Idris Elba

Idris Elba

Name: Idrissa Akuna Elba
DOB: Sept. 6, 1972
Where: Hackney, London, England
Years Active: Actor, hip hop artist
Occupation:1995-present
Website: http://www.dris.com

-English actor of TV, film, theatre
-Grew up in Canning Town, East London
-DJ under the moniker DJ Big Driis/Big Driis the Londoner.
-In 2009, he appeared on an episode of the American sitcom The Office, playing Charles Miner, Michael Scott's new boss.
-Recently, he took the role of Det. John Luther in the BBC show Luther.

Early Life
-Shortened his first name at school in Canning Town, where he first got into acting. His father is Sierra Leonean and his mother is Ghanian.
-Grew up in East Ham, and began helping his uncle with a wedding DJ business in 1986. Left school in 1988 and won a place in the National Youth Music Theatre- thanks to a grant.
-After this, he began working the night shift at a Ford factory in Dagenham from 1989-1990

Career
-In 1995, landed his first role on a series called Bramwell, a medical drama set in 1890s England. In 1995, had a supporting role as a gigolo on an episode of Absolutely Fabulous, entitled "Sex". Alot of the roles he got were on British TV shows.

-Moved to New York City in 1999. Returned to England occasionally for a job, such as one in the Inspector Lynley Mysteries, a crime series. In 2001, he landed a starring role on an episode of Law and Order.
-He appeared as the role of Charlie Gotso in The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency opposite Jill Scott and Anika Noni Rose.

-In the Tyler Perry movie Daddy's Little Girls, he played Monty, a working class mechanic who falls in love with an attorney(Gabrielle Union), who is helping him to gain custody of his kids, and finds this relationship threatened by the arrival of his ex-wife.

-He later starred in Obsessed(2009), opposite Beyonce Knowles. He played an asset manager with a beautiful wife(Beyonce) and booming career until a seductive temp worker(Ali Larter) begins stalking him.

Personal Life
-Currently single
-He and ex-wife Kim Elba have one daughter
-Spends much of his time in London, but owns a house in Atlanta, so he can be close to his daughter
-Fan of Arsenal F.C. while his dad supports Manchester United
-In the April 2004 issue of Essence Magazine, he was voted one of the "Ten Hottest Men on the Planet".
-In the May 2007 issue of People Magazine, he was voted as one of the 100 Most Beautiful People in the World

Filmography

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Hot Man Wednesday- Matt Bomer

Matt Bomer

Name: Matthew Staton Bomer
DOB: Oct. 11, 1977
Where: Spring, Texas
Occupation: Actor
Years Active: 2001-present
Partner: Simon Halls. Nuts, he's gay, aw crap!! It's always the hot ones who go gay, nuts!!!

ONG, it's getting hot in here!!! God this guy is gorgeous, and why does he have to be gay? That's just my luck, the guy I think is gorgeous and he's gay.

-Best known as Neal Caffrey, the con man on USA's White Collar
-Made his debut in acting with Guiding Light in 2001, and starred in the 2005 thriller Flightplan.

IMDb

Trademark
-Piercing, clear blue eyes

Trivia
-Has a brother, Neil, and a sister, Megan
-On Feb. 11, 2012, while giving a speech for his work in the fight against HIV/AIDS, he publicly announced his homosexuality.

Early Life
-Born in Spring, Texas, a suburb of Houston
-Son of Sissi and John Bomer, a former Dallas Cowboys draft pick
-Attended Klein High School with fellow actor Lee Pace
-In 2001, graduated form Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Penn. with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

Career
-Starred as Ian Kipling on All My Children, a daytime soap opera.
-From 2001-2003 he starred as Ben Reade on Guiding Light, another soap opera.

-In Tru Calling(2003-2004),  a supernatural, sci-fi show on Fox TV network, he starred as Luc, Tru's(Eliza Dushku) ill fated love

-In the movie The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning(2006), he played Eric, a Vietnam War veteran who is driving across Texas to re-enlist after his brother is drafted. The 2 brothers run afoul of Sheriff Hoyt and are taken captive by the Hewitt Family.

-Bomer has the recurring role of Bryce Larkin on the action comedy series Chuck(2007-2009)
-On Oct. 23, 2009, he began starring on White Collar, which tells the story of a fictional con man and former forger named Neal Caffrey who works with an FBI agent named Peter Burke(Tim DeKay)
-BuddyTV named him #1 on it's list of TV's Sexiest Men of 2011

In Time with Justin Timberlake

Personal Life
-Bomer came out as gay in February 2012. In 2010, when asked about media reports of his sexual orientation, he stated "I don't care about that at all. I'm completely happy and fulfilled in my personal life."
-Him and his partner Simon Halls, have 3 kids, Kit, Walker and Henry
-Is good friends with high school classmates Lee Pace and Lynn Collins

Filmography

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The Sopranos

For some reason, I like watching this show. Man, I've been hangin' around my mom and stepdad way too long, they both watch this. They had this exact same picture down in their basement, but they stopped watching the show because they said they "outgrew" it, and now, it's hanging in my room, weird.

