The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor 2008 premiere
Sunday July 27th, Gibson Amphitheatre 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608
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- Producer
- Director
- Actor
Rob Cohen is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. One of the 1970's "baby moguls", he built a thriving career as a producer, before concentrating full time on directing from the 1990's, with high adrenaline action blockbusters such as xXx (2002) and Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993). He is the creator of The Fast and the Furious (2001), Universal Pictures' biggest franchise of all time.
Born on March 12, 1949 in Cornwall, New York, USA. He attended Harvard University and graduated magna cum laude in the class of '71, concentrating in a cross major between anthropology and visual studies. His first endeavor in filmmaking was a commissioned recruiting film for Harvard's Admissions Office in 1970. With a career in film and television spanning more than 40 years, Cohen has distinguished himself both as a celebrated screenwriter, producer and director. In 1973, Cohen became Fox's Vice President of TV Movies, before being poached by Gordon L. Berry and becoming Head of Production at Motown Records at the age of just 24. He went on to produce and direct some of the most iconic films and television series of the 1980's, including Miami Vice (1984), The Witches of Eastwick (1987), Ironweed (1987) and The Wiz (1978)_. From 1990 onward, Cohen moved into directing full time. Much success followed with early 90's hits such as Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993), DragonHeart (1996), Daylight (1996) and the Golden Globe award winning film The Rat Pack (1998). At 52, Cohen had become a hit action director of youth films, directing the 2001 blockbuster, The Fast and the Furious (2001). With the enormous success of Fast, he partnered up with Vin Diesel again the following year to direct yet another box office hit, xXx (2002). Cohen directed the third installed of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008) in 2008, grossing $405million world-wide, and Blumhouse Production's The Boy Next Door (2015) with Jennifer Lopez, which went on to gross five times it's budget.
Currently on location in Sofia, Bulgaria, Cohen is shooting his next film, The Hurricane Heist (2018). Starring Toby Kebbell, Maggie Grace, Ryan Kwanten and Ralph Ineson, the action/adventure tells the tale of a $600 million heist of a U.S. treasury facility in a small Sou then town, during the worst storm to ever hit the coastal United States. The screenplay was written by Rob Cohen, Scott Windhauser, and Jeff Dixon.
Cohen is also an accomplished commercials director, housed at Original Film, having made over 150 spots for products such as Disney's Star Wars, Verizon, Ford, GM, Mercedes, Chevy, Saab and Burger King among many others.- Actor
- Producer
- Art Department
Brendan James Fraser was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, to Canadian parents Carol Mary (Genereux), a sales counselor, and Peter Fraser, a journalist and travel executive. He is of Irish, Scottish, German, Czech, and French-Canadian ancestry. As his parents frequently moved, Brendan can claim affinity with Ottawa, Indianapolis, Detroit, Seattle, London and Rome. His early exposure to theatre, particularly in London, led him to Seattle's Cornish Institute. After graduation he found a minor role as Sailor #1 in River Phoenix's Dogfight (1991), then somewhat more substantial roles in Encino Man (1992) and School Ties (1992). He expresses a preference for playing "fish out of water" men. Five more years of supporting work led finally to the title role in George of the Jungle (1997), a role which fully utilized his charm and beefy good looks, as well as offering him a chance to show off his comic talents. He describes this role as the one which dramatically altered his career. Critical raves for his role in Gods and Monsters (1998) pointed to yet another dimension to his dramatic persona.- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Jet Li born Li Lian Jie in Beijing, China. He started training at the Beijing wushu academy (wushu is China's national sport, largely a performance version of various martial art styles) at age eight. He won five gold medals in the Chinese championships, his first when he was only 11. In his teens, he was already a national coach, and before he was 20 he had starred in his first movie: The Shaolin Temple (1982), which started the 1980s Kung-Fu boom in mainland China. He relocated to Hong Kong, where he was the biggest star of the early 1990s Kung-Fu boom. His first directorial effort was Born to Defense (1988).- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Maria Bello was born on 18 April, 1967 in Norristown, Pennsylvania, to Kathy, a nurse and teacher, and Joe Bello, a contractor. She is of Italian and Polish descent. Maria went to Villanova University, majoring in political science. She had every intention of becoming a lawyer, but she took an acting class during her senior year, just for fun. She discovered she was very good at it, and she was soon cast in small off-Broadway plays, such as "The Killer Inside Me", "Small Town Gals With Big Problems" and "Urban Planning". She later guest-starred on episodes of The Commish (1991), Nowhere Man (1995), Misery Loves Company (1995), and Due South (1994). She got her big break when producers Kenny Lenhart and John J. Sakmar cast her in the spy show Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1996) as "Mrs. Smith" (they remembered her from her performance in a failed pilot that was a remake of the classic TV series 77 Sunset Strip (1958)). The show was canceled after eight weeks on the air. Then came a spot on ER (1994) as "Dr. Anna Del Amico", in which she guest-starred on the final three episodes of the third season. The show's producers were so impressed with her that they asked her back as a regular on the series.- Actor
- Producer
John Hannah is the youngest child of his family, having two older sisters. Before he decided on a career as an actor, John was an apprentice electrician for four years. He gave up his work as an electrician after being accepted to the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow. After years of struggling, he finally got his 'big break' when he was cast as Matthew in Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994). He currently lives in London with his wife Joanna Roth and their two children.- Actor
- Producer
Russell Wong has earned a reputation as a sexy, charismatic leading man whose good looks are matched by his skills as an actor. The sixth of seven children, Russell Wong was born in Troy, New York; the son of restaurateur William Wong and Dutch-American artist Connie Van Yserloo. When Russell was seven years of age, his parents divorced, and he moved with his mother to California, settling near Yosemite. Russell attended Santa Monica College. As a trained dancer and a martial artist, Russell is able to perform many of his own stunts.
