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Omar Metwally is an American actor who has appeared in numerous films and television programs. He is best known for his work on Showtime's The Affair, as well as for film roles in Steven Spielberg's Munich, Julian Schnabel's Miral and many others. He was born in Queens, New York and raised in Orange County, California. Metwally gained a BA in History from the University of California, Berkeley and a Master of Fine Arts in Acting from the American Conservatory Theater, San Francisco.- Finn Cole was born on 9 November 1995 in Kingston, London, England, UK. He is an actor, known for F9: The Fast Saga (2021), Slaughterhouse Rulez (2018) and Peaky Blinders (2013).
- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Michael Lombardi began his career as a musician in New York City. Music led him to the discovery of acting, and he trained at the William Esper Studio. Early on he gained his experience performing in small theatre productions in NYC.
Michael Lombardi first gained widespread attention for his series regular role as a rookie firefighter in the critically acclaimed Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated hit television show Rescue Me on the FX Network. He is currently the star, co-director, and producer of the upcoming Better Noise Films horror- thriller the Retaliators , slated for worldwide release on September 14. In his role, Lombardi plays the lead character, John Bishop, an upstanding pastor who uncovers a dark and twisted underworld as he searches for answers surrounding his daughter's brutal murder. He appears on screen with co-stars Marc Menchaca (Ozark), Joseph Gatt (Game of Thrones), and with musical artists, Five Finger Death Punch, Tommy Lee, Papa Roach, The Hu, Ice Nine Kills,Escape The Fate, who make cameo appearances in the movie. Lombardi was studying music in New York City when he discovered his affinity for acting and began producing and starring in several small theatre productions. Soon after, in 2000, he made his television debut in an episode of Saturday Night Live, where he played a bartender in a skit with Kate Hudson. His career got significantly boosted when he landed a guest spot on Denis Leary's acclaimed cop sitcom, The Job, on ABC. Leary then cast Lombardi as the lead in his Comedy Central mockumentary, Contest Search Light. The mini-series spoofed HBO's Project Greenlight. His career was elevated to new heights when he landed the role of "Probie" Mike Silletti on Rescue Me, a gritty comedic drama about New York City Firefighters. He was a series regular for the entire 100-episode seven-season run. Other television credits include Six Degrees (ABC), Castle (ABC), CSI Miami (CBS), Blue Bloods (NBC), and a role opposite James Franco in The Deuce (HBO). Lombardi made his big screen debut in 2015, starring opposite Clive Owen and Morgan Freeman in the Lions Gate feature film Last Knights. He later appeared in the feature films Cayman Went and Sno Babies. For his most recent endeavor, Lombardi plays a successful businessman in a new romantic comedy film, Plan B, starring Jamie Lee (Ted Lasso), Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite), and Oscar Nominee Tom Berenger (Platoon)- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Jason Bateman is an American film and television actor, known for his role as Michael Bluth on the television sitcom Arrested Development (2003), as well as his role on Valerie (1986).
He was born in Rye, New York. His father, Kent Bateman, from a Utah-based family, is a film and television director and producer, and founder of a Hollywood repertory stage company. His mother, Victoria Bateman, was born in Shropshire, England, and worked as a flight attendant. His sister is actress Justine Bateman. In 1981, at the age of 12, young Bateman made his debut on television as James Cooper Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie (1974): Uncle Jed, appearing in 18 more episodes in one season. Jason also appeared in the original Knight Rider with David Hasselhoff for the season three episode "Lost Knight" (aired Dec 1984) playing the character "Doug" who befriends Kitt when he loses his memory. In the mid-1980s, he became the DGA's youngest-ever director when he directed three episodes of Valerie (1986) at age 18. During the 2000s, Bateman's film career has been on soaring trajectory. In 2005, he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, Musical or Comedy, for Arrested Development (2003), and received other awards and nominations.
Bateman has been enjoying a happy family life with his wife, actress Amanda Anka (daughter of singer Paul Anka), with whom he has two children. The Batemans reside in Los Angeles, California.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Matthew Staton Bomer was born in Webster Groves, Greater St. Louis, Missouri, to Elizabeth Macy (Staton) and John O'Neill Bomer IV, a Dallas Cowboys draft pick. Matt was raised in Spring, Texas, and educated at Klein High School, near Houston. After school, he attended Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Bomer then relocated to New York to forge a career in acting.
