Birthday's to share this week : 8th - 14th February 2015.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week? 

Josh Brolin does, on 12th February - check out the tribute to this Birthday Boy turning 47, 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 8th February

• Mary Steenbergen - Born 1953, turns 62 - Actress | Producer
• Seth Green - Born 1974, turns 41 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director
• Nick Nolte - Born 1941, turns 74 - Actor | Producer
• John Williams - Born 1932, turns 83 - Composer | Songwriter

Monday 9th February

• Tom Hiddleston - Born 1981, turns 34 - Actor
• Joe Pesci - Born 1943, turns 72 - Actor
• Ciaran Hinds - Born 1953, turns 62 - Actor
• Mia Farrow - Born 1945, turns 70 - Actress

Tuesday 10th February

• Chloe Grace Moretz - Born 1997, turns 18 - Actress
• Elizabeth Banks - Born 1974, turns 41 - Actress | Producer | Director
• Laura Dern - Born 1967, turns 48 - Actress | Producer | Writer
• Robert Wagner  -Born 1930, turns 85 - Actor | Producer
• Michael Apted - Born 1941, turns 74 - Director | Producer

Wednesday 11th February

• Taylor Lautner - Born1992, turns 23 - Actor
• Damian Lewis  -Born 1971, turns 44 - Actor | Producer
• Burt Reynolds - Born 1936, turns 79 - Actor | Producer | Director | Singer
• Jennifer Aniston - Born 1969, turns 46 - Actress | Producer

Thursday 12th February

• Annette Crosbie - Born 1934, turns 81 - Actress
• Christina Ricci - Born 1980, turns 35 - Actress | Producer
• Sigfrid Thornton - Born 1959, turns 56 - Actress
• Josh Brolin - Born 1968, turns 47 - Actor | Producer
• Darren Aronofsky - Born 1969, turns 46 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Michael Ironside - Born 1950, turn s65 - Actor | Producer
• Joe Don Baker - Born 1936, turns 79 - Actor

Friday 13th February

• Neal McDonough - Born 1966, turns 49 - Actor | Producer
• Henry Rollins - Born 1961, turns 54 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Singer | Songwriter
• George Segal - Born 1934, turns 81 - Actor
• Stockard Channing - Born 1944, turns 71 - Actress
• Kim Novak - Born 1933, turns 82 - Actress
• Mena Suvari - Born 1979, turns 36 - Actress

Saturday 14th February

• Simon Pegg - Born 1970, turns 45 - Actor | Writer | Producer

Josh James Brolin was born in Santa Monica, California - the son of Jane Cameron Agee a wildlife activist and James Brolin, the Actor. He was raised on a ranch and had little exposure, growing up, to the world of his fathers acting career. At 16 his parents divorced, and his father then remarried in 1986 to Jane Smithers - a film and television actress, but that partnership came to an end in 1995. In 1998 he married again for the third time to singer/songwriter/actress Barbara Streisand and they remain married to this day.

The young Brolin was never that interested in acting as a career having seen the impact of it on his family life and his parents divorce. In fact he had early thoughts on becoming a Chef, but at high school he took an acting class, and liked it so much that the notion took hold. His first screen role came in the Richard Donner Directed and Steven Spielberg Produced 'The Goonies' in 1985, and then a year later in 'Thrashin'' - a story of rival skateboard gangs. From here various television series and made for TV movies followed including 'Private Eye', 'The Young Riders', 'Winnetka Road' and he was closely considered for the role of Officer Tom Hanson in the TV series hit '21 Jump Street' which eventually went to a young Johnny Depp.

By now it was the mid-90's and a series of average films followed - 'The Road Killers' in 1994, 'Bed of Roses', 'Flirting with Disaster' and 'Gang in Blue' all in 1996, and in 1997 'My Brothers War', 'Nightwatch' and 'Mimic'. The decade closed out with 'The Mod Squad', 'Best Laid Plans' and 'All the Rage'. None of his films up to this point had met with any significant critical acclaim and the first half of the new decade brought mediocre offerings too with the likes of 'Hollow Man' with Kevin Bacon, 'Slow Burn' with Minnie Driver to whom he would later become engaged to for a brief period of just six months, 'Melinda and Melinda', 'Into the Blue' and 'Dead Girl' with Toni Collette.

2007 however, brought a change of acting fortune with Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez casting Brolin in their twin tribute to Grindhouse Cinema with his role in 'Planet Terror'. That same year came his lead role in the Coen Brothers 'No Country for Old Men' which met with huge critical acclaim, won four Academy Awards and a swathe of others. Paul Haggis cast him next with Tommy Lee Jones in 'In the Valley of Elah' and then came the acclaimed Ridley Scott offering 'American Gangster' with Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe.