Russell made his big screen debut in James Clavell's "Tai Pan". He made a memorable guest appearance on the drama series "21 Jump Street" and won a leading role in Wayne Wang's acclaimed independent romantic comedy "Eat a Bowl of Tea". Supporting roles in "China Cry" and "New Jack City" soon followed. In 1993, Russell gained critical acclaim for his outstanding performance in "The Joy Luck Club".
Russell scored a high-profile role in 1994, when he was cast in the leading role in the made-for-TV movie "Vanishing Son" produced by Rob Cohen, in which he played a Chinese political activist exiled in America. The show was popular enough to spawn three sequels, and was later spun off into a syndicated TV series. People magazine named him one of the "Fifty Most Beautiful People" in 1995.
After "Vanishing Son" ran its course, Russell moved on to more big-screen work, including major roles in "Takedown", co-starring Skeet Ulrich, and "Twisted" with Sam Jackson and Ashley Judd. His breakthrough performance opposite Jet Li in "Romeo Must Die" firmly established Russell's star power.
Russell is next seen in this summer's blockbuster "Mummy 3" directed by Rob Cohen, as well as "Dim Sum Funeral" a black comedy co-starring Bai Ling and Kelly Hu. He will star alongside Ving Rhames in the martial arts thriller "Unshakable" this Fall.- Luke Ford was born on 26 March 1981 in Canada. He is an actor, known for The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008), Animal Kingdom (2010) and The Black Balloon (2008).
- Isabella Leong was born on 23 June 1988 in Portuguese Macau. She is an actress, known for The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008), Isabella (2006) and Bug Me Not! (2005).
- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Michelle Yeoh was born in Ipoh, Malaysia. She's the daughter of Janet Yeoh & Kian Teik Yeoh. She's of Hokkien descent, speaking English and Malay before Chinese. A ballet dancer since 4, she moved to London to study at the Royal Academy as a teen. After a brief dance career, she won the Miss Malaysia beauty pageant title in and the Miss Moomba beauty pageant title in Melbourne, Australia in the early 1980s. Her first on camera work was a 1984 commercial with martial arts star Jackie Chan. In 1985, she began making action movies with D&B Films of Hong Kong. She was first billed as Michelle Khan, then Michelle Yeoh. Never a trained martial artist, she relied on her dance discipline and on-set trainers to prepare for martial arts action scenes.
She uses many dance moves in her films and does most of her own stunts. In 1988, she married wealthy D&B Films executive Dickson Poon & retired from acting. Even though they divorced in 1992, she's close to Poon's second wife and a godmother to his daughter. When she returned to acting, she became very popular w/ Chinese audiences. She later became known to Western audiences through role in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) and in the phenomenally successful Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000). She turned down a role in a sequel to The Matrix (1999).
She has her own production company, Mythical Films. She trained with the Shen Yang Acrobatic team for her role in The Touch (2002), an English-language film she both starred in and produced. She hopes to use her company to discover and nurture new film-making talent. She also aspires to act in roles that combine both action and deeper spiritual themes.- Writer
- Producer
- Director
Alfred Gough was born on 22 August 1967 in Leonardtown, Maryland, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Smallville (2001), Spider-Man 2 (2004) and I Am Number Four (2011). He has been married to Beth Corets since 1 September 1996. They have three children.- Writer
- Producer
- Director
Miles Millar was born in 1970. He is known for Smallville (2001), Spider-Man 2 (2004) and I Am Number Four (2011).- Producer
- Production Manager
- Actor
Sean Daniel, p.g.a. is a film industry veteran with more than 30 years of experience as both a producer and studio executive. Daniel joined Universal Pictures in 1976. In 1985, at the age of 34, he became the youngest production president in the studio's history, a position he held for 5 years. Daniel supervised the financing and production of such acclaimed films as National Lampoon's Animal House, Coal Miner's Daughter, The Blues Brothers, The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Brazil, Field of Dreams, Do the Right Thing, Back to the Future, Out of Africa, Midnight Run, Born on the Fourth of July, Missing, Weird Science, Uncle Buck, The Great Outdoors, Born in East L.A, Fletch, Gorillas in the Mist, Darkman and Monty Pythons The Meaning of Life.
Following his tenure as an executive at the studio, Daniel started Alphaville Films with James Jacks. The production company was formed around the development and production of the first Mummy film that, based on its success, created a franchise yielding The Mummy Returns, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor and The Scorpion King. Through their company, Daniel and Jacks also produced such films as Richard Linklater's Dazed and Confused, the renowned western Tombstone; Nora Ephron's comedy Michael, which starred John Travolta; Sam Raimi's A Simple Plan; the Coen brothers' Intolerable Cruelty; the Chris Rock/Weitz brothers' comedy Down to Earth; the rap-music comedy CB4, also with Chris Rock; Jerry Zucker's Rat Race; John Woo's first American film, Hard Target; The Jackal which starred Richard Gere and Bruce Willis; Sam Raimi's The Gift starring Cate Blanchett and American Me which starred and directed by Edward James Olmos.
Daniel is currently the principal in The Sean Daniel Company, an independent production company that is developing projects at several studios and networks. At Universal Daniel is partnered with the producing team of Alex Kurtzman and Chris Morgan to create a new series of re-imagined Mummy movies.At MGM Daniel is producing alongside Mark Burnett, Duncan Henderson and executive producer Roma Downey on Ben-Hur, an adaptation that returns to the original novel, with Timur Bekmambetov directing a script by Academy Award winner John Ridley. Paramount distributes with a February 2016 release. He is also a producer on Richard Linklater's latest project That's What I'm Talking About, currently in post production scheduled for a 2015 release. In development is the follow up to Universal's The Best Man Holiday which Daniel produced alongside writer/director/producer Malcolm Lee. The third film in The Best Man franchise is slated to begin photography in 2016.
