Aaliyah

 

 

 

Aaliyah

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This article is about the singer. For her self-titled album, see Aaliyah (album).

Aaliyah
Aaliyah in Berlin, Germany, May 2000
Background information
Birth name	Aaliyah Dana Haughton
Born	(1979-01-16)January 16, 1979 Brooklyn, New York City, United States
Origin	Detroit, Michigan, United States
Died	August 25, 2001(2001-08-25) (aged 22) Marsh Harbour, Abaco Islands, The Bahamas
Genres	R&B, pop, hip hop
Occupations	Singer, dancer, actress, model
Years active	1991–2001
Labels	Blackground, Jive, Atlantic, Virgin
Website	aaliyah.com

Aaliyah Dana Haughton (January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001), who performed under the mononym Aaliyah ( /ɑːˈliːə/), was an American recording artist, actress and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of 10, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside Gladys Knight. At age 12, Aaliyah signed with Jive Records and her uncle Barry Hankerson‘s Blackground Records. Hankerson introduced her to R. Kelly, who became her mentor, as well as lead songwriter and producer of her debut album, Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number. The album sold three million copies in the United States and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). After facing allegations of an illegal marriage with R. Kelly, Aaliyah ended her contract with Jive and signed with Atlantic Records.

Aaliyah worked with record producers Timbaland and Missy Elliott for her second album, One in a Million; it sold 3.7 million copies in the United States and over eight million copies worldwide. In 2000, Aaliyah appeared in her first major film, Romeo Must Die. She contributed to the film’s soundtrack, which spawned the single “Try Again“. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 solely on airplay, making Aaliyah the first artist in Billboard history to achieve this feat. “Try Again” earned Aaliyah a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocalist.

After completing Romeo Must Die, Aaliyah filmed her part in Queen of the Damned. She released her third and final album, Aaliyah, in July 2001. On August 25, 2001, Aaliyah and eight others were killed in an airplane crash in The Bahamas after filming the music video for the single “Rock the Boat“. The pilot, Luis Morales III, was unlicensed at the time of the accident and had traces of cocaine and alcohol in his system. Aaliyah’s family later filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Blackhawk International Airways, which was settled out of court. Since then, Aaliyah’s music has continued to achieve commercial success with several posthumous releases. Aaliyah is estimated to have sold 24 to 32 million albums worldwide. She has been credited for helping redefine contemporary R&B and hip hop, earning her the nicknames “Princess of R&B” and “Queen of Urban Pop”. She is listed by Billboard as the tenth most successful female R&B artist of the past 25 years, and 27th most successful R&B artist overall.

Contents  [hide]  1 Life and career 1.1 1979–90: Early life and career beginnings 1.2 1991–95: Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number and marriage 1.3 1996–99: One in a Million 1.4 2000–01: Romeo Must Die and eponymous album 2 Death 2.1 Funeral and wrongful death lawsuit 3 Aftermath 3.1 2001–11: I Care 4 U, canceled film roles and Ultimate Aaliyah 3.2 2012–present: Second posthumous album 4 Artistry 4.1 Voice and timbre 4.2 Musical style and image 5 Legacy 6 Discography 7 Filmography 8 See also 9 Notes 10 References 11 External links

Life and career

1979–90: Early life and career beginnings

Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born on January 16, 1979, in Brooklyn, New York.^[1] Born of African American descent, with Native American heritage from her grandmother,^[2][3] she was the second and younger child of Diane and Michael Haughton.^[2] At a young age, Aaliyah was enrolled in voice lessons by her mother,^[1] and she would perform at weddings, church choir and charity events.^[4] When she was five years old, her family moved to Detroit, Michigan, where she was raised along with her older brother, Rashad.^[5][6] She attended a Catholic school, Gesu Elementary, where she received a part in the stage play Annie in first grade. From then on, she was determined to become an entertainer.^[7] Aaliyah’s mother was a vocalist, and her uncle, Barry Hankerson, was an entertainment lawyer who had been married to Gladys Knight.^[6] As a child, Aaliyah traveled with Knight and worked with an agent in New York to audition for commercials and television programs, including Family Matters; she went on to appear on Star Search at the age of nine.^[1][8] She then auditioned for several record labels and appeared in concerts alongside Knight at age 11.^[6][9]

1991–95: Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number and marriage

After Hankerson signed a distribution deal with Jive Records, he signed Aaliyah to his Blackground Records label at the age of 12.^[10][11] Hankerson later introduced her to recording artist and producer R. Kelly,^[9] who became Aaliyah’s mentor, as well as lead songwriter and producer of the album, which was recorded when she was 14.^[1][11][12] Aaliyah’s debut album, Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number, was released under Jive and Blackground Records; the album debut at number 24 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 74,000 copies in its first week.^[13][14] It ultimately peaked at number 18 on the Billboard 200 and sold over three million copies in the United States, where it was certified two times Platinum by the RIAA.^[14][15][16] In Canada, the album sold over 50,000 copies and was certified gold by the CRIA.^[17] Aaliyah’s debut single, “Back & Forth“, topped the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for three weeks and was certified Gold by the RIAA.^[16][18] The second single, a cover of The Isley Brothers‘ “At Your Best (You Are Love)“, peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and was also certified Gold by the RIAA.^[16][18] The title track, “Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number“, peaked at number 75 on the Hot 100.^[18] Additionally, she released “The Thing I Like” as part of the soundtrack to the 1994 film A Low Down Dirty Shame.^[19]

Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number received generally favorable reviews from music critics. Some writers noted that Aaliyah’s “silky vocals” and “sultry voice” blended with Kelly’s new jack swing helped define R&B in the 1990s.^[20][21] Her sound was also compared to that of female quartet En Vogue.^[20][22] Christopher John Farley of Time magazine described the album as a “beautifully restrained work”, noting that Aaliyah’s “girlish, breathy vocals rode calmly on R. Kelly’s rough beats”.^[23] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic felt that the album had its “share of filler”, but described the singles as “slyly seductive”.^[1] He also claimed that the songs on the album were “frequently better” than that of Kelly’s second studio album, 12 Play.^[1]

With the release of Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number, rumors circulated of a relationship between Aaliyah and R. Kelly.^[9][24] Shortly after, there was speculation about a secret marriage with the release of “Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number” and the adult content that Kelly had written for Aaliyah.^[25] Vibe magazine later revealed a marriage certificate that listed the couple married on August 31, 1994, in Sheraton Gateway Suites in Rosemont, Illinois.^[9][25] Aaliyah, who was 15 at the time, was listed as 18 on the certificate; the illegal marriage was annulled in February 1995 by her parents.^[12][25][26] The pair continued to deny marriage allegations, stating that neither was married.^[24] Aaliyah was engaged to co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records Damon Dash at the time of her death and had plans to marry him after the premiere of The Matrix.^[27]

1996–99: One in a Million

	“If Your Girl Only Knew” (1996) The first single released from her second studio album, “If Your Girl Only Knew” was described as a sassy, organ-infused song.[28] Aaliyah was noted for having “smoother, more seductive, and stronger” singing.[29]
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In 1996, Aaliyah left Jive Records and signed with Atlantic Records.^[9] She worked with record producers Timbaland and Missy Elliott, who contributed to her second studio album, One in a Million.^[6] The album yielded the single “If Your Girl Only Knew“, which topped the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for two weeks.^[18] It also generated the singles “Hot Like Fire” and “4 Page Letter“. The following year, Aaliyah was featured on Timbaland & Magoo‘s debut single, “Up Jumps da Boogie“.^[30] One in a Million peaked at number 18 on the Billboard 200,^[15] selling over 3.7 million copies in the United States and over eight million copies worldwide.^[31][32] The album was certified double platinum by the RIAA on June 16, 1997, denoting shipments of two million copies.^[16]

Aaliyah attended the Detroit High School for the Performing Arts, where she majored in drama and graduated in 1997.^[9][33][34] Aaliyah began her acting career that same year; she played herself in the police drama television series New York Undercover.^[35] During this time, Aaliyah participated in the Children’s Benefit Concert, a charity concert that took place at the Beacon Theatre in New York.^[36] Aaliyah also became the spokesperson for Tommy Hilfiger Corporation.^[37] She contributed on the soundtrack album for the Fox Animation Studios animated feature Anastasia, performing a cover version of “Journey to the Past” which earned songwriters Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Song.^[19][32][38] Aaliyah performed the song at the 1998 Academy Awards ceremony and became the youngest singer to perform at the event.^[39][40] The song “Are You That Somebody?” was featured on the Dr. Dolittle soundtrack, which earned Aaliyah her first Grammy Award nomination.^[41] The song peaked at number 21 on the Hot 100.^[42]

2000–01: Romeo Must Die and eponymous album

In 2000, Aaliyah landed her first major movie role in Romeo Must Die. Aaliyah starred opposite martial artist Jet Li, playing a couple who fall in love amid their warring families. It grossed US$18.6 million in its first weekend, ranking number two at the box office.^[43] In addition to acting, Aaliyah served as an executive producer of the film soundtrack, where she contributed four songs.^[44] “Try Again” was released as a single from the soundtrack; the song topped the Billboard Hot 100, making Aaliyah the first artist to top the chart based solely on airplay; this led the song to be released in a 12″ vinyl and 7″ single.^[18][45] The music video won the Best Female Video and Best Video from a Film awards at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards.^[46] It also earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocalist.^[47] The soundtrack went on to sell 1.5 million copies in the United States.^[48] After completing Romeo Must Die, Aaliyah began to work on her second film, Queen of the Damned. She played the role of an ancient vampire, Queen Akasha, which she described as a “manipulative, crazy, sexual being”.^[11] She was scheduled to film for the sequels of The Matrix as the character Zee.^[9][49]

Her the third and final studio album, Aaliyah, was released on July 17, 2001, under Blackground and Virgin Records. Preparation for the album started in 1998 but, with the filming of martial arts film Romeo Must Die (2000), Aaliyah postponed the recording of the album. Artists Timbaland and Missy Elliott, who were both major contributors on previous album One in a Million, were involved in disagreements with Aaliyah’s label Blackground Records at the time and did not work on the project. Blackground owner Barry Hankerson envisioned another label similar to Bad Boy on the West Coast, and consulted lesser known writers and producers signed to his publishing company. These artists included Bud’da, Jeffrey “J-Dub” Walker, and Rapture, and E. Seats of Keybeats.^[50] Stephen “Static Major” Garrett of the R&B trio Playa, who had written the Aaliyah’s previous singles “Are You That Somebody? and “Try Again“, became involved in the project.^[50] Much of the album was completed in various studios throughout New York City prior to Aaliyah’s trip to Australia for the filming of Queen of the Damned (2002).^[50] While recording process lasted more than a year, most of the tracks were completed by early 2000, when the production team and songwriters had secured recording time at New York Sound King Studios to work on the album together.^[50] In September 2000, Virgin Records flew the group out to Australia, where it spent a month recording the majority of the album at the Sing Sing Studio in Melbourne with Aaliyah.^[50] With three recording studios going simultaneously, producers J-Dub, Bud’da and Keybeats each worked in separate rooms.^[50] During the sessions, Garrett and co-writer Digital Black would move from studio to studio to check each producer’s progress.^[50] At peak periods, they would work on 10 songs at the same time.^[50] With filming ending in Australia in December 2000, production of the album went into full-force in America and Europe.

The first single, “We Need a Resolution“, featured Timbaland and was released in late April in the United States. The song reached number fifty nine on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the issue dated June 9, 2001, and remained on the chart for sixteen weeks. “We Need a Resolution” reached the top 20 of the UK Singles Chart and the top 30 in Canada. The music video was premiered on Much More Music, Black Entertainment Television‘s (BET) 106 & Park and MTV‘s TRL on April 26, 2001. “Rock the Boat“, the second single, was released in early August. Aaliyah started promotion for the expected second single “More Than a Woman”, but the single was pushed back because her label felt “Rock the Boat” was a summer single that needed to be released. “Rock the Boat” was the second single in America while and the third single internationally. On the Billboard Hot 100, the song entered the chart September 8, 2001, at number fifty-seven^[51] and peaked at number 14 in its twelfth week.^[52] The song stayed on the chart for twenty-five weeks.^[53] The third single, “More Than a Woman,” was released in November 2001. Promotion for the single started in July 2001 but was pushed back. In the Billboard Hot 100, the song entered the chart dated issue February 2, 2002, at number seventy-one^[54] and peaked at number twenty-five in its ninth week.^[55] The song stayed in the chart for twenty-four weeks.^[56] The song ranked fifty-eighth on the 2002 year-end chart.^[57] On January 13, 2002, the song became Aaliyah’s only number one hit in the United Kingdom, selling 32,081 copies for that week. It became the first time in UK chart history that a posthumous release had taken over from another posthumous release when the song was replaced by George Harrison‘s “My Sweet Lord“, and the first time that a woman had a posthumous number one single. All together, the single has sold 347,563 copies in the United Kingdom. The song reached the top twenty in Ireland and Switzerland. “I Refuse“, the fourth single (France only), was released as a double A-side single along with “More Than a Woman”. “I Refuse” was a moderate hit, peaking in at 12 its first week in the top 30 in France. “I Care 4 U“, the fifth single (US only), was released on Mother’s Day 2002. It managed to reach number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number three on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.^[18] Although the single was only released in the U.S., the song achieved minor airplay on R&B stations in Europe.

Aaliyah entered the US Billboard 200 and the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums at number two, with 190,000 copies sold in the first week.^[58] Within 5 weeks of the album release it was certified Gold for sales/shipments 500,000 copies in the United States.^[59] In the week of her death (seventh week) the album rose to number one on the Billboard 200 and two on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums with 337,073 copies sold and more than 1,000,000 shipments in the total. As a percentage of sales increased 800%, making the biggest increase in sales in history.^[16][58][60] The album was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, for shipments of 2,000,000 copies in the US.^[16] It also became the third album from Aaliyah to receive the award of multi-platinum.^[16] The album has sold more 2.95 million copies in the US.^{[61][62][63][64][65][66]} The album spent 188 weeks on the Billboard 200.^[67] Physical copies of the album are out of print in the U.S. It is available for download in iTunes. The album debuted at number two on the charts worldwide, with more than 330,000 copies sold. In the week of her death the album rose from number 25 to number 1, with more than 888,000 copies sold.^[16][61][62] Until the release of I Care 4 U (December 2002), the album had sold in excess of 9 million copies worldwide.^[16][61][62] As of December 2008, the album sold more than 13 million copies worldwide (12 million physical copies and 1 million downloads via the Internet). The album is Aaliyah’s highest-selling in the world.^{[14][63][64][65][66]}

Death

On August 25, 2001, at 6:45 pm (EST), Aaliyah and various members of the record company boarded a twin-engine Cessna 402B (registration N8097W) at the Marsh Harbour Airport in Abaco Islands, The Bahamas, to travel to the Opa-locka Airport in Florida, after they completed filming the music video for the single “Rock the Boat“.^[68] They had a flight scheduled the following day, but with filming finishing early, Aaliyah and her entourage were eager to return to the United States and made the decision to leave immediately. The designated airplane was smaller than the Cessna 404 in which they had originally flown. The whole party and all of the equipment were accommodated on board.^[69] As a result, when the aircraft attempted to depart, it was over its maximum takeoff weight by 700 pounds (320 kg) and was carrying one excess passenger, according to its certification.^[70] The plane crashed shortly after takeoff, about 200 feet (60 m) from the runway.^[68] Aaliyah and the eight others on board, pilot Luis Morales III, hair stylist Eric Forman, Anthony Dodd, security guard Scott Gallin, video producer Douglas Kratz, stylist Christopher Maldonado, and Blackground Records employees Keith Wallace and Gina Smith, were all killed.^[71]

According to findings from an inquest, conducted by the coroner’s office in The Bahamas, Aaliyah suffered from “severe burns and a blow to the head”, in addition to severe shock and a weak heart.^[72] The coroner theorized that, even if Aaliyah had survived the crash, her recovery would have been virtually impossible given the severity of her injuries.^[73] The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report stated that “the airplane was seen lifting off the runway, and then nose down, impacting in a marsh on the south side of the departure end of runway 27 and then exploding in flames.”^[74] It indicated that the pilot was not approved to pilot the plane he was attempting to fly. Morales falsely obtained his Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) license by showing hundreds of hours never flown, and he may also have falsified how many hours he had flown in order to get a job with his employer, Blackhawk International Airways.^[75] Additionally, an autopsy performed on Morales revealed traces of cocaine and alcohol in his system.^[76] The NTSB reported that the maximum allowed gross weight of the plane was “substantially exceeded” and that the center of gravity was positioned beyond its rear limit.^[74] John Frank of the Cessna Pilots Association stated that the plane was “definitely overloaded”.^[77]

Funeral and wrongful death lawsuit

The entrance to Ferncliff Cemetery, where Aaliyah is interred in a crypt

Aaliyah’s funeral was held on August 31, 2001, at the Saint Ignatius Loyola Church in New York. Her body was set in a silver casket, which was carried in a glass hearse and was drawn by horse.^[78] An estimated 800 mourners were in attendance of the procession.^[12][79] Among those in attendance at the private ceremony were Missy Elliott, Timbaland, Gladys Knight, Lil’ Kim and Sean Combs.^[78][80][81] After the service, 22 white doves were released to symbolize each year of Aaliyah’s life.^[82] She was interred in a crypt in a private room in the Rosewood Mausoleum at the Ferncliff Cemetery.^[83]

The day of the crash was Morales’ first official day with Blackhawk International Airways, an FAA Part 135 single-pilot operation. Morales was not registered with the FAA to fly for Blackhawk. As a result of the accident, Aaliyah’s parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the company, which was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.^[84] Barry & Sons, Inc., a corporation formed in 1992 to develop, promote and capitalize Aaliyah and to oversee the production and distribution of her records and music videos, brought an unsuccessful lawsuit in the New York Supreme Court against Instinct Productions LLC, the company that was hired in August 2001 to produce the music video for “Rock the Boat”. The case was dismissed because of New York’s wrongful death statute only permitting certain people to recover damages for wrongful death.^[85][86]

Aftermath

2001–11: I Care 4 U, canceled film roles and Ultimate Aaliyah

The week after Aaliyah’s death, her third studio album, Aaliyah, rose from number 19 to number one on the Billboard 200.^[58] “Rock the Boat” was released as a posthumous single. The music video premiered on BET’s Access Granted; it became the most viewed and highest rated episode in the history of the show.^[87] The song peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.^[88] It was also included on the Now That’s What I Call Music! 8 compilation series; a portion of the album’s profits was donated to the Aaliyah Memorial Fund.^[89] The following two singles from Aaliyah, “More than a Woman” and “I Care 4 U“, peaked within the top 25 of the Billboard Hot 100.^[88] The album was certified double Platinum by the RIAA and sold 2.95 million copies in the United States.^[16][64][90] “More than a Woman” reached number one in the UK singles chart making Aaliyah the first deceased artist to reach number one in the UK single chart.^[91] “More than a Woman” was replaced by George Harrison‘s “My Sweet Lord” which is the only time in the UK singles chart history where a dead artist has replaced another dead artist at number one.^[92]

