' with Pegg and Frost again, 'Valkyrie' with Cruise and Branagh, 'The Boat That Rocked' with Seymour Hoffman and Frost once more, and 'Glorious 39' with Redmayne and Lee seeing out another decade.

2010 delivered 'Wild Target' and a role in the first concluding film in the 'Harry Potter' series, and then in 2011 the popular 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel' which he would reprise in 2015's 'The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel'. This was followed up by 'Wrath of the Titans', the reboot of 'Total Recall', then 'Jack the Giant Slayer', another outing for Richard Curtis in 'About Time', then 'I, Frankenstein' and 'Pride'.

Next up there is 'Dad's Army' due in early 2016, 'Okja' in pre-production for 2017, 'Payne & Redemption' and 'Their Finest Hour and a Half' both currently filming for later on in 2016, and 'Norm of the North' in post-production. Nighty has lent his voice talents also to numerous other films including 'Flushed Away', 'Astro Boy', 'Rango', 'Arthur Christmas', and for numerous video games. All up Nighy has 129 Acting credits and he has won one Golden Globe for 'Gideon's Daughter' in 2007 and has been nominated twice more. He has two BAFTA wins for 'State of Play' and 'Love Actually' both in 2003 and another nomination. Plus, there are another twelve award wins and a further 18 nominations.

For 27 years Nighy shared a relationship with English Actress Diana Quick with whom they have a daughter Mary, born in 1984, and also an Actress. The couple split on good terms in 2008.

Bill Nighy - Actor of stage, television, cinema, radio, video and audio; has played the dead, the living dead, comedy, drama, romance and rockers and often does so with a palid gaze, deadpan one liners, a menacing stare and perfect timing. Clearly busy beyond belief Bill, but why let up now when you're so far ahead and still so sought after, and when your audience keep buying tickets. Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 20th - 26th September 2015.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

David Wenham does on 21st September - check out the tribute to this Birthday Boy turning 50 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 20th September

• Jon Bernthal - Born 1977, turns 38 - Actor
• Gary Cole - Born 1956, turns 59 - Actor
• Sophia Loren - Born 1934, turns 81 - Actress
• Asia Argento - Born 1975, turns 40 - Actress | Director | Writer

Monday 21st September

• Bill Murray - Born 1950, turns 65 - Actor | Writer
• Luke Wilson - Born 1971, turns 44 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director
• Stephen King - Born 1947, turns 68 - Writer | Producer | Actor
• David Wenham - Born 1965, turns 50 - Actor
• Ethan Coen - Born 1957, turns 58 - Director | Producer | Writer | Editor
• Jerry Bruckheimer - Born 1943, turns 72 - Producer

Tuesday 22nd September

• Tom Felton - Born 1987, turns 28 - Actor
• Scott Baio - Born 1960, turns 50 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Nick Cave - Born 1957, turns 58 - Writer | Composer | Actor

Wednesday 23rd September

• Anthony Mackie - Born 1978, turns 37 - Actor
• Jason Alexander - Born 1959, turns 56 - Actor | Producer | Director
• John Woo - Born 1946, turns 69 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Alex Proyas - Born 1963, turns 52 - Director | Producer | Writer

Thursday 24th September

• Brad Bird - Born 1957, turns 58 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Kevin Sorbo - Born 1958, turns 57 - Actor | Producer

Friday 25th September

• Pedro Almodovar - Born 1949, turns 66 - Director | Producer | Actor
• Will Smith - Born 1968, turns 47 - Actor | Producer
• Mark Hamill - Born 1951, turns 64 - Actor | Producer
• Jason Flemyng - Born 1966, turns 49 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Michael Madsen - Born 1958, turns 57 - Actor | Producer
• Michael Douglas - Born 1944, turns 71 - Actor | Producer
• Catherine Zeta-Jones - Born 1969, turns 46 - Actress
• Heather Locklear - Born 1961, turns 54 - Actress | Producer

Saturday 26th September

• Linda Hamilton - Born  1956, turns 59 - Actress
• Olivia Newton-John - Born 1948, turns 67 - Singer | Actress
• Jim Caviezel - Born 1968, turns 47 - Actor

David Wenham was born in the Sydney suburb of Marrickville to Kath and Bill Wenham. Growing up a Roman Catholic he attended the Christian Brothers High School, in Lewisham, Sydney. He has an older brother, Peter, and five older sisters - Helen, Carmel, Anne, Kathryn and Maree . . . not so bad for a Roman Catholic family!