Theater work followed, but his television break came with a small part in All My Children (1970). This lead to a reoccurring role in Guiding Light (1952) as murderous Ben Reade. Further success in TV followed including parts in Tru Calling (2003), Chuck (2007) and the lead role in Traveler (2007). Bomer also scored film roles in projects such as Flightplan (2005) and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006). In 2009, he was cast in the lead role of criminal mastermind Neal Caffrey in Fox's White Collar (2009).- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Director
Sean Pertwee was born into a famous British theatrical family. He is the son of Jon Pertwee, who was mainly a comedy actor and was known for his starring roles in Doctor Who (1963), Worzel Gummidge (1979), the radio comedy series "The Navy Lark" and appearances in several "Carry On" films. His uncle, Michael Pertwee, and grandfather, Roland Pertwee, were prolific screenwriters and playwrights, and his father's cousin, Bill Pertwee, was a regular cast member of one of Britain's most popular sitcoms, Dad's Army (1968). His sister, Dariel Pertwee, is an actress with several screen roles.
After training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Pertwee began his acting career with the Royal Shakespeare Company, most notably starring in Titus Andronicus directed by Deborah Warner. After touring for three years, Pertwee continued his classical training by playing Julius Caesar for the BBC and Macbeth for Michael Bogdanov's production for C4 films. Since then, he has become instantly recognizable for both his film and television work.
On film, Pertwee began on the Joe Orton biopic Prick Up Your Ears (1987), then went on to appear in Paul W.S. Anderson's Shopping (1994), playing opposite Jude Law, followed by performances in Event Horizon (1997), Soldier (1998), Doomsday (2008), Love, Honor and Obey (2000) and the lead role in Neil Marshall's Dog Soldiers (2002). Other notable film credits include Deadly Voyage (1996); Wild Bill (2011); Blue Juice (1995), in which Pertwee played opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones and Ewan McGregor; and Formula 51 (2001) with Samuel L. Jackson and Robert Carlyle. Pertwee played opposite Steve Coogan in Alan Partridge (2013).
Pertwee's extensive TV work saw him play the iconic role of Lestrade in the CBS show Elementary (2012) with Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock Holmes. He has also starred in The Musketeers (2014), Poirot (1989), the award-winning Luther (2010), and had a recurring role in the hugely popular Cold Feet (1997) with James Nesbitt. His other TV credits include Skins (2007), Bodyguards (1996), Jo (2013) with Jean Reno, Chancer (1990), The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (1992), Clarissa (1991) with Sean Bean, and Camelot (2011) with Joseph Fiennes and Eva Green.
Pertwee appeared as Alfred Pennyworth, the unflappable butler, in the Warner Bros. series Gotham (2014), which follows the story behind Commissioner James Gordon's rise to prominence in Gotham City in the years before Batman's arrival. He is a popular voiceover artist and can frequently be heard voicing documentaries, animated films, commercials, TV series, and video games, including Fable, Killzone and Assassin's Creed.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
After an eye-catching performance in the teen coming-of-age epic The Outsiders (1983), ex-child rodeo star C. Thomas Howell was a promising young actor in the mid-1980s.
Christopher Thomas Howell was born in Los Angeles to Candice (Webb) and Chris Howell (a professional bull rider turned stuntman). He started working in the film industry at the age of seven. In 1981, he was cast as Tyler in Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982). Shortly thereafter, he nabbed the lead in Francis Ford Coppola's classic The Outsiders (1983). Earmarked as an up-and-coming actor, his career soon skyrocketed with roles in films including the comedy Grandview, U.S.A. (1984), alongside Jamie Lee Curtis, and the violent Cold War invasion drama Red Dawn (1984). His career was not helped by the controversial racial comedy Soul Man (1986), which was not well-received. However, he did meet and fall in love with his co-star from that movie, Rae Dawn Chong, whom he later married. He has notched up in excess of 90 feature film appearances. including starring roles in Side Out (1990), Gettysburg (1993), Baby Face Nelson (1996), Fatal Affair (1998), Asylum Days (2001) and Hoboken Hollow (2006).
He played unpredictable Officer Bill "Dewey" Dudek in the TNT drama series Southland (2009) and as the sadistic serial killer "The Reaper" on CBS's Criminal Minds (2005). More recent television appearances include The Glades (2010) (A&E) and Torchwood (2006) (Starz Channel). He appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) (Sony). A budding film director, he has directed a number of films, including The Big Fall (1997), Pure Danger (1996), The Land That Time Forgot (2009), and The Day the Earth Stopped (2008).