She won two posthumous awards at the American Music Awards of 2002; Favorite Female R&B Artist and Favorite R&B/Soul Album for Aaliyah.^[93] Her second and final film, Queen of the Damned, was released in February 2002. Before its release, Aaliyah’s brother, Rashad, re-dubbed some of her lines during post-production.^[94][95] It grossed US$15.2 million in its first weekend, ranking number one at the box office.^[96] On the first anniversary of Aaliyah’s death, a candlelight vigil was held in Times Square; millions of fans observed a moment of silence; and throughout the United States, radio stations played her music in remembrance.^[97] In December 2002, a collection of previously unreleased material was released as Aaliyah’s first posthumous album, I Care 4 U. A portion of the proceeds was donated to the Aaliyah Memorial Fund, a program that benefits the Revlon UCLA Women Cancer Research Program and Harlem’s Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.^[98] It debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, selling 280,000 copies in its first week.^[61] The album’s lead single, “Miss You“, peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.^[88] In August of the following year, clothing retailer Christian Dior donated profits from sales in honor of Aaliyah.^[99]

Aaliyah was signed to appear in several future films, including Honey (recast to Jessica Alba).^[100] Some Kind of Blue and a Whitney Houston-produced remake of the 1976 film Sparkle were canceled due to Aaliyah’s death.^[3][101] Before her death, Aaliyah had filmed part of her role in The Matrix Reloaded and was scheduled to appear in The Matrix Revolutions as Zee.^[30] The role was later recast to Nona Gaye.^[49] Aaliyah’s scenes were later included in the tribute section of the Matrix Ultimate Collection series.^[102]

In 2005, Aaliyah’s second compilation album, Ultimate Aaliyah was released in the UK by Blackground Records.^[103] Ultimate Aaliyah is a three disc set, which included a greatest hits audio CD and a DVD.^[103] Andy Kellman of Allmusic remarked “Ultimate Aaliyah adequately represents the shortened career of a tremendous talent who benefited from some of the best songwriting and production work by Timbaland, Missy Elliott, and R. Kelly.”^[103] A documentary movie Aaliyah Live in Amsterdam was released in 2011., shortly before the tenth anniversary of Aaliyah’s death. The documentary, by Pogus Caesar, contained previously unseen footage shot of her career beginnings in 1995 when she was appearing in the Netherlands.^[104]

2012–present: Second posthumous album

In 2012 music producer Jeffrey “J-Dub” Walker via twitter said “Just got great news today; the smash unreleased song called “Steady Ground” I produced on #Aaliyah is gonna be on her upcoming album:)”. Walker co-wrote “I Refuse” and “What if” from Aaliyah’s third self-titled album and produced the song “Steady Ground” for her ‘One in a Million’ album. This second proposed posthumous album would feature this song using demo vocals since Walker claims the originals were somehow lost by his sound engineer. However, Walker’s original tweet announcing this event has since been removed, and Aaliyah’s brother, via Twitter, has stated that “no official album [is] being released and supported by the Haughton family.”^[105]

Artistry

Voice and timbre

	“More Than a Woman” (2001) As her albums progressed, music critics felt that Aaliyah had matured, noting a “near-flawless declaration of strength and independence”.[106]
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Aaliyah had the vocal range of a soprano.^[9] With the release of her debut single “Back & Forth“, Dimitri Ehrlich of Entertainment Weekly expressed that Aaliyah’s “silky vocals are more agile than those of self-proclaimed queen of hip-hop soul Mary J. Blige.”^[107] Aaliyah described her sound as “street but sweet”, which featured her “gentle” vocals over a “hard” beat.^[108] Though Aaliyah did not write any of her own material,^[9] her lyrics were described as in-depth.^[109][110] She incorporated R&B, pop and hip hop into her music.^[6][111] Her songs were often uptempo and melancholy, revolving around “matters of the heart”.^[112] Her songs have been said to have “crisp production” and “staccato arrangements” that “extend genre boundaries” while containing “old-school” soul music. When she experimented with other genres, such as Latin pop and heavy metal, critics panned the attempt.^[112] As her albums progressed, writers felt that Aaliyah matured, calling her progress a “declaration of strength and independence”.^[106][110] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic described her eponymous album, Aaliyah, as “a statement of maturity and a stunning artistic leap forward” and called it one of the strongest urban soul records of its time.^[110] She portrayed “unfamiliar sounds, styles and emotions”, but managed to please critics with the contemporary sound it contained.^[110] Ernest Hardy of Rolling Stone felt that Aaliyah reflected a stronger technique, where she gave her best vocal performance.^[113] Others felt that she was “satisfying rather than extraordinary”, stating that she added little to modern R&B.^[114][115]

Musical style and image

As an artist, Aaliyah often voiced that she was inspired by a number of performers. These include Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Sade, En Vogue, Nine Inch Nails, Korn, Prince, Naughty by Nature, Johnny Mathis and Janet Jackson.^[116] Aaliyah expressed that Michael Jackson’s Thriller was her “favorite album” and that “nothing will ever top Thriller.”^[116] She stated that she admired Sade because “she stays true to her style no matter what… she’s an amazing artist, an amazing performer… and I absolutely love her.”^[116] Aaliyah expressed she had always desired to work with Janet Jackson, whom she had drawn frequent comparison to over the course of her career, stating “I admire her a great deal. She’s a total performer… I’d love to do a duet with Janet Jackson.”^{[116][117][118][119]} Jackson reciprocated Aaliyah’s affections, commenting “I’ve loved her from the beginning because she always comes out and does something different, musically.” Jackson also stated she would have enjoyed collaborating with Aaliyah.^[116]

Aaliyah focused on her public image throughout her career. She often wore baggy clothes and sunglasses, stating that she wanted to be herself.^[120] She described her image as being “important… to differentiate yourself from the rest of the pack”.^[121] She often wore black clothing, starting a trend for similar fashion among women in United States and Japan.^[9][122] Aaliyah participated in fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger‘s All America Tour and was featured in Tommy Jean ads, which depicted her in boxer shorts, baggy jeans and a tube top. Hilfiger’s brother, Andy, called it “a whole new look” that was “classy but sexy”.^[122] When she changed her hairstyle, Aaliyah took her mother’s advice to cover her left eye, much like Veronica Lake.^[123] In 1998, she hired a personal trainer to keep in shape, and exercised five days a week and ate diet foods.^[124] Aaliyah was praised for her “clean-cut image” and “moral values”.^[125]

Legacy

Aaliyah has been credited for helping redefine R&B and hip hop in the 1990s, “leaving an indelible imprint on the music industry as a whole.”^[109][126] Steve Huey of Allmusic wrote Aaliyah ranks among the “elite” artists of the R&B genre, as she “played a major role in popularizing the stuttering, futuristic production style that consumed hip-hop and urban soul in the late ’90s.”^[127] Described as one of “R&B’s most important artists” during the 1990s,^[128] her second studio album, One in a Million, became one of the most influential R&B albums of the decade.^[28] According to Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine, Aaliyah provided a “missing link” between hip hop and electronica.^[129] With sales of 8.1 million albums in the United States and an estimated 24 to 32 million albums worldwide,^{[130][131][132]} Aaliyah earned the nicknames “Princess of R&B” and “Queen of Urban Pop”,^[133][134] as she “proved she was a muse in her own right”.^[135] Ernest Hardy of Rolling Stone dubbed her as the “undisputed queen of the midtempo come-on”.^[11] Japanese pop singer Hikaru Utada has said several times that “It was when I heard Aaliyah’s Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number that I got hooked on R&B.”, after which Utada released her debut album First Love with heavy R&B influences.^[136]

Aaliyah was honored at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards by Janet Jackson, Missy Elliott, Timbaland, Ginuwine and her brother, Rashad, who all paid tribute to her.^[137] In the same year, the United States Social Security Administration ranked the name Aaliyah one of the 100 most popular names for newborn girls.^[138] Aaliyah was ranked as one of “The Top 40 Women of the Video Era” in VH1‘s 2003 The Greatest series.^[139][140] She was also ranked at number 18 on BET’s “Top 25 Dancers of All Time”.^[141] Aaliyah appeared on both 2000 and 2001 list of Maxim Hot 100 in position 41 and the latter at 14.^[142][143] In memory of Aaliyah, the Entertainment Industry Foundation created the Aaliyah Memorial Fund to donate money raised to charities she supported.^[144][145] In December 2009, Billboard magazine ranked Aaliyah at number 70 on its Top Artists of the Decade,^[146] while her eponymous album was ranked at number 181 on the magazine’s Top 200 Albums of the Decade.^[147] She is listed by Billboard as the tenth most successful female R&B artist of the past 25 years, and 27th most successful R&B artist overall.^[18]

Discography

Main articles: Aaliyah discography and List of Aaliyah songs

• Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number (1994)
• One in a Million (1996)
• Aaliyah (2001)

Filmography

Film and television credits

Title	Year	Medium	Role	Notes
New York Undercover	1997	TV series	Herself	Season 3, episode 65: “Fade Out“
Romeo Must Die	2000	Feature film	Trish O’Day
Queen of the Damned	2002	Feature film	Queen Akasha	Posthumous release

See also

	Book: Aaliyah
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

• List of artists who reached number one in the United States
• List of awards and nominations received by Aaliyah
• List of fatalities from aviation accidents