He attended the University of Western Sydney and graduated from the Theatre Nepean there, shortly after which he began acting. He secured his first small screen role in 'Sons and Daughters' in 1987, and from this point on he never really looked back. From here there was a string of television movies, and television series including 'Police Rescue', 'A Country Practice', One of Us', 'Blue Heelers', his award winning turn in 1997's 'Simone de Beauvoir's Babies' and then 'SeaChange' in 1998/99.

His big screen debut came in 1992 in 'Seeing Red' with 'Greenkeeping' following that same year. Other films followed as did television appearances until 'Cosi' in 1996 with Toni Collette, Barry Otto, Ben Mendelssohn, Rachel Griffiths, Colin Friels and Jakki Weaver - almost a 'Who's Who' of Aussie Acting talent. 'Idiot Box' came next and then 'The Boys' with with Toni Collette once more and then Alex Proyas' 'Dark City' with Kiefer Sutherland, Rufus Sewell and Wiliam Hurt. As the 90's drew to a close there was 'A Little Bit of Soul', and 'Molokai' before opening the new decade in 2000 with 'Better Than Sex'.

2001 brought 'Russian Doll' with Hugo Weaving; Baz Luhrmann's 'Moulin Rouge'  with Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor; 'The Bank' with Anthony LaPaglia, and 'Dust' with Joseph Fiennes.

Following this there was more substantial fare with the likes of 'The Lord of the Rings : The Two Towers' and then 'Lord of the Rings : The Return of the King' as Faramir. 'Gettin' Square' with Sam Worthington and Timothy Spall came next, and then 'Van Helsing' and Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale. 

2005 saw 'Three Dollars'  and John Hillcoat's Aussie Western 'The Proposition' with Noah Taylor, Guy Pearce and Ray Winstone. In Zack Snyder's '300' he portrays 'Dilios', the only Spartan to survive The Battle of Thermopylae enabling him to reprise his role in the 2007 video game and the 2014 sequel '300 : Rise of an Empire'. 

In the meantime, there was 'Australia' for Baz Luhrmann again with Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman and Michael Mann's 'Public Enemies' in 2009 with Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Channing Tatum and Jason Clarke. Then there was 'Pope Joan', 'Oranges and Sunshine' with Emily Watson and more recently 'Paper Planes'. In between time Wenham has lent his voice talents to 'Legends of the Guardians : The Owls of Ga'Hoole' and 'Blinky Bill : The Movie' released just this week. In addition, there has been a whole bunch of television series - 'Killing Time' in 2011, 'Top of the Lake' in 2013, and 'Better Man, 'The Code' and 'Banished' more recently. 

Next up there is 'Beyond the Known World', 'Goldstone', 'Lion', 'Pirates of the Caribbean : Dead Men Tell No Tales' all currently in post-production, and 'Force of Destiny' recently completed. All up Wenham has fourteen award wins and a further thirty nominations under his belt. He also has a number of stage acting credits to his name including 'Jerry Springer : The Opera' and 'The Crucible'.

Wenham has had a long term relationship with Kate Agnew since 1994 and with whom he has two daughters - Eliza Jane born December 2002 and Millie born in November 2008.

David Wenham  - voted Australia's Most Sexiest Man Alive; a former BINGO caller and insurance clerk; goes by the nickname of 'Daisy'; was the subject winner of the 2000 'Archibald Prize' for portrait painting; and, was the reader of the poem titled 'The Crocodiles are Crying' at Steve Irwin's funeral just a few short years ago. Happy Big-5-Oh! to you Dave, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN : ON STRANGER TIDES - archive from 13th June 2011.

I saw 'PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN : ON STRANGER TIDES' this afternoon in 3D which did very little to enhance the experience. This is the fourth outing for the high seas legend Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) following 2007's 'At World's End' which followed 2006's 'Dead Man's Chest' and which followed the series opener in 2003 'The Curse of the Black Pearl'. Directed by Rob Marshall and Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer this film cost a ridiculous US$378M to make but grossed US$1.05B putting it in the Top 15 highest grossing movies of all time. It is worth noting that the series of four films has so far cost US$1B to make and has raked in US$3.7B in receipts - with a fifth instalment currently in production . . . with those numbers under its belt that's hardly surprising!

It must be said that this film is reasonably entertaining, and there is something quite likable about lovable rogue, ocean going scoundrel and sea faring ladies man Captain Jack and his motley crew of salty sea dog miscreants. Johnny Depp is clearly very comfortable in the role and has made Sparrow all his own,  and we see him joined by his on screen old man for the second time now Keef Richards as Captain Teague.