Outside his acting career, Howell was an accomplished team roper and later, as 'Tommy Howell', a singer-songwriter.- Actor
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Director
After his career as a child actor, Meeno moved into photography, and has shot covers for major recording artists and ad campaigns for national brands. He's assisted by his wife and they travel with their two daughters, who he calls "his muses". He's also worked with politicians and, as he says, "all manner of real work-a-day folk".- Actor
- Producer
Jason began his career with his memorable portrayal of the dark, but likable villain, "Peter Blake", on NBC's long-running drama, Days of Our Lives (1965), for which he garnered Soap Opera Digest's coveted Best Villain award.
After leaving "Days" to pursue other projects, Jason continued to work consistently in leading roles in television and film, including Alibi (1997), opposite Tori Spelling for ABC, Three Secrets (1999), with Jaclyn Smith for CBS, and The Darwin Conspiracy (1999) (Pilot/MOW) for UPN. He then landed a recurring role warming up the ice cold "Miss Parker" on ABC's hit drama series, The Pretender (1996), opposite Andrea Parker.
Soon after, Baywatch (1989) producers approached Jason to replace David Hasselhoff in the series' new incarnation, Baywatch (1989) Hawaii, shooting on location in the island paradise. After two seasons, the series wrapped up its syndicated run and Jason returned to Los Angeles, where he became the father to his second son with wife, Corinne Olivo Levin, a literary talent manager. Jason was then cast in numerous indie film roles such as The Rose Technique (2002), with JoBeth Williams, Flying Virus (2001) (aka "Buzzed"), with Gabrielle Anwar and Rutger Hauer, Purgatory Flats (2003) and Submission (2006), opposite Aussie star, Simmone Mackinnon. He appeared in the films: Star Trek (2009), directed by J.J. Abrams, Burning Palms (2010), Accused at 17 (2009), Christmas Spirit (2011), Home Invasion (2012), Super 8 (2011), again for director J.J. Abrams and Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3 and many more...
Throughout his career, Jason has continued to guest star and repeat on numerous network television hits offering his unique presence in drama, comedy, sci-fi and action. Some of his more notable guest star credits include: Friends (1994) (memorably as Phoebe's hot massage client), Charmed (1998), The Practice (1997), CSI: Miami (2002), NCIS (2003), JAG (1995), The Suite Life of Zack & Cody (2005), Boston Legal (2004) (as a recurring guest star), CSI: NY (2004), The Closer (2005), Las Vegas (2003), Without a Trace (2002), Castle (2009), Ghost Whisperer (2005), Big Love (2006), CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000), Criminal Minds (2005), No Ordinary Family (2010) and Torchwood (2006) (Starz), Body of Proof, Revolution, The Mentalist, NCIS: L.A., and, How To Get Away With Murder. During that time, he also was recurring on Switched at Birth (2011) for ABC Family.
Some of his other pilot appearances include: Pepper Dennis (2006) (for which he was a recurring guest star), War Stories (2003) (NBC), Day One (2010) (NBC), "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior (CBS) and Madison High (2012) for the Disney Channel, The Saint and Guilt By Association.
Jason has also starred in many award-winning theater productions. Some of his favorite leading theater roles were in the productions: "Death of a Salesman (winning the Robby Award for Best Actor), "Myron" (a touching AIDS drama) and the L.A Times' acclaimed "Johnny On the Spot".
You might also remember him as the ultimate sporty-yet eternally handsome, "Old Spice guy" of 2009, as he slid around the bases into an award-winning ad campaign.
