Birthday's to share this week : 30th July - 5th August 2017

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Sam Worthington does on 2nd August - check out my tribute to this Birthday Lad turning 41, at the end of this feature.

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

Sunday 30th July

• Lisa Kudrow - Born 1963, turns 54 - Actress | Writer | Producer | Singer
• Vivica A. Fox - Born 1964, turns 53 - Actress | Producer
• Hilary Swank - Born 1974, turns 43 - Actress | Producer
• Gina Rodriguez - Born 1984, turns 33 - Actress | Singer | Producer
• Peter Bogdanovich - Born 1939, turns 78 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor
• Arnold Schwarzenegger - Born 1947, turns 70 - Actor | Producer
• Jean Reno - Born 1948, turns 69 - Actor
• Frank Stallone - Born 1950, turns 67 - Actor | Producer | Singer | Songwriter
• Richard Linklater - Born 1960, turns 57 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor
• Laurence Fishburn - Born 1961, turns 56 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Terry Crews - Born 1968, turns 49 - Actor | Producer
• Simon Baker - Born 1969, turns 48 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Christopher Nolan - Born 1970, turns 47 - Director | Producer | Writer  

Monday 31st July

• Michael Biehn - Born 1956, turns 61 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Wesley Snipes - Born 1962, turns 55 - Actor | Producer
• Dean Cain - Born 1966, turns 51 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Geraldine Chaplin - Born 1944, turns 73 - Actress
• J.K. Rowling - Born 1965, turns 52 - Writer | Producer 

Tuesday 1st August

• Demian Bichir - Born 1963, turns 54 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Sam Mendes - Born 1965, turns 52 - Director | Producer
• Jason Momoa - Born 1979, turns 38 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Jack O'Connell - Born 1990, turns 27 - Actor  

Wednesday 2nd August

• Kevin Smith - Born 1970, turns 47 - Producer | Writer | Director | Actor | Editor
• Simon Kinberg - Born 1973, turns 44 - Producer | Writer | Director
• Sam Worthington - Born 1976, turns 41 - Actor | Producer
• Edward Furlong - Born 1977, turns 40 - Actor | Producer  

Thursday 3rd August

• Steven Berkoff - Born 1937, turns 80 - Actor | Writer | Director
• Martin Sheen - Born 1940, turns 77 - Actor | Producer 
• John Landis - Born 1950, turns 67 - Producer | Director | Actor | Writer 
• John C. McGinley - Born 1959, turns 58 - Actor | Producer 
• Max Landis - Born 1985, turns 32 - Writer | Producer | Director | Actor
• Evangeline Lilly - Born 1979, turns 38 - Actress  

Friday 4th August

• Greta Gerwig - Born 1983, turns 34 - Actress | Writer | Producer | Director
• Billy Bob Thornton - Born 1955, turns 62 - Actor | Writer | Director
• Daniel Dae Kim - Born 1968, turns 49 - Actor    

Saturday 5th August

• John Jarratt - Born 1951, turns 66 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Mark Strong - Born 1963, turns 54 - Actor 
• James Gunn - Born 1966, turns 51 - Writer | Director | Producer | Actor | Songwriter

Samuel Henry John Worthington was born in Godalming, Surrey, in south-east England to mother Jeanne Martyn, a housewife, and father Ronald Worthington who worked in a power plant. When he was six months old the family relocated to Perth, in Western Australia where he was brought up with his sister Lucinda almost single handedly by their mother. He attended the John Curtin College of the Arts in Fremantle, south of Perth, specialising in dramatic arts, but he did not graduate. Upon leaving college, his father presented him with $400 and sent him off on a one way trip to Cairns in Far North Queensland, and told him to work his way back home. He worked odd jobs, mostly in construction, and ended up in Sydney working as a bricklayer. While doing that and at the age of nineteen he auditioned for Sydney's National Institute of Dramatic Art and won a scholarship. 