The Sopranos

-1999-2007
-American TV drama that premiered in 1999
-Revolves around the New Jersey-based fictional Italian American mobster Tony Soprano(James Gandolfini) and the problems he faces as he tries to balance the life of the Mafia and homelife.
-The show also features his Mafia associates in roles and storylines, most noted his wife Carmela(Edie Falco), cousin and protege Christopher Moltisanti(Michael Imperioli). Tony talks about these problems to a shrink named Dr. Jennifer Melfi(Lorraine Bracco)
-Premiered on Jan. 10, 1999

-This show is considered a staple of 2000s American pop culture, and has spawned a video game, been the topic of parodies, controversy and merchandise.

-Many of the actors on the show were virtual unknowns but have gone on to successful careers because of this show, such as Michael Imperioli, who has appeared on Law and Order as Det. Nick Falco and most recently, as Det. Len Fenerman in The Lovely Bones.
-This show is partly inspired by the DeCavalcante Family, who rose to prominence in the New Jersey area where Chase grew up. Apparenty Chase was inspired by gangster flicks like The Untouchables, and was inspired by the Mafia and organized crime from a very early age.

Casting
-Many of the actors on the show are Italian American just like their characters. Many of them had appeared together in films and TV before joining the cast. The show shares a total of 27 actors with the 1990 Martin Scorsese movie Goodfellas, including main cast Lorraine Bracco, Michael Imperioli, Tony Sirico. 8 of the Sopranos actors have also appeared in the 1999 comedy Mickey Blue Eyes.

-Michael Imperioli, according to TV producer David Chase, who is also Italian American because his family name is DeCesare, said that Imperioli beat out other actors who auditioned. James Gandolfini auditioned after someone seen the performance he gave in True Romance. Lorraine Bracco was asked to play Carmela Soprano after being seen playing Karen Hill in Goodfellas. So she got the role of highly educated psychiatrist Jennifer Melfi, she said it would be a challenge for her. Tony Sirico, who does actually have a criminal background, signed on to play Paulie Walnuts, as long as his character was not a "rat". Springsteen guitarist "Little Steven" Van Zandt(known as part of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band) got to audition for the role of mob consigliere Silvio Dante. He was asked to audition after being seen performing at the 1997 Rocka and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony. Van Zandt had never acted before, and his real life spouse Maureen was cast as Silvio's wife, Gabriella.

-Several well known actors also appeared in a few episodes, like Charles S. Dutton, Ken Leung, Lauren Bacall, Tim Kang, Burt Young, Annette Bening.

Music
-The show is known for it's use of previously recorded songs. Steven Van Zandt also helped out with music too, considering he's a musician.
-The show's opening theme, "Woke Up This Morning" was written by, remixed and performed by British band Alabama 3. And throughout episodes, songs may be played multiple times, such as "Living on a Thin Line" by The Kinks, is season 3, episode "University", "Glad Tidings" by Van Morrison in season 5 finale "All Due Respect".

Sets, Locations
-The majority of the filming takes place in New Jersey. The other places, like the Soprano residence, alot of interior shots, the back room of the strip club The Bada Bing! and Dr. Melfi's office- are all filmed at Silvercup Studios in New York City
-The Italian deli, a frequent hangout of the mobsters, was in the pilot, known as Centanni's Meat Market, was an actual butcher shop in Elizabeth, New Jersey. The studio leased a building with a store front in Kearny, New Jersey and this served as the deli store, Satriale's. The building was demolished after the series ended.
-The Bada Bing!, a fictional strip club owned and operated by Silvo Dante, is an actual strip club on Route 17, in Lodi, New Jersey. Exteriors and interiors, except for the back room, were shot on location. The club is really called Satin Dolls. The owner of the real club, Mark Kamine, said that they could film on location as long as shooting did not "conflict with his business time."
-The Italian restaurant Vesuvio's, was filmed at a restaurant called Manolo's in Elizabeth.
-In the title sequence, Tony Soprano is seen leaving the Lincoln Tunnel and entering the New Jersey Turnpike. The show features numerous New Jersey landmarks

Characters
James Gandolfini- Tony Soprano

Lorraine Bracco- Carmela Soprano

Michael Imperioli- Christopher Moltisanti

[Insert little hearts, lmao]

Dominic Chianese- Corrado Soprano Jr. aka Uncle Junior

Vincent Pastore- Sal "Big Pusy" Bonpensiero

Steven Van Zant- Silvio Dante

Tony Sirico- Paulie "Walnuts" Gualtieri

Robert Iler- Anthony Soprano Jr.