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Huey, Steve. “Aaliyah > Biography”. Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p44722. Retrieved November 8, 2008. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Sutherland 2005, p. 1
3. ^ ^{a b} “Vibe Magazine’s Emil Wilbekin: Remembering Aaliyah”. CNN. August 27, 2001. Archived from the original on 16 June 2009. http://archives.cnn.com/2001/COMMUNITY/08/27/welbekin.cnna/index.html. Retrieved May 6, 2009. 
4. ^ Sutherland 2005, p. 9
5. ^ Kenyatta 2002, p. 3
6. ^ ^{a b c d e} Bogdanov, Vladimir; Woodstra, Chris; Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2002). All Music Guide to Rock. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 1. ISBN 0-87930-653-X. 
7. ^ Farley 2002, p. 23
8. ^ Sutherland 2005, p. 15
9. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} Perrone, Pierre (August 27, 2001). “Aaliyah – Obituaries, News”. The Independent (London: Independent News & Media). Archived from the original on June 6, 2010. http://web.archive.org/web/20100606064412/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/aaliyah-755377.html. Retrieved April 4, 2009. 
10. ^ Farley 2002, p. 35
11. ^ ^{a b c d} “Aaliyah”. The Daily Telegraph (London: Telegraph Media Group). November 22, 2001. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1338606/Aaliyah.html. Retrieved May 10, 2009. 
12. ^ ^{a b c} “Aaliyah: Latest Victim of Crashes That Cut Short Fame – Obituary”. Ebony (FindArticles). November 2001. Archived from the original on 6 May 2009. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1077/is_1_57/ai_79515051/. Retrieved May 10, 2009. 
13. ^ “Billboard 200 – Week of June 11, 1994”. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. Archived from the original on 1 May 2010. http://www.billboard.com/#/charts/billboard-200?chartDate=1994-06-11&order=gainer. Retrieved May 1, 2010. 
14. ^ ^{a b c} “Aaliyah’s Profile”. SS Music. Archived from the original on September 6, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070906100607/http://www.ssmusic.tv/artist_profile.php?Opt=2. Retrieved July 6, 2010. 
15. ^ ^{a b} “Artist Chart History – Aaliyah – Albums”. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. Archived from the original on 2 August 2009. http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/aaliyah/chart-history/36610?f=305&g=Albums. Retrieved July 23, 2009. 
16. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} “RIAA – Gold & Platinum”. Recording Industry Association of America. http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=aaliyah&sort=Artist&perPage=25. Retrieved April 14, 2009. 
17. ^ “Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA): Certfication Results”. Canadian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 1 June 2009. http://www.cria.ca/cert_db_search.php. Retrieved May 17, 2009. 
18. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} “Chart Beat Bonus”. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. August 31, 2001. Archived from the original on 2 August 2009. http://www.billboard.com/#/news/chart-beat-bonus-1036092.story. Retrieved July 23, 2009. 
19. ^ ^{a b} Farley 2002, p. 103
20. ^ ^{a b} Ehrlich, Dimitri (June 17, 1994). “Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number – Music Review”. Entertainment Weekly (Time). Archived from the original on 21 April 2009. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,302670,00.html. Retrieved May 17, 2009. 
21. ^ Cinquemani, Sal (2001). “Aaliyah: Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number”. Slant. Archived from the original on 9 May 2009. http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=424. Retrieved May 17, 2009. 
22. ^ Brackett & Hoard 2004, p. 1
23. ^ Farley, Christopher John (August 26, 2001). “Siren of Subtlety”. Time (Time). http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,172511,00.html. Retrieved September 14, 2009. 
24. ^ ^{a b} Kenyatta 2002, p. 25
25. ^ ^{a b c} “R. Kelly: Indecent Proposal”. Vibe. Vibe Media Group. September 18, 2008. http://www.vibe.com/news/online_exclusives/2008/09/rkelly_day_part3/. Retrieved May 14, 2009. ^{[dead link]}
26. ^ Anees, Saira; Kramer, Carolyn (January 29, 2008). “Gone Before 30: Stars Who Died Young”. ABC News. http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/Story?id=4174733. Retrieved September 14, 2009. 
27. ^ Calloway, Sway; Hiatt, Brian; Kroft, Ryan (August 28, 2001). “Damon Dash Says Every Day with Aaliyah Was Special”. MTV News. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1448466/boyfriend-damon-dash-recalls-aaliyah.jhtml. Retrieved March 16, 2012. 
28. ^ ^{a b} Cinquemani, Sal (2001). “Aaliyah: One in a Million”. Slant. http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/aaliyah-one-in-a-million/415. Retrieved January 3, 2010. 
29. ^ Stanley, Leo. “One in a Million – Overview”. Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r239065. Retrieved June 21, 2009. 
30. ^ ^{a b} “Singer Aaliyah, Eight Others Die in Plane Crash in Bahamas”. Jet (Johnson Publishing Company): 56. September 10, 2001. ISSN 0021-5996. http://books.google.com/?id=-7QDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA1. Retrieved June 21, 2009. 
31. ^ ., . (August 25, 2010). “Aaliyah:”. Univision (Univision). Archived from the original on 28 October 2010. http://musica.univision.com/fotos/slideshow/2010-08-25/aaliyah-a-nueve-anos-de-su-muerte. Retrieved September 17, 2010. 
32. ^ ^{a b} Simmonds 2008, p. 454
33. ^ Jones, Steve (August 28, 2001). “Aaliyah: A life in the spotlight, lost far too early”. USA Today (Gannett Company). http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/2001-08-25-aaliyah.htm. Retrieved June 11, 2009. 
34. ^ Farley 2002, p. 77
35. ^ Sutherland 2005, p. 79
36. ^ Sutherland 2005, p. 128
37. ^ Reid, Shaheem; Schumacher-Rasmussen, Eric; Horn, Teri van (August 27, 2001). “Hard-Working Aaliyah Packed Hit Albums, Movies into Short Life”. MTV News. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1448431/aaliyahs-short-productive-life.jhtml. Retrieved March 17, 2012. 
38. ^ “Academy Award nominations in full”. London: BBC News. February 10, 1998. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/55317.stm. Retrieved September 8, 2009. 
39. ^ “Singer Aaliyah, Eight Others Die in Plane Crash in Bahamas”. Jet (FindArticles). September 10, 2001. Archived from the original on 2 May 2009. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_13_100/ai_78545740/. Retrieved May 10, 2009. 
40. ^ “Remembering Aaliyah”. Black Entertainment Television. http://www.bet.com/Music/photos/msc_photos_RememberingAaliyah.htm?i=6. Retrieved August 26, 2010. ^{[dead link]}
41. ^ “Nine Things We’ll Never Forget About Aaliyah”. Billboard. Nielsen SoundScan. August 25, 2010. http://www.billboard.com/features/nine-things-we-ll-never-forget-about-aaliyah-1004111317.story#/features/nine-things-we-ll-never-forget-about-aaliyah-1004111317.story. Retrieved March 17, 2012. 
42. ^ “Aaliyah Album & Song Chart History”. Billboard. Nielsen Company. http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/aaliyah/chart-history/36610. Retrieved March 17, 2012. 
43. ^ Wolk, Josh (March 26, 2000). “‘Romeo’ and Julia”. Entertainment Weekly (Time). http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,85088,00.html. Retrieved May 10, 2009. 
44. ^ Pareles, Jon (August 27, 2001). “Aaliyah, 22, Singer Who First Hit the Charts at 14”. The New York Times (The New York Times Company). http://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/27/arts/aaliyah-22-singer-who-first-hit-the-charts-at-14.html. Retrieved May 10, 2009. 
45. ^ Bronson, Fred (2003). The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits. Billboard Books. p. 896. ISBN 0-8230-7677-6. 
46. ^ “MTV Video Music Awards: The winners”. London: BBC News. September 8, 2000. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/915759.stm. Retrieved May 21, 2009. 
47. ^ “R&B’s Aaliyah dies in plane crash”. London: BBC News. August 26, 2001. Archived from the original on 23 June 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1510034.stm. Retrieved May 21, 2009. 
48. ^ Hall, Rashaun (July 20, 2001). “Aaliyah Returns to Music”. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. Archived from the original on 2 August 2009. http://www.billboard.com/#/news/aaliyah-returns-to-music-963309.story. Retrieved July 23, 2009. 
49. ^ ^{a b} Goodman, Abbey (April 11, 2002). “Aaliyah’s ‘Matrix’ Role to Be Given to Nona Gaye”. MTV News. Archived from the original on 31 March 2009. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1453366/20020411/gaye_nona.jhtml. Retrieved April 14, 2009. 
50. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h} “Exclusive: The Producers of Aaliyah Take Us Behind the Scenes Into Making of This Classic”. YouKnowIGotSoul.com. 2011-05-28. http://youknowigotsoul.com/?p=11345. Retrieved 2011-06-24. 
51. ^ Chart Listing For The Week Of Sep 08 2001 – Aaliyah – Rock the Boat^{[dead link]}
52. ^ Chart Listing For The Week Of Nov 24 2001 – Aaliyah – Rock the Boat^{[dead link]}
53. ^ Chart Listing For The Week Of Feb 23 2002 – Aaliyah – Rock the Boat^{[dead link]}
54. ^ Chart Listing For The Week Of Feb 02 2002 – Aaliyah – More than a Woman^{[dead link]}
55. ^ Chart Listing For The Week Of Mar 30 2002 – Aaliyah – More than a Woman^{[dead link]}
56. ^ Chart Listing For The Week Of Jul 13 2002 – Aaliyah – More than a Woman^{[dead link]}
57. ^ More than a Woman – Aaliyah – 2002 Year-end Chart position^{[dead link]}
58. ^ ^{a b c} Martens, Todd (September 6, 2001). “Aaliyah Posthumously Tops Album Chart”. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. http://www.billboard.com/#/news/aaliyah-posthumously-tops-album-chart-1046803.story. Retrieved July 23, 2009. 
59. ^ “AaliyahRemembered2”. Aaliyahremembered2.homestead.com. http://aaliyahremembered2.homestead.com/biography.html. Retrieved 2012-03-31. 
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61. ^ ^{a b c d} Martens, Todd (December 18, 2002). “Holiday Sales Keep Shania ‘Up’ On Top”. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. http://www.billboard.com/#/news/holiday-sales-keep-shania-up-on-top-1780686.story. Retrieved July 23, 2009. 
62. ^ ^{a b c} “Folha Online – BBC – Piloto de avião com Aaliyah havia consumido cocaína – 17/07/2002 13h15”. .folha.uol.com.br. 2002-07-17. http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/bbc/ult272u12711.shtml. Retrieved 2012-03-31. 
63. ^ ^{a b} “A morte precoce de Aaliyah”. YouTube. 2009-09-22. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_7JtBPhFSM. Retrieved 2012-03-31. 
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65. ^ ^{a b} [1]^{[dead link]}
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68. ^ ^{a b} Schumacher-Rasmussen, Eric (August 26, 2001). “Aaliyah Killed in Plane Crash”. MTV News. Archived from the original on 18 April 2009. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1448402/20010826/aaliyah.jhtml. Retrieved April 9, 2009. 
69. ^ Sutherland 2005, p. 119
70. ^ Moss, Corey (July 16, 2002). “Cocaine, Alcohol Found In Pilot Of Aaliyah’s Plane”. MTV News. Archived from the original on 23 June 2009. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1456119/20020716/aaliyah.jhtml. Retrieved June 17, 2009. 
71. ^ “U.S. investigators to probe Aaliyah crash”. CNN. August 27, 2001. Archived from the original on 13 April 2009. http://archives.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/Music/08/26/death.aaliyah/. Retrieved April 8, 2009. 
72. ^ “Coroner Delivers Verdict Over Aaliyah Death Crash”. NME. November 20, 2003. http://www.nme.com/news/aaliyah/15575. Retrieved March 5, 2010. 
73. ^ “Bahamas Coroner delivers verdict in Aaliyah death crash”. Caribbean News. Caribbean Net News. November 21, 2003. Archived from the original on January 27, 2004. http://web.archive.org/web/20040127093955/http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/2003/11/21/aaliyah.htm. Retrieved February 7, 2007. 
74. ^ ^{a b} NTSB Identification: MIA01RA225 (Report). National Transportation Safety Board. http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief2.aspx?ev_id=20010907X01905&ntsbno=MIA01RA225&akey=1. Retrieved June 11, 2009. 
75. ^ Simmonds 2008, p. 455
76. ^ Holguin, Jaime (November 11, 2003). “Aaliyah Crash Pilot Was On Cocaine”. CBS News. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/11/19/entertainment/main584494.shtml. Retrieved April 7, 2009. 
77. ^ Schumacher-Rasmussen, Eric (August 31, 2001). “Report Shows Aaliyah’s Plane Was Overloaded”. MTV News. Archived from the original on 2 June 2009. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1448577/20010831/aaliyah.jhtml. Retrieved July 2, 2009. 
78. ^ ^{a b} “Hundreds Say Good-Bye to Aaliyah”. CBS News. August 26, 2001. Archived from the original on 19 January 2010. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/08/26/entertainment/main308179.shtml. Retrieved February 2, 2010. 
79. ^ Miliano, Lou (August 31, 2001). “Hundreds Say Good-Bye To Aaliyah”. CBS News. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/08/26/entertainment/main308179.shtml. Retrieved April 24, 2009. 
80. ^ Lopez, Molly (January 25, 2008). “Frank E. Campbell’s Service to the Stars”. People. Time. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20173693,00.html. Retrieved August 8, 2010. 
81. ^ “In Pictures: Adieu to Aaliyah”. BBC News. August 31, 2001. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1519692.stm. Retrieved August 8, 2010. 
82. ^ Reid, Shaheem (August 31, 2001). “Fans, Artists Pay Last Respects To Aaliyah”. MTV News. Archived from the original on 1 June 2009. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1448581/20010831/aaliyah.jhtml. Retrieved June 17, 2009. 
83. ^ Silverman, Stephen M. (August 31, 2001). “Friday: Funeral, Memorial for Aaliyah”. People. Time. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,622609,00.html. Retrieved July 2, 2009. 
84. ^ Silverman, Stephen M. (August 26, 2002). “Aaliyah Remembered One Year Later”. People. Time. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,624572,00.html. Retrieved April 4, 2009. 
85. ^ Rashbaum, Alyssa (January 7, 2005). “Aaliyah’s Label Can’t Sue Video Producer Who Booked Ill-Fated Flight”. MTV News. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1495396/20050107/aaliyah.jhtml. Retrieved June 17, 2009. 
86. ^ Sullivan, J. (January 6, 2005). Barry & Sons, Inc. v Instinct Prods. LLC (Report). New York State Law Reporting Bureau. http://www.courts.state.ny.us/reporter/3dseries/2005/2005_00096.htm. Retrieved June 11, 2009. 
87. ^ “Complex’s Wifey Hall of Fame: Aaliyah”. Complex. Complex Media Network. August 25, 2009. http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/08/25/complexs-wifey-hall-of-fame-aaliyah/. Retrieved August 28, 2009. 
88. ^ ^{a b c} “Aaliyah = Charts & Awards”. Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p44722. Retrieved July 23, 2009. 
89. ^ Jeckell, Barry A. (November 16, 2001). “‘NOW! 8’ Dedicated to Aaliyah”. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. Archived from the original on 2 August 2009. http://www.billboard.com/#/news/now-8-dedicated-to-aaliyah-1108342.story. Retrieved July 23, 2009. 
90. ^ “The Decade in Music: Top 50 Moments”. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. Archived from the original on 11 December 2010. http://www.billboard.com/news/the-decade-in-music-top-50-moments-1004055326.story#/news/the-decade-in-music-top-50-moments-page-1004055327.story. Retrieved January 7, 2011. 
91. ^ “Posthumous number one for Aaliyah”. BBC News. January 13, 2001. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1758494.stm. Retrieved April 7, 2011. 
92. ^ “George Harrison tops chart again”. BBC News. January 20, 2002. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1772133.stm. Retrieved March 18, 2012. 
93. ^ D’Angelo, Joe (January 10, 2002). “Alicia Keys, Destiny’s Child, Aaliyah Excel At AMAs”. MTV News. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1451722/20020110/keys_alicia.jhtml. Retrieved April 9, 2009. 
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99. ^ “Aaliyah Honoured By Dior”. Vogue. Condé Nast Publications. 2003-08-05. http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/daily/2003-08/030805-aaliyah-honoured-by-dior.aspx?DisplayComments=true. Retrieved April 24, 2009. 
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102. ^ Sutherland 2005, p. 101
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106. ^ ^{a b} Farley 2002, p. 6
107. ^ Ehrlich, Dimitri (June 17, 1994). “Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number – Music Review”. Entertainment Weekly (Time). Archived from the original on 21 April 2009. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,302670,00.html. Retrieved April 4, 2009. 
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109. ^ ^{a b} Cinquemani, Sal (2001). “Slant Magazine Music Review: Aaliyah: Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number”. Slant. http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/aaliyah-age-aint-nothing-but-a-number/414. Retrieved April 4, 2009. 
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111. ^ Sutherland 2005, p. 168
112. ^ ^{a b} Seymour, Craig (June 23, 2001). “Aaliyah – Music Review”. Entertainment Weekly (Time). http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,168502~4~~aaliyah,00.html. Retrieved April 4, 2009. 
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116. ^ ^{a b c d e} Sutherland 2005, pp. 8–10
117. ^ Drennen, Eileen M.; Murray, Sonia; Hamilton, Doug; Dollar, Steve; Henry, Derrick; Janich, Kathy; DeVault, Russ (August 9, 1996). “Home Entertainment The Latest In Music, Videos And Books New Music Mini Reviews Review”. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Cox Enterprises): p. G.06. “Actually, she’s a streetwise Jackson with a far more soulful song selection. The gritty beats just don’t stop on ‘One in a Million,’ which, a la Jackson, has one track after another aching for sensual choreography.” 
118. ^ Johnson, Connie (September 28, 1996). “Aaliyah’s Spirit Sounds Like a ‘Million'”. Los Angeles Times (Tribune Company): p. 8. ISSN 0458-3035. “Kelly, who produced Aaliyah’s 1994 hits ‘Back and Forth’ and ‘At Your Best (You Are Love),’ took a girl with admittedly thin vocal chops—but a truckload of poise and precocity—and turned her into the most convincing studio-produced marvel this side of ‘Control’-era Janet Jackson.” 
119. ^ Wiltz, Teresa (July 22, 2001). “Aaliyah’s Peek Performance”. The Washington Post (The Washington Post Company): p. G.02. ISSN 0190-8286. “Aaliyah is a contemporary of those other barely post-adolescent R&B crooners, from Mya to Monica to Brandy et al. But with her edge and attitude—not to mention dance skills—the 21-year-old actually has more in common with Janet Jackson.” 
120. ^ Sutherland 2005, p. 51
121. ^ Sutherland 2005, p. 52
122. ^ ^{a b} Sutherland 2005, p. 53
123. ^ Sutherland 2005, p. 54
124. ^ Sutherland 2005, p. 50
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127. ^ Huey, Steve (2009). “Aaliyah: Biography”. Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p44722. Retrieved June 22, 2009. 
128. ^ Bush, John. “I Care 4 U – Overview”. Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r620051. Retrieved July 1, 2009. 
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130. ^ Caulfield, Keith (December 12, 2008). “Ask Billboard: ‘Titanic,’ Mid-’90s Singers, Tori Amos”. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. http://www.billboard.com/news/ask-billboard-titanic-mid-90s-singers-tori-1003921966.story#/news/ask-billboard-titanic-mid-90s-singers-tori-1003921966.story. Retrieved October 18, 2010. ^{[dead link]}
131. ^ Eliot, Marc (2008). Song of Brooklyn: An Oral History of America’s Favorite Borough. Random House. p. 38. ISBN 0-7679-2014-7. 
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133. ^ Sutherland 2005, p. 21
134. ^ “Ep. 166 | Aaliyah | Behind The Music | Episode Summary, Highlights, and Recaps”. VH1.com. http://www.vh1.com/shows/behind_the_music/episode.jhtml?episodeID=54581. Retrieved 2012-03-31. 
135. ^ Seymour, Craig (December 13, 2002). “I Care 4 U”. Entertainment Weekly (Time). http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,396798,00.html. Retrieved July 1, 2009. 
136. ^ “Hikki’s Website”. EMI. http://www.emimusic.jp/hikki/gallery/main02_e.htm. Retrieved March 18, 2012. 
137. ^ D’Angelo, Joe (September 6, 2001). “Janet, Missy, Others Honor Aaliyah During VMAs”. MTV News. Archived from the original on 1 June 2009. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1448717/20010906/aaliyah.jhtml. Retrieved June 17, 2009. 
138. ^ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide: Completely Revised and Updated 4th Edition. Simon & Schuster. p. 1. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. 
139. ^ “The Greatest – Ep. 71 ’50 Greatest Women of the Video Era'”. VH1. http://www.vh1.com/shows/the_greatest/episode.jhtml?episodeID=66355. Retrieved June 15, 2009. 
140. ^ “Madonna Tops the List as VH1 Counts Down Music’s ‘100 Sexiest Artists’ In Five-Hour, Five Night Special, Premiering September 23–27 at 10:00 P.M. (ET/PT)”. PR Newswire. September 19, 2003. http://prnewswire.vn/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/09-19-2002/0001803079. Retrieved June 15, 2009. 
141. ^ “Top 25 Dancers”. Black Entertainment Television. February 1, 2008. http://www.bet.com/OnTV/BETShows/top25dancers.htm. Retrieved June 15, 2009. ^{[dead link]}
142. ^ “The 2000 Hot 100 List”. Maxim. Alpha Media Group. http://www.maxim.com/funny/the-2000-hot-100-list. Retrieved March 18, 2012. 
143. ^ “The 2001 Hot 100 List”. Maxim. Alpha Media Group. http://www.maxim.com/funny/the-2001-hot-100-list. Retrieved March 18, 2012. 
144. ^ Endrst, James (August 4, 2003). “Celebs party in Aaliyah’s honor”. USA Today (Gannett Company). http://www.usatoday.com/life/2003-08-04-aaliyah_x.htm. Retrieved June 17, 2009. 
145. ^ Sutherland 2005, p. 205
146. ^ “Best of the 2000s – Artists of the Decade”. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. Archived from the original on 11 May 2010. http://www.billboard.com/#/charts-decade-end/artists-of-the-decade?year=2009&begin=61&order=position. Retrieved May 11, 2010. 
147. ^ “Best of the 2000s – Billboard 200 Albums”. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. http://www.billboard.com/#/charts-decade-end/billboard-200-albums?year=2009&begin=181&order=position. Retrieved December 16, 2009. 

References

• Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide: Completely Revised and Updated 4th Edition. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. 
• Farley, John (2002). Aaliyah: More Than a Woman. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-7434-5566-5. 
• Kenyatta, Kelly (2002). An R&B Princess in Words and Pictures. Amber Books Publishing. ISBN 0-9702224-3-2. 
• Simmonds, Jeremy (2008). The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 1-55652-754-3. 
• Sutherland, William (2005). Aaliyah Remembered. Trafford Publishing. ISBN 1-4120-5062-6. ^{[unreliable source?]}

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Aaliyah

• Official website
• Aaliyah at the Internet Movie Database
• Aaliyah collected news and commentary at The New York Times

[hide] v t e Aaliyah   Discography Songs Awards and nominations   Studio albums Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number One in a Million Aaliyah   Compilation albums I Care 4 U Ultimate Aaliyah   Singles “Back & Forth“ “At Your Best (You Are Love)“ “Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number“ “Down with the Clique“ “The Thing I Like“ “Are You Ready?“ “If Your Girl Only Knew“ “Got to Give It Up“ “One in a Million“ “4 Page Letter“ “Hot like Fire“ “The One I Gave My Heart To“ “Journey to the Past“ “Are You That Somebody?“ “I Don’t Wanna“ “Try Again“ “Come Back in One Piece“ “We Need a Resolution“ “Rock the Boat“ “More than a Woman“ “I Refuse“ “I Care 4 U“ “Miss You“ “Don’t Know What to Tell Ya“ “Come Over“ “Are You Feelin’ Me?“   Other songs “Where Could He Be?”   Filmography Romeo Must Die (2000) Queen of the Damned (2002)   Related topics I Care 4 U (DVD) Blackground Records   Book:Aaliyah Category:Aaliyah Portal:R&B and Soul Music

Authority control: LCCN: no99012418 | WorldCat

Persondata
Name	Aaliyah
Alternative names	Haughton, Aaliyah Dana
Short description	Singer, dancer, actress, model
Date of birth	January 16, 1979
Place of birth	Brooklyn, New York City, United States
Date of death	August 25, 2001
Place of death	Marsh Harbour, Abaco Islands, The Bahamas

 

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Queen of the Damned (film)

 

 

Queen of the Damned (film)

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Queen of the Damned
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Michael Rymer
Produced by	Jorge Saralegui
Written by	Scott Abbott Michael Petroni
Based on	The Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice
Starring	Aaliyah Stuart Townsend Marguerite Moreau Paul McGann Vincent Pérez Lena Olin
Music by	Richard Gibbs Jonathan Davis
Cinematography	Ian Baker
Editing by	Dany Cooper
Studio	Village Roadshow Pictures
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date(s)	February 22, 2002 (2002-02-22) (United States) April 4, 2002 (2002-04-04) (Australia)
Running time	101 minutes
Country	United States Australia
Language	English
Budget	$35 million[1]
Box office	$45,479,110[1]

Queen of the Damned is a 2002 vampire horror film and a loose adaptation of the third novel of Anne Rice‘s The Vampire Chronicles series, The Queen of the Damned, although the film contains many plot elements from the latter novel’s predecessor, The Vampire Lestat. It stars Aaliyah as the vampire queen Akasha, and Stuart Townsend as the vampire Lestat. Queen of the Damned was released six months after Aaliyah’s death and is dedicated to her memory.

Contents  [hide]  1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Development 4 Production 5 Soundtracks 6 Release 6.1 Author’s reaction 6.2 Public and critical reaction 6.3 Allan Menzies 7 References 8 External links

[edit] Plot

Vampire Lestat is awakened from decades of slumber by the sound of a Nu Metal band, which he proceeds to take over as lead singer. Achieving international success and planning a massive live concert, Lestat is approached by Marius, and warned that the vampires of the world will not tolerate his flamboyant public profile.

Jesse Reeves, a researcher for the paranormal studies group Talamasca, is intrigued by Lestat’s lyrics and tells the rest of the group her theory that he really is a vampire. Her mentor takes her aside and tells her they know he is and that a vampire called Marius made him.^[2] He also shows her Lestat’s journal that he recovered and is now in the Talamasca library. In a flashback to his origins, Lestat recalls how he awoke Akasha, the first vampire, with his music. Jesse tracks him down to a London vampire club where he confronts her, and she follows him to Los Angeles for the concert, where she gives him his journal. Shortly after they leave London. Akasha, awakened by Lestat’s new music, arrives and torches the club, and all the vampires inside, who want Lestat dead.

At the concert in Death Valley, a mob of vampires attack Lestat and Marius. Akasha bursts through the stage and takes Lestat with her as her new King. Empowered by Akasha’s blood, Lestat and the Queen confront the Ancient Vampires at the home of Maharet, Jesse’s aunt, who is an Ancient Vampire herself. The Ancient Vampires were planning to kill Akasha, to save the human world from demise. Akasha then commands Lestat to kill Jesse. Lestat ostensibly obeys but then turns and begins to drain Akasha’s blood with the help of the Ancients. Mael and Pandora are killed by Akasha’s power, and Armand is almost killed, but is saved as her powers diminish. Maharet is the last to drink Akasha’s blood, and thereby ends up becoming a marble ‘statue’. Lestat then turns and walks to where Jesse is lying lifeless, and cradling her in his arms, gives her his blood, turning her into a vampire. Jesse, now a vampire, and Lestat then return the journal to the Talamasca, and walk away, among mortals, into the night. As they exit, Marius enters the Talamasca.