In this instalment Jack's nefarious past catches up with him in the shape of former lover Angelica (Penelope Cruz), who like him is on the hunt for the Fountain of Youth. Angelica is the voodoo practising daughter of Blackbeard (Ian McShane), and she is able to control the ship, 'The Queen Anne's Revenge' by wielding a magical sword that she possesses. With a zombie crew the trio set sail to seek out the legendary mythical fountain, not knowing that Barbosa (Geoffrey Rush) is also on the hunt and hot on their trail too, as is a mysterious Spanish galleon. At the same time Jack learns that The Black Pearl was in fact not sunk last time, but has been shrunken and is now displayed as a ship in a bottle together with a fleet of others seemingly in the possession of Blackbeard.

Along the way of course as they chart a course across the seven seas they must overcome adversity, pitched battles, challenges (including retrieving a mermaids tears), and revenge all interlaced with of lots of tongue in cheek humour. Many of the usual cohorts are there including Kevin McNally and Sam Claiflin, This is mildly entertaining with some ridiculous drawn out set pieces and you can easily leave your brain at the door, but hey, US$1.05B can't be wrong? Watch out for Chapter Five in this franchise due in 2017 - 'Dead Men Tell No Tales'.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 11th - 17th January 2015.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week? Orlando Bloom  does, on 13th January - check out the tribute to this Birthday Boy 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 11th January

• Amanda Peet - Born 1972, turns 43 - Actress
• Mary J. Blige - Born 1971, turns 44 - Singer | Songwriter | Actress
• Jason Connery - Born 1963, turns 52 - Actor | Producer | Director

Monday 12th January

• Rob Zombie - Born 1965, turns 50 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor | Singer | Songwriter | Composer
• Oliver Platt - Born 1960, turns 55 - Actor | Producer
• Anthony Andrews - Born 1948, turns 67 - Actor
• John Lasseter - Born 1957, turns 58 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Aaron Seltzer - Born 1974, turns 41 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Kirstie Alley - Born 1951, turns 64 - Actress | Producer

Tuesday 13th January

• Julia Louis-Dreyfus - Born 1961, turns 54 - Actress | Producer
• Orlando Bloom - Born 1977, turns 38 - Actor | Producer
• Liam Hemsworth - Born 1990, turns 25 - Actor
• Patrick Dempsey - Born 1966, turns 49 - Actor | Producer
• Bill Bailey - Born 1965, turns 50 - Actor | Comedian | Producer | Singer | Songwriter | Composer
• Michael Pena - Born 1976, turns 39 - Actor

Wednesday 14th January

• Jason Bateman - Born 1969, turns 46 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Carl Weathers - Born 1948, turns 67 - Actor | Director
• Steven Soderbergh - Born 1963, turns 52 - Director | Producer | Writer | Editor | Cinematographer
• Lawrence Kasdan - Born 1949, turns 66 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Faye Dunaway - Born 1941, turns 74 - Actress | Producer
• Emily Watson - Born 1967, turns 48 - Actress

Thursday 15th January

• James Nesbitt - Born 1965, turns 50 - Actor
• Mario Van Peebles - Born 1957, turns 58 - Actor | Director | Producer | Writer | Singer | Songwriter
• Ryan Corr - Born 1989, turns 26 - Actor

Friday 16th January

• John Carpenter - Born 1948, turns 67 - Director | Producer | Writer | Composer
• Debbie Allen - Born 1950, turns 65 - Actress | Director | Producer | Singer | Songwriter

Saturday 17th January 

• Zooey Deschanel - Born 1980, turns 35 - Actress | Producer | Singer
• Jim Carey - Born 1962, turns 53 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Singer
• James Earl Jones - Born 1931, turns 84 - Actor
• Brian Helgeland - Born 1954, turns 54 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Leigh Wannell - Born 1977, turns 38 - Writer | Producer | Director | Actor

Orlando Jonathan Blanchard Bloom was born in Canterbury, Kent, England to Sonia Constance Josephine Copeland and Harry Saul Bloom. His mother was born in Kolkata, India and the man he knew in his early life as his father was a South African Political Activist - he died when Orlando was just four years old. He was raised by his mother, older sister Samantha and Colin Stone whom his mother announced when Orlando was thirteen years of age was his actual biological father.

The young Bloom attended St. Peter's Methodist Primary School, The King's School, and St. Edmund's School all in Canterbury. He struggled academically because he suffered with mild dyslexia and so immersed himself in pottery, sculpture and photography. He in turn studied poetry and prose  and with his sister gave many recitals of classic works and from the Bible. He was encouraged by his mother to take art and drama classes and in 1993 he relocated to London to complete drama, photography and sculpture classes at the Fine Arts College in Hampstead. He joined the National Youth Theatre and gained a scholarship to the British American Drama Academy.