Jason currently lives in Santa Monica with his wife of almost 30 years and their two sons.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Jason Wiles grew up in Lenexa, Kansas. Undecided after high school and having passed up the opportunity to play college football, he began to work for the local Parks and Recreation Department. A year later the movie Mr. & Mrs. Bridge (1990) came to Kansas City. It was then that Wiles began pursuing his interest in filmmaking by working on the set. Not long after, the Sometimes They Come Back (1991), based on a Stephen King book, came to town and he worked on the crew as well as appearing in scenes as an extra. After forming some connections while working on these films, Wiles ventured to L.A., where he appeared in commercials before landing the lead in an after-school special. Many feel that his big break was a couple of years later when he took the role of Colin Robbins on Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990), though others are more aware of his talent from his current role as Bosco on Third Watch (1999). Recently he has begun to try his hand at directing and writing as well as theater. In the summer of 2002 he appeared in the Cape Playhouse production of "Mass Appeal" alongside Malachy McCourt, and in 2003 he was in Imua! Theatre Company's production of "Safe", which was co-written and directed by fellow Third Watcher Anthony Ruivivar. Upon completion of the final season of "Third Watch" 2005, Wiles began work on his independent film Lenexa, 1 Mile (2006) which he wrote and also directed. The movie wrapped in June 2005. In November 2006, Wiles traveled to Ely, Nevada, to direct Play Dead (2009) his second feature film.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Denis Patrick Seamus O'Hare is an American actor, singer, and author noted for his award-winning performances in the plays Take Me Out and Sweet Charity, as well as portraying vampire king Russell Edgington on HBO's fantasy series True Blood. He is also known for his supporting roles in such films as Charlie Wilson's War, Milk, Changeling, and Dallas Buyers Club. In 2011, he starred as Larry Harvey in the first season of the FX anthology series American Horror Story, for which he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie in 2012. He returned to the show in 2013, playing Spalding in American Horror Story: Coven and once more as Stanley in American Horror Story: Freak Show, the latter for which he earned a second Primetime Emmy Award nomination. For his performance in American Horror Story: Hotel as Liz Taylor, O'Hare received critical acclaim.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Yancey Arias was born in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York City. At the age of twelve his first experience in entertainment was when his grandmother threw him on stage to sing a song for a neighborhood talent show at Henry Street Settlement in downtown Manhattan.
Yancey was discovered by Professor James Green at Saint John's Prep High School in Astoria, Queens, New York. Green then introduced Yancey to Stage Door Manor in Loch Sheldrake, New York, where he studied theater under Jack Romano every summer, and in winter with fellow actors Vincent Laresca, Christian J. Meoli, and Josh Charles.
During his last two years at Moore Catholic High School in Staten Island, New York, Under the supervision of Fran Jorin and Mrs. Sparago Yancey won first-place honors in New York City on the forensics team, and took third in the nation for the drama category. Yancey went on to study theater in college at Carnegie Mellon University. On his way back to his junior year, he was discovered by the producers of Miss Saigon on Broadway and left school to join the cast for the next five years. During his years on Broadway, he continued his studies with Alan Savage, and Yancey honors that relationship greatly for having given him so much continued care and knowledge. In 2000, Yancey Joined the cast of George C. Wolfe's "The Wild Party" with Eartha Kitt, Toni Collette, and Mandy Patinkin.
During his years on Broadway, he had the opportunity to work on several TV series as a guest star. He starred in and co-produced two independent films, Destination Unknown (1997) and Home Invaders (2001), which helped pave the way to his eventual move to Los Angeles. In 2002, Yancey had the privilege to be discovered by David Mills and Allen Coulter; Mills cast him in the title role of Miguel Cadena in the hit NBC miniseries Kingpin (2003). Yancey continued to thrive in television and film. Soon after the completion of that show, he was given the opportunity to work in many projects with such greats as Edward James Olmos in American Family (2002) and Andre Braugher in Thief (2006), to name a few. Today, Yancey continues to excel as an actor in film and TV. He has added directing, writing, and producing to his experience as an artist. Recently he stared in the hit USA series "Queen Of The South" as General Cortez. Yancey is grateful to every agent and manager who has helped him over the years, such as Jean Fox of Fox and Albert Management, Jean Fox, Chris Henze at Thruline Entertainment, the Paradigm agency, APA, and now Matt Luber and April Lim at GAA . He continued his studies with Alan Savage in New York, and Catlin Adams and 'Howard Fine' (III) in Los Angeles. Yancey honors his family, mentors, and God for all the support, love, and education he has received over the years. Yancey and his wife Anna welcomed to the world their first son Jiancarlo Arias. A few years later they also welcomed to the world their daughter Giovanna Arias.- Actor
- Producer
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Jonathan is the youngest of three brothers. Older brother, Anthony LaPaglia, is also an actor. Middle brother, Michael, is a car wholesaler in Los Angeles. His parents are, Eddie LaPaglia, an Australian auto dealership owner, and Maria, a secretary. He initially wanted to pursue fine arts as a career, but had doubts about his talent. He graduated from the University of Adelaide, Australia with a degree in medicine. He worked three years as a physician in Adelaide, Sydney and London. Feeling restricted, he decided to follow his brother into acting.In 1994, he moved to New York City where he joined the Circle In The Square Theatre School. He got his first break in 1996, when he joined the cast of the TV series New York Undercover (1994).- Actor
- Director
Michael T. Weiss is an award nominated actor. He is a Chicago native where he studied at the famed "Second City". He has a BFA in Acting from The University of Southern California's prestigious school of Drama. He has had a diverse career in film, television, and theater both as an actor and a director. He is well known for his portrayal of the human chameleon Jarod on the NBC hit The Pretender (1996) playing more than 50 different characters, reprising his role as Jarod in the TV movies The Pretender 2001 (2001) and The Pretender: Island of the Haunted (2001). He also portrayed a corrupt cop on the first season of TV series procedural drama Blue Bloods (2010) for CBS. He recreated the character of Joe Haskell for the remake of TV series Dark Shadows (1991) for NBC.