The film closes with a scene of David reading the journal as Marius’s voice catches his attention, cheerfully saying, “Hello, David.”

[edit] Cast

• Aaliyah as Queen Akasha
• Stuart Townsend as Lestat de Lioncourt
• Marguerite Moreau as Jesse Reeves
  • Richael Tanner as young Jesse
• Vincent Perez as Marius de Romanus
• Paul McGann as David Talbot
• Lena Olin as Maharet
• Christian Manon as Mael
• Claudia Black as Pandora
• Bruce Spence as Khayman
• Matthew Newton as Armand
• Tiriel Mora as Roger
• Megan Dorman as Maudy
• Johnathan Devoy as James
• Robert Farnham as Alex
• Conrad Standish as T.C.
• Andrew L. Urban as Himself
• Jonathan Davis as Ticket scalper

[edit] Development

Warner Bros. had acquired the film rights to several of Anne Rice‘s novels — the first three Vampire Chronicles and The Mayfair Witches trilogy^[3] — after a 1988 takeover of Lorimar Productions. An eventual adaptation of Interview with the Vampire (directed by Neil Jordan and produced by David Geffen) was released in 1994, although not without controversy, particularly over fan reaction to the casting of Tom Cruise as Lestat, an objection initially shared by Anne Rice which she subsequently recanted after seeing the finished film.

After the commercial and critical success of Interview, Neil Jordan began initial development of the novel’s sequel, The Vampire Lestat, although this went nowhere.

As the rights to the novels would revert to Anne Rice at the end of 2000, initial story meetings to adapt one or both of the remaining Vampire Chronicles began in 1998. The decision was made early to substantially rewrite the plot, and to base most of the movie on the third book: The Vampire Lestat was considered too broad and episodic for a two-hour feature film, although the novel’s setup of Lestat’s awakening and career as a rock star was used. It was also decided to focus on Lestat as the primary character, and the back story of Akasha and the Story of the Twins were omitted, despite these being virtually central to the plot of the novel.^[4]

Displeased with the lack of progress, and more particularly with the studio’s lack of consultation with her over the script development, author Anne Rice wrote a critical reply to a fan’s question about the film in 1998:^[5]

“The key factor is that the entire vampire contract terminates in the year 2000. All the properties revert back to me at that time, unless production commences—principal photography that is—before then. I don’t think it is possible for Warner Bros. to develop anything in that amount of time.”

“They have not been receptive to me or to my ideas at all.”

“Not very long ago, less than a year ago in fact, I begged the executives there to let me write a script for THE VAMPIRE LESTAT for union scale (the Writers Guild won’t let you write it for free) and a deferred payment not due until release of the picture. They simply weren’t interested. It was very painful for me, as I had been talking to a new director they’d hired and we were both excited about the idea.

“I felt snubbed and hurt and have not bothered to approach them since. The young director is supposed to be developing THE QUEEN OF THE DAMNED which I think is a bad idea, and basically a doomed project.

“In spite of their showing no interest in me as the screen writer, they have not been able to find one themselves for this bizarre idea of THE QUEEN OF THE DAMNED. I’m not too surprised. I think any respectable script writer would be crazy to tackle that novel without having fully developed the background story of Lestat. Anyway, that is where it is.”

Over the course of 1999, the script was developed by TV screenwriter Scott Abbott and Australian writer/director Michael Petroni. Another Australian, Michael Rymer, was confirmed to direct. Rymer suggested the film be shot in his home town of Melbourne, which would save considerably on production costs.

The first actor cast was R&B singer Aaliyah (who had made her film debut in Romeo Must Die) as Akasha, the eponymous Queen of the Damned. The search for an actor to play Lestat took much longer – the idea of Tom Cruise reprising the role was considered but dismissed – although front runners included Wes Bentley, Josh Hartnett and Heath Ledger. Irish actor Stuart Townsend assumed the role in 2000, and the final cast included Vincent Perez as Marius, Paul McGann as David Talbot, Lena Olin as Maharet and Marguerite Moreau as Jesse Reeves. Australian actors included Claudia Black as Pandora and Matthew Newton as Armand.

[edit] Production

With a large cast of international and Australian actors, Queen of the Damned began principal photography on October 2, 2000 in a former biscuit factory converted into a studio in the Melbourne suburb of St. Albans. Location filming took place around the city of Melbourne, although some filming was done in Los Angeles. For the scenes of Lestat’s concert in Death Valley, over 3000 goths were recruited from Melbourne nightclubs and on the internet, then driven on a fleet of buses to a quarry in Werribee to act as extras.

[edit] Soundtracks

Main article: Queen of the Damned (soundtrack)

The songs for Lestat’s band were written and performed by Jonathan Davis of the band Korn and Richard Gibbs, although Davis’s contractual commitments to Sony BMG meant that his vocals could not appear on the soundtrack album. Instead, the vocals were re-recorded by other musicians for the soundtrack release: Wayne Static of Static-X (“Not Meant for Me”), David Draiman of Disturbed (“Forsaken”), Chester Bennington of Linkin Park (“System”), Marilyn Manson (“Redeemer”), and Jay Gordon of Orgy (“Slept So Long”). During the end credits “Not Meant For Me” is played. It is Jonathan Davis’ version although the credits credit it as the Wayne Static version from the album.

Davis also made a small cameo in the film; when Jesse arrives in Los Angeles, a scalper (Jonathan Davis) attempts to sell her tickets to Lestat’s show.

The soundtrack also contains other songs featured in the film: “Body Crumbles” by Dry Cell, “Cold” by Static-X, “Dead Cell” by Papa Roach, “Excess” by Tricky, “Headstrong” by Earshot, “Penetrate” by Godhead, “Down With the Sickness” by Disturbed, “Change (In the House of Flies)” by Deftones and “Before I’m Dead” by Kidneythieves.

The score for the film was also composed by Gibbs and Davis. Both the rock soundtrack and score were released as albums in 2002.

Frank Fitzpatrick and Rich Dickerson were the Music Supervisors for the film and the soundtrack album.^[6]

The original studio recording of “Careless” was written and produced by Davis and Gibbs during the Queen of the Damned sessions, all vocals by Davis, keyboards by Gibbs, guitars by Munky, Head, and Davis, and drums by Vinnie Colaiuta.

[edit] Release

[edit] Author’s reaction

By July 2001, author Anne Rice had mellowed her previous stance on the film, much as she had with Interview. When asked about the film’s progress, she answered:^[7]

“Everything I hear about the movie is good. Warner Bros. is extremely enthusiastic. They are working very hard to make it perfect. I have no real news. Let me repeat what I mentioned in a recent message. I met Stuart Townsend, the young man who is playing Lestat and he was absolutely charming. He had Lestat’s excellent speaking voice and his feline grace. I cannot wait to see him in the film.”

By late 2001, Rice had seen the completed film and was sufficiently satisfied to allow her name to be used on promotional materials,^[8] although she later became disillusioned about it and dismissed the film in 2003, stating that a television series format would be more suited to her work.^[9]

On her Facebook page, any time the subject is brought up, she repeatedly comments that The Queen of the Damned film is not something she can understand or embrace, that she encouraged them not to do the film and that it hurt her to see her work “mutilated” the way it was.^[10]

[edit] Public and critical reaction

Queen of the Damned was released on February 22, 2002 in the United States and Canada.

The film received negative reviews from film critics, with several reviewers such as Roger Ebert describing it as “goofy” or “damned”.^[11] The film has a rank of 17%, certified “Rotten” at Rotten Tomatoes.^[12] Despite bad reviews, Queen of the Damned nonetheless topped the box office in the weeks following its release.^[13][14][15] The film was a box office success, grossing $45.5 million on a $35 million budget.^[1]

[edit] Allan Menzies

In December 2002, Allan Menzies from West Lothian in Scotland murdered one of his friends, ate part of his brain and drank his blood. He claimed in court that it was Aaliyah’s character “Queen Akasha” from the film that told him to do it.^[16]

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b c} “Queen of the Damned at Box Office Mojo”. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=queenofthedamned.htm. Retrieved 2010-09-29. 
2. ^ In the novels, an alchemist named Magnus is Lestat’s creator.
3. ^ Anne Rice answers Salon readers’ questions, Salon.com, August 23, 1996.
4. ^ Debra Campbell: A chat with the producer, queenofthedamned.co.uk
5. ^ Coming Attractions: Queen of the Damned, Corona Productions.
6. ^ “Queen of the Damned – Production Credits – NYTimes.com”. Movies.nytimes.com. 2010-10-12. http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/259471/Queen-of-the-Damned/credits. Retrieved 2010-10-16. 
7. ^ Complete Message Archive, AnneRice.com.
8. ^ Saralegui, Jorge: On Anne Rice’s Involvement with the Project, QueenoftheDamned.com, 2001.
9. ^ Interview with Anne Rice, The Art of the Word, October 2, 2003.
10. ^ Rice, Anne: Wall – Just Fans, Facebook.com
11. ^ Movie Reviews: Queen Of The Damned, IMDB Studio Briefing, 22 February 2002
12. ^ “Queen of the Damned”. Rotten Tomatoes. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/queen_of_the_damned/. Retrieved 2010-10-16. 
13. ^ Aaliyah’s parents sue over plane crash, BBC News, 14 May 2002.
14. ^ All that glitters is not gold, The Age, March 11, 2002.
15. ^ Film of the Damned – the Tragedy Behind “Queen of the Damned”, BBC Online.
16. ^ “UK | Scotland | ‘Movie vampire told me to kill'”. BBC News. 2003-10-06. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/3168520.stm. Retrieved 2010-10-16. 

[edit] External links

• Queen of the Damned at the Internet Movie Database
• Queen of the Damned at AllRovi
• Queen of the Damned at Box Office Mojo
• Queen of the Damned at Rotten Tomatoes
• Queen of the Damned at Metacritic

[show] v t e The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice   Interview with the Vampire The Vampire Lestat The Queen of the Damned The Tale of the Body Thief Memnoch the Devil The Vampire Armand Merrick Blood and Gold Blackwood Farm Blood Canticle   New Tales of the Vampires Pandora Vittorio the Vampire   Film adaptations Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles Queen of the Damned   Characters Lestat de Lioncourt Nicolas de Lenfent Louis de Pointe du Lac Claudia Armand Those Who Must Be Kept Maharet and Mekare Marius de Romanus Avicus Eudoxia Aaron Lightner Jessica Miriam Reeves Khayman Daniel Molloy Santiago Merrick Mayfair Talamasca Caste Tarquin Blackwood Mona Mayfair Rowan Mayfair   Related works Lives of the Mayfair Witches The Mummy, or Ramses the Damned

[show] v t e Films directed by Michael Rymer   1990s Angel Baby (1995) Allie & Me (1997) In Too Deep (1999)   2000s Perfume (2001) Queen of the Damned (2002)   2010s Face to Face (2011)

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Heath Ledger

 

 

 

Heath Ledger

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Heath Ledger
Ledger at the 2006 Berlin International Film Festival
Born	Heath Andrew Ledger (1979-04-04)4 April 1979 Perth, Western Australia
Died	22 January 2008(2008-01-22) (aged 28) New York City, New York
Cause of death	Accidental overdose
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1992–2008
Partner	Michelle Williams (2004–2007)
Children	Matilda Ledger

Heath Andrew Ledger (4 April 1979 – 22 January 2008) was an Australian television and film actor. After performing roles in Australian television and film during the 1990s, Ledger left for the United States in 1998 to develop his film career. His work comprised nineteen films, including 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), The Patriot (2000), A Knight’s Tale (2001), Brokeback Mountain (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), and his final film before his death, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.^[1] In addition to acting, he produced and directed music videos and aspired to be a film director.^[2]

For his portrayal of Ennis Del Mar in Brokeback Mountain, Ledger won the 2005 New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor and the 2006 Best Actor award from the Australian Film Institute, and was nominated for the 2005 Academy Award for Best Actor^[3] and the 2006 BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.^[4] Posthumously he shared the 2007 Independent Spirit Robert Altman Award with the rest of the ensemble cast, the director, and the casting director for the film I’m Not There, which was inspired by the life and songs of American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. In the film, Ledger portrayed a fictional actor named Robbie Clark, one of six characters embodying aspects of Dylan’s life and persona.^[5] Ledger received numerous accolades for his critically acclaimed portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, a Best Actor International Award at the 2008 Australian Film Institute Awards, for which he became the first actor to win an award posthumously,^[6] the 2008 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor, the 2009 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor^[7] and the 2009 BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor.^[4]

Ledger died on 22 January 2008^[3][8] from an accidental “toxic combination of prescription drugs“.^[9][10][11] A few months before his death, Ledger had finished filming his penultimate performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight, his death coming during editing of the film and casting a shadow over the subsequent promotion of the $180 million production.^[12] At the time of his death, he had completed about half of his final film^[13] performing the role of Tony in Terry Gilliam‘s film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

Contents  [hide]  1 Early life 2 Career 2.1 1990s 2.2 2000s 2.3 Directorial work 3 Personal life 4 Press controversies 5 Health issues 6 Death 6.1 Autopsy and toxicology report 6.2 Federal investigation 6.3 Controversy over will 7 Legacy 7.1 Memorial tributes and services 7.2 Posthumous films and awards 8 Filmography 8.1 Television 8.2 Film 8.3 Music videos 9 Awards and nominations 9.1 Awards 9.2 Nominations 10 See also 11 References 12 Additional resources 13 External links

[edit] Early life

Heath Ledger was born in Perth, Western Australia, the son of Sally Ledger (née Ramshaw), a French teacher, and Kim Ledger, a race-car driver and mining engineer, whose family established and owned the Ledger Engineering Foundry.^[14] The Sir Frank Ledger Charitable Trust is named after his great-grandfather.^[14] He had Scottish and English ancestry.^[15] Ledger attended Mary’s Mount Primary School, in Gooseberry Hill,^[16] and later Guildford Grammar School, where he had his first acting experiences, starring in a school production as Peter Pan at age 10.^[3][14] His parents separated when he was 10 and divorced when he was 11.^[17] Ledger’s older sister Kate, an actress and later a publicist, to whom he was very close, inspired his acting on stage, and his love of Gene Kelly inspired his successful choreography, leading to Guildford Grammar’s 60-member team’s “first all-boy victory” at the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge.^[14][18] Heath’s and Kate’s other siblings include two half-sisters, Ashleigh Bell (b. 1990), his mother’s daughter with her second husband and his stepfather Roger Bell, and Olivia Ledger (b. 1996), his father’s daughter with second wife and his stepmother Emma Brown.^[19]

[edit] Career

[edit] 1990s

After sitting for early graduation exams at 16, Ledger left school to pursue an acting career.^[17] With Trevor DiCarlo, his best friend since he was three years old, Ledger drove across Australia from Perth to Sydney, returning to Perth to take a small role in Clowning Around (1992), the first part of a two-part television series, and to work on the TV series Sweat (1996), in which he played a gay cyclist.^[14] From 1993 to 1997, Ledger also had parts in the Perth television series Ship to Shore (1993); in the short-lived Fox Broadcasting Company fantasy-drama Roar (1997); in Home and Away (1997), one of Australia’s most successful television shows; and in the Australian film Blackrock (1997), his feature film debut.^[14] In 1999, he starred in the teen comedy 10 Things I Hate About You and in the acclaimed Australian crime film Two Hands, directed by Gregor Jordan.^[14]

[edit] 2000s

From 2000 to 2005, he starred in supporting roles as Gabriel Martin, the eldest son of Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson), in The Patriot (2000), and as Sonny Grotowski, the son of Hank Grotowski (Billy Bob Thornton), in Monster’s Ball (2000); and in leading or title roles in A Knight’s Tale (2001), The Four Feathers (2002), The Order (2003), Ned Kelly (2003), Casanova (2005), The Brothers Grimm (2005), and Lords of Dogtown (2005).^[1] In 2001, he won a ShoWest Award as “Male Star of Tomorrow”.^[20]

Ledger received “Best Actor of 2005” awards from both the New York Film Critics Circle and the San Francisco Film Critics Circle for his performance in Brokeback Mountain,^[21][22] in which he plays Wyoming ranch hand Ennis Del Mar, who has a love affair with aspiring rodeo rider Jack Twist, played by Jake Gyllenhaal.^[23] He also received a nomination for Golden Globe Best Actor in a Drama and a nomination for Academy Award for Best Actor for this performance,^[24][25] making him, at age 26, the ninth-youngest nominee for a Best Actor Oscar. In The New York Times review of the film, critic Stephen Holden writes: “Both Mr. Ledger and Mr. Gyllenhaal make this anguished love story physically palpable. Mr. Ledger magically and mysteriously disappears beneath the skin of his lean, sinewy character. It is a great screen performance, as good as the best of Marlon Brando and Sean Penn.”^[26] In a review in Rolling Stone, Peter Travers states: “Ledger’s magnificent performance is an acting miracle. He seems to tear it from his insides. Ledger doesn’t just know how Ennis moves, speaks and listens; he knows how he breathes. To see him inhale the scent of a shirt hanging in Jack’s closet is to take measure of the pain of love lost.”^[27]

After Brokeback Mountain, Ledger costarred with fellow Australian Abbie Cornish in the 2006 Australian film Candy, an adaptation of the 1998 novel Candy: A Novel of Love and Addiction, as young heroin addicts in love attempting to break free of their addiction, whose mentor is played by Geoffrey Rush; for his performance as sometime poet Dan, Ledger was nominated for three “Best Actor” awards, including one of the Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards, which both Cornish and Rush won in their categories. Shortly after the release of Candy, Ledger was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.^[28]

Heath Ledger posing with Charlotte Gainsbourg at the 64th Venice Film Festival in 2007.

Joker in The Dark Knight as portrayed by Heath Ledger.