Worthington secured his first big screen role in the Australian comedy drama film 'Bootmen' in 2000, Directed by Dein Perry and also starring Adam Garcia and Sophie Lee. That same year he scored his US break through role on the 100th episode of 'JAG' in the aptly titled 'Boomerang : Part 1'. He followed this up with single episodes on Aussie television drama series 'Water Rats' and 'Blue Heelers'. This was followed by WWII POW drama thriller 'Hart's War' with Bruce Willis, Colin Farrell and Terence Howard; then local Aussie '60's crime drama film 'Dirty Deeds' with Bryan Brown, Toni Collette, Sam Neill and John Goodman; then another Aussie crime caper offering 'Gettin' Square' with David Wenham, Timothy Spall and Gary Sweet; Aussie independent drama 'Somersault' with Abbie Cornish; and then Aussie AC/DC fandom inspired film 'Thunderstruck'. 

2005 saw WWII film 'The Great Raid' about the Raid at Cabanatuan on the island of Luzon in the Philippines also starring James Franco, Benjamin Bratt, Marton Csokas, Joseph Fiennes and Connie Nielsen. This was followed up in 2006 by an Australian modern day gangster themed adaptation of 'Macbeth' set in Melbourne in which Worthington plays the title character. 'Rogue' followed - the Aussie horror thriller about a giant man eating crocodile running amok in the Kakadu National Park in Australia's Northern Territory. The film also starred Radha Mitchell and John Jarratt. Perhaps Worthington's breakout role came in 2009 with a reboot of the post-apocalyptic Sci-Fi action offering 'Terminator : Salvation' Directed by McG and also starring Christian Bale, Anton Yelchin, Common, Michael Ironside, Helena Bonham Carter and Bryce Dallas Howard. The film received mixed Reviews but grossed US$372M from its US$200M budget costs.  

Also in 2009 came another very wise casting decision for Worthington, with James Cameron's Written, Directed, Produced and Edited record breaking Sci-Fi epic 'Avatar' in which the Actor takes top billing as Jake Sully - a disabled former Marine who becomes part of the Avatar Programme. Also starring Stephen Lang, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana, Michelle Rodriguez and Giovanni Ribisi, the film cost US$237M to make and grossed US$2.8B making it the highest grossing film in cinema history - a record that still stands eight years after its release. The film bagged three Academy Awards and was nominated for another six, won two Golden Globes and two other nominations, won two BAFTA's and received another six nods and all up took a total awards haul of 88 wins and 128 other nominations. Four sequels are currently in the works with James Cameron helming his blockbuster franchise filming all these instalments concurrently, with release dates set for December 2020, December 2021, December 2024, and December 2025. Worthington, Saldana and Weaver all signed on for sequels.

The new decade saw a remake of the 1981 film of the same name 'Clash of the Titans' based loosely on the Greek myth of Perseus as played by Worthington in this updated Louis Leterrier Directed version, and also starring Ralph Fiennes, Liam Neeson, Mads Mikkelsen, Liam Cunningham, Nicholas Hoult, Danny Huston, Luke Evans, Pete Postlethwaite and Gemma Arterton. The film received lacklustre Reviews although it recovered US$494M from its US$125M budget investment, spawning a sequel in 2012 with 'Wrath of the Titans' with Worthington, Fiennes, Neeson and Huston all reprising their roles joined this time around by Bill Nighy, Edgar Ramirez, Toby Kebbell and Rosamund Pike. This film was negatively received by Critics and returned US$305M from its US$150M budget. On the strength of this performance 'Revenge of the Titans' planned for a 2013 release, was canned.

Also released in 2010 was romantic drama 'Last Night' with Keira Knightley and Eva Mendes; straight to video offering 'Love & Distrust' with Robert Pattinson, James Franco, Robert Downey Jnr. and Amy Adams; and then 'The Debt' Directed by John Madden and starring also Helen Mirren, Jessica Chastain, Ciaran Hinds, Tom Wilkinson and Marton Csokas. The inspired by true events 'Texas Killing Fields' followed in 2011 with Jessica Chastain and Chloe Grace Moretz, and in 2012 'Man on a Ledge' with Jamie Bell, Edward Burns, Anthony Mackie, Ed Harris and Elizabeth Banks.  