His feature film credits include: Sex and the City 2 (2010), Freeway (1996) opposite Reese Witherspoon, Amanda Plummer, Kiefer Sutherland and produced by Oliver Stone which premiered at The Sundance Film Festival. He starred in the film version of Jeffrey (1995) which was based on Paul Rudnick's off-Broadway hit play, opposite Patrick Stewart, Steven Weber, Sigourney Weaver, Olympia Dukakis, and Nathan Lane. He played a dirty cop in the New Line Cinema film Bones (2001) with Pam Grier and Snoop Dogg. He played duel characters on 2000 Malibu Road (1992) directed by Joel Schumacher with Drew Barrymore and Jennifer Beals. He received a "Midwest Film Festival Best Actor Award" for his work in IOWA (2005) which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. Other notable films include: Net Worth (2001), Until the Night (2004), and Marmalade (2004). He also starred in the TV movie Sunset Park (2017) filmed near his second home in Brooklyn, New York City. He voiced Tarzan in The Legend of Tarzan (2001) for Walt Disney Animation and Voiced "The Nameless One" for the computer game Planescape: Torment (1999) where Eurogamer gave the character the "Gaming Globes 2000" in the Male Lead Character category and Empire placed the character 4th on a list of the greatest video game characters.
On the NYC stage Weiss appeared in The Pulitzer Prize finalist, "The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity" at the "Second Stage Theater" which won the Obie Award for best play. He has appeared on Broadway with Joan Allen and Jeremy Irons in "Impressionism" directed by Jack O'Brien. He received a Drama Desk Nomination for his work at The Atlantic Theater Company's "Scarcity" with Kristen Johnston and Jesse Eisenberg. He worked with director Wilson Milam on "A Perfect Future" at the Cherry Lane Theater. In Boston he was on stage in Eve Ensler's comedy "O.P.C." (Obsessive Political Correctness) at American Repertory Theater. He spent two seasons with The Huntington Theater Company playing Pale in Landford Wilson's "Burn This" and Valmont In "Les Liaisons Dangereuses". In Los Angeles he was on stage in "Of Equal Measure" by Tanya Harding directed by Leigh Silverman For the Center Theater Group. His television credits are numerous including many TV films, series regular, recurring and guest star roles. He directed the play "The Pornographers Daughter" in San Francisco and his play "Streams of Consciousness" which he wrote and directed was produced at The Met Theater in Los Angeles.
He is also a visual artist shown in Los Angeles as well as a Playwright and Theater Director. Also an environmental activist, Weiss served on the board of directors for the Earth Communications Office. He had one of the first all Electric Cars in the world and was a pioneer test driver of the first Hybrid Vehicle (The Toyota Prius) years before it hit the market. Weiss resides in Los Angeles and New York City.- Actor
- Writer
- Art Department
Jeff Kober was born in Billings, Montana on December 18, 1953. Not satisfied with being a rancher, Kober relocated to the L.A. area in his twenties with the desire to become an actor. His first appearance on the small screen was a non-billed role in the 1980s series V (1984). Kober went on to supporting roles in the highly acclaimed Vietnam War drama China Beach (1988) and the short-lived, but now-cult horror series Kindred: The Embraced (1996). Following these series, Kober has guested on some of the most popular television series of the day. They include Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999), CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000), ER (1994), 24 (2001), The Closer (2005) and Criminal Minds (2005).