As one of six actors embodying different aspects of the life of Bob Dylan in the 2007 film I’m Not There, directed by Todd Haynes, Ledger “won praise for his portrayal of ‘Robbie [Clark],’ a moody, counter-culture actor who represents the romanticist side of Dylan, but says accolades are never his motivation.”^[29] Posthumously, on 23 February 2008, he shared the 2007 Independent Spirit Robert Altman Award with the rest of the film’s ensemble cast, its director, and its casting director.^[30]

In his next to last film performance, Ledger played the Joker in The Dark Knight, directed by Christopher Nolan, first released, in Australia, on 16 July 2008, nearly six months after his death. While still working on the film, in London, Ledger told Sarah Lyall, in their interview published in the New York Times on 4 November 2007, that he viewed The Dark Knight’s Joker as a “psychopathic, mass murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy.”^[31]

To prepare for the role, Ledger told Empire, “I sat around in a hotel room in London for about a month, locked myself away, formed a little diary and experimented with voices – it was important to try to find a somewhat iconic voice and laugh. I ended up landing more in the realm of a psychopath – someone with very little to no conscience towards his acts”; after reiterating his view of the character as “just an absolute sociopath, a cold-blooded, mass-murdering clown”, he added that Nolan had given him “free rein” to create the role, which he found “fun, because there are no real boundaries to what the Joker would say or do. Nothing intimidates him, and everything is a big joke.”^[32][33][34] For his work in The Dark Knight, Ledger won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, his family accepting it on his behalf, as well as numerous other posthumous awards including the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor, which Christopher Nolan accepted for him.^[35][36]

At the time of his death, on 22 January 2008, Ledger had completed about half of the work for his final film performance as Tony in Terry Gilliam‘s The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,^[37][38] a film that was completed after Ledger’s death by fellow actors Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell replacing him in different “fantasy transformations” of his character so that Ledger’s final performance could eventually be seen in theaters.

[edit] Directorial work

Ledger had aspirations to become a film director and had made some music videos, which director Todd Haynes praised highly in his tribute to Ledger upon accepting the ISP Robert Altman Award, which Ledger posthumously shared, on 23 February 2008.^[30] In 2006 Ledger directed music videos for the title track on Australian hip-hop artist N’fa‘s CD debut solo album Cause An Effect^[39] and for the single “Seduction Is Evil (She’s Hot)”.^[40][41] Later that year, Ledger inaugurated a new record label, Masses Music, with singer Ben Harper and also directed a music video for Harper’s song “Morning Yearning”.^[31][42]

At a news conference at the 2007 Venice Film Festival, Ledger spoke of his desire to make a documentary film about the British singer-songwriter Nick Drake, who died in 1974, at the age of 26, from an overdose of an antidepressant.^[43] Ledger created and acted in a music video set to Drake’s recording of the singer’s 1974 song about depression “Black Eyed Dog”—a title “inspired by Winston Churchill’s descriptive term for depression” (black dog);^[44] it was shown publicly only twice, first at the Bumbershoot Festival, in Seattle, held from 1 to 3 September 2007; and secondly as part of “A Place To Be: A Celebration of Nick Drake”, with its screening of Their Place: Reflections On Nick Drake, “a series of short filmed homages to Nick Drake” (including Ledger’s), sponsored by American Cinematheque, at the Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre, in Hollywood, on 5 October 2007.^[45] After Ledger’s death, his music video for “Black Eyed Dog” was shown on the Internet and excerpted in news clips distributed via YouTube.^{[43][46][47][48]}

He was working with Scottish screenwriter and producer Allan Scott on an adaptation of the 1983 novel The Queen’s Gambit by Walter Tevis, for which he was planning both to act and to direct, which would have been his first feature film as a director.^[2][49][50] Ledger’s final directorial work, in which he shot two music videos before his death, premiered in 2009.^[51] The music videos, completed for Modest Mouse and Grace Woodroofe,^[52] include an animated feature for Modest Mouse’s song, “King Rat“, and the Woodroofe video for her cover of David Bowie‘s “Quicksand“.^[53] The “King Rat” video premiered on 4 August 2009.^[54]

[edit] Personal life

Ledger at the 56th Berlin International Film Festival, 2006

Ledger was an avid chess player, winning Western Australia’s junior chess championship at the age of 10.^[55] As an adult, he often played with other chess enthusiasts at Washington Square Park.^[56] Allan Scott‘s film adaptation of the chess-related 1983 novel The Queen’s Gambit, by Walter Tevis, which at the time of his death he was planning to both perform in and direct, would have been Ledger’s first feature film as a director.^[2][49]

Among his most notable romantic relationships, Ledger dated actress Heather Graham for several months in 2000 to 2001,^[14] and he had a serious on-and-off-again long-term relationship with actress Naomi Watts, whom he met during the filming of Ned Kelly and with whom he lived at times from 2002 to 2004.^[57][58] According to the 10th Anniversary commentary by his co-stars for 10 Things I Hate About You, he and Julia Stiles began dating during the film and dated for several years. In the summer of 2004, he met and began dating actress Michelle Williams on the set of Brokeback Mountain, and their daughter, Matilda Rose, was born in October 2005 in New York City.^[59] Matilda Rose’s godparents are Ledger’s Brokeback co-star Jake Gyllenhaal and Williams’s Dawson’s Creek castmate Busy Philipps.^[60] In January, 2006, Ledger put his residence in Bronte, New South Wales up for sale,^[61] and returned to the United States, where he shared a house with Williams, in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, from 2005 to 2007.^[62] In September 2007, Williams’ father confirmed to Sydney’s Daily Telegraph that Ledger and Williams had ended their relationship.^[63] After his break-up with Williams, in late 2007 and early 2008, the tabloid press and other public media linked Ledger romantically with supermodels Helena Christensen and Gemma Ward and with former child stars, actresses Mary-Kate Olsen and Lindsay Lohan.^{[64][65][66][67][68]}

[edit] Press controversies

Ledger’s relationship with the press in Australia was sometimes turbulent, and it led to his abandonment of plans for his family to reside part-time in Sydney.^[69][70] In 2004 he strongly denied press reports alleging that “he spat at journalists on the Sydney set of the film Candy,” or that one of his relatives had done so later, outside Ledger’s Sydney home.^[69][70] On 13 January 2006, “Several members of the paparazzi retaliated … squirting Ledger and Williams with water pistols on the red carpet at the Sydney premiere of Brokeback Mountain.“^[71][72]

After his performance on stage at the 2005 Screen Actors Guild Awards, when he had giggled in presenting Brokeback Mountain as a nominee for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, the Los Angeles Times referred to his presentation as an “apparent gay spoof.”^[73] Ledger called the Times later and explained that his levity resulted from stage fright, saying that he had been told that he would be presenting the award only minutes earlier; he stated: “I am so sorry and I apologise for my nervousness. I would be absolutely horrified if my stage fright was misinterpreted as a lack of respect for the film, the topic and for the amazing filmmakers.”^[74][75]

Ledger was quoted in January 2006 in Melbourne’s Herald Sun as saying that he heard that West Virginia had banned Brokeback Mountain, which it had not; actually, a cinema in Utah had banned the film.^[76] He had also referred mistakenly to West Virginia’s having had lynchings as recently as the 1980s, but state scholars disputed his statement, observing that, whereas lynchings did occur in Alabama as recently as 1981, according to “the director of state archives and history” quoted in The Charleston Gazette, “The last documented lynching in West Virginia took place in Lewisburg in 1931.”^[77]

[edit] Health issues

In their New York Times interview, published on 4 November 2007, Ledger told Sarah Lyall that his recently completed roles in I’m Not There (2007) and The Dark Knight (2008) had taken a toll on his ability to sleep: “Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night. … I couldn’t stop thinking. My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going.”^[31] At that time, he told Lyall that he had taken two Ambien pills, after taking just one had not sufficed, and those left him in “a stupor, only to wake up an hour later, his mind still racing.”^[31]

Prior to his return to New York from his last film assignment, in London, in January 2008, while he was apparently suffering from some kind of respiratory illness, he reportedly complained to his co-star Christopher Plummer that he was continuing to have difficulty sleeping and taking pills to help with that problem: “Confirming earlier reports that Ledger hadn’t been feeling well on set, Plummer says, ‘we all caught colds because we were shooting outside on horrible, damp nights. But Heath’s went on and I don’t think he dealt with it immediately with the antibiotics…. I think what he did have was the walking pneumonia.’ […] On top of that, ‘He was saying all the time, ‘dammit, I can’t sleep’… and he was taking all these pills to help him.’ “^[78]

In talking with Interview magazine after his death Ledger’s former fiancée Michelle Williams also confirmed reports the actor had experienced trouble sleeping. “For as long as I’d known him, he had bouts with insomnia. He had too much energy. His mind was turning, turning turning – always turning.”^[79]

[edit] Death

At about 2:45 p.m. (EST), on 22 January 2008, Ledger was found unconscious in his bed by his housekeeper, Teresa Solomon, and his masseuse, Diana Wolozin, in his fourth-floor loft apartment at 421 Broome Street in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan.^[3][8]

According to the police, Wolozin, who had arrived early for a 3:00 pm appointment with Ledger, called Ledger’s friend, actress Mary-Kate Olsen, for help. Olsen, who was in California, directed a New York City private security guard to go to the scene. At 3:26 pm, “[fewer] than 15 minutes after Wolozin first saw him in bed and only a few moments” after first calling Olsen and then calling her a second time to express her fears that Ledger was dead, Wolozin telephoned 9-1-1 “to say that Mr. Ledger was not breathing.” At the urging of the 9-1-1 operator, Wolozin administered CPR, which was unsuccessful in reviving him.^[80]

Emergency medical technicians (EMT) arrived seven minutes later, at 3:33 pm (“at almost exactly the same moment as a private security guard summoned by Ms. Olsen”), but were also unable to revive him.^[8][80][81] At 3:36 pm, Ledger was pronounced dead and his body was removed from the apartment.^[8][80]

[edit] Autopsy and toxicology report

After two weeks of intense media speculation about possible causes of Ledger’s death, on 6 February 2008, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of New York released its conclusions, based on an initial autopsy of 23 January 2008, and a subsequent complete toxicological analysis.^[9][10][82] The report concludes, in part, “Mr. Heath Ledger died as the result of acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine.”^[9][11] It states definitively: “We have concluded that the manner of death is accident, resulting from the abuse of prescription medications.”^[9][11] The medications found in the toxicological analysis are commonly prescribed in the United States for insomnia, anxiety, depression, pain, or common cold symptoms, or any combination thereof.^[9][11] Although the Associated Press and other media reported that “police estimate Ledger’s time of death between 1 pm and 2:45 pm” (on 22 January 2008),^[83] the Medical Examiner’s Office announced that it would not be publicly disclosing the official estimated time of death.^[84][85] The official announcement of the cause and manner of Ledger’s death heightened concerns about the growing problems of prescription drug abuse or misuse and combined drug intoxication (CDI).^[10][82][86]

[edit] Federal investigation

Late in February 2008, a DEA investigation of medical professionals relating to Ledger’s death exonerated two American physicians, who practice in Los Angeles and Houston, of any wrongdoing, determining that “the doctors in question had prescribed Ledger other medications – not the pills that killed him.”^[87][88]

On 4 August 2008, citing unnamed sources, Murray Weiss, of the New York Post, first reported that Mary-Kate Olsen had “refused [through her attorney, Michael C. Miller] to be interviewed by federal investigators probing the accidental drug death of her close friend Heath Ledger … [without] … immunity from prosecution,” and that, when asked about the matter, Miller at first declined further comment.^[89][90] Later that day, after the police confirmed the gist of Weiss’s account to the Associated Press, Miller issued a statement denying that Olsen supplied Ledger with the drugs causing his death and asserting that she did not know their source.^[91][92] In his statement, Miller said specifically: “Despite tabloid speculation, Mary-Kate Olsen had nothing whatsoever to do with the drugs found in Heath Ledger’s home or his body, and she does not know where he obtained them,” emphasizing that media “descriptions [attributed to an unidentified source] are incomplete and inaccurate.”^[93]

After a flurry of further media speculation, on 6 August 2008, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan closed its investigation into Ledger’s death without filing any charges and rendering moot its subpoena of Olsen.^[94][95] With the clearing of the two doctors and Olsen, and the closing of the investigation because the prosecutors in the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office “don’t believe there’s a viable target,” it is still not known how Ledger obtained the oxycodone and hydrocodone in the lethal drug combination that killed him.^[95][96]

Eleven months after Ledger’s death, on 23 December 2008, Jake Coyle, writing for the Associated Press, announced that “Heath Ledger’s death was voted 2008’s top entertainment story by U.S. newspaper and broadcast editors surveyed by The Associated Press,” as it resulted in: “shock and confusion” about “the circumstances”, the ruling of the death as an accident caused by “a toxic combination of prescription drugs”, and the continuation of “his legacy… [i]n a roundly acclaimed performance as the Joker in the year’s biggest box office hit The Dark Knight.”^[97]

[edit] Controversy over will

After Ledger’s death, in response to some press reports about his will, filed in New York City on 28 February 2008,^[98][99] and his daughter’s access to his financial legacy, his father, Kim Ledger, said that he considered the financial well-being of his granddaughter Matilda Rose the Ledger family’s “absolute priority” and her mother, Michelle Williams, “an integral part of our family”, adding “They will be taken care of and that’s how Heath would want it to be”.^[100] Some of Ledger’s relatives may be challenging the legal status of his will signed in 2003, prior to his involvement with Williams and the birth of their daughter and not updated to include them, which divides half of his estate between his parents and half among his siblings; they claim that there is a second, unsigned will, which leaves most of that estate to Matilda Rose.^[101][102] Williams’ father, Larry Williams, has also joined the controversy about Ledger’s will as it was filed in New York City soon after his death.^[103]

On 31 March 2008, stimulating another controversy pertaining to Ledger’s estate, Gemma Jones and Janet Fife-Yeomans published an “Exclusive” report, in The Daily Telegraph, citing Ledger’s uncle Haydn Ledger and other family members, who “believe the late actor may have fathered a secret love child” when he was 17, and stating that “If it is confirmed that Ledger is the girl’s biological father, it could split his multi-million dollar estate between … Matilda Rose … and his secret love child.”^{[104][105][106]} A few days later, reports citing telephone interviews with Ledger’s uncles Haydn and Mike Ledger and the family of the other little girl, published in OK! and Us Weekly, “denied” those “claims”, with Ledger’s uncles and the little girl’s mother and stepfather describing them as unfounded “rumors” distorted and exaggerated by the media.^[107][108]

On 15 July 2008, Fife-Yeomans reported further, via Australian News Limited, that “While Ledger left everything to his parents and three sisters, it is understood they have legal advice that under WA law, Matilda Rose is entitled to the lion’s share” of his estate; its executors, Kim Ledger’s former business colleague Robert John Collins and Geraldton accountant William Mark Dyson, “have applied for probate in the West Australian Supreme Court in Perth, advertising for ‘creditors and other persons’ having claims on the estate to lodge them by 11 August 2008 … to ensure all debts are paid before the estate is distributed….”^[109] According to this report by Fife-Yeomans, earlier reports citing Ledger’s uncles,^[100] and subsequent reports citing Ledger’s father, which do not include his actual posthumous earnings, “his entire fortune, mostly held in Australian trusts, is likely to be worth up to [A]$20 million.”^{[109][110][111]}

On 27 September 2008, Ledger’s father Kim stated that “the family has agreed to leave the [US]US$16.3 million fortune to Matilda,” adding: “There is no claim. Our family has gifted everything to Matilda.”^{[110][111][112]} In October 2008, Forbes.com estimated Ledger’s annual earnings from October 2007 through October 2008 – including his posthumous share of The Dark Knight’s gross income of “[US]US$991 million in box office revenue worldwide” –– as “[US]US$20 million.”^[113]

[edit] Legacy

[edit] Memorial tributes and services

Memorial for Ledger, outside 421 Broome Street, SoHo, Manhattan, 23 January 2008

As the news of Ledger’s death became public, throughout the night of 22 January 2008, and the next day, media crews, mourners, fans, and other onlookers began gathering outside his apartment building, with some leaving flowers or other memorial tributes.^[114][115]

The next day, at 10:50 a.m., Australian time, Ledger’s parents and sister appeared outside his mother’s house in Applecross, a riverside suburb of Perth, and read a short statement to the media expressing their grief and desire for privacy.^[116] Within the next few days, memorial tributes were communicated by family members, Prime Minister of Australia Kevin Rudd, Deputy Premier of Western Australia Eric Ripper, Warner Bros. (distributor of The Dark Knight), and thousands of Ledger’s fans around the world.^{[117][118][119][120]}

Several actors made statements expressing their sorrow at Ledger’s death, including Daniel Day-Lewis, who dedicated his Screen Actors Guild Award to Ledger, saying that he was inspired by Ledger’s acting; Day-Lewis praised Ledger’s performances in Monster’s Ball and Brokeback Mountain, describing the latter as “unique, perfect.”^[121][122] Verne Troyer, who was working with Ledger on The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus at the time of his death, had a heart shape, an exact duplicate of a symbol that Ledger scrawled on a piece of paper with his email address, tattooed on his hand in remembrance of Ledger because Ledger “had made such an impression on [him].”^[123]

On 1 February, in her first public statement after Ledger’s death, Michelle Williams expressed her heartbreak and described Ledger’s spirit as surviving in their daughter.^[124][125]

After attending private memorial ceremonies in Los Angeles, Ledger’s family members returned with his body to Perth.^[126][127]

On 9 February, a memorial service attended by several hundred invited guests was held at Penrhos College, garnering considerable press attention; afterward Ledger’s body was cremated at Fremantle Cemetery, followed by a private service attended by only 10 closest family members,^{[128][129][130]} with his ashes to be interred later in a family plot at Karrakatta Cemetery, next to two of his grandparents.^{[127][131][132]} Later that night, his family and friends gathered for a wake on Cottesloe Beach.^{[133][134][135]}

In January 2011, The State Theatre Centre of Western Australia in Ledger’s hometown of Perth named a 575-seat theater the Heath Ledger Theatre after him. For the opening of the theater, Ledger’s Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor was on display in the theatre’s foyer along with his Joker costume.^[136]

[edit] Posthumous films and awards

See also: List of awards and nominations received by Heath Ledger

Ledger’s death affected the marketing campaign for Christopher Nolan‘s The Dark Knight (2008)^[12][37] and also both the production and marketing of Terry Gilliam‘s film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, with both directors intending to celebrate and pay tribute to his work in these films.^{[37][38][137][138]} Although Gilliam temporarily suspended production on the latter film,^[38] he expressed determination to “salvage” it, perhaps using computer-generated imagery (CGI), and dedicated it to Ledger.^{[78][139][140]} In February 2008, as a “memorial tribute to the man many have called one of the best actors of his generation,” Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell signed on to take over Ledger’s role, becoming multiple incarnations of his character, Tony, transformed in this “magical re-telling of the Faust story,”^{[141][142][143]} and the three actors have donated their fees for the film to Ledger’s and Williams’s daughter.^[144]