He then began acting professionally securing roles in three episodes of BBC's hospital drama 'Casualty' and one episode of 'Midsomer Murders' before appearing with Stephen Fry in his 1997 big screen debut 'Wilde'. He then attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London to study acting. While there he fell three stories from a roof top terrace and broke his back. Beyond all expectations he made a quick and full recovery and returned to the stage. During one performance, Peter Jackson was sat in the audience, and following a post-show discussion he was cast in the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy which began filming two days after he graduated. The rest as they say, is history!

His role as Legolas in the 'LOTR' series propelled Bloom into the international spotlight and mainstream - a role he would reprise a further four times in 'The Two Towers' and 'Return of the King' and then again more recently in two of the three 'The Hobbit' films 'The Desolation of Smaug' and 'The Battle of the Five Armies'. Whilst shooting the first 'Rings' film he also secured a small role in Ridley Scott's 'Black Hawk Down' in 2001 and 'Ned Kelly' in 2003 with Heath Ledger and Geoffrey Rush.

Immediately following the success of 'LOTR' came another huge franchise beckoning with the first in the epic blockbuster 'Pirates of the Carribbean' series with 2003's 'Curse of the Black Pearl' opposite Johnny Depp and Keira Knightley. His role as Will Turner was subsequently reprised in 2006's 'Dead Man's Chest' and 2007's 'At World's End', and he is rumoured to be back again for 2017's 'Dead Men tell no Tales' having skipped 'On Stranger Tides' in the meantime.

Following on came 'Troy' in 2004 Directed by Wolfgang Petersen, and starring as 'Paris' alongside Brad Pitt, Eric Bana and Peter O'Toole, with 'Kingdom of Heaven' a year later for Director Ridley Scott with Jeremy Irons, Liam Neeson, Brendan Gleeson and Edward Norton. Coming after the epic blockbuster fare largely seen up to now came 'Elizabethtown' in 2005 with Kirsten Dunst, 'New York, I Love You' in 2009 in one of the twelve short films that comprise the complete film package, and then several other roles flying largely under the radar - 'Sympathy for Delicious', 'Main Street', 'The Good Doctor', 'Zulu' and the more widely known 'The Three Musketeers' in 2011. Next up is 'Digging for Fire' with Anna Kendrick, Sam Rockwell and Sam Elliott due later this year, and then 'Unlocked' thereafter with Director Michael Apted and also starring Noomi Rapace, Toni Collette, Michael Douglas and John Malkovich.

Bloom has 38 acting credits to his name and three Producer credits thus far. He has twenty award wins and a further 21 award nominations. He was associated with Actress Kate Bosworth from 2003-2006 and married to Miranda Kerr from 2010-2013 with whom they have a son - Flynn Christopher Blanchard Copeland Bloom born in 2011. He is a practising Buddhist, a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador,  and is involved in environmental organisation 'Global Green'. As wells breaking his back, he has also broken his left arm (playing rugby), his right leg (skiing), his left leg (motorcycle accident), right wrist (snowboarding), several ribs (filming 'LOTR'), nose (playing rugby) and cracked his skull several times. His home in the Hollywood Hills was robbed by the 'Bling Ring' in 2009 during which US$500K in personal possessions were stolen - although mostly subsequently retrieved.

Orlando Bloom - very handy with a sword and a bow, rides a horse well, adept at close quarter combat, athletic and known for sword and sandal, epic fantasy, costume drama roles and possessing cheeky boyish good looks - Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthdays to share this week : 8th - 14th June.

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/Composer of repute; or share an interest in whoever might notch up another year in the coming week? 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 over the coming week. If so, Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online!

Check out too the spotlight on this weeks Birthday Boy on 9th June, Johnny Depp, at the end of this feature.

Sunday 8th June

• Jerry Stiller - Born 1927, turns 87 - Actor | Producer
• Kanye West - Born 1977, turns 37 - Singer | Songwriter | Producer | Actor
• Joan Rivers - Born 1933, turns 81 - Actress | Writer | Producer

Monday 9th June

• Johnny Depp - Born 1963, turns 51 - Actor | Producer | Singer
• Natalie Portman - Born 1981, turns 33 - Actress | Producer
• Michael J. Fox - Born 1961, turns 53 - Actor | Producer
• David Koepp - Born 1963, turns 51 - Writer | Director
• James Newton Howard - Born 1951, turns 63 - Composer | Songwriter

