Birthday's to share this week : 14th - 20th June 2015.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Zoe Saldana does on 19th June - check out the tribute to this Birthday Girl turning 37, 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 14th June

• Will Patton - Born 1954, turns 61 - Actor
• Diablo Cody - Born 1978, turns 37 - Writer | Director | Producer

Monday 15th June

• Courteney Cox - Born 1964, turns 51 - Actress | Producer | Director
• Helen Hunt - Born 1963, turns 52 - Actress | Producer | Director | Writer
• Neil Patrick Harris - Born 1973, turns 42 - Actor | Producer
• Ice Cube - Born 1969, turns 46 - Actor | Producer | Singer | Songwriter
• Jake Busey - Born 1971, turns 44 - Actor
• James Belushi - Born 1954, turns 61 - Actor | Producer

Tuesday 16th June

• James Bolam - Born 1935, turns 80 - Actor
• Arnold Vosloo - Born 1962, turns 53 - Actor | Producer
• Daniel Bruhl - Born 1978, turns 37 - Actor

Wednesday 17th June

• Jason Patrick - Born 1966, turns 49 - Actor | Producer
• Greg Kinnear - Born 1963, turns 52 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Thomas Haden Church - Born 1960, turns 55 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director
• Louis Letterier - Born 1973, turns 42 - Director
• Ken Loach - Born 1936, turns 79 - Director | Producer | Writer

Thursday 18th June

• Barbara Broccoli - Born 1960, turns 55 - Producer
• Isabella Rossellini - Born 1952, turns 63 - Actress | Producer | Director | Writer

Friday 19th June

• Zoe Saldana - Born 1978, turns 37 - Actress
• Kathleen Turner - Born 1954, turns 61 - Actress
• Gena Rowlands - Born 1930, turns 85 - Actress
• Paul Dano - Born 1984, turns 31 - Actor | Producer

Saturday 20th June 

• Danny Aiello - Born 1933, turns 82 - Actor | Producer
• Josh Lucas - Born 1971, turns 44 - Actor | Producer
• John Goodman - Born 1952, turns 63 - Actor | Producer
• Martin Landau - Born 1928, turns 87 - Actor | Producer
• Stephen Frears - Born 1941, turns 74 - Director | Producer
• Christopher Mintz-Plasse - Born 1989, turns 26 - Actor | Writer
• Robert Rodriguez - Born 1968, turns 47 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor | Editor | Cinematographer | Cameraman | Composer | Songwriter
• Nicole Kidman - Born 1967, turns 48 - Actress | Producer

Zoe Yadira Saldana Nazario was born in Passaic, New Jersey to mother Asalia Nazario, a Puerto Rican, and father Aridio Saldana from the Dominican Republic. She grew up in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York speaking English and Spanish. Zoe has two sisters Cisely and Mariel and a half brother Nipo. At nine years of age, the young Zoe's father died in a car crash, at which point the family moved to the Dominican Republic, where she developed a keen interest in dance in its many forms. After her 10th grade year she returned to New York with the family and began performing with the Brooklyn based 'FACES' Theatre Group. Following a performance of 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat' in which she took part, the teenage Saldana was recruited by a talent agency, which gave rise to her 2000 big screen debut in 'Centre Stage'.

Her small screen debut came the year before in two episodes of 'Law and Order'. On the strength of the New York set Ballet Dance Academy film 'Centre Stage' Saldana left school and appeared in the Brittany Spears comedy/drama/road movie 'Crossroads' and later that same year in 'Drumline'.

The next year in 2003 came 'Pirates of the Caribbean : The Curse of the Black Pearl' playing Anamaria - a female pirate. From there followed 'The Terminal' with Tom Hanks as Directed by Steven Spielberg, and then 'Haven' with Orlando Bloom and then 'Temptation'.

2005 produced average fare 'Constellation', 'Guess Who', ' Dirty Deeds', and then 'Premium' and 'The Heart Specialist' in 2006 and in 2007 'After Sex' and 'Blackout'. 'Vantage Point' was a bigger hit in 2008 with an all star cast, although Saldana's character is killed off early on in the piece.

2009 however, was the year that was to propel Saldana into the stratosphere - literally, with two epic Sci-Fi adventures that established her star status. The first was J.J.Abrams reboot of the 'Star Trek' franchise in which she payed the role of Nyota Uhura. Seeking support, advice and guidance along the way from two women of influence - Nichelle Nichols who made the role famous and her own back in the 60's television show and in the first run of successful spin-off movies, and the second, her own mother - a self confessed Trekkie! That film made US$386M. Then of course there was the history making James Cameron epic Sci-Fi adventure 'Avatar' in which she played the lead female character of Neytiri. Grossing an all time record breaking US$2.7B the film picked up numerous awards including The Saturn Award for Best Actress - not so bad for an all CG character!

'The Losers' was next in 2010 and then 'Takers', 'Death at a Funeral', and 'Burning Palms' with 'Colombiana' in 2011 as a professional assassin and then 'The Words' a year later. 'Blood Ties' and 'Star Trek : Into Darkness' followed in 2013 with the latter once again Directed by J.J.Abrams and once again reprising her role as Uhura, with this film going on to outstrip its 2009 predecessor with a global Box Office haul of US$468M. 'Out of the Furnace' with Christian Bale and 'Infinitely Polar Bear' with Mark Ruffalo followed.

The unexpected smash hit of 2014 was Marvel's 'Guardians of the Galaxy' which grossed US$774M  with Saldana playing Gamora - this time in green rather than her 'Avatar' blue! 

Next up for Saldana is 'Nina' due for release later in 2015 playing the role of legendary jazz singer Nina Simone. Then there will be 'Star Trek 3' currently filming and 'Live by Night' in 2016 and currently in pre-production there is 'Guardians of the Galaxy 2' for a 2017 release and then 'Avatar 2, 3 and 4' due in 2017, 2018 and 2019 respectively.

Saldana has 45 acting credits to her name, two Producer credits and two Director credits and she has garnered eleven award wins and another 41 nominations so far.

In June 2010 Saldana became engaged to long term boyfriend and business partner in 'My Fashion Data Base' Keith Britton but that relationship ended in late 2011 with Bradley Cooper becoming the love interest until early in 2013. Mid-year she married Marco Perego and in November 2014 their twin sons were born Bowie Ezio and Cy Aridio.

Zoe Saldana - a self confessed lover of the Sci-Fi genre; athletic, determined, personable, respected and beautiful; pushing the boundaries of her capabilities; and earning many friends and fans along the way - Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-