Speaking of editing The Dark Knight, on which Ledger had completed his work in October 2007, Nolan recalled, “It was tremendously emotional, right when he passed, having to go back in and look at him every day. … But the truth is, I feel very lucky to have something productive to do, to have a performance that he was very, very proud of, and that he had entrusted to me to finish.”^[138] All of Ledger’s scenes appear as he completed them in the filming; in editing the film, Nolan added no “digital effects” to alter Ledger’s actual performance posthumously.^[145] Nolan dedicated the film in part to Ledger’s memory, as well as to the memory of technician Conway Wickliffe, who was killed during a car accident while preparing one of the film’s stunts.^[146]

Released in July 2008, The Dark Knight broke several box office records and received both popular and critical accolades, especially with regard to Ledger’s performance as the Joker.^[147] Even film critic David Denby, who does not praise the film overall in his pre-release review in The New Yorker, evaluates Ledger’s work highly, describing his performance as both “sinister and frightening” and Ledger as “mesmerising in every scene”, concluding: “His performance is a heroic, unsettling final act: this young actor looked into the abyss.”^[148] Attempting to dispel widespread speculations that Ledger’s performance as the Joker had in any way led to his death (as Denby and others suggest), Ledger’s co-star and friend Christian Bale, who played opposite him as Batman, has stressed that, as an actor, Ledger greatly enjoyed meeting the challenges of creating that role, an experience that Ledger himself described as “the most fun I’ve ever had, or probably ever will have, playing a character.”^[12][149]

Ledger received numerous awards for his Joker role in The Dark Knight. On 10 November 2008, he was nominated for two People’s Choice Awards related to his work on the film, “Best Ensemble Cast” and “Best Onscreen Match-Up” (shared with Christian Bale), and Ledger won an award for “Match-Up” in the ceremony aired live on CBS in January 2009.^[150]

On 11 December 2008, it was announced that Ledger had been nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture for his performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight; he subsequently won the award at the 66th Golden Globe Awards ceremony telecast on NBC on 11 January 2009 with Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan accepting on his behalf.^[7][35]

Film critics, co-stars Maggie Gyllenhaal and Michael Caine and many of Ledger’s colleagues in the film community joined Bale in calling for and predicting a nomination for the 2008 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in recognition of Ledger’s achievement in The Dark Knight.^[151] Ledger’s subsequent nomination was announced on 22 January 2009, the anniversary of his death;^[152] Ledger went on to win the award, becoming the second person to win a posthumous Academy Award for acting, after fellow Australian actor Peter Finch, who won for 1976’s Network. The award was accepted by Ledger’s family.^[36]

[edit] Filmography

[edit] Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1993	Ship to Shore	Cyclist	(3 episodes)
1996	Sweat	Snowy Bowles	(26 episodes)
1997	Home and Away	Scott Irwin	(9 episodes)
	Roar	Conor	(13 episodes)

[edit] Film

Year	Title	Role
1992	Clowning Around	Orphan clown (Uncredited)
1997	Blackrock	Toby Ackland
	Paws	Oberon
1999	Two Hands	Jimmy
	10 Things I Hate About You	Patrick Verona
2000	The Patriot	Gabriel Martin
2001	Monster’s Ball	Sonny Grotowski
	Knight’s Tale, AA Knight’s Tale	Sir William Thatcher/ Sir Ulrich von Lichtenstein of Gelderland
2002	Four Feathers, TheThe Four Feathers	Harry Faversham
2003	Order, TheThe Order	Alex Bernier
	Ned Kelly	Ned Kelly
2005	Casanova	Giacomo Casanova
	Brothers Grimm, TheThe Brothers Grimm	Jacob Grimm
	Lords of Dogtown	Skip Engblom
	Brokeback Mountain	Ennis Del Mar
2006	Candy	Dan
2007	I’m Not There	Robbie Clark
2008	The Dark Knight	The Joker
2009	Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, TheThe Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus	Tony

[edit] Music videos

• (2006) “Cause an Effect” and “Seduction is Evil (She’s Hot)”, songs by N’fa, videos directed by Ledger.
• (2006) “Morning Yearning,” song by Ben Harper, video directed by Ledger.
• (2007) “Black Eyed Dog,” song written by Nick Drake (1948–1974), video directed by and featuring Ledger.^[43]
• (2009) “King Rat“, song by Modest Mouse and conceived by Ledger.^[52][153]

[edit] Awards and nominations

[edit] Awards

Year	Award	Film	Notes
2000	Blockbuster Entertainment Awards – Favorite Male – Newcomer	The Patriot
2005	Australian Film Institute International Award for Best Actor	Brokeback Mountain
	Australian Film Institute Awards – Reader’s Choice Best Actor
	Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Lead Performance
	Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Actor of the Year
	Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
	MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss		(Shared with Jake Gyllenhaal)
	New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
	Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
	San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
	Santa Barbara International Film Festival Performance of the Year Award
	St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
2007	2007 Independent Spirit Robert Altman Award	I’m Not There	(Shared with cast and crew)
2008	Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor	The Dark Knight
	Australian Film Institute International Award for Best Actor
	Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor
	BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
	Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
	Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
	Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
	Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
	Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor
	Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
	GQ Australia Men of the Year Awards (Best Actor)
	IGN Movie Award for Best Performance[154]
	IGN Movie Award for Favorite Villain[155]
	Iowa Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor
	Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor
	Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor
	Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
	Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor
	MTV Movie Award for Best Villain
	New York Film Critics Online Award for Best Supporting Actor
	North Texas Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor
	Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor
	People’s Choice Award for Best Ensemble Cast
	People’s Choice Award for Best On-Screen Match-Up		(with Christian Bale)
	Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor
	San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor
	Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor
	Scream Award for Best Fantasy Actor|Scream Award for Best Villain
	Scream Award for Best Line
	Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
	Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
	St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
	Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
	Utah Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
	Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor

[edit] Nominations

Year	Award	Film	Notes
1999	Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor	Two Hands
	Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
	MTV Movie Award for Best Musical Sequence	10 Things I Hate About You
2001	MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss	A Knight’s Tale	(Shared with Shannyn Sossamon)
	MTV Movie Award for Musical Sequence
2003	Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor	Ned Kelly
	Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
2005	Academy Award for Best Actor	Brokeback Mountain
	BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
	Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
	Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
	Chlotrudis Award for Best Actor
	Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead
	Inside Film Award for Best Actor
	Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama
	London Film Critics’ Circle Award for Actor of the Year
	Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
	Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
	Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
	Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama
	Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
2006	Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role	Candy
	Inside Film Award for Best Actor
	Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
2008	Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast	The Dark Knight
	Gransito Movie Award for Best Actor in supporting role
	London Film Critics’ Circle Award for Actor of the Year
	Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
	Scream Award for Best Line
	MTV Movie Award for Best Fight		(with Christian Bale)

[edit] See also

• List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees
• List of posthumous Academy Award winners and nominees