Kober's big screen career began with the film Out of Bounds (1986), in which he played the first of his signature nefarious characters - "Roy Gaddis", a small-time drug dealer with murderous inclinations. This role led to more film opportunities in The First Power (1990), Tank Girl (1995) (a comedic turn), Defining Maggie (2002), World Without Waves (2004), and the remake of The Hills Have Eyes 2 (2007), among others. Never one to balk at taking a chance in the acting field, Kober has also appeared in several short independent films - the Academy Award-winning Session Man (1991) and, most recently, Lucid (2006), another film that has garnered a number of awards at independent film festivals across the country. He has done extensive stage work, most prominently, as "the father" in Jenny Sullivan's autobiographical work "J For J" and "Defying Gravity". Being a creature of diverse talents, Kober is also a noted artist (he was responsible for the paintings attributed to his character "Daedalus" on Kindred: The Embraced (1996) and is the c/o author of "Art That Pays: The Emerging Artist's Guide to Making a Living" along with Adele Slaughter. On the personal front, Kober is twice divorced (Rhonda Talbot, Kelly Cutrone) and the father of one son. He has, at present, finished work on The Hills Have Eyes 2 (2007) (set for release in March 2007)-in the role of "Col. Lincoln Redding". Kober's next film was Multiple (2008).- Actor
- Producer
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Roy Dupuis was born on April 21, 1963, in New Liskeard, Ontario. He spent a significant portion of his childhood (from early infancy until he was eleven years old) in Amos, which is in a region of Québec called Abitibi. For the next three years, he lived in Kapuskasing, Ontario, where he learned to speak English. His father (now deceased) was a traveling salesman for Canada Packers, a meat company (now part of Maple Leaf Foods). His mother is a piano teacher. He has a younger brother and an older sister. When he was fourteen, after his parents divorced, his mother moved the family to Sainte-Rose, Laval, Québec (in the greater Montréal area), where he finished high school. After high school, he studied acting in Montréal, at the National Theatre School of Canada (L'École nationale de théâtre du Canada), graduating in 1986.
Acting was not Roy Dupuis' first career choice. He was studying physics in high school, but seeing Ariane Mnouchkine's film Molière (1978) interested him in acting. His entry into drama school was accidental. A friend had been invited to audition for admission to the National Theatre School of Canada, but her counterpart, who had also been invited to audition, changed his mind and backed out. She asked Roy Dupuis to take his place, and he agreed to help out and went along, posing as the original candidate. Although he himself was not really the one invited to audition, he impressed the school's director so much that she invited him to apply formally for admission to the school, and he was accepted. After his graduation in 1986, and a few years of successful experience acting in the theater, in 1988, he began to be offered substantial roles in films and TV.
The relative anonymity that he enjoyed during those early years ended when 80% of the population of Québec watched the enormously-popular classic period serial drama Les filles de Caleb (1990) (Emilie), turning him into a celebrity overnight and gaining him several awards for his performance as Emilie's husband, Ovila Pronovost. His next major role was as a journalist in the Canadian TV series Scoop (1992), which ran for four seasons (1991 until 1995). In 1991 Dupuis also starred in his first major film role, as the gay hustler, Yves, in Jean Beaudin's internationally acclaimed Being at Home with Claude (1992), which was Canada's official selection at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival. Other leading roles in French followed, and increasingly English language roles too, including Becker in Screamers (1995), his entry into mainstream US cinema.
For the next five years, from 1996 to 2000, he spent most of his time in Toronto, making the TV series Nikita (1997-2001), which was shown in more than 50 countries around the world. When the final season finished production at the end of 2000, Roy returned to Montréal, for a few months' rest, before starting work again on French-Canadian projects made closer to home. The TV mini-series Le dernier chapitre (2002), about biker gang warfare, was filmed in French and English versions simultaneously. Then he teamed up again with "Chili's Blues" director Charles Binamé to star as in the romantic role of Alexis Labranche, the heroine's love interest, in a remake of another period Québec classic, Séraphin: Heart of Stone (2002), which became the province's highest-grossing film.
In 2003, he participated in multiple projects, combining leading roles with occasional supporting roles. In Denys Arcand's The Barbarian Invasions (2003) (The Barbarian Invasions), which has enjoyed even greater international success than Jesus of Montreal (1989), Dupuis again played a minor part as a police drug-unit detective. Released in 2004 to 2005 were six more films in which he performed. His role as Alexandre in Mémoires affectives (2004) brought him his first major film-acting awards.
He recently reprised the part of French-Canadian hockey hero Maurice "Rocket" Richard (for the third time) in the film The Rocket (2005) directed by Charles Binamé to large acclaim. He has also completed an independent film, That Beautiful Somewhere (2006), which is based on the 1992 novel "Loon," by Bill Plumstead; screened in major film festivals beginning in August 2006, it was broadcast on Canadian pay television later in 2006 and opened in April 2006.
Beginning in June 2006, he began filming the film _Shake Hands with the Devil (2006)_ on location in Kigali, Rwanda, a film about the Rwandan Genocide, in which Dupuis portrays Roméo Dallaire, being based on Dallaire's autobiographical memoir, in close consultation with Dallaire. The main filming finished in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in August 2006. After being screened at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2007, and the Atlantic Film Festival on September 13, it opens on September 28, 2007.