Jamie-Lynn Sigler- Meadow Soprano

Drea de Matteo- Adriana La Cerva

Aida Turturro- Janice Soprano

Steven R. Schirripa- Bobby "Bacala" Baccalieri
Nancy Marchand- Livia Soprano
Federico Castelluccio- Furio Giunta

HOTTIE! HOTTIE! HOTTIE!! What a hot hunk of Italian man!!!

Joseph R. Gannascoli- Vito Spatafore

Episodes

Controversy
-The show has been attacked numerous times for showing negative stereotypes about Italian Americans being associated with the Mafia

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White Collar (TV Show)

One of my favorite TV shows

White Collar

-TV show for USA Network created by Jeff Eastin
-Starring Matt Bomer as a con man named Neal Caffrey, Tim DeKay as FBI agent Peter Burke.
-Premiered on Oct. 23, 2009

Overview
-Neal Caffrey is a con man, forger, thief captured after a 3 year game of cat and mouse with the FBI. He only has months left in his 4 year sentence, he escapes from a maximum security prison to find his ex-girlfriend Kate. He is found by an FBI agent named Peter Burke, who originally put him away. This time, Caffrey gives Burke info about evidence in another case, but it comes with a price: Burke must have a meeting with Caffrey. At this meeting, Caffrey makes a deal: he will help Burke catch other criminals as part of a work-release program. Burke agrees, and through the work he does, Caffrey proves to Burke that he is good and that he will help him and that Caffrey won't escape.

Characters
Matt Bomer as Neal Caffrey^[4] – a skilled forger and thief who was imprisoned after being captured by FBI Special Agent Peter Burke. After his girlfriend, Kate, visits him in prison to end their relationship, Neal escapes from prison in order to find her, but Peter quickly recaptures him. Neal proposes he become an FBI consultant, leading to Neal's release on the condition he wears an ankle monitor monitoring his movements. Neal uses his new position with the FBI to search for Kate, whom he believed to be in trouble. Following her death, Neal uses the FBI's resources to search for her killer and unravel the mystery surrounding the music box. Neal also appears to have considerable knowledge of history, jewelry and the arts, such as literature, Western paintings, and opera, even though it is revealed early in season two that he never graduated from high school. Despite being given the opportunity to build a new, honest life for himself, Neal often craves his old life, forcing him to make a choice between the two. Neal's father was a corrupt police officer; Neal was raised by his mother.

Tim DeKay as Special Agent Peter Burke^[5] – a hard-working, honest FBI agent, and the head of the investigative team on which Neal serves. His ability to predict Neal's actions leads to Neal's capture, a skill he uses with other criminals as well. He is very committed to his marriage and loves his home life. Peter is the person Neal trusts the most, and Peter is determined to convince Neal that an honest life is possible. Following Kate's death, Peter aids in the search for the truth about the music box. Through working with Neal, he has also developed a guarded working relationship with Mozzie. Peter earned a degree in accounting, but was recruited out of college by the FBI, passing over the opportunity to work for a Fortune 500 company.

Tiffani Thiessen as Elizabeth Burke^[6] – an event plannerand Peter's wife. She is supportive and understanding of his work and long hours away. An intelligent woman herself, Elizabeth is able to discuss Peter's cases with him and at times makes a meaningful contribution to them. She also admires Neal's refinement and tends to see the good in him when Peter does not.

Willie Garson as Mozzie^[7] – another con-man and close friend of Neal. Mozzie, often called Moz, is Neal's most trusted confidante. Abandoned as a baby, he grew up in an orphanage in Detroit where he learned to be a con-man early. Though lacking Neal's people skills, he appears to be a jack of all trades and has an eidetic memory. Mozzie grew up in foster homes. He is the only other person who knew the whole story of Kate's disappearance and the clues that lead to her. He has a difficult time trusting Peter, referring to him as "The Suit", but occasionally contributes to his investigations. He is also a conspiracy theorist, to the point of being terrified to step into the FBI offices.

Hilarie Burton as Sara Ellis – an insurance company investigator who testified against Neal when he was on trial for stealing a Raphael painting. Originally determined to catch Neal and see him returned to prison, she later enjoys working with him. She aided in the investigation of the music box. During the investigation, she and Neal embarked on a romantic relationship, complicated by the reappearance of Alex.

Marsha Thomason as Special Agent Diana Berrigan – previously Peter's probationary agent, Diana assists on Peter and Neal's first case together. Transferred to D.C. after her probation ends, Peter calls on her to covertly help him unravel "Operation Mentor" and determine Fowler's role in Kate's activities. She later returns to the investigative team in New York, where she serves, along with Agent Jones, as Peter's right-hand man.

Sharif Atkins as Special Agent Clinton Jones – Peter's point man who is responsible for carrying out a variety of tasks during the team's investigations, including surveillance. Peter usually gets him to watch over Neal, which annoys him, but he appreciates Neal's unorthodox contributions to the team.

Episodes

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