With his acting fortunes very much on the rise he was cast by Oliver Stone to star in 'W' as President George W. Bush in this bio-pic chronicle of his life and time in office. Gus Van Sant chose him next for the role of Dan White alongside Sean Penn in 'Milk' which garnered Brolin an Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actor. 

After this came his lead role as the scarred anti-hero comic book character 'Johan Hex' in the film of the same name. Costing US$47M to make it tanked at the Box Office making just US$11M. He was cast again by Oliver Stone in 2010 to star with Michael Douglas and Shia LaBoeuf in the 'Wall Street' follow-up 'Money Never Sleeps', and that same year by the Coen's again in the much lauded 'True Grit' remake with Jeff Bridges. 

This led to 'MIB3' again retiming with Tommy Lee Jones, 'The Gangster Squad' again with Sean Penn, 'Labour Day' with Kate Winslett, in Spike Lee's Hollywood remake of vengeance film 'Oldboy' and the 'Sin City' sequel last year for Robert Rodriguez taking on the role of Dwight from Clive Owen in 'A Dame to Kill For'. 

Out imminently is 'Inherent Vice' Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and starring Joaquin Phoenix which has two Oscar nods and a raft of award wins already under its belt. Next up in adventure drama 'Everest' with an all star cast due later in 2015, then crime drama 'Sicario' with Benicio Del Toro and Emily Blunt, and 'Hail, Caesar' in 2016 with Channing Tatum, George Clonney and a host of other A-list talent.

Brolin has 57 acting credits to his name, four Producer credits and one Director credit for his 2008 short film 'X'. He was nominated in 2009 for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor in 'Milk' and has a total 15 award wins and 29 nominations. He was married to Actress Alice Adair from 1988 to 1994 with whom he has two children - Trevor born in 1988 and Eden born in 1994. He remarried, to Actress Diane Lane in 2004 and they divorced in late 2013. He is an active stock trader and in fact has made a lot of money day trading from home using his own purpose built trading floor. He is also an avid car racer and surfer.

Josh Brolin - often plays the upstanding law enforcing tough guy, or the violent anti-hero, but always playing it with conviction and realism. A diverse range of films from a Actor who has been in and around the movie business all his life, and whose talents have only really come to the fore in the last seven or eight years . . . and there is still so much more to come! Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthdays to share this week : 17th - 23rd August.

Is it your Birthday this week?

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 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!

Check out too the spotlight on this weeks Birthday Boy on 17th August, Sean Penn, at the end of this feature.

Sunday 17th August

• Steven East - Born 1963, turns 51 - Freelance Cinema Correspondent at Odeon Online
• Robert DeNiro - Born 1943, turns 71 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Sean Penn - Born 1960, turns 54 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Donnie Wahlberg - Born 1969, turns 45 - Actor | Producer

Monday 18th August

• Edward Norton - Born 1969, turns 45 - Actor | Producer
• Robert Redford - Born 1936, turns 78 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Madeline Stowe - Born 1858, turns 56 - Actress
• Christian Slater - Born 1969, turns 45 - Actor | Producer
• Roman Polanski - Born 1933, turns 81 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor

Tuesday 19th August 

• Matthew Perry - Born 1969, turns 45 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Kyra Sedgwick - Born 1965, turns 49 - Actress | Producer

Wednesday 20th August

• Andrew Garfield - Born 1983, turns 31 - Actor
• Jean Allen - Born 1956, turns 58 - Actress
• David O. Russell - Born 1958, turns 56 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Sylvester McCoy - Born 1943, turns 71 - Actor

Thursday 21st August

• Hayden Panettiere - Born 1989, turns 25 - Actress
• Kim Cattrall - Born 1956, turns 58 - Actress | Producer
• Carrie Anne-Moss - Born 1967, turns 47 - Actress
• Peter Weir - Born 1944, turns 70 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Kenny Rogers - Born 1938, turns 76 - Singer | Actor

Friday 22nd August

• Kristen Wiig - Born 1973, turns 41 - Actress | Producer | Writer
• Ty Burrell - Born 1967, turns 47 - Actor
• Honor Blackman - Born 1925, turns 89 - Actress

Saturday 23rd August 

• Scott Caan - Born 1976, turns 38 - Actor
• Charley Boorman - Born 1966, turns 48 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Roger Avery - Born 1965, turns 49 - Producer | Director | Writer
• Shelley Long - Born 1949, turns 65 - Actress | Producer

Sean Justin Penn was born in Santa Monica, California. He attended Santa Monica High School and from his childhood was making short films with his buddies Emilio Estevez and Charlie Sheen who lived close by. He is the son of Actor/Director Leo Penn and mother Eileen Ryan is also an Actress. His older brother Michael Penn is a musician, and his younger brother Chris Penn was an Actor too, who died of heart disease in 2006. In his teens Penn knew that he wanted to act having been in and around film and TV all his life. He scored his first role playing in 'Little House on the Prairie' - an episode being Directed by his Father, Leo. This was followed by a handful of appearances in TV Series and made for TV Movies culminating in him taking acting classes in the late 70's with another up-and-comer, Michelle Pfeiffer.