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b} “Heath Ledger – Credits”. Variety. http://www.variety.com/profiles/people/CreditsByRole/Actor/28390/Heath%20Ledger.html?dataSet=1. Retrieved 16 October 2009. ^{[dead link]}
2. ^ ^{a b c} Dawtrey, Adam (23 January 2008). “‘Parnassus’ Team Faces Dilemma”. Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117979492.html?categoryid=13&cs=1. Retrieved 23 January 2008. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d} Savage, Michael (23 January 2008). “Heath Ledger: The Times Obituary”. The Times (UK). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article3237974.ece. Retrieved 27 April 2008. 
4. ^ ^{a b} “Awards Database”. British Academy of Film and Television Awards. http://www.bafta.org/awards-database.html?sq=Heath+Ledger. Retrieved 16 October 2009. 
5. ^ “Heath Ledger Honored at Independent Spirit Awards”. Entertainment Tonight. 23 February 2008. Archived from the original on 16 April 2012. http://new.etonline.com/news/2008/02/58948/. Retrieved 8 August 2008. 
6. ^ “Ledger Honoured at AFI Awards”. ABC. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/12/07/2439750.htm?section=entertainment. Retrieved 6 December 2008. 
7. ^ ^{a b} “Golden Globes: Heath Ledger’s Family ‘So Proud’ of Globe Nod”. People. 11 December 2008. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20245919,00.html. Retrieved 11 December 2008. 
8. ^ ^{a b c d} Barron, James (23 January 2008). “Heath Ledger, Actor, Is Found Dead at 28”. The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/23/movies/23ledger.html. Retrieved 27 April 2008. 
9. ^ ^{a b c d e} Chan, Sewell and James Barron (contributing) (6 February 2008). “City Room: Heath Ledger’s Death Is Ruled an Accident”. The New York Times. http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/06/heath-ledgers-death-is-ruled-an-accident/. Retrieved 17 August 2008. 
10. ^ ^{a b c} “Ledger’s Death Caused by Accidental Overdose”. CNN. 6 February 2008. http://edition.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/02/06/heath.ledger/index.html. Retrieved 17 August 2008. 
11. ^ ^{a b c d} “Heath Ledger Died of Accidental Overdose: 28-Year-Old Actor Had Oxycodone, Anti-Anxiety, Sleep Aids in His System”. MSNBC. 6 February 2008. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23029566/. Retrieved 17 March 2008. 
12. ^ ^{a b c} Halbfinger, David M. (9 March 2008). “Batman’s Burden: A Director Confronts Darkness and Death”. The New York Times: pp. 1, 16. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/09/movies/09halb.htm. Retrieved 10 March 2008. 
13. ^ Andrew O’Hehir (Friday, 25 Dec 2009 9:30 pm EST). “The imaginarium of Terry Gilliam”. Salon.com. http://www.salon.com/2009/12/26/gilliam/. Retrieved 26 December 2011. 
14. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h} Wills, Dominic (2008). “Heath Ledger Biography”. Tiscali TV (UK). http://www.tiscali.co.uk/entertainment/film/biographies/heath_ledger_biog.html. Retrieved 22 April 2008. “The Ledger name was well-known in Perth, the family having run a foundry that provided much of the raw material for the famous Perth to Kalgoorlie Pipeline … The Sir Frank Ledger Charitable Trust, named after Heath’s great-grandfather, was renowned for granting funds to the area’s universities, paying for visiting lecturers and scholarships for gifted students.” 
15. ^ ‘Heath: A Family’s Tale’ by Janet Fife-Yeomans (2009), p.32: “Ledger was a descendant of the Ledger family of Leeds, Yorkshire who arrived in Western Australia from England in 1880.”
16. ^ “Heath Ledger among WA’s Finest Sons, Says Eric Ripper”. The Sunday Times (Australia). 22 January 2008. http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,23096806-948,00.html. Retrieved 2012-01-16. “‘I understand he was a former student at both Mary’s Mount Primary School in Gooseberry Hill and later at Guildford Grammar,’ Mr Ripper said.” 
17. ^ ^{a b} Lipsky, David (23 March 2006). “Heath Ledger’s Lonesome Trail”. Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/9448111/heath_ledgers_lonesome_trail. Retrieved 21 April 2008. “His dad wanted him to race cars. Hollywood wanted him to play Spider-Man. But he wanted to play a gay cowboy. Now he’s a huge star, and he’s not happy about it.” ^{[dead link]}
18. ^ Sessums, Kevin. “We’re Having a Heath Wave”. Vanity Fair (August 2000). http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2000/08/heath200008. Retrieved 21 April 2008. 
19. ^ “Heath Ledger Biography”. Yahoo! Movies. 6 February 2008. http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800018553/bio. Retrieved 14 February 2008. 
20. ^ “Showest Awards: Past Award Winners”. showest.com. ShoWest (Nielsen Business Media Film Group). http://www.showest.com/filmexpo/showest/general/past_winners.jsp. Retrieved 18 August 2008. 
21. ^ “‘Brokeback Mountain’ leads Golden Globe nominations”. CNN. 13 December 2005. http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/Movies/12/13/golden.globes/. Retrieved 17 July 2008. 
22. ^ “The San Francisco Film Critics Circle”. San Francisco Film. splicedwire.com. 12 December 2005. http://sffcc.splicedwire.com/2005awards.html. Retrieved 17 July 2008. 
23. ^ Jen Chaney (15 December 2005). “‘Mountain’ Man Ledger’s Steady Climb to the Top”. Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/15/AR2005121500491_pf.html. Retrieved 17 July 2008. 
24. ^ “HFPA – Awards Search”. Golden Globes Official Website. goldenglobes.org. http://www.goldenglobes.org/browse/member/30863. Retrieved 17 July 2008. 
25. ^ “Results Page – Academy Awards Database”. Awards Database. http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/DisplayMain.jsp?curTime=1216319365795. Retrieved 17 July 2008. 
26. ^ Holden, Stephen (9 December 2005). “Film Review – Brokeback Mountain – Riding the High Country, Finding and Losing Love”. The New York Times: p. 1. http://movies2.nytimes.com/2005/12/09/movies/09brok.html. Retrieved 17 August 2007. ^{[dead link]}
27. ^ Travers, Peter (1 December 2005). “Review: Brokeback Mountain”. Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/movie/6169704/review/8878365/brokeback_mountain. Retrieved 27 April 2008. ^{[dead link]}
28. ^ “Academy of Motion Picture Arts, Sciences invites 120 new members”. USA Today. 5 July 2006. http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2006-07-05-academy_x.htm. Retrieved 23 January 2009. 
29. ^ Honie Stevens (18 November 2007). “Squaring the Ledger”. The Daily Telegraph (Australia). http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22763328-5006011,00.html. Retrieved 24 July 2008. 
30. ^ ^{a b} “Todd Haynes Dedicates Robert Altman Award to Heath Ledger” (video clip). YouTube. 23 February 2008. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fI7KcDKGLo. Retrieved 8 August 2008. ^{[dead link]}
31. ^ ^{a b c d} Lyall, Sarah (4 November 2007). “Movies: In Stetson or Wig, He’s Hard to Pin Down”. The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/movies/moviesspecial/04lyal.html. Retrieved 18 August 2008. 
32. ^ Dan Jolin (January 2008). “Fear Has a Face”. Empire 223: 87–88. http://www.empireonline.com/magazine/covers/image.asp?id=24227&gallery=1365&caption=%23223%20%28January%202008%29. Retrieved 8 July 2008. 
33. ^ Dan Jolin (July 2008). “The Dark Knight”. Empire 229: 92–100. http://www.empireonline.com/magazine/covers/image.asp?id=27819&gallery=1365&caption=%23229+%28July+2008%29. Retrieved 18 August 2008. 
34. ^ Olly Richards (28 November 2007). “World Exclusive: The Joker Speaks: He’s a Cold-blooded Mass-murdering Clown”. Empire. http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?nid=21560. Retrieved 18 August 2008. 
35. ^ ^{a b} Abramowitz, Rachel (12 January 2009). “Accolades flow after Heath Ledger’s ‘Dark Knight’ win”. Los Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-globesstory12-2009jan12,0,6073218.story. Retrieved 12 January 2009. 
36. ^ ^{a b} “‘Slumdog Millionaire’ fulfills its Oscar destiny”. Associated Press. MSNBC. 23 February 2009. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29332714/. Retrieved 23 February 2009. 
37. ^ ^{a b c} David M. Halbfinger (25 January 2008). “Actor’s Death May Mean Film’s End”. The New York Times: p. 12. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/25/movies/25parn.html. Retrieved 2 February 2008. 
38. ^ ^{a b c} Christine Kilpatrick (24 January 2008). “Production Suspended on Heath Ledger’s Latest Movie”. People. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20173511,00.html. Retrieved 24 January 2008. 
39. ^ “Music: Cause An Effect – N’Fa”. The Scene. thescene.com.au. http://www.thescene.com.au/Music/Reviews/Cause-An-Effect—NFa/. Retrieved 5 March 2008. ^{[dead link]}
40. ^ “Seduction Is Evil”. Inertia Catalogue. inertia.net. 28 October 2006. http://www.inertia-music.com/catalogue/41236/Nfa/Seduction_Is_Evil/. Retrieved 5 March 2008. ^{[dead link]}
41. ^ Andrew Drever (21 August 2006). “N’Fa: Frontman for 1200 Techniques May Be Doing Solo Work, But Everything’s Cool”. The Age (Melbourne): p. 2. http://www.theage.com.au/news/gig-previews–reviews/nfa/2006/08/21/1156012452247.html. Retrieved 5 March 2008. 
42. ^ “Heath Ledger Teams Up with Ben Harper to Launch New Record Label”. Starpulse Entertainment News Blog. starpulse.com. 14 February 2007. http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2007/02/14/heath_ledger_teams_up_with_ben_harper_to. Retrieved 5 March 2008. 
43. ^ ^{a b c} Jim Fraenkel and Rodrigo Perez (22 January 2008). “Heath Ledger’s Video for Nick Drake Song: Eerie Postscript to Actor’s Death”. MTV. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1580085/20080122/drake_nick.jhtml. Retrieved 18 March 2008. 
44. ^ Anthony Storr (1990). Churchill’s Black Dog and Other Phenomena of the Human Mind. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-00-637566-1. 
45. ^ “Egyptian Theatre Programming” (PDF). American Cinematheque Film Calendar. americacinematheque.com. 5 October 2007. http://www.americancinematheque.com/CalendarPDF/2007/Oct2007/CalendarTEXTOctober2007.pdf. Retrieved 18 March 2008. “This very special evening celebrating [Drake’s] life and music includes films, guests and a unique art and photographic exhibit. It includes the World Theatrical Premiere of ‘Their Place: Reflections On Nick Drake’, 2007, Bryter Music, 30 min. Various Directors – a series of short filmed homages to Nick Drake – created by admirers including Heath Ledger, Jonas Mekas and Tim Pope. (NOT ON DVD!) …” 
46. ^ Daniel Kreps (29 February 2008). “Footage from Heath Ledger’s Nick Drake Video Surfaces”. Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2008/02/29/footage-from-heath-ledgers-nick-drake-video-surfaces/. Retrieved 18 March 2008. “The video, for Drake’s posthumously released song ‘Black Eyed Dog,’ was filmed by the actor in late 2007 and included in a multimedia instalment about Drake called ‘A Place to Be.’ The project was only screened publicly twice before the actor’s death, and the Ledger family said the ‘Black Eyed Dog’ video would not be released.” 
47. ^ “A Place To Be: Reflections Of Nick Drake”. A Place To Be. http://www.aplacetobe.cc/. Retrieved 18 March 2008. “A Place To Be: a collection, a celebration, in film, photography, painting, drawing and prose, of the impact the music of Nick Drake has had on other artists”  (“Introductory film” includes excerpts of the music video, Black Eyed Dog, by Heath Ledger, among others.)
48. ^ Drake’s song “Black Eyed Dog” is featured as track number five on the soundtrack album for the 1974 film Practical Magic, directed by Griffin Dunne and starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman.
49. ^ ^{a b} Cazzulino, Michelle (29 March 2008). “Heath Ledger’s Gambit to Be a Director”. The Daily Telegraph. http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23446583-5006013,00.html. Retrieved 24 April 2008. “It was an opportunity tailor-made for Ledger, Scott said. ‘The movie is about chess, and what is a little known fact is Heath was very close to being on the grandmaster level. He was a chess whiz, and he intended to get his grandmaster rating before he started shooting the picture.'” 
50. ^ Rob Sharp and Allan Shiach (18 March 2008). “Heath Ledger–A Prophetic Tragedy”. The Independent (UK). http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/film-and-tv/features/heath-ledger–a-prophetic-tragedy-795344.html. Retrieved 20 March 2008. “Until last month [January 2008] he [Allan Schiach, aka Allan Scott,] was working with the late Heath Ledger on a film adaptation of Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel The Queen’s Gambit, about a chess prodigy‘s chequered history. The Australian actor was pencilled in to direct and star the role he was to play shall be played by Az Wallen. The movie is set to be released in the near future. In an Interview with the Australian Herald Sun Wallen was quoted after been casted in the role of my hero is a big set forward in my career and I hope I will be able to deliver have the performance Ledger would of deliver.].” 
51. ^ Michaels, Sean (16 March 2009). “Heath Ledger-directed music video to be released”. The Guardian (UK). http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/mar/16/heath-ledger-modest-mouse-music-video. Retrieved 17 March 2009. 
52. ^ ^{a b} “Ledger music videos to be aired”. BBC News. 17 March 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7948439.stm. Retrieved 17 March 2009. 
53. ^ “Heath Ledger music videos on the way”. The Hollywood Reporter. 17 March 2009. http://www.salon.com/5things/2009/03/17/heath_ledger_music_v. Retrieved 26 May 2009. 
54. ^ “Heath Ledger’s Video For Modest Mouse’s “King Rat” Premieres”. Rolling Stone. 4 August 2009. http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/08/04/heath-ledgers-video-for-modest-mouses-king-rat-premieres/. Retrieved 5 August 2009. 
55. ^ “Heath Ledger obituary: An actor of promise”. The Daily Telegraph (UK). 23 January 2008. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1576375/Heath-Ledger-obituary-An-actor-of-promise.html. Retrieved 17 October 2009. “At the same time he showed promise in other areas, as a junior go-kart racing champion and, aged only 10, as Western Australia’s junior chess champion.” 
56. ^ Tapper, Christina; Natasha Stoyoff (26 January 2008). “Heath Ledger’s Passion for Chess”. People. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20173995,00.html. Retrieved 3 February 2008. “No stranger to the New York Washington Square Park chess world, Heath Ledger found joy by screaming the occasional ‘checkmate!'” 
57. ^ Susman, Gary (1 October 2003). “Naomi Watts and Heath Ledger Split”. Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,491620,00.html. Retrieved 23 January 2008. 
58. ^ McShane, John (20 April 2008). “Loves of Heath Ledger’s Life”. The Courier-Mail. http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,23564492-5007191,00.html. Retrieved 24 April 2008. 
59. ^ King, Kiki; Eva Simpson and Caroline Hedley (3 March 2006). “The Heath Is On”. Daily Mirror (UK): p. 16. http://www.mirror.co.uk/archive/2006/03/08/the-heath-is-on-89520-16786391/. Retrieved 7 February 2008. ^{[dead link]}
60. ^ Balogh, Stefanie (24 January 2008). “Heath Ledger’s ex-fiancee Michelle Williams home with baby Matilda”. Herald Sun (Australia). http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/michelle-matilda-back-in-new-york/story-e6frf7jo-1111115389511. Retrieved 8 October 2009. 
61. ^ “Ledger Hopes for $3m Profit on Beach House”. The Age (Melbourne). 11 February 2006. http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/ledger-hopes-for-3m-profit-on-beach-house/2006/02/10/1139542406285.html. Retrieved 17 August 2007. 
62. ^ Williams, Alex (30 September 2007). “Brooklyn’s Fragile Eco-System”. The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/30/fashion/30brooklyn.html. Retrieved 17 October 2009. 
63. ^ Grant, Sarah (4 September 2007). “Michelle Williams’ dad confirms split with Heath Ledger”. The Daily Telegraph (Australia). http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,,22361117-5012990,00.html. Retrieved 17 October 2009. 
64. ^ “Supermodel’s Last Call to Heath”. The Daily Telegraph (Australia). 24 January 2008. http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23100602-5001021,00.html. Retrieved 26 January 2008. 
65. ^ Stansfield, Robert (24 January 2008). “Helena Christensen Was On Way to See Heath Ledger”. Scottish Daily Record. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/2008/01/24/helena-christensen-was-on-way-to-see-heath-ledger-86908-20296307/. Retrieved 17 October 2009. 
66. ^ Byrnes, Holly; Sarah Grant and Angela Saurine (3 January 2008). “Are Gemma Ward and Heath Ledger Dating?”. The Daily Telegraph (Australia). http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,26278,23001070-7485,00.html. Retrieved 6 February 2008. 
67. ^ Fife-Yeomans, Janet (25 January 2008). “Sorrow of Heath Ledger’s Secret Love”. The Daily Telegraph (Australia). http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23105983-5001021,00.html. Retrieved 6 February 2008. 
68. ^ “Lindsay Lohan after Heath Ledger’s death: ‘I’m in love with him'”. 7 December 2011. http://entertainment.blogs.foxnews.com/2011/12/07/lindsay-lohan-after-heath-ledgers-death-im-in-love-with-him/. Retrieved 26 June 2012. 
69. ^ ^{a b} WENN (World Entertainment News Network) (12 January 2006). “Ledger Slams Spitting Claims”. San Francisco Chronicle. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=7&entry_id=2527. Retrieved 23 January 2008. 
70. ^ ^{a b} Hawley, Janet (23 January 2008). “Tale of an untrained homeboy”. The Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/news/film/tale-of-an-untrained-homeboy/2008/01/23/1201024944702.html. Retrieved 13 April 2009. 
71. ^ AAP (14 January 2006). “Sprayed Heath Flies Out”. The Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2006/01/14/1137118993564.html. Retrieved 5 February 2008. 
72. ^ Emily Dunn and Richard Jinman (24 January 2008). “How a Triumphant Return Turned Sour”. The Sydney Morning Herald: p. 1. http://www.smh.com.au/news/heath-ledger/how-a-triumphant-return-turned-sour/2008/01/24/1201024994356.html. Retrieved 5 February 2008. 
73. ^ Elizabeth Snead (30 January 2006). “The Dish Rag – Ledger’s Strange SAG Behavior”. Los Angeles Times. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedishrag/2006/01/ledgers-strange.html. Retrieved 23 January 2008. ^{[dead link]}
74. ^ Elizabeth Snead (3 February 2006). “The Dish Rag – Heath Explains His SAG Giggles”. Los Angeles Times. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedishrag/2006/02/heath-explains-.html. Retrieved 23 January 2008. ^{[dead link]}
75. ^ “Ledger in Damage Control”. The Age (Melbourne). 12 February 2006. http://www.theage.com.au/news/film/ledger-in-damage-control/2006/02/12/1139679468944.html. Retrieved 17 August 2007. 
76. ^ Walls, Jeannette (10 January 2006). “Ledger lashes out at Utah, West Virginia”. Associated Press. MSNBC. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10696088/. Retrieved 13 April 2009. 
77. ^ Joe Morris (16 January 2006). “‘Brokeback’ Actor Has W. Va. All Wrong”. The Charleston Gazette. http://www.joemorris.info/brokeback.html. Retrieved 24 February 2008. ^{[dead link]}
78. ^ ^{a b} Natasha Stoynoff (28 January 2008). “Show Will Go On for Heath’s Last Movie, Says CoStar”. People. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20174404,00.html. Retrieved 5 February 2008. 
79. ^ UPI (16 March 2008). “Williams Recalls Ledger As Vulnerable”. NewsTrack/Entertainment (upi.com). http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Entertainment/2008/03/13/williams_recalls_ledger_as_vulnerable/2025/. Retrieved 16 March 2008. 
80. ^ ^{a b c} Andy Newman and Al Baker (24 January 2008). “Autopsy on Actor Is Inconclusive As Calls for Help Are Revealed”. The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/24/nyregion/24celeb.htm. Retrieved 18 March 2008. 
81. ^ “News: Housekeeper, Masseuse Found Ledger’s Body”. WNBC. 24 January 2008. http://www.wnbc.com/news/15128669/detail.html. Retrieved 7 August 2008.  (As updated 25 January 2008.)
82. ^ ^{a b} Larry King (6 February 2008). “Video: Larry King Live: Ledger Death” (Video clip). Larry King Live (CNN). http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2008/02/06/lkl.heath.ledger.death.cnn. Retrieved 5 February 2008. “CNN’s Larry King talks to guests about the finding that actor Heath Ledger died from an accidental drug overdose.” 
83. ^ Chris Harris (24 January 2008). “Heath Ledger’s Last Hours: New Details Emerge”. MTV Movie News. http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1580240/20080124/story.jhtml. Retrieved 8 August 2008. 
84. ^ AAP (6 February 2008). “Heath Ledger’s Family Returns to Perth”. The Sunday Telegraph (Australia). http://www.perthnow.com.au/ledgers-family-back-in-perth/story-fna7dq6e-1111115478834. Retrieved 6 February 2008. 
85. ^ Dowd, Kathy Ehrich (5 February 2008). “Heath Ledger Toxicology Test Results Delayed”. People. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20176337,00.html. Retrieved 3 December 2009. 
86. ^ “Home deaths from Drug Errors Soar”. Associated Press. CNN. 28 July 2008. http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/07/28/fatal.drug.errors.ap/. Retrieved 4 August 2008. “Deaths from medication mistakes at home, such as actor Heath Ledger’s accidental overdose, rose dramatically during the past two decades, an analysis of U.S. death certificates finds. … The findings, based on nearly 50 million U.S. death certificates, are published in Monday [4 August 2008]’s Archives of Internal Medicine. Of those, more than 224,000 involved fatal medication errors, including overdoses and mixing prescription drugs with alcohol or street drugs. … Deaths from medication mistakes at home increased from 1,132 deaths in 1983 to 12,426 in 2004. Adjusted for population growth, that amounts to an increase of more than 700 percent during that time.” ^{[dead link]}
87. ^ WENN (World Entertainment News Network) (29 February 2008). “Heath Ledger Doctors Cleared”. Hollywood.com. http://www.hollywood.com/news/Heath_Ledger_Doctors_Cleared/5091865. Retrieved 5 March 2008. 
88. ^ Nicole Weisensee Egan (28 February 2008). “Report: Doctors Cleared in Ledger Investigation”. People. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20181179,00.html. Retrieved 5 March 2008. 
89. ^ Murray Weiss (4 August 2008). “Olsen to Heath Feds: Let’s Deal: Demands Immunity from Probers”. New York Post. http://www.nypost.com/seven/08042008/news/regionalnews/olsen_to_heath_feds__lets_deal_122918.htm. Retrieved 4 August 2008. 
90. ^ “Official: Mark-Kate Olsen silent on Ledger OD”. Associated Press. MSNBC. 4 August 2008. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26013925/. Retrieved 27 October 2008. 
91. ^ Staff and Agencies (5 August 2008). “Mary-Kate Olsen Denies Supplying Heath Ledger with Drugs”. The Guardian (UK). http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2008/aug/05/heath.ledger. Retrieved 5 August 2008. 
92. ^ “Olsen Seeks Immunity over Ledger”. BBC News. 5 August 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7542260.stm. Retrieved 5 August 2008. 
93. ^ “Lawyer: Mary-Kate Olsen Had ‘Nothing to Do’ with Heath Ledger’s Drugs”. People. 4 August 2008. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20216830,00.html. Retrieved 5 August 2008. 
94. ^ Nicole Weisensee Egan (6 August 2008). “Source: Feds Officially Close Heath Ledger Investigation”. People. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20217421,00.html. Retrieved 6 August 2008. 
95. ^ ^{a b} Shawn Adler (6 August 2008). “Heath Ledger Investigation Reportedly Closed; Mary-Kate Olsen Won’t Have to Testify: U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed No Charges Before Closing Probe into Actor’s Overdose Death”. MTV. http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1592309/story.jhtml. Retrieved 6 August 2008. 
96. ^ “Investigation into Heath Ledger’s Death Closed”. Fox News. Associated Press. 6 August 2008. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,399081,00.html. Retrieved 6 August 2008. 
97. ^ Coyle, Jake (23 December 2008). “Ledger’s Death Voted Top 2008 Entertainment Story”. MSNBC. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28369361/. Retrieved 24 December 2008. “The Top 10: 1. Heath Ledger Dies.” 
98. ^ Heath Ledger (27 March 2008). “Last Will & Testament”. aolcdn.com (reposted on 12 April 2008). http://www.aolcdn.com/tmz_documents/0327_heath_will_wm.pdf. Retrieved 23 April 2008. 
99. ^ TMZ staff (27 March 2008). “Celebrity Justice: Heath’s Will – No Joke”. tmz.com. http://www.tmz.com/2008/03/27/heaths-will-no-joke/. Retrieved 23 April 2008. 
100. ^ ^{a b} “Ledger’s Uncles: Michelle Williams May Have to Fight for Matilda’s Inheritance”. Fox News. 10 March 2008. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,336280,00.html. Retrieved 23 April 2008. “Kim Ledger moved quickly to deny his granddaughter and Michelle Williams would be left without an inheritance and said Matilda was his family’s absolute priority. ‘Matilda is our absolute priority and Michelle is an integral part of our family … They will be taken care of and that’s how Heath would want it to be,’ Kim Ledger says in the statement. … The uncles estimated their nephew’s estate would be worth Australian $20 million after his earnings from the latest ‘Batman’ movie were calculated.” 
101. ^ Sean Cowan (15 March 2008). “Ledger Feud Grows Over ‘second’ Will”. The Age (Melbourne). http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/03/15/1205472100775.html. Retrieved 15 March 2008. “Some of Heath Ledger’s relatives may be planning a legal challenge against his will after it emerged the actor may have written a second will after his daughter was born, leaving most of his multimillion-dollar fortune to her. … Ledger’s second will, which is understood to be unsigned, was reportedly drawn up after Matilda’s birth. … The looming battle over which of Ledger’s wills should be used to divide his estate … has caused waves on this side of the Pacific, with his uncles Mike and Haydn Ledger accusing their brother – and Heath’s father – Kim of mismanaging their late grandfather’s [A]$2 million estate. … Kim Ledger hit back this week, issuing a statement claiming his estranged brothers did not know what they were talking about. … Under the terms of the first will, the division of the estate will be managed by Kim Ledger’s former business colleague Robert John Collins and Geraldton accountant William Mark Dyson.” 
102. ^ Mitchell, Peter (3 September 2008). “Ledger’s Estate Sells His Hollywood Hills Home”. news.com.au (News Limited). http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,26278,24287252-5015787,00.html. Retrieved 2 September 2008. “[According to Los Angeles County public records], Heath Ledger’s estate has sold … [his] Hollywood Hills home … for [US]US$2.5 million (A$2.99 million) [in May 2008].” 
103. ^ Melissa Castellanos (24 March 2008). “Williams’ Dad Questions Ledger’s Will: Larry Williams Wants Kim Ledger To Explain Why Estate Is Valued At Only US$145,000”. Showbuzz. http://www.showbuzz.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/03/24/people_hot_water/main3964602.shtml. Retrieved 30 March 2008. 
104. ^ Gemma Jones and Janet Fife-Yeomans (31 March 2008). “Did Heath Ledger Father a Secret Love Child?”. The Daily Telegraph (Australia). http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23455968-5001021,00.html. Retrieved 25 July 2008. “The April will lists only [US]US$145,000 in assets and names the late actor’s father, Kim, mother Sally Bell, sister Kate Ledger and half sisters Olivia Ledger and Ashleigh Bell as the only beneficiaries. The New York documents also acknowledge Matilda Rose, as Ledger’s only known child, as an interested party.” 
105. ^ Garry Maddox (29 March 2009). “Good Will Hunting”. The Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/03/28/1206207397015.html. Retrieved 30 March 2008. “Beyond the tangled web of Heath Ledger’s estate, two final films and his celebrated Brokeback performance ensure the money will keep flowing.” 
106. ^ Nick Squires (1 April 2008). “Heath Ledger ‘fathered a secret love child’ “. The Daily Telegraph (UK). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1583417/Heath-Ledger-‘fathered-a-secret-love-child’.html. Retrieved 6 August 2008. “If the claims are proved to be true, Ledger’s multi-million pound estate would have to be divided between the child he fathered in his teens and his two-year-old daughter, Matilda Rose, whose mother is Hollywood actress Michelle Williams. … The actor’s parents, Kim and Sally Ledger, have declined to comment on the reports [based on comments by other family members, including his uncle Haydn Ledger].” 
107. ^ “Denied: No Love Child for Heath Ledger”. okmagazine.com (OK! Magazine, Northern & Shell North America Ltd.). 3 April 2008. http://www.okmagazine.com/news/view/5697. Retrieved 6 August 2008. ^{[dead link]}
108. ^ “Heath Ledger’s Uncle: Love Child Reports Are ‘absolutely beserk’ “. usmagazine.com (Wenner Media LLC). 3 April 2008. Archived from the original on 6 April 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080406232610/http://www.usmagazine.com/heath_ledgers_uncle_love_child_reports_are_absolutely_berserk. Retrieved 6 August 2008. 
109. ^ ^{a b} Janet Fife-Yeomans (15 July 2008). “Entertainment: Heath Ledger’s Daughter Matilda’s Estate Claim Decision”. news.com.au (News Limited). http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,26278,24022070-5015788,00.html. Retrieved 10 August 2008. “[Matilda Rose’s] mother, actor Michelle Williams, will have to officially lodge a claim with the court supported by an affidavit which could end up in the public domain, legal experts said.” 
110. ^ ^{a b} Joyce Eng (29 September 2008). “Heath Ledger’s Daughter to Inherit Estate”. TV Guide (OpenGate Capital). http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-News-Blog/Todays-News/Heath-Ledgers-Estate/800047540. Retrieved 11 December 2008. 
111. ^ ^{a b} “Ledger’s Daughter to Inherit Late Actor’s Estate”. AOL Australia Celebrity Channel. Associated Press. 29 September 2008. http://www.aol.com.au/celebrity/story/Ledger’s-daughter-to-inherit-late-actor’s-estate/1054531/index.html. Retrieved 11 December 2008. 
112. ^ Daily Mail Reporter (24 October 2008). “First Photos of Tragic Heath Ledger in His Last Film”. The Daily Mail (UK). http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1080060/First-photos-tragic-Heath-Ledger-film.html. Retrieved 12 December 2008. 
113. ^ Michelle Nichols (29 October 2008). “Elvis Ranked Top-earning Dead Celebrity”. Reuters.com. Thomson Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/DarkKnight/idUSTRE49S54I20081029. Retrieved 10 December 2008. “Forbes.com said it spoke to experts and sources inside the dead celebrities’ estates and researched gross earnings, before taxes, management fees and other costs, from the period of October 2007 to October 2008 to come up with the rankings.”  Based on its estimates, Nichols reports, Forbes.com ranks Ledger as third among the world’s highest-earning deceased celebrities for that year, following Elvis Presley (1) and Charles M. Schulz (2).
114. ^ Boucher, Geoff; Matea Gold and Paul Lieberman (23 January 2008). “Ledger’s death is a shock to Hollywood, fans”. Los Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-ledger23jan23,0,3455258.story?coll=la-home-center. Retrieved 2 April 2009. “Minutes after the news of Ledger’s death broke, several hundred people gathered outside the Broome Street apartment building where Ledger had been living … television crews and area residents were joined by fans, including some Brooklyn acting students.” 
115. ^ “Stars pay tribute to Heath Ledger”. BBC News. 23 January 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7204439.stm. Retrieved 2 April 2009. “Fans have been leaving flowers and candles outside Ledger’s apartment in the SoHo district.” 
116. ^ “Heath Ledger Loved Life, Family Tell”. The Daily Telegraph (Australia). 23 January 2008. http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23096240-5001021,00.html. Retrieved 23 January 2008. 
117. ^ Office of the Prime Minister of Australia (22 January 2008). “Media Release”. http://www.pm.gov.au/news/releases/2008/media_release_00012.cfm. Retrieved 5 February 2008. ^{[dead link]}
118. ^ Pendrill, Lisa (25 January 2008). “Heath’s Family Writes of Heartache”. The Sunday Telegraph (Australia). http://www.perthnow.com.au/heath-familys-new-tribute/story-fna7dq6e-1111115398106. Retrieved 2 February 2008. 
119. ^ Warner Bros. (25 January 2008). “Heath Memorial”. Warner Brothers. http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com/HeathMemorial.html. Retrieved 5 February 2008. 
120. ^ “Online Community Pays Tribute to Heath Ledger”. 901am.com. 25 January 2008. http://www.901am.com/2008/online-community-pays-tribute-to-heath-ledger.html. Retrieved 6 February 2008. 
121. ^ Diluna, Amy; Joe Neumaier (27 January 2008). “Daniel Day-Lewis Honors Heath Ledger during Screen Actors Guild Awards”. New York Daily News. http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/2008/01/27/2008-01-27_daniel_daylewis_honors_heath_ledger_duri.html. Retrieved 16 February 2008. 
122. ^ Elsworth, Catherine (28 January 2008). “Daniel Day Lewis, Julie Christie win at Screen Actors Guild Awards”. The Daily Telegraph (UK). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3670802/Daniel-Day-Lewis-Julie-Christie-win-at-Screen-Actors-Guild-Awards.html. Retrieved 3 December 2009. 
123. ^ “Celebrity Big Brother”. Celebrity Big Brother 2009. episode Day 4. season 2009. 2009-01-06. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1350648/. 
124. ^ “Michelle Wiliams: Heath Ledger Has Broken My Heart”. The Daily Telegraph (Australia). 1 February 2008. http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23147754-5001021,00.html. Retrieved 1 February 2008. 
125. ^ “Michelle Williams Breaks Silence on Heath’s Death”. People. 1 February 2008. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20175486,00.html. Retrieved 2 February 2008. 
126. ^ Silverman, Stephen M. (4 February 2008). “Heath Ledger’s Family Heads Home”. People. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20176033,00.html. Retrieved 4 February 2008. 
127. ^ ^{a b} Rodriguez, Brenda (5 February 2008). “A Sorrowful Return to Australia for Heath Ledger’s Family”. People. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20176124,00.html. Retrieved 5 February 2008. 
128. ^ Kent, Melissa (9 February 2008). “Tears, Tributes Accompany Heath Ledger to His Final Rest”. The Age (Melbourne). http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/02/09/1202234231953.html?from=top5. Retrieved 21 April 2008. 
129. ^ “Heath Ledger Farewelled at Perth Funeral”. news.com.au. 9 February 2008. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23184908-2,00.html. Retrieved 9 February 2008. 
130. ^ “Reports: Michelle Williams Arrives in Perth for Heath Ledger’s Funeral”. International Herald Tribune. Associated Press. 6 February 2008. http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/02/06/arts/AS-A-E-CEL-Australia-Ledger.php. Retrieved 7 February 2008. 
131. ^ Cazzalino, Michelle; Ellen Connolly (10 February 2008). “Last, Sad Farewell for Heath”. The Sunday Telegraph (Australia): p. 5. 
132. ^ “Summary Of Record Information: Heath Andrew Ledger”. Metropolitan Cemeteries Board, Western Australia). http://www.mcb.wa.gov.au/NameSearch/details.php?id=FC00052109. Retrieved 7 August 2008. ^{[dead link]}
133. ^ Cazzulino, Michelle; Stephen Corby (10 February 2008). “Star Swim at Heath Ledger’s Farewell: Ledger Wake Held in Perth”. news.com.au. http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,26278,23189271-10388,00.html. Retrieved 9 February 2008. 
134. ^ Caccetta, Wendy; Nicole Cox (10 February 2008). “Beach Tribute to Heath Ledger”. The Courier Mail. http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,23184885-952,00.html. Retrieved 9 February 2008. 
135. ^ Cazzulino, Michelle; Stephen Corby (10 February 2008). “Michelle Williams Swims at Heath Ledger’s Wake”. The Daily Telegraph (Australia). http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23188937-5001021,00.html. Retrieved 10 February 2008. 
136. ^ http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/arts-books/state-theatre-centre-opens-in-perth-honouring-heath-ledger/story-fn7euh6j-1225996093685
137. ^ “Ledger’s Death Puts Last Films in a Bind”. CNN. 24 January 2008. http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/01/24/ledger.films/index.html. Retrieved 30 January 2008. 
138. ^ ^{a b} Larry Carroll (18 March 2008). “‘Dark Knight’ Stars, Director Want Film To ‘Celebrate’ Heath Ledger’s Work”. MTV. http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1583563/story.jhtml. Retrieved 27 April 2008. 
139. ^ WENN (World Entertainment News Network) (28 January 2008). “Gilliam Trying to Save Last Ledger Film”. Hollywood.com. http://www.hollywood.com/news/Gilliam_Trying_to_Save_Last_Ledger_Film/5055155. Retrieved 2 February 2008. 
140. ^ Matt Brady (23 January 2008). “Heath Ledger Dies”. Newsarama. http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=144093. Retrieved 22 January 2008. ^{[dead link]}
141. ^ “Moriarty” (15 February 2008). “AICN exclusive! We Know Who’s Paying Tribute To Heath Ledger In Dr. Parnassus Now!”. Ain’t It Cool News. http://www.aintitcool.com/node/35623. Retrieved 17 February 2008. 
142. ^ Shawn Adler (15 February 2008). “Heath Ledger’s Final Film To Go Forward – With Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Colin Farrell in His Role”. MTV. http://www.mtv.ca/news/article.jhtml?id=7086. Retrieved 15 February 2008. 
143. ^ “Arts Briefly: Three Actors Replace Heath Ledger”. The New York Times. 19 February 2008. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/19/arts/19arts-THREEACTORSR_BRF.html. Retrieved 19 February 2008. 
144. ^ “Trio Give Fees to Ledger’s Child”. BBC News. 19 August 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7570056.stm. Retrieved 20 August 2008. 
145. ^ Scott Brown. “Dark Knight Director Shuns Digital Effects for the Real Thing”. Wired (24 June 2008). http://www.wired.com/entertainment/hollywood/magazine/16-07/ff_darknight?currentPage=all. Retrieved 24 June 2008. 
146. ^ “Dark Knight Dedicated to Ledger”. BBC News. 27 June 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7477095.stm. Retrieved 27 June 2008. “The special tribute reads: ‘In memory of our friends Heath Ledger and Conway Wickliffe’.” 
147. ^ Brandon Gray (23 July 2008). “News: ‘Dark Knight’ Begins Smashingly”. Box Office Mojo. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=2504&p=s.htm. Retrieved 2 August 2008. 
148. ^ Denby, David. “The Current Cinema: Past Shock: ‘The Dark Knight’ and ‘WALL-E’  “. The New Yorker (21 July 2008): 92–93. http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/cinema/2008/07/21/080721crci_cinema_denby. Retrieved 17 July 2008. “When Ledger wields a knife, he is thoroughly terrifying (do not, despite the PG-13 rating, bring the children), and, as you’re watching him, you can’t help wondering—in a response that admittedly lies outside film criticism—how badly he messed himself up in order to play the role this way.”  (Postdated)
149. ^ Halbfinger, David (8 March 2008). “Could it be any darker?”. The Sydney Morning Herald: p. 2. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/03/07/1204780065888.html?page=2. Retrieved 8 October 2009. 
150. ^ Jessica Herndon (10 November 2008). “Britney Spears, Heath Ledger Get People’s Choice Nods”. People. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20239377,00.html. Retrieved 11 December 2008. 
151. ^ Nina Hämmerling Smith (28 July 2008). “Movie News: Ledger’s Knight Costars Call for Posthumous Oscar”. TV Guide. http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Movie-News/Heath-Ledger-News/800044048. Retrieved 11 December 2008. 
152. ^ Kreps, Daniel (22 January 2009). “Heath Ledger Remembered On First Anniversary Of His Death”. Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2009-01-27. http://web.archive.org/web/20090127034033/http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/01/22/heath-ledger-remembered-on-first-anniversary-of-his-death/. Retrieved 13 April 2009. 
153. ^ Heather Adler (10 April 2007). “(Not So) Modest Mouse Speaks”. dose.ca. Canwest Interactive. http://www.dose.ca/music/story.html?id=04336dd1-0a80-4f97-bc20-a129b7930cec&k=40959. Retrieved 12 December 2008. 
154. ^ “2008 IGN Award for Best Performance”. IGN. http://uk.bestof.ign.com/2008/movies/11.html. Retrieved 14 November 2011. 
155. ^ “2008 IGN Award for Favorite Villain”. IGN. http://uk.movies.ign.com/summer-awards/2008/favorite-villain.html. Retrieved 13 November 2011. 