Tuesday 10th June

• Elizabeth Hurley - Born 1965, turns 49 - Actress
• Jeanne Tripplehorn - Born 1963, turns 51 - Actress
• Leelee Sobieski - Born 1983, turns 31 - Actress
• Gina Gershon - Born 1962, turns 52 - Actress
• Jurgen Prochnow - Born 1941, turns 73 - Actor

Wednesday 11th June

• Peter Dinklage - Born 1969, turns 45 - Actor
• Shia LaBeouf - Born 1986, turns 28 - Actor
• Hugh Laurie - Born 1959, turns 55 - Actor | Writer
• Gene Wilder - Born 1933, turns 81 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director | Singer | Songwriter

Thursday 12th June

• Frances O'Connor - Born 1967, turns 47 - Actress
• Dave Franco - Born 1985, turns 29 - Actor | Writer

Friday 13th June

• Chris Evans - Born 1981, turns 33 - Actor
• Stellan Skarsgard - Born 1951, turns 63 - Actor | Producer
• Ally Sheedy - Born 1962, turns 52 - Actress
• Malcolm McDowell - Born 1943, turns 71 - Actor | Producer
• Tim Allen - Born 1953, turns 61 - Actor | Producer
• Joe Roth - Born 1948, turns 66 - Producer
• Kodi Smit-McPhee - Born 1996, turns 18 - Actor

Saturday 14th June

• Will Patton - Born 1954, turns 60 - Actor
• Jay Roach - Born 1957, turns 57 - Director | Producer
• Boy George - Born 1961, turns 53 - Singer | Songwriter | DJ
• Diablo Cody - Born 1978, turns 36 - Writer | Producer

John Christopher Depp II was born in Owensboro, Kentucky and raised in Florida from age seven. The youngest of four children he dropped out of school at age fifteen with dreams of becoming a rock musician, and his (first) fifteen minutes of fame came when he once opened for Iggy Pop in concert. 

His first movie break came courtesy of Nic Cage whom he met on a trip to Los Angeles, and that meeting led to the young Depp being cast in Wes Craven's 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' in 1984. It was few years after that however, in 1987 that real prominence raised its head when Depp was cast to play Tommy Hanson in TV's '21 Jump Street'. In 1990 after playing a number of teen based roles, he first collaborated with Tim Burton on 'Edward Scissorhands' which led to a beautiful friendship that still flourishes to this day with subsequent joint ventures on 'Ed Wood', 'Sleepy Hollow', 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory', 'Sweeney Todd', 'Alice in Wonderland' and more recently 'Dark Shadows'. 

Depp is usually seen playing the flamboyant, the eccentric, the weird, whacky and wonderful. He is not afraid in dressing the part in often boisterous fashion, donning the greasepaint, and camping it up with all sorts of mannerism and idiosyncrasies to create colourful characters - and often this will be at the hands of Tim Burton's film collaborations (refer previously mentioned film titles). Throughout the last 20 years he has played often diverse characters from real life or fictional works and has easily made the transition across genres and character types. Examples have been with such outings as 'Platoon', 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape', ' Donnie Brasco', 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas', ' Chocolat', 'Blow', 'Finding Neverland', 'Public Enemies', 'The Tourist', 'The Lone Ranger' and earlier this year 'Transcendence' . . . whilst not forgetting four hugely successful 'Pirates of the Caribbean' instalments with a fifth announced for release in 2016 - 'Dead Men Tell No Tales'. He has also lent his voice skills to 'Rango' and 'Corpse Bride'.

Over the years and in various publications Depp has been named 'most talented 

actor', ' sexist man alive' and is an entrant on the Hollywood 'power list'. He has had relationships with Winona Ryder, Kate Moss, Vanessa Paradis (for fourteen years and with whom he has two children), and since 2012 to model, Amber Heard. He owned 'The Viper Room' with River Phoenix and was accused of selling drugs at his own club, and it was outside this club that Phoenix died so tragically and so prematurely. He has been arrested for trashing a New York hotel suite, and for fighting with paparazzi in London. He owns a restaurant/club in Paris with business partners Sean Penn and John Malkovich, and also a vineyard in France. A few years ago he set up his own production company - 'Infinitum Nihil Productions' with 'The Rum Diary' being their first production, with the screen adaptation of 'Shantaram' slated. 

To his credit he has 51 award wins and a further 74 nominations. He has garnered three Academy Award nominations; three BAFTA nominations; nine Golden Globe nominations and a win for 'Sweeney Todd'. He has five films currently in post-production, and 'Black Mass' currently filming.

Johnny Depp - playboy, playful, charitable, charismatic, charming and character driven - Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-