2013 saw an Australian film about the birth of the modern Australian surfing industry back in the '70's with 'Drift' and also starred Xavier Samuel and this was followed up in 2014 with the David Ayer Written, Directed and Co-Produced actioner 'Sabotage' with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Later that year came 'Cake' with Jennifer Aniston, American Civil War action thriller 'The Keeping Room' with Hailee Stansfield and then locally Produced Australian children's drama offering 'Paper Planes' with David Wenham.

Next in 2015 came the historical drama 'Kidnapping Mr. Heineken' about the 1983 kidnapping of the Chairman and CEO of the brewing company Heineken International and one of the wealthiest individuals in Holland, Freddy Heineken. Anthony Hopkins plays the lead role here with Worthington playing Willem Holleeder - one of five friends who hit upon a get rich quick scheme by kidnapping the said business tycoon and demanding a ransom of almost sixteen million pounds sterling. That same year also saw biographical drama film 'Everest' about the ill fated 1996 Mount Everest disaster in which eight people died when caught in a blizzard trying to either ascend of descend the summit. With an all star cast that included Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Brolin, Jason Clarke, Robin Wright, Emily Watson and Keira Knightley the film returned US$204M from its US$55M budget, and was well received by Critics.

2016 saw Mel Gibson's highly acclaimed WWII biographical wartime drama film 'Hacksaw Ridge' about the experiences of Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield) during the Battle of Okinawa, as an American pacifist combat medic and Seventh Day Adventist who refused to carry a weapon or firearm of any kind. He saved the lives of some seventy soldiers during that bloody conflict against heavily dug in Japanese forces. The film made US$176M from its US$40M budget outlay. Earlier this year saw the Christian drama film 'The Shack' with Octavia Spencer and Radha Mitchell and has so far grossed US$96M from its US$20M budget.

This brings us up to date. In between time there were other television series appearances on the likes of 'Love My Way' in which Worthington appeared in ten of the thirty episodes televised between 2004 and 2005, then 'The Surgeon' appearing in all eight episodes of this short-lived 2005 series, and then television mini-series 'Deadline Gallipoli' in which Worthington portrays one of three reporters sent out to Gallipoli to report on the conflict there that ultimately saw extensive Australian and New Zealand casualties in 1915 together with those of British and other allied forces.

Next up for Worthington is the Jonathan Moscow Directed 'The Hunter's Prayer' then Sci-Fi thriller 'The Titan' of how a military serving family take part in a ground breaking experiment of genetic evolution and space exploration. This has wrapped filming and will be released in 2018. Currently in production is anthology television series 'Manhunt : Unabomber' for the Discovery Channel taking an in depth look at how an FBI Profiler, Jim Fitzgerald (Worthington) helped track down Ted Kaczynski (Paul Bettany) and the terror he inflicted through a bombing campaign that lasted close to twenty years between 1978 and 1995. Also in Pre-Production are the aforementioned 'Avatar' sequels.

All up Worthington has 48 Acting credits to his name, five as Producer, and one each as Writer and Director on the 2004 seven minute short film 'Enzo'. He has six award wins under his belt so far and a further seventeen nominations including two wins by the Australian Film Institute as Best Actor in 2004's 'Somersault' and 2009's 'Avatar'.

Worthington is married to Australian advertising model and media personality Lara Bingle, with whom he has two sons - Rocket (born in 2015) and Racer (born in 2016). In 2014 Worthington attracted the attention of the world's press for all the wrong reasons when he was arrested in New York City for assault on a paparazzo in retaliation for allegedly kicking Bingle in the shin. The case went back and forth with both sides claiming no wrongdoing. Ultimately a US$3.7M lawsuit against Worthington was raised which was settled out of court before going to trial in September 2015.