[edit] Additional resources

• Adler, Shawn.“Heath Ledger Said He Hoped to Evolve as an Actor and Person in 2005 Interview: Late Actor Was Intelligent, Self-Aware during ‘Brokeback Mountain’ Chat.” MTV.com, 22 January 2008. Accessed 18 March 2008. (Excerpts from transcript of interview with Heath Ledger conducted by John Norris in 2005.)
• Arango, Tim. “Esquire Publishes a Diary That Isn’t”. The New York Times, nytimes.com, 6 March 2008, Books. Accessed 25 July 2008. (Rev. of Taddeo.)
• “Death of a Star: Unsolved Mysteries”. Newsweek, 4 February 2008: 62, Newsmakers. Both Web and print versions. Accessed 5 August 2008.
• The Joker vs. The Real Heath:^{[dead link]} Entertainment Tonight Looks Back at the Career of Heath Ledger, etonline.com (CBS Studios Inc.), July 2008. Accessed 8 August 2008. (“ET takes a look back at Heath Ledger’s career amid the hugely successful launch of ‘The Dark Knight,’ which features the late actor portraying the Joker“; includes photo album.)
• McShane John. Heath Ledger: His Beautiful Life and Mysterious Death. London: John Blake, 2008. ISBN 1-84454-633-0 (10). ISBN 978-1-84454-633-6 (13). (Excerpt listed below.)
• “Loves of Heath Ledger’s Life”. The Courier-Mail, news.com.au, 20 April 2008. Accessed 21 April 2008. (Book excerpt.)
• Nolan, Christopher. “Transition: Charisma as Natural as Gravity: Heath Ledger, 28, Actor”. Newsweek, 4 February 2008: 9, Periscope. Both Web (updated 26 January 2008) and print versions. Accessed 5 August 2008. (Eulogy.)
• Norris, Chris. “(Untitled Heath Ledger Project): In Which the Protagonist Dies Mysteriously, and the Audience Analyzes His Final Days for Clues to His Real Character”. New York, nymag.com, 18 February 2008. Accessed 21 April 2008.
• Park, Michael Y. “Christian Bale on ‘Kindred Spirit’ Heath Ledger”. Web. People, 25 June 2008. Accessed 5 August 2008. (See Wolf below.)
• Robb, Brian J. Heath Ledger: Hollywood’s Dark Star. London: Plexus Publishing Ltd, 2008. ISBN 0-85965-427-3 (10). ISBN 978-0-85965-427-2 (13).
• Scott, A. O. “An Appraisal: Prince of Intensity with a Lightness of Touch”. The New York Times, nytimes.com, 24 January 2008, Movies. Accessed 27 April 2008.
• Sessums, Kevin, with photographs by Bruce Weber. “We’re Having a Heath Wave”. Vanity Fair, August 2000, vanityfair.com, August 2008. Web. (4 pages.) Accessed 21 April 2008. (Interview with Heath Ledger; illustrations in “Perth Album”, by Bruce Weber.)
• Taddeo, Lisa. “The Last Days of Heath Ledger”. Esquire (April 2008), esquire.com, 5 March 2008. (Updated 21 July 2008.) Accessed 25 July 2008. (Fictional account; cf. rev. by Arango.)
• Travers, Peter.“Sundance: Shock”. The Travers Take: News and Reviews from Rolling Stone’s Movie Critic, Rolling Stone (Blog), rollingstone.com, 22 January 2008. Includes hyperlinked feature: Video Review: A Look at Heath Ledger’s Best Performances (video by Jennifer Hsu, with audio commentary provided by Travers), 1 February 2008. Accessed 21 April 2008.
• Wolf, Jeanne. “Christian Bale: ‘Life Should Never Be Boring’ “. Parade, 29 June 2008: 8–9. Both Web and print formats. Accessed 3 August 2008. (See Park above.)

[edit] External links

Find more about Heath Ledger on Wikipedia’s sister projects:
	Images and media from Commons
	News stories from Wikinews
	Quotations from Wikiquote

• Heath Ledger discography at Discogs
• Heath Ledger at BBC In Pictures
• Heath Ledger at CNN Topics
• Heath Ledger at Find a Grave
• Heath Ledger at The Huffington Post
• Heath Ledger at the Internet Movie Database
• Heath Ledger at MSN Movies
• Heath Ledger at MTV Movies
• Heath Ledger at New York Times Topics
• Heath Ledger at People.com
• Heath Ledger at The Daily Telegraph obituary
• Ledger, Heath (1979–2008) National Library of Australia, Trove, People and Organisation record for Heath Ledger

[show]  Awards for Heath Ledger   [show] v t e Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (2001–2020)   Jim Broadbent (2001) Chris Cooper (2002) Tim Robbins (2003) Morgan Freeman (2004) George Clooney (2005) Alan Arkin (2006) Javier Bardem (2007) Heath Ledger (2008) Christoph Waltz (2009) Christian Bale (2010) Christopher Plummer (2011)   Complete list (1936–1940) (1941–1960) (1961–1980) (1981–2000) (2001–2020) [show] v t e BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (1989–2009)   Ray McAnally (1989) Salvatore Cascio (1990) Alan Rickman (1991) Gene Hackman (1992) Ralph Fiennes (1993) Samuel L. Jackson (1994) Tim Roth (1995) Paul Scofield (1996) Tom Wilkinson (1997) Geoffrey Rush (1998) Jude Law (1999) Benicio del Toro (2000) Jim Broadbent (2001) Christopher Walken (2002) Bill Nighy (2003) Clive Owen (2004) Jake Gyllenhaal (2005) Alan Arkin (2006) Javier Bardem (2007) Heath Ledger (2008) Christoph Waltz (2009)   Complete list (1968–1984) (1985–2009) (2010–2034) [show] v t e Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor   Kevin Spacey (1995) Cuba Gooding, Jr. (1996) Anthony Hopkins (1997) Billy Bob Thornton (1998) Michael Clarke Duncan (1999) Joaquin Phoenix (2000) Ben Kingsley (2001) Chris Cooper (2002) Tim Robbins (2003) Thomas Haden Church (2004) Paul Giamatti (2005) Eddie Murphy (2006) Javier Bardem (2007) Heath Ledger (2008) Christoph Waltz (2009) Christian Bale (2010) Christopher Plummer (2011) [show] v t e Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture (2001–2020)   Jim Broadbent (2001) Chris Cooper (2002) Tim Robbins (2003) Clive Owen (2004) George Clooney (2005) Eddie Murphy (2006) Javier Bardem (2007) Heath Ledger (2008) Christoph Waltz (2009) Christian Bale (2010) Christopher Plummer (2011)   Complete list (1943–1960) (1961–1980) (1981–2000) (2001–present) [show] v t e MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss   1990s Anna Chlumsky & Macaulay Culkin in My Girl (1992) Christian Slater & Marisa Tomei in Untamed Heart (1993) Demi Moore & Woody Harrelson in Indecent Proposal (1994) Jim Carrey & Lauren Holly in Dumb and Dumber (1995) Natasha Henstridge & Anthony Guidera in Species (1996) Will Smith & Vivica A. Fox in Independence Day (1997) Adam Sandler & Drew Barrymore in The Wedding Singer (1998) Gwyneth Paltrow & Joseph Fiennes in Shakespeare in Love (1999)   2000s Sarah Michelle Gellar & Selma Blair in Cruel Intentions (2000) Julia Stiles & Sean Patrick Thomas in Save the Last Dance (2001) Jason Biggs & Seann William Scott in American Pie 2 (2002) Tobey Maguire & Kirsten Dunst in Spider-Man (2003) Owen Wilson, Carmen Electra, & Amy Smart in Starsky & Hutch (2004) Ryan Gosling & Rachel McAdams in The Notebook (2005) Heath Ledger & Jake Gyllenhaal in Brokeback Mountain (2006) Will Ferrell & Sacha Baron Cohen in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2007) Briana Evigan & Robert Hoffman in Step Up 2: The Streets (2008) Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart in Twilight (2009)   2010s Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart in The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2010) Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2011) Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 (2012) [show] v t e MTV Movie Award for Best Villain   Rebecca De Mornay (1992) Jennifer Jason Leigh (1993) Alicia Silverstone (1994) Dennis Hopper (1995) Kevin Spacey (1996) Jim Carrey (1997) Mike Myers (1998) Matt Dillon / Stephen Dorff (1999) Mike Myers (2000) Jim Carrey (2001) Denzel Washington (2002) Daveigh Chase (2003) Lucy Liu (2004) Ben Stiller (2005) Hayden Christensen (2006) Jack Nicholson (2007) Johnny Depp (