Daniel is the Executive Producer of the upcoming TV series The Expanse, for SyFy and Alcon Television Group. Based on the New York Times Best-Selling franchise by James S.A Corey and adapted to screen by Academy Award nominated screenwriters Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby (Children of Men, Iron Man), the sci-fi thriller series is among the cable networks most ambitious project to date. The Expanse will be airing December 2015 and stars Thomas Jane, Steven Strait and Shohreh Aghdashloo.
In addition to The Expanse, The Sean Daniel Company's television credits include Graceland, from Jeff Eastin, the creator of White Collar, now in its third season on USA Network. The Sean Daniel Company has also just partnered with Google to develop a TV drama based on Ingress, a game with millions of participants that uses real locations and social media activity. Daniel has also executive produced the TNT original film Freedom Song, directed by Phil Robinson and which starred Danny Glover; HBO's Everyday People; and the USA Network's four-hour mini series Attila, starring Gerard Butler.
Among the company's other projects is a partnership with independently funded Valiant Entertainment to make films based on their comic book characters, and Agent 13, based on the novel series, with Charlize Theron starring and producing with The Sean Daniel Company and Rupert Wyatt directing.
Daniel received a bachelor of Fine Arts in film from the California Institute of the Arts in 1973. Daniel has been a participant in the debate about media and culture, appearing on TV's The McLauchlin Group and NPR's Which Way L.A, and in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times and The Huffington Post.- Producer
- Executive
James Jacks was born on 29 December 1947 in the USA. He was a producer and executive, known for The Mummy (1999), The Jackal (1997) and The Hunted (2003). He died on 20 January 2014 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Producer
- Writer
- Director
Stephen Sommers was born on March 20, 1962 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Raised in St. Cloud, Minnesota, he attended St. John's University and the University of Seville in Spain. Afterward, Sommers spent the next four years performing as an actor in theater groups and managing rock bands throughout Europe.
From there, he relocated to Los Angeles and attended the USC School of Cinema-Television for three years, earning a Masters Degree, where he wrote and directed an award winning short film called "Perfect Alibi". With independent funding, he wrote and directed his first motion picture Catch Me If You Can (1989) which was filmed on location in his hometown St. Cloud, Minnesota. Sommers then went on to write and direct The Adventures of Huck Finn (1993) as well as the latest version of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book (1994) both for Walt Disney Pictures. Sommers also wrote the screenplays for the grade-B action flick Gunmen (1993) and the Disney adventure Tom and Huck (1995) which he also executive produced. He also wrote and directed the suspense-thriller Deep Rising (1998), and the latest version of The Mummy (1999). For television, Sommers wrote and executive produced Oliver Twist (1997) for director Tony Bill.
Most recently, he wrote and directed the sequel to The Mummy (1999), titled The Mummy Returns (2001), as well as the horror-thriller-action epic Van Helsing (2004), and the live-action adaptation G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009).- Editor
- Producer
- Editorial Department
Bob Ducsay is known for Glass Onion (2022), Knives Out (2019) and Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017). He was previously married to Gabrielle Ducsay.- Brittny Gastineau was born on 11 November 1982 in New York, New York, USA. She is an actress, known for Brüno (2009), Gastineau Girls (2005) and Ed Hardy Boyz 2: The Case of When That Hot Filipina Girl Lost Her Tramp Stamp at Mini-Golf (2011).
- Actress
- Costume Designer
Phoebe was born in Alabama and as a young child had a passion for modeling and acting. At the age of 19 she bought her first corporations which were in fashion and entertainment. She later became an international actress and model in Capetown, S.A Athens, Greece and Milan, Italy. After leaving Milan she came to Los Angeles and has studied acting with the top coaches to perfect her skills. She loves working with charities and is the spokeswoman for Battered Women. She is also a designer of Hats and Headbands found in leading boutiques in Beverly Hills and California.- Actress
- Producer
Maya Stojan was born on 28 June 1986 in Geneva, Switzerland. She is an actress and producer, known for Castle (2009), Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013) and Fatal Affair (2020).- Actress
- Director
- Producer
Heather Tom is a 5-time Emmy Award winner and has starred as Katie Logan on CBS' The Bold and the Beautiful (1987) since 2007, where she has also directed nearly 20 episodes of the show over the past three years. In 2018, she was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series Directing Team.
In 2013, Variety included Heather on its list of "Daytime TV Impact Honorees" to celebrate innovators from daytime television. Of the 30 nominees representing all genres including network executives, producers, and news anchors, Heather was the only actor listed.
As a film director, her award-winning shorts Serenity (2017) and Bigfoot's Love Slave (2017) have played numerous festivals across the globe - including Festival de Cannes, Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Cinequest, Vail, Cleveland, Florida, Omaha, Boston, LA Shorts Fest, HollyShorts, LA Comedy Festival, Canberra, Pittsburgh, and more.
Heather has also starred in ABC's The Young and the Restless (1973), on Broadway, co-hosted The View (1997) with Barbara Walters, Entertainment Tonight (1981), and The Talk (2010). She made five appearances on Politically Incorrect (1993) with Bill Maher and was a regular guest on MSNBC and Fox News as an advocate for women's health. She worked on both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama's 2008 campaigns, and is involved with Planned Parenthood, Feminist Majority, She Votes, and Rock the Vote.
Heather resides in Los Angeles with her husband, James, and two dogs, Henry and Ella. In 2012, their best production ever was the birth of their son, Zane. She is a proud member of the Directors Guild of America.- Actor
- Composer
- Music Department
Saul Hudson, mainly known as Slash, was born on July 23, 1965, and was raised in Stoke-on-Trent. Both his parents worked in the entertainment business, his mother being a clothing designer (she did some of David Bowie's costumes) and his father being an art director for a record company. When Slash was 11 he moved with his mother to Los Angeles, leaving his father behind in England, although he eventually joined them in L.A. years later. Slash became sort of an outsider at school since he didn't really fit in with other kids. In the mid 70s his parents separated and Slash moved in with his grandmother. During this time Slash got interested in BMX riding, and went on to win several awards and money in competitions.