Sam Worthington - has been voted as Australia's Most Stylish Male Celebrity, Man of the Year, and one of Australia's Most Likeable Young Leading Men in his time. Before being cast in 'Avatar' he had AU$2K to his name, had sold almost all his worldly possessions and was living in his car - what a turn around! Has played across just about all genres from romance, to horror, to comedy, to wartime, to biographical, Sci-Fi, fantasy and is equally at home in playing small local Aussie independent fare to big budget epic Hollywood blockbusters and in the process has worked with some of the biggest names in the business. Good luck to you Sam, and good on ya for keeping us entertained and for keeping us guessing as to what's next. Happy Birthday to you, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 20th - 26th March 2016.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Jessica Chastain does on 24th March - check out my tribute to this Birthday Girl turning 39, 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 March

• Carl Reiner - Born 1922, turns 94 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor
• William Hurt - Born 1950, turns 66 - Actor | Producer
• David Thewlis - Born 1963, turns 53 - Actor | Writer
• Spike Lee - Born 1957, turns 59 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor
• Holly Hunter - Born 1958, turns 58 - Actress | Producer

Monday 21st March

• Rosie O'Donnell - Born 1962, turns 54 - Actress | Producer | Writer
• Timothy Dalton - Born 1946, turns 70 - Actor
• Matthew Broderick - Born 1962, turns 54 - Actor
• Gary Oldman - Born 1958, turns 58 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Scott Eastwood - Born 1986, turns 30 - Actor | Producer

Tuesday 22nd March

• William Shatner - Born 1931, turns 85 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director
• Matthew Modine - Born 1959, turns 57 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director
• Bruno Ganz - Born 1941, turns 75 - Actor
• M. Emmett Walsh - Born 1935, turns 81 - Actor
• Stephen Sondheim - Born 1930, turns 86 - Composer | Songwriter | Writer
• Andrew Lloyd Webber - Born 1948, turns 68 - Composer | Songwriter | Writer | Producer
• Reese Witherspoon - Born 1976, turns 40 - Actress | Producer | Singer

Wednesday 23rd March

• Amanda Plummer - Born 1957, turns 59 - Actress
• Catherine Keener - Born 1959, turns 57 - Actress | Producer
• Michelle Monaghan - Born 1976, turns 40 - Actress | Producer
• Keri Russell - Born 1976, turns 40 - Actress

Thursday 24th March

• Jessica Chastain - Born 1977, turns 39 - Actress | Producer
• Lara Flynn Boyle - Born 1970, turns 46 - Actress | Producer
• Kelly LeBrock - Born 1960, turns 56 - Actress
• Keisha Castle-Hughes - Born 1990, turns 26 - Actress
• Curtis Hanson - Born 1945, turns 71 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Partick Malahide - Born 1945, turns 71 - Actor

Friday 25th March

• Edgar Ramirez - Born 1977, turns 39 - Actor | Producer
• Lee Pace - Born 1979, turns 37 - Actor
• Paul Michael Glazer - Born 1943, turns 73 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Sarah Jessica Parker - Born 1965, turns 51 - Actress | Writer

Saturday 26th March

• Keira Knightly - Born 1985, turns 31 - Actress | Singer
• James Caan - Born 1940, turns 76 - Actor
• Alan Arkin - Born 1934, turns 82 - Actor | Writer | Director
• Francis Lawrence - Born 1971, turns 45 - Director | Producer
• Martin McDonagh - Born 1970, turns 46 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Martin Short - Born 1950, turns 66 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Singer
• Alan Silvestri - Born 1950, turns 66 - Composer | Songwriter

Jessica Michelle Chastain was born in Sacramento, California, USA to mother Jerri Renee, a vegan chef, and father Michael Monasterio, a rock musician who died in early 2013 aged 55. Chastain was estranged from her father for her entire life and has never publicly acknowledged him, with his name not appearing on her birth certificate. She was raised by her mother and her stepfather Michael Hastey - a fireman, whom she does regard as her father to all intents and purposes. She retains her mothers maiden name (Chastain) as did her sister Juliet, who died aged 25 in 2003. She grew up with her siblings from her mothers second marriage - William, Daniel and Jacquelyn Hastey. She is perhaps closest to her maternal grandmother Marilyn who first sparked the interest in Acting in the young seven year old Jessica after attending a performance together of 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat' starring David Cassidy. She attended El Camino High School in Sacramento where she struggled academically, and then went on to Sacramento City College before gaining a scholarship donated by Robin Williams that allowed her to attend Juilliard School in New York City where she actively participated in drama, theatre and film projects, before graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in 2003.

