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 or Singer/Songwriter or Composer of repute; or share an interest in whoever might notch up another year in the coming seven days? Then, look no further! Whilst there will be too many to mention in this small but not insignificant and beautifully written and presented Blog, here are the more notable and noteworthy icons of the big screen, and the small screen, that you will recognise, and that you might just share your birthday with in the week ahead. If so, Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online!
Sunday 19th October
- Jon Favreau - Born 1966m turns 48 - Actor | Director | Producer
- Michael Gambon - Born 1940, turns 74 - Actor
- Jason Reitman - Born 1977, turns 37 - Director | Producer | Writer
- John Lithgow - Born 1945, turns 69 - Actor
- Trey Parker - Born 1969, turns 45 - Writer | Producer | Actor
- John le Carre - Born 1931, turns 83 - Writer | Producer
Monday 20th October
- Viggo Mortensen - Born 1958, turns 56 - Actor | Producer
- Danny Boyle - Born 1956, turns 58 - Director | Producer | Writer
- Thomas Newman - Born 1955, turns 59 - Songwriter | Composer | Musician
- Timothy West - Born 1934, turns 80 - Actor
Tuesday 21st October
- Carrie Fisher - Born 1956, turns 58 - Actress | Writer
- Ken Watanbe - Born 1959, turns 55 - Actor | Producer
Wednesday 22nd October
- Jeff Goldblum - Born 1952, turns 62 - Actor | Producer
- Christopher Lloyd - Born 1938, turns 76 - Actor
- Bill Condon - Born 1955, turns 59 - Director | Producer | Writer
- Spike Jonze - Born 1969, turns 45 - Director | Producer | Actor | Writer
- Derek Jacobi - Born 1938, turns 76 - Actor
- Jan de Bont - Born 1943, turns 71 - Director | Producer | Cinematographer
- Catherine Deneuve - Born 1943, turns 71 - Actress
Thursday 23rd October
- Ryan Reynolds - Born 1976, turns 38 - Actor | Producer
- Sam Raimi - Born 1959, turns 55 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor
- Ang Lee - Born 1954, turns 60 - Director | Producer | Writer
Friday 24th October
- Kevin Kline - Born 1947, turns 67 - Actor
- F. Murray Abraham - Born 1939, turns 75 - Actor
- Martin Campbell - Born 1943, turns 71 - Director | Producer
Saturday 25th October
- Gale Anne Hurd - Born 1955, turns 59 - Producer | Writer
- Katy Perry - Born 1094, turns 30 - Singer | Songwriter | Actress
Daniel 'Danny' Boyle was born in Radcliffe, Lancashire to Irish parents. Raised in a working class Irish environment, he was an alter boy for eight years with his parents intentions that the young Danny would enter the priesthood. He studied at Thornleigh Salesian College in Bolton, and then Bangor University where he studied English and Drama. 
After leaving school he started his career at the Joint Stock Theatre Company in London before moving to the Royal Court Theatre where he Directed several plays including a number for the Royal Shakespeare Company. He has subsequently and more recently returned to the theatre to Direct 'The Children's Monologues' in 2010 and 'Frankenstein' in 2011. He was also the Artistic Director for the 2012 London Olympic Games Opening Ceremony titled 'Isles of Wonder' which was much lauded at home and overseas.
In 1987 Boyle started work as a Producer for BBC Northern Ireland and then as a Director on various TV shows including 'Screenplay' and 'Inspector Morse'. Up to 1994 he worked as Director and/or Producer on several TV films, but it was his 1994 breakout feature film debut 'Shallow Grave' that became the most commercially successful British film of 1995. This in turn led to the big screen adaptation of Irvine Welsh's book 'Trainspotting' in 1996 which not only brought Boyle further critical acclaim, but established too the careers of Ewan McGregor and Robert Carlyle.
Having established himself as a British filmmaker of some repute he moved to Hollywood to shoot 'A LIfe Less Ordinary' again with Ewan McGregor and an up & coming Cameron Diaz in 1997. From there he moved onto 'The Beach' - the adapted Alex Garland novel shot in the idyllic coastal islands off Thailand and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, and again Robert Carlyle.
Before Directing the post apocalyptic zombie horror thriller '28 Days Later' in 2002 he Executive Produced 'Twin Town' which was the launchpad for Rhys Ifans in this Swansea based crime film. '28 Days Later' largely reinvigorated the zombie genre that is still going strong to this day. This screenplay was written by previous collaborator Alex Garland - it made over ten times its budget at the global Box Office and therefore was sure to spawn a sequel - which it did in 2007 with '28 Weeks Later' which Boyle did not Direct, but he did Executive Produce. Working with Alex Garland again, he Directed the Sci-Fi offering 'Sunshine' in 2007.
2008's 'Slumdog Millionaire' was a huge success for Boyle. Costing just US$15M to make it raked in US$380M globally and garnered eight Academy Award wins including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Song as well as two further nominations. All up, 'Slumdog Millionaire' brought in 149 Awards and 81 other nominations across the world.
In between his commitments to the 2012 London Olympic Games he Directed and Produced 'Trance' in 2013 with James McAvoy in this hypnotherapy fine art heist film where not everything is quite as it seems. Next up for Boyle is 'Jobs' currently in pre-production with Christian Bale rumoured to play Steve Jobs, and thereafter 'Porno' - the long awaited Irvine Welsh follow-up to 'Trainspotting' for a possible 2016 release.
When not behind the camera, Boyle is a Trustee of the UK African Arts Charity 'Dramatic Need', sending music, arts and entertainment professionals to host workshops in underprivileged communities in rural Africa, as a means of promoting creative expression to overcome some of the challenges faced in these locations. He is also a Patron of 'HOME' in Manchester - a centre for arts, film, theatre and books due to open in 2015. He has three children - Caitlin (born 1985), Gabriel (born 1989) and Grace (born 1991) from a former relationship with Gail Stevens from 1983 - 2003.
Danny Boyle - diverse film making talent; theatre, film and TV lauded; the brains behind one of the greatest shows on Earth; and often surrounded with familiar acting, writing and sound collaborators - Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online.
-Steve, at Odeon Online-
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