When he was 15 he got his first guitar, and his schoolwork started to go downhill as he skipped class to sit playing guitar all day. Slash eventually got so tired of school that he dropped out in 11th grade. As he lived in Los Angeles, a city flourishing with new, young rock bands, he quickly got in touch with people to jam with. After meeting Steven Adler the two of them formed a band called Road Crew. Then he met Izzy Stradlin who played in a band with Axl Rose, and after hearing Axl sing live, he was set on getting him in his band. Soon a bass player answered one of Slash's ads in the paper, and Slash (guitar), Steven (drums), Izzy (guitar), Axl (vocals) and Duff McKagan (bass) formed Guns N' Roses in 1986. Soon enough, GNR were known across the globe as the new rock n' roll sensation. Album sales went sky high and the band was having a blast on their world tours, and during this time Slash worked with artists like Michael Jackson on the Dangerous album and Lenny Kravitz, just to name two. But after the Use Your Illusion tour, GNR decided to take a break. Slash however, needed to play music and so he formed his own band Slash's Snakepit. With the success of this bands album It's Five O'Clock Somewhere (1995), Slash told the public that Slash's Snakepit would be back again. During this time Slash and Axl were having some heated arguments about Guns N' Roses and what would happen next. Guns N' Roses as we knew them then, was terminated by the result as Slash decided to leave the band, handing all rights of the band name over to Axl.
After this Slash did a few gigs here and there, formed a band called Blues Ball who played blues covers, and even brought back Slash's Snakepit as he said he would, although they didn't last very long this time either. In 2000, Slash met Perla Ferrar and on October 15, 2001, married her. It's not surprising that he wore black leather pants, a white shirt and his faithful black leather jacket to the wedding! His new status as a married man didn't slow him down, though. In 2003, Velvet Revolver was formed by the former members of Guns N' Roses; Slash, Duff and Matt (who replaced Steven in 1990), Scott Weiland (vocals) from Stone Temple Pilots and Dave Kushner (guitar) from Wasted Youth. Velvet Revolver's debut album Contraband (2004) was long-awaited and sold incredibly well. They are now going to show up on the second Live Aid concert along with many other huge artists, which will be held in London. Velvet Revolver's plans to become a rock band of great magnitude are definitely in the works, and Slash himself has earned his title as one of the greatest rock n' roll guitar players in history.- Flora Chong-Leen is known for Duel to the Death (1983), The Head Hunter (1982) and Hua jie (1982). She was previously married to Russell Wong.
- Actor
- Stunts
- Producer
Randy Couture is a collegiate wrestler and fighter turned actor from Everett, Washington. He served as a four time US Olympic wrestling team alternate as a soldier in the U.S. Army, and is also a 6 time world heavyweight and light heavyweight UFC champion and Hall of Famer. He is a graduate of Oklahoma State University with a bachelor's degree in foreign language literature and is also fluent in German. Randy's current girlfriend is actress Mindy Robinson. He is best known for starring in all three of The Expendables, Ambushed, and The Scorpion King 2.- Kim Couture was born on 18 December 1975 in Walsenburg, Colorado, USA. She is an actress, known for Strikeforce Challengers (2009), Inside MMA (2007) and Strikeforce: Destruction (2008).
- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Travis Van Winkle's career seamlessly transitions between both television and film. On the small screen, Van Winkle had a starring role for five seasons on TNT's high-concept drama "The Last Ship," and was a series regular alongside Alan Cumming in the CBS drama "Instinct." CBS brought him back as a series regular in the drama pilot "Good Sam." He is currently in pre-production as a series regular for Netflix's season three of "You." Some of Van Winkle's previous memorable television roles include recurring on The CW's "Hart of Dixie" and ABC'S "Happy Endings," in addition to many guest appearances throughout his career .
Feature roles include Paramount's Friday the 13th and Transformers, Fox's Meet the Spartans, and Universal's comedy Accepted.
Van Winkle has been a proud mentor in the Big Brother/Big Sister Organization since 2011, and hosted two of their Galas that raised almost $2 million. He's also been a Global Ambassador to the non-profit organization buildOn. Through his work with buildOn, he has engaged and inspired his creative network to help raise more than $300,000 and assemble on-the-ground teams to build schools in Haiti, Nepal, Nicaragua, Malawi and Senegal.
Van Winkle was born in Victorville, California but his parents' Air Force responsibilities brought him to both Michigan and Georgia before he eventually made his way to Hollywood at the age of 20.- Producer
- Director
- Additional Crew
Bryn Mooser is a twice Oscar-nominated, Emmy-winning filmmaker, humanitarian and the founder of the documentary studio XTR. Previous to XTR, Mooser co-founded RYOT a media company specializing in documentary film and virtual and augmented reality. Over his career he has produced more than 200 linear and immersive films garnering multiple Emmy Awards, two Oscar nominations, a Peabody and a Cannes Lion. Mooser sold RYOT to Verizon in 2016, becoming a SVP and helping create the road map for immersive and documentary films for AOL, Yahoo, and Verizon. While at Verizon. In 2019 Mooser launched XTR, an entertainment studio producing premium non fiction film, television and podcasts.
As a humanitarian, Mooser spent two years in the Peace Corps in The Gambia, West Africa, and was the Country Director for Artists for Peace and Justice in Haiti. While in Haiti he helped build the nation's largest Cholera center, and a High School in Port-Au-Prince that today educates nearly 3,000 Haitian youth per year. For his charitable work he was made a recipient of the prestigious Nelson Mandela Changemaker Award, and Esquire Magazine named him as one of their Americans of the Year.- Lorna Scott was born on 18 September 1955 in Beckley, West Virginia, USA. She is an actress, known for A Very Sordid Wedding (2017), Wanted (2008) and The Guilt Trip (2012).