Her early career saw her move to Venice Beach, California where she started to audition for roles and was subsequently picked up by a talent agency, although she struggled to secure roles because of her red hair and somewhat unconventional looks. Her television debut came with a remake of a popular 1960's gothic series 'Dark Shadows' but the show failed to live up to expectations and was not picked up for broadcast. That was 2004, and the following four years saw several appearances on the likes of 'E.R', 'Close to Home', 'Veronica Mars' and 'Law & Order : Trial by Jury'. About this time she gained an introduction and a recommendation to Al Pacino who was searching for an unknown talent to star in his new theatre production of 'Salome' - he hired her on the spot, and as a result of the plays sell out success she came to much wider attention.

In 2008 Chastain made her film debut in the lead role of 'Jolene' - the story of an abused foster child told over a ten year period from age 15. She receive generally positive reviews and won a Best Actress Award on the film circuit. Next up was 'Stolen' which crashed and burned, and then a year later came the 'Murder on the Orient Express' episode of 'Agatha Christie's : Poirot'.

2010 saw 'The Debt' for Director John Madden and starring Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkinson and Sam Worthington, and then 'Take Shelter' with Michael Shannon which was critically lauded and had much praise bestowed upon it, including for the film and the performances of both her and Shannon, picking up numerous awards along the way.

2011 was a particularly busy year with the Ralph Fiennes Directed 'Coriolanus' based on a modern adaptation of the Shakespeare play; then Terrence Mallick's highly acclaimed 'Tree of Life' with Brad Pitt and Sean Penn; 'The Help' with Emma Stone, Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer which was also highly acclaimed with the Oscar going to Octavia Spencer for her supporting performance. The documentary drama of 'Wilde Salome' as Directed and starring Al Pacino recounted the story of what led him to stage his play at the Wadsworth Theatre in West Los Angeles; and the year closed out with 'Texas Killing Fields' with Sam Worthington, Jason Clarke and Chloe Grace Moretz.

John Hillcoat's 'Lawless' followed in 2012 with an all star cast that included Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, and Jason Clarke. 'Zero Dark Thirty' came next garnering Chastain an Oscar nomination for this highly praised film Directed by Kathryn Bigelow being the story of the ten year hunt for one Osama bin Laden, resulting in his final capture and death . . .  allegedly!

Horror fantasy 'Mama' was next in 2013 and that same year the film of 'Salome' Directed and starring Al Pacino based on the Oscar Wilde play was released, bringing the saga full circle from Pacino's stage play to film docudrama to full blown movie production. Next up came a trio of films under the banner of 'The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby' and subtitled 'Him', 'Her' and 'Them' with Chastain playing the title role alongside James McAvoy. 'Miss Julie' came next with Colin Farrell, and then Christopher Nolan's 'Interstellar' with Matthew McConaughey, Michael Caine and Anne Hathaway. 'A Most Violent Year' followed after this run with Oscar Isaac in the J.C. Chandor Directed film of a most violent 1981 New York.

2015 brought along 'The Martian' for Ridley Scott and with Matt Damon, and then 'Crimson Peak' for Guillermo del Toro and with Tom Hiddleston. Next up is 'The Zookeeper's Wife' with Daniel Bruhl in post-production currently for release later this year; 'The Huntsman : Winter's War' for release soon; 'The Death and Life of John F. Donovan' in pre-production; 'Miss Sloane' for Director John Madden currently filming and 'Woman Walks Ahead' recently announced. 

Chastain has 42 Acting credits to her name and has so far garnered seventy award wins and another 94 nominations including two Academy Award nominations for 'Zero Dark Thirty' and 'The Help'; two Golden Globe nominations for 'A Most Violent Year' and 'The Help' with a win for 'Zero Dark Thirty' and two BAFTA nominations for 'Zero Dark Thirty' and 'The Help'. She also lent her voice talent to 'Madagascar 3 : Europe's Most Wanted'.