In October 2006, in Québec, he began filming Emotional Arithmetic (2007), starring alongside Gabriel Byrne, Christopher Plummer, Susan Sarandon, and Max von Sydow. The film is the closing feature for the Toronto International Film Festival on September 15, 2007.
Roy Dupuis lives in the countryside outside of Montréal. While, in the past, he enjoyed sky-diving and still enjoys golf, he has become more occupied with learning to sail and renovations on his home and sailboats.
For over a decade, until June 2006, he actively supported the Mira Foundation, which provides guide dogs for visually-impaired children and adults and service dogs for those with other disabilities. A few years ago, he co-founded the Rivers Foundation to protect the rivers of Canada from exploitation by hydro-electric developments, serves as its co-president, and concentrates considerable time on developing it when he is not working professionally.- Actor
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Thomas Stanley Holland was born in Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, to Nicola Elizabeth (Frost), a photographer, and Dominic Holland (Dominic Anthony Holland), who is a comedian and author. His paternal grandparents were from the Isle of Man and Ireland, respectively. He lives with his parents and three younger brothers - Paddy and twins Sam and Harry. Tom attended Donhead Prep School. Then, after a successful eleven plus exam, he became a pupil at Wimbledon College. Having successfully completed his GCSEs, in September 2012 Tom started a two-year course in the BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology notable for its numerous famous alumni.
Holland began dancing at a hip hop class at Nifty Feet Dance School in Wimbledon, London. His potential was spotted by choreographer Lynne Page (who was an Associate to Peter Darling, choreographer of Billy Elliot and Billy Elliot the Musical) when he performed with his dance school as part of the Richmond Dance Festival 2006. After eight auditions and subsequent two years of training, on 28 June 2008 Tom made his West End debut in Billy Elliot the Musical as Michael, Billy's best friend. He gave his first performance in the title role of Billy on 8 September 2008 getting rave reviews praising his versatile acting and dancing skills.
In September 2008 Tom (together with co-star Tanner Pflueger) appeared on the news programme on channel FIVE and gave his first TV interview. In 2009 Tom was featured on ITV1 show "The Feel Good Factor". At the launch show on 31 January he and two other Billy Elliots, Tanner Pflueger and Layton Williams, performed a specially choreographered version of Angry Dance from Billy Elliot the Musical, after which Tom was interviewed by host Myleene Klass. Then he became involved into training five ordinary British schoolboys learning to get fit and preparing their dance routine (fronted by Tom) for the final "The Feel Good Factor" show on 28 March 2009. On 11 March 2010, Tom, along with fellow Billy Elliots Dean-Charles Chapman and Fox Jackson-Keen appeared on The Alan Titchmarsh Show on ITV1.
On 8 March 2010, to mark the fifth anniversary of Billy Elliot the Musical, four current Billy Elliots, including Tom Holland, were invited to 10 Downing Street to meet the Prime Minister Gordon Brown. It was Tom Holland who was chosen to be a lead at the special fifth anniversary show on 31 March 2010. Elton John, Billy Elliot the Musical composer, who was at the audience, called Tom's performance "astonishing" and said that he was "blown away" by it. Holland had been appearing on a regular basis as Billy in Billy Elliot the Musical rotating with three other performers till 29 May 2010 when he finished his run in the musical.
In two months after leaving Billy Elliot the Musical, Holland successfully auditioned for a starring role in the film The Impossible (directed by Juan Antonio Bayona) alongside Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor. The Impossible was based on a true story that took place during the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2012, and was released in Europe in October 2012, and in North America in December 2012.
Tom has received universal praise for his performance, in particular: "What a debut, too, from Tom Holland as the eldest of their three lads" (The Telegraph); "Tom Holland, making one of the finest feature debuts in years" (HeyUGuys); "the excellent Tom Holland" (The Guardian); "The child performers are uncanny and there is an especially terrific performance from Tom Holland as the resourceful, levelheaded Lucas terrified but tenacious in the face of an unspeakable ordeal" (Screen Daily); "Young Holland in particular is astonishingly good as the terrified but courageous Lucas." (The Hollywood Reporter); "However, the real acting standout in The Impossible is the performance of Tom Holland as the eldest son Lucas. His portrayal is genuine, and at no moment does it feel melodramatic and forced. The majority of his scenes are separate from the lead actors and for the most part it feels like The Impossible is Holland's film" (Entertainment Maven); "Mr. Holland, meanwhile, matures before our eyes, navigating the passage from adolescent self-absorption to profound and terrible responsibility. He is a terrific young actor" (New York Times).