- Joanna Roth was born in 1965 in Århus, Denmark. She is an actress, known for Frankenstein (1994), Dragon Age II (2011) and Sliding Doors (1998). She has been married to John Hannah since 20 January 1996. They have two children.
- Art Department
- Special Effects
- Visual Effects
Aaron Sims is one of the most innovative and versatile concept artists working in films today. To industry insiders, he is revered for his multi-faceted approach to creature development and design. To audiences, he is the genius behind many of today's most memorable movie monsters.
Sims' youth in Arlington, Texas was filled with animation and highly detailed pencil renderings of nature that his father produced professionally, motivating Sims to follow his interests in art and animation. As a teenager he began working for the renowned illustrator Don Ivan Punchatz. In the mid-80s, Sims moved to Los Angeles to begin his career as a special effects makeup artist for the film industry. His work quickly attracted the attention of legendary Academy Award winner Rick Baker, with whom Sims collaborated for the next twelve years. During that time, Sims served as a leading special effects artist on some of the most popular, defining movies of the 1990s: Gremlins 2, Batman Forever, Mighty Joe Young, Nutty Professor, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and Men in Black.
A pivotal event in defining Sims' future occurred when Baker introduced him to a new digital imaging program called Adobe Photoshop. Sims embraced computer technology with enthusiasm and began to combine Softimage 3D animation software, Photoshop's painting capabilities and his knowledge and experience as a special effects artist.
In the late 1990s, Sims started working for another Academy Award winner, Stan Winston, who encouraged Sims' pioneering methods. With advanced computers and cutting-edge software, Sims altered forever the industry's process of design and development. In 2000, working through the Stan Winston Studio, Sims introduced his visionary design process to Steven Spielberg, and became the lead character designer for Artificial Intelligence: A.I. Sims created unprecedented designs for all of Spielberg's robot characters and, in doing so, validated his groundbreaking approach to character creation. Having thus raised the bar in the concept design industry, Sims took the Stan Winston Studio to the forefront of innovative film design. During this exciting time, Sims co-founded Stan Winston Digital and led the studio, as art director and head concept artist, on such films as Constantine, Fantastic Four, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Eight Below, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Spielberg's War of the Worlds, and Tim Burton's Big Fish.
Sims' creative approach to concept design using digital technology has had significant affects on the film industry. Softimage development teams have advanced aspects of their software from Sims creative use of their product. Sims has also inspired many of the current techniques used by top artists and designers in the entertainment industries. The demand for training in his methods has led to an ongoing partnership with Alex Alvarez and the Gnomon School of Visual Effects on a series of instructional DVDs.
With the same adventurous spirit that fueled his willingness to embrace digital technology, Sims decided to leave the Stan Winston Studio to work as an independent concept artist on 30 Days of Night, The Golden Compass, I Am Legend, The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, The Incredible Hulk and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. In 2007, he co-founded White Rock Lake Productions with business partner and long-time friend John Norris while also opening his own fully capable design studio, The Aaron Sims Company.- Actress
- Producer
Actress and model Jo Champa was born in Long Branch, New Jersey, to an American mother and an Italian father. At age seven, she relocated to Rome, Italy, where she was raised. Before the age of eighteen, Jo had already become one of Gianni Versace's favorite runway models.
Additionally, she acted as a muse to iconic photographer Helmut Newton, starring in some of his most legendary photographs, which can be found in a permanent exhibit at the Museum in Berlin as well as in Newton's limited edition book, 'Sumo'. Jo has also been photographed many times by celebrated photographer Douglas Kirkland, and has appeared in a number of his illustrious books.
Champa broke into the film industry at age eighteen with Claude d'Anna's French-Italian production, "Salome'', which opened the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival. She went on to star in many significant Italian films including "Dolce assenza" by Claudio Sestieri, "The Family" by Ettore Scola, which earned an Oscar nomination in the category of Best Foreign Language, "Le vie del Signore sono finite" by Massimo Troisi, and "Il sole buio" by Damiano Damiani, to name but a few. She received continuous praise from European directors for bringing an exotic, alluring Mediterranean quality to the screen.
At the peak of her career, Jo returned to the United States and starred in Steven Seagal's Out for Justice (1991), followed by Michael Preece's Beretta's Island (1993). then Bernardo Bertolucci's masterpiece Little Buddha (1993), and then Jeremy Leven's Don Juan DeMarco (1994), where she played opposite Marlon Brando and Johnny Depp. Most recently she was in Somewhere (2010) , directed by Sofia Coppola.
She has guest starred in a variety of television series' including Walker, Texas Ranger, Avvocati, and CSI: Miami to name a few. In Italy, she hosted the very successful fashion television show for RAI TV, titled "Kermesse".
Champa also served as special contributing editor and columnist for Italian Vogue and L'Uomo Vogue. Italian Vogue defined her as "an icon of Italian style. We love her because she is a refined and creative woman, a tireless supporter of Italian cinema and culture in the United States".
Not just a model and an actress, Champa has continued to produce, host, and organize many extraordinary events throughout her career. Amongst her accomplishments, Jo produced "An Academy Tribute to Sophia Loren" for the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences with special guest, Sophia Loren. Jo then produced the launch of the Andrea Bocelli Foundation at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, with a dinner and performance starring Andrea Bocelli. She produced the primetime special of that same event for Italian Sky TV. She also hosted and moderated a Special Evening for David and Susan Rockefeller at MOMA in New York, presenting Susan Rockefeller's remarkable documentary "Mission of Mermaids.