Chastain is a feminist, and a vegan, and is involved in the suicide support group 'To Write Love On Her Arm'. She turned down roles in 'Iron Man 3', 'Oblivion' and 'Diana', has picked up numerous fashion awards, appears on numerous 'Top' lists, and in the last four years has starred in four  films all nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards - 'The Martian' in 2015, 'Zero Dark Thirty' in 2012, 'The Help' and 'Tree of Life' both in 2011.

Jessica Chastain - so much achieved in such a short space of time, diverse acting range across all genres (although perhaps not yet comedy), highly acclaimed, much in demand, bankable, keeping it real, keeping it grounded and very watchable. Happy Birthday to you Jessica, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 6th - 12th March 2016.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Matthew Vaughn does on 7th March - check out my tribute to this Birthday Boy turning 45, 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 March

• Rob Reiner - Born 1947, turns 69 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor | Singer | Songwriter
• Tom Arnold - Born 1959, turns 57 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Alan Davies - Born 1966, turns 50 - Actor | Writer | Television Personality

Monday 7th March

• Bryan Cranston - Born 1956, turns 60 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Peter Sarsgaard - Born 1971, turns 45 - Actor Producer
• Matthew Vaughn - Born 1971, turns 45 - Director | Producer
• Rachel Weisz - Born 1970, turns 46 - Actress | Producer

Tuesday 8th March

• Freddie Prinze Jnr. - Born 1976, turns 40 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Micky Dolenz - Born 1945, turns 71 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer | Singer | Songwriter
• James Van Der Beek - Born 1977, turns 39 - Actor
• Aidan Quinn - Born 1959, turns 57 - Actor

Wednesday 9th March

• Oscar Isaac - Born 1979, turns 37 - Actor | Singer
• Juliette Binoche - Born 1964, turns 52 - Actress

Thursday 10th March

• Olivia Wilde - Born 1984, turns 32 - Actress | Producer
• Sharon Stone - Born 1958, turns 58 - Actress | Producer
• Jon Hamm - Born 1971, turns 45 - Actor | Producer
• Chuck Norris - Born 1940, turns 76 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Rafe Spall - Born 1983, turns 33 - Actor
• Paul Haggis - Born 1953, turns 63 - Director | Producer | Writer

Friday 11th March

• Terrence Howard - Born 1969, turns 47 - Actor | Producer | Singer
• Jerry Zucker - Born 1950, turns 66 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Johnny Knoxville - Born 1971, turns 45 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Peter Berg - Born 1964, turns 52 - Director | Producer | Actor | Writer
• Anton Yelchin - Born 1989, turns 27 - Actor

Saturday 12th March

• Aaron Eckhart - Born 1968, turns 48 - Actor | Producer
• Rob Cohen - Born 1949, turns 67 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Liza Minelli - Born 1946, turns 70 - Actress | Singer

Matthew de Vere Drummond was born Matthew Allard Robert Vaughn, in London, England to mother Kathy Ceaton who passed away in mid-2013 and . . . here's where it gets complicated! His father was believed to be the American Actor Robert Vaughn following an affair with his mother. Before a paternity investigation was carried out, Robert Vaughn sought for the young lad to bear his surname and so from birth Matthew Vaughn was it. That subsequent investigation in fact revealed that the young lad's true father was George de Vere Drummond - an English aristocrat and Godson of King George VI. As a consequence of all of this, Matthew goes by the de Vere Drummond name in his personal life and by the Vaughn name in his professional life. Matthew was educated at the prestigious independent boys and girls boarding school - Stow School - in Stow, Buckinghamshire. Taking a gap year before university, he travelled the world and ending up in Los Angeles found work assisting a Director. Following his gap year he returned to England and attended University College, London, but dropped out after a matter of weeks.

Having been bitten by the film bug, he returned to LA after dropping out of university to begin his career in the movie business. His first foray in to the world of film was as Producer on a little known thriller in 1996 called 'The Innocent Sleep' which starred Michael Gambon, Rupert Graves and John Hannah. Having forged a close friendship with Guy Ritchie in the meantime, Vaughn went onto Produce Ritchie's critical and financially successful films - 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' and then 'Snatch' with 'Swept Away' thereafter which he probably wishes had been well & truly swept away! 'Mean Machine' can along in the meantime which he also Produced with Guy Ritchie and starring many of those names from the two aforementioned films, including Vinnie Jones in the lead role.