His big break came in 1981 starring alongside a new fresh faced Tom Cruise in 'Taps' also starring George C. Scott, Ronny Cox and Timothy Hutton, and from here on in, there was no looking back. This was followed up by 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' in 1982 gaining him much positive endorsement from fans and critics alike. 

The 80's were Penn's proving ground with 'The Falcon and the Snowman', 'At Close Range', 'Casualties of War', 'Colors' and 'We're no Angels' proving to be the highlights, with the opposing lowlight coming in the form of 'Shanghai Surprise' with his then wife, Madonna. This was critically slammed, but he bounced back quickly with the advent of the 90's.

This decade saw standout performances bring more critical acclaim with outings including 'Carlito's Way', 'Dead Man Walking', 'The Game', 'U-Turn', 'The Thin Red Line', and 'Sweet and Lowdown'. The 90's also saw Penn turn his hand to Directing with his 'The Indian Runner' being a very acceptable Directorial debut, and then 'The Crossing Guard' a few years later.

As the new century crossed over, he remained active and equally prominent both in front and behind the camera. His work in 'I Am Sam', 'Mystic River', '21 Grams', 'The Assassination of Richard Nixon', and 'Milk' continued to bring him much acclaim and awards recognition, with his Directing interests continuing with 'The Pledge' and 'Into The Wild'.

His political opinions also brought him under the spotlight with his strong outspoken views against President George W. Bush - taking out a US$56K advertisement in The Washington Post in 2002 in the form of an open letter asking when the President was going to end the cycle of violence, the pending attack on Iraq and the War on Terror that he was propagating. Penn visited Iraq later that year and subsequently over the ensuing years formed relationships with a number of world leaders - President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, who praised him for acting against Bush, amongst others.  He was involved too in a number of humanitarian causes including his rescue attempt in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005; his relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake; and his support efforts after the 2012 Pakistan floods. He has openly expressed his views in support of same-sex marriage. In 2012 he visited the President of Argentina and was outspoken about the Argentinian/UK claim to the Malvinas/Falkland Islands and went on record hoping to establish the dialogue between the two nations so that common sense could prevail.

In the second decade of the new century he has starred in 'The Tree of Life', 'Gangster Squad' and more recently 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty', with 'The Gunman' currently in post-production for a 2015 release. 

His other film credits not already mentioned include 'Racing with the Moon', 'At Close Range', 'Judgement in Berlin', 'State of Grace', 'She's so Lovely', 'Hurlyburly', 'Before Night Falls', 'The Interpreter', 'All The King's Men', 'Fair Game' and 'This Must be the Place'. He has 55 acting credits to his name, ten Producer credits, eight Director credits and five Writing credits.

He won the Academy Award in 2004 for Best Actor for 'Mystic River' and in 2009 for 'Milk', and has three other nominations. He won the Golden Globe for Best Actor for 'Mystic River' and has four other nominations. and has three BAFTA nominations for 'Milk', '21 Grams' and 'Mystic River'. All up he has a global awards haul of 76 wins and 62 nominations to date. He has appeared in four films nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award - 'The Thin Red Line', 'Mystic River', 'Milk' and 'The Tree of Life'. He is only the second Actor after Jack Lemmon to have won Awards at the other three main international Film Festivals - Berlin, Cannes and Venice, and, he has won in three consecutive years at those Festivals - 1995 - Berlin for 'Dead Man Walking'; 1996 - Cannes for 'She's So Lovely'; and 1997 - Venice for 'Hurlyburly'.

He is good friends with Robert DeNiro with whom he shares the same birth date, and will often have co-parties to celebrate. Also he is close to Jack Nicholson and formerly Dennis Hopper after whom he named his son - Hopper Jack. He was married to Madonna from 1985 to 1989 and to Robin Wright from 1996 to 2010 with whom he has two children - daughter Dylan Frances born in 1991, and son Hopper Jack born in 1993. He has served jail time in 1987 for 32 days for assaulting an extra, and in 2010 was ordered to complete 300 hours community service and attend 36 hours anger management  therapy following his arrest for a violent attack on a paparazzi.

Sean Penn - often outspoken, sometimes controversial, at times unpredictable, politically opinionated, plays emotionally intense, often unsympathetic and violent characters, is multi-talented, much in demand and that's why we love ya - Happy Birthday from Odeon Online . . . and to me and Bob too!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-