Jo is known for partnering with many of the luxury designer brands she consults for, with the philanthropic goal of enhancing their visibility in Hollywood while raising money for a variety foundations including Race to Erase MS, the National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund, and the Carousel of Hope for Juvenile Diabetes. Other affiliations she has worked with include the Academy of Motion Pictures Museum, and the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation event at Christie's in New York.
Jo has worked for many years partnering with Alice Harris, "Sweet Alice", who is a renowned community leader in Watts, Los Angeles, for her annual Christmas toy drive, benefiting those who suffer socioeconomic neglect and poverty. In fact, the Cambodian Children's Fund in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, named a special center after her called "Jo's Kids" honoring her incredible fundraising efforts.
Champa has received numerous awards throughout her life for her accomplishments. At the Italian House of Representatives, in the presence of the Italian President of the Republic Giorgio Napolitano, Jo was conferred the "Premio America - Fondazione Italia Usa". A few years earlier, together with Sophia Loren, she had achieved the "Italians in the World Award,". Jo was also awarded the "Cinema Italian Style Award."
Jo believes that "helping others is the gateway to becoming a better person". She has left a permanent imprint in the film and television industry that reaches far beyond the Unites States and Italy. She continues to inspire others and move forward with her humanitarian efforts, demonstrating first-hand what it means to truly make a difference. With her refined, impeccable style and her willingness to be the change, Jo Champa is truly an icon and in inspiration to everyone around her.- Perla Ferrar has been married to Slash since 15 October 2001. They have two children.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
- Composer
Jonathan Howsmon Davis was born and raised in Bakersfield, California. He recorded demos in his father's studio during his teenage years. Then he later joined a band called Sex Art, which also included Ryan Shuck (now he is the guitarist for Orgy). Sex Art only ever released one song, entitled "Inside". One night, when Sex Art was playing in a club, James 'Munky' Shaffer & Brian 'Head' Welch, then of "L.A.P.D.", saw him singing, and asked him to join their band "Creep". After Jon auditioned, he immediately got the job and they became Korn. KoRn have gone on to release twelve studio albums:
Korn (1994) Life Is Peachy (1996) Follow the Leader (1998) Issues (1999) Untouchables (2002) Take a Look in the Mirror (2003) See You on the Other Side (2005) Untitled album (2007) Korn III: Remember Who You Are (2010) The Path of Totality (2011) The Paradigm Shift (2013) Serenity of Suffering (2016)
In 2012, Jonathan Davis released two EDM/Dubstep albums under the monikers, JDevil and Killbot: Sound Surgery.
In 2012, Davis became an advocate for the Wounded Warriors program, which aids and spreads awareness to the wounded veterans of war, and also starred in the Wounded Warriors documentary (2013).- Producer
- Additional Crew
- Production Manager
As Chairman, Universal Filmed Entertainment Group (UFEG), Donna Langley is responsible for the global creative strategy and business operations for the motion picture group. In this role, she oversees the production, marketing and distribution for film and television content across Universal Pictures, DreamWorks Animation (DWA), Focus Features, Universal Pictures International and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
Under Langley's strategic vision, Universal has been a consistent leader in the theatrical marketplace as the studio has successfully expanded and reinvigorated its core franchises including Fast & Furious, DWA's How to Train Your Dragon, Jurassic World, the Bourne series, Pitch Perfect, Illumination's Despicable Me as well as Fifty Shades, Mamma Mia, Ride Along, and The Purge. Through her stewardship in building a franchise business and securing long-term filmmaker partnerships with Amblin Entertainment, Blumhouse Productions, Illumination, and Monkeypaw Productions, she has positioned Universal a key content supplier to the broader NBCU portfolio including Universal Brand Development, Peacock and Theme Parks. Langley has also distinguished the studio a creative home to a generation of emerging filmmakers and content creators who champion original and inclusive storytelling.
Prior to being named sole Chairman, UFEG, in 2019, Langley served as Chairman of Universal Pictures since 2013 where she engineered a strategic slate of all-audience tentpoles, breakthrough comedies, and pop-culture hit horror films that resulted in four years of record global profit, and the two most profitable years in the studio's 107-year history. During her tenure, Langley led Focus Features' global realignment with Universal Pictures International; oversaw the studio's successful integration of DreamWorks Animation; and launched the Global Talent Development & Inclusion group, making Universal the first major feature studio to have a department working with both production and workforce to build on the company's commitment to progressing diversity and inclusion.
The studio has received numerous awards under Langley's leadership. Most recently, Sam Mendes' highly-acclaimed 1917 won the Golden Globes Awards for Best Picture and Best Director; in 2019, Universal Pictures and Focus Features took home five Academy Awards® including the Best Picture Oscar® for Green Book and the Best Adapted Screenplay award for BlacKkKlansman; and in 2018, Get Out took home an Academy Award ® for Best Original Screenplay.
Additional commercial and critical hits Langley has presided over include Hobbs & Shaw, Us, Downton Abbey, Harriet, Queen & Slim, Good Boys, Yesterday, Glass, Night School, Halloween, Illumination's Dr. Seuss' The Grinch, and The Secret Life of Pets 1 & 2, Girls Trip, Split, Straight Outta Compton, Atomic Blonde, Ride Along, Bridesmaids, Neighbors, Unbroken, Trainwreck, Les Misérables, The Theory of Everything, The Danish Girl and Ray, among many others. She first joined Universal in 2001 as Senior Vice President of Production, and subsequently served as President of Production, Co-Chairman, Universal Pictures. She began her career at New Line Cinema, where she worked on hit Austin Powers franchise, as well as The Cell and Drop Dead Gorgeous.