His Directorial debut came in 2004 with 'Layer Cake' which he also Produced, and starring Daniel Craig, Tom Hardy, Michael Gambon, Ben Whishaw and Sienna Miller. The film was nominated for several awards and Vaughn picked up the Empire Award for Best British Director on his first such outing.

'Stardust' came next in 2007 which he Directed, Wrote and Produced and which starred a Who's Who of A-List acting talent including Ian McKellen, Robert De Niro, Peter O'Toole, Mark Strong, Henry Cavill, Rupert Everett, Ricky Gervais, Dexter Fletcher, Jason Flemyng, Michelle Pfeiffer, Claire Danes and Sienna Miller. The film picked up five award wins and six other nominations and made US$136M off its US$89M budget. After this he Produced 2009's British vigilante revenge thriller 'Harry Brown' with Michael Caine in the title role.

A year later came 'Kick-Ass' which he again Directed, Produced and wrote the Screenplay for based on the comic book of the same name, and which helped launch the career of eleven year old wise cracking gun totting Chloe Grace Moretz, and which also starred Mark Strong and Nicolas Cage. The film was marred by its use of graphic violence and profanity but it gelled with audiences (including this Reviewer!) making US$97M from its US$30M production budget, and along the way it picked up sixteen award wins and 61 further nominations. Vaughn also served as Producer on the 2013 sequel 'Kick-Ass 2' which fared less well as the Box Office bringing home just US$61M, but off a slightly reduced budget. He also Produced the video game spin-off.

That same year in 2010 he Produced and Wrote 'The Debt' which John Madden Directed and starred Helen Mirren, Jessica Chastain, Sam Worthington and Tom Wilkinson. 'X-Men : First Class' in 2011 saw a return to the Directors chair with a writing credit too on this fifth film in the 'X-Men' franchise taking the story back to the 1960's and the origin of 'The X-Men' and 'The Brotherhood of Mutants' with James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender in the younger Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen roles respectively as Charles Xavier and Magneto respectively. With an ensemble cast the film made US$354M off its US$140M budget and so was deemed a critical and commercial success. Vaughn also gained a further Writing credit on 2014's follow-up 'X-Men : Days of Future Past' which made US$750M globally.

2015 saw 'Kingsman : The Secret Service' based on the comic book of the same name which again saw Vaughn serve as Director, Producer and Writer, and off a budget of US$81M brought home US$415M and launching the career of Taron Egerton in the process, taking a much needed change of direction for Colin Firth and staying true to form Samuel L. Jackson and Michael Caine in strong supporting roles. A sequel is in the works with filming due to begin in April of this year with a release date of June 2017 announced. Vaughn is again writing the Screenplay and is believed to be Directing once again.

He served as Producer on the 2015 Marvel reboot of 'Fantastic Four', as Producer on the about to be released 'Eddie the Eagle' with Taron Egerton, Hugh Jackman and Christopher Walken, and 'I Am Pilgrim' announced with Vaughn taking on Director and Producer duties with a release date yet to be finalised.

All up Vaughn has twenty Producer credits to his name, seven Director credits and seven as Writer, and so far en route he has garnered five award wins and another 15 nominations. He often calls upon Mark Strong, Dexter Fletcher and Jason Flemyng to star in his films and he dropped out of 'Thor', 'Casino Royale' and 'X-Men : Days of Future Past' for which he was slated to Direct. Vaughn also has his own Production Company 'Marv Films' which he founded in 2004. He married German Supermodel Claudia Schiffer in 2002 with whom he has three children - Casper Matthew (born in 2003), Clementine (born in 2004) and Cosima Violet (born in 2010).

Matthew Vaughn - favoured genre is clearly the comic book adaptation, was Best Man to Guy Ritchie when he married Madonna, has made some classic films which have been referenced here both recently and in the past, and looks set to continue doing so. Keep doing what you do best Matthew, and we'll keep watching . . . and writing! Happy Birthday to you - from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-