Tom has given a number of interviews about his role in The Impossible. In particular, he talked on video to Vanity Fair Senior West Coast editor Krista Smith and with IAMROGUE's Managing Editor Jami Philbrick. He has also given interviews to The Hollywood Reporter, to the MovieWeb, to Today Show on NBC and to other outlets. Tom's director and co-stars have also talked about him. Juan Antonio Bayona: "He had this extraordinary ability to get into the emotion and portray it in a very, very easy way. The best I'd ever seen in a kid." Ewan McGregor: "It was wonderful watching Tom who had never worked in front of a camera before, to see him really get it and grow as a film actor as he went along. He's really talented and polite to everyone. It's very easy for children to lose perspective but he's absolutely on the right road and a brilliant actor." Naomi Watts: "He has an incredible emotional instrument and an unbelievable sense of himself... Tom Holland and I had a couple of moments where we came together and I could just tell how wonderful he was and what a beautiful instrument he had. It was just easy to work with him, that was one of the greatest highlights for me: discovering a friendship with Tom off-screen and this beautiful relationship between mother and son on-screen. The intimacy that develops through the course of the film between Lucas and Maria, I just loved that relationship. I mean, Tom is a beyond gifted actor. He's just a raw, open talent that is just so easy to work with. And Tom, he's inspiring, he kind of lifts everyone's game around him because he can do nothing but tell the truth. He was great."
In his turn, Tom Holland has returned favours to Naomi Watts when he was asked to present Desert Palm Achievement Award to her at Palm Springs International Film Festival. According to HitFix: "One recurring theme of the night was how the introductions were often better than actual winner's speeches... The best intro, however, had to go to 16-year-old Tom Holland who intro'd his "Impossible" co-star Watts. Holland admitted of all of Watts' great performances his dad had only let him see "King Kong" and while they spent six weeks shooting in a water tank he didn't know it was "difficult" because he actually "loved it"... Most important, this was Holland's first film role and he sweetly noted, "From the moment I met you, you took my hand and you never let go." Cue the "awwww" from the audience." The presentation is available on video.
In 2011, Holland was cast in British version of the animation film Arrietty, produced by Japan's cult Studio Ghibli. He has provided voice over for the principal character Sho. In 2012 Tom Holland played the starring role of Isaac in the film "How I lived Now", (directed by Kevin Macdonald) alongside Saoirse Ronan. The film was released in 2013.
On 17 October 2012, Holland became a recipient of Hollywood Spotlight Award for his role in The Impossible. "We are very excited that we will be able to recognize acting talents that are on the road to discovery and stardom," said Carlos de Abreu, founder and executive director of the Hollywood Film Awards in a statement. On 6 December 2012 it was announced that Holland became a winner of the National Board of Review award in the "Breakthrough Actor" category. In the end of December 2012, Holland was voted a winner for the year's Best Youth Performance in Nevada Critics Awards.
In December 2012, Holland received a number of nominations for his role in The Impossible: for the 18th annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards, in the "Best Young Acror/Acress" category; for Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 2012 in the "Most Promising Performer" category; for the 27th Goya Awards in the "Best New Actor" category; for the Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards 2012 in the "Best Youth Performance" category; for the London Film Critics Circle Awards 2012 in the "Young British Performer of the Year" category.
Kristopher Tapley, Editor-at-Large of HitFix, reported on 27 August 2012 that Summit Entertainment, the company responsible for distribution of The Impossible in USA, would be campaigning Holland rather than McGregor as the lead, and strongly argued that Tom Holland deserved to be nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Actor category. The fact of long-listing for an Academy Award was confirmed in the article in the Hollywood Reporter: "And though McGregor stars as his father in the film, Holland has been submitted as the lead actor for awards consideration. Regardless if he receives any nominations, his performance as the strong-willed and determined eldest son is garnering critical acclaim."
As one of the most promising young actors, Holland was featured in Screen International's "UK Stars of Tomorrow - 2012" and in Variety's "Youth Impact Report 2012". Holland has been signed up by William Morris Endeavor (WME) global talent agency and is represented by Curtis Brown literary and talent agency.
In 2015, Tom was cast as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in Sony and Marvel's films. He has played the role in Captain America: Civil War (2016), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), and Avengers: Infinity War (2018).