Over the years, Langley has been recognized for her impact on the film and entertainment industry. A native of the United Kingdom, she is the first British female to run a major Hollywood studio, and was recently awarded a Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (DBE) title by the Queen in her 2020 New Year's Honour List. The honour recognizes Langley's many accomplishments in redefining popular culture and her efforts to expand networks and opportunities for women and people of color in the entertainment industry, while also championing organizations dedicated to providing access, networks and pathways to success, for all people. She is also a recipient of 2018 Producers Guild of America's Milestone Award; the 2016 Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation Pioneer of the Year Award; and the 2014 Women in Film's Crystal Award for Excellence in Film.
A passionate advocate for mentorship and female empowerment, Langley is an Ambassador for Vital Voices Global Ambassadors Program and has served on the organization's Board of Directors since 2013. She was also a key founder of The Hollywood Reporter's Women in Film Mentorship program.
A voting member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Langley serves on the Board of Trustees for the American Film Institute, Motion Picture Association (MPA), USC's School of Cinematic Arts Board of Councilors, and SAG-AFTRA Foundation's Entertainment Industry Council.- Producer
- Additional Crew
- Executive
David Linde is CEO of Participant, the leading global media company dedicated to entertainment that inspires and compels social change. Linde is responsible for leading the Company's overall strategy, content creation, advocacy, operations, strategic investments and acquisitions. Participant's content and social impact mandate speaks directly to the rise of today's "conscious consumer," representing over 2 billion consumers who are compelled to make impactful content a priority focus. Noteworthy films from Participant include Oscar® winner Judas and the Black Messiah; Oscar® Best Picture winner Spotlight; Oscar® winners for Best Documentary Feature, American Factory, CITIZENFOUR, The Cove and An Inconvenient Truth; Oscar® winners for Best Foreign Language Film ROMA and A Fantastic Woman; as well as acclaimed, award-winning long-form content including Steve James' docuseries America To Me and Ava DuVernay's When They See Us.
Linde's background spans production, global distribution and building multiple companies from the ground up. Linde has served as chairman of Universal Pictures, where he successfully pursued a broad outlook regarding international productions, animation and family entertainment, and distribution. He was co-founder of acclaimed specialty film studio Focus Features formed from Universal's acquisition of the acclaimed independent production company Good Machine, of which he was a partner. Prior to Participant, Linde was the CEO and owner of Lava Bear Films, where he produced the Best Picture Academy Award®-nominated Arrival, from director Denis Villenueve.
Linde has long championed the voice of signature filmmakers, having worked on multiple films with Pedro Almodóvar, Sofia Coppola, Alfonso Cuarón, Todd Haynes, Ang Lee and Tom McCarthy, among many others.
Linde currently serves on the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Board of Directors of Film Independent.- An industry veteran with over 50 years of experience in Hollywood, Ron Meyer's tenure at NBCUniversal included a consistent stream of worldwide box office hits. During his time as President and Chief Operating Officer, nine of the studio's films were nominated at the Oscars for Best Picture, landing three wins for the 2001 film "A Beautiful Mind," "Gladiator" in 2000, and 1998's "Shakespeare in Love." Meyer also oversaw the development of "Erin Brockovich," "8 Mile," "Meet the Parents," "The Fast and the Furious," "Ted," and "Despicable Me 1 and 2." Among Meyer's many accomplishments during his time at NBCUniversal, he spearheaded worldwide operations of the studio's theme parks, making strides by bringing in the world's largest IPs and convincing Warner Bros. to license the "Harry Potter'' franchise with Universal parks, leading to one of its most successful and lucrative attractions, "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter." After being promoted to Vice Chairman of NBCUniversal in 2013, Meyer oversaw the successful evolution of the multi-faceted global media brand where he strategically guided its portfolio of film and television assets and brokered deals with top-tier talent for both roles and production deals. Prior to Meyer's time at NBCUniversal, he co-founded the prestigious Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and acted as President for 20 years where he worked alongside four fellow agents to build one of the most prominent talent representation agencies in the world. Meyer was also a television agent at William Morris Agency for five years in the early 1970s. Currently, Ron Meyer along with Sophie Jordan are CEO and Co-CEO of Wild Bunch AG, the independent film distribution and production services company. Wild Bunch, is the pan-European company known for award-winning films and a growing distribution network. Meyer also serves as an advisor to the Doha Film Institute (DFI) as Qatar continues to grow in the film business.
- Producer
- Writer
- Script and Continuity Department
Marc Shmuger was born on 27 June 1958. He is a producer and writer, known for Lucy (2014), The Circle (2017) and Anna (2019).- Deven Davis is a model working for Ford Modeling Agency. She was born Deven Augustina Schuette in Findlay, Ohio on April 6, 1979. She is married to Jonathan Davis, an American musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist of Korn. The couple is well known for philanthropy in the Southern California area. They have two children together.
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- Location Management
- Music Department
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- Barbara Cashulin is known for Alex Cross (2012). She has been married to Rob Cohen since 25 March 2006. They have three children.
- Actor
- Producer
Gunner plays astronauts, police officers, lawyers, space mechanics, & bad boys with hearts of gold once you get to the third act. He's two parts Steve McQueen, a pinch of Paul Newman, a slice of Jimmy Stewart, and a dash of Peter Pan. He rides a Ducati to set and a Vespa to the grocery store.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Wade Williams was born on 24 December 1961 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. He is an actor, known for Ken Park (2002), Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 (2012) and Gangster Squad (2013). He is married to Emma. They have one child.- Shawn Marion was born on 7 May 1978 in Waukegan, Illinois, USA. He is an actor, known for SlamBall (2002), Road to the Championship (2011) and Gone in an Instant (2020).
- Music Department
- Composer
- Actor
Randy Edelman was born on 10 June 1947 in Paterson, New Jersey, USA. He is a composer and actor, known for The Last of the Mohicans (1992), xXx (2002) and Anaconda (1997). He has been married to Jackie DeShannon since 3 June 1976. They have one child.- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Oscar-winning character actor Martin Landau was born on June 20, 1928, in Brooklyn, New York. At age 17, he was hired by the New York Daily News to work in the promotions department before he became a staff cartoonist and illustrator. In his five years on the paper, he served as the illustrator for Billy Rose's "Pitching Horseshoes" column. He also worked for cartoonist Gus Edson on "The Gumps" comic strip. Landau's major ambition was to act and, in 1951, he made his stage debut in "Detective Story" at the Peaks Island Playhouse in Peaks Island, Maine. He made his off-Broadway debut that year in "First Love".
Landau was one of 2,000 applicants who auditioned for Lee Strasberg's Actors Studio in 1955; only he and Steve McQueen were accepted. Landau was a friend of James Dean and McQueen, in a conversation with Landau, mentioned that he knew Dean and had met Landau. When Landau asked where they had met, McQueen informed him he had seen Landau riding on the back of Dean's motorcycle into the New York City garage where he worked as a mechanic.
Landau acted during the mid-1950s in the television anthologies Playhouse 90 (1956), Studio One (1948), The Philco Television Playhouse (1948), Kraft Theatre (1947), Goodyear Playhouse (1951), and Omnibus (1952). He began making a name for himself after replacing star Franchot Tone in the 1956 off-Broadway revival of Anton Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya," a famous production that helped put off-Broadway on the New York theatrical map.
In 1957, he made a well-received Broadway debut in the play "Middle of the Night." As part of the touring company with star Edward G. Robinson, he made it to the West Coast. He made his movie debut in Pork Chop Hill (1959), but scored on film as the heavy in Alfred Hitchcock's classic thriller North by Northwest (1959), in which he was shot on top of Mount Rushmore while sadistically stepping on the fingers of Cary Grant, who was holding on for dear life to the cliff face. He also appeared in the blockbuster Cleopatra (1963), the most expensive film ever made up to that time, which nearly scuttled 20th Century-Fox and engendered one of the great public scandals, the Elizabeth Taylor-Richard Burton love affair that overshadowed the film itself. Despite the difficulties with the film, Landau's memorable portrayal in the key role of Rufio was highly favored by the audience and instantly catapulted his popularity.
In 1963, Landau played memorable roles in two episodes of the science-fiction anthology series The Outer Limits (1963), The Bellero Shield (1964), and The Man Who Was Never Born (1963). He was Gene Roddenberry's first choice to play Mr. Spock on Star Trek (1966), but the role went to Leonard Nimoy, who later replaced Landau on Mission: Impossible (1966), the show that really made Landau famous. Landau originally was not meant to be a regular on the series, which co-starred his wife Barbara Bain, whom he had married in 1957. His character, Rollin Hand, was supposed to make occasional, recurring appearances, on Mission: Impossible (1966), but when the producers had problems with star Steven Hill, Landau was used to take up the slack. Landau's characterization was so well-received and so popular with the audience, he was made a regular. Landau received Emmy nominations as Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for each of the three seasons he appeared. In 1968, he won the Golden Globe award as Best Male TV Star.
Eventually, he quit the series in 1969 after a salary dispute when the new star, Peter Graves, was given a contract that paid him more than Landau, whose own contract stated he would have parity with any other actor on the show who made more than he did. The producers refused to budge and he and Bain, who had become the first actress in the history of television to be awarded three consecutive Emmy Awards (1967-69) while on the show, left the series, ostensibly to pursue careers in the movies. The move actually held back their careers, and Mission: Impossible (1966) went on for another four years with other actors.
Landau appeared in support of Sidney Poitier in They Call Me Mister Tibbs! (1970), the less-successful sequel to the Oscar-winning In the Heat of the Night (1967), but it did not generate more work of a similar caliber. He starred in the television movie Welcome Home, Johnny Bristol (1972) on CBS, playing a prisoner of war returning to the United States from Vietnam. The following year, he shot a pilot for NBC for a proposed show, "Savage." Though it was directed by emerging wunderkind Steven Spielberg, NBC did not pick up the show. Needing work, Landau and Bain moved to England to play the leading roles in the syndicated science-fiction series Space: 1999 (1975).
Landau's and Bain's careers stalled after Space: 1999 (1975) went out of production, and they were reduced to taking parts in the television movie The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island (1981). It was the nadir of both their careers, and Bain's acting days and their marriage were soon over. Landau, one of the most talented character actors in Hollywood, and one not without recognition, had bottomed out career-wise. In 1983, he was stuck in low-budget sci-fi and horror movies such as The Being (1981), a role far beneath his talent.
His career renaissance got off to a slow start with a recurring role in the NBC sitcom Buffalo Bill (1983), starring Dabney Coleman. On Broadway, he took over the title role in the revival of "Dracula" and went on the road with the national touring company. Finally, his career renaissance began to gather momentum when Francis Ford Coppola cast him in a critical supporting role in his Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988), for which Landau was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor. He won his second Golden Globe for the role. The next year, he received his second consecutive Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his superb turn as the adulterous husband in Woody Allen's Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989). He followed this up by playing famed Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal in the TNT movie Max and Helen (1990). However, the summit of his post-Mission: Impossible (1966) career was about to be scaled. He portrayed Bela Lugosi in Tim Burton's biopic Ed Wood (1994) and won glowing reviews. For his performance, he won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Martin Landau, the superb character actor, finally had been recognized with his profession's ultimate award. His performance, which also won him his third Golden Globe, garnered numerous awards in addition to the Oscar and Golden Globe, including top honors from the New York Film Critics Circle and the National Society of Film Critics. Landau continued to play a wide variety of roles in motion pictures and on television, turning in a superb performance in a supporting role in The Majestic (2001). He received his fourth Emmy nomination in 2004 as Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for Without a Trace (2002).
Martin Landau was honored with his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard.
Martin Landau died in Los Angeles, California on July 15, 2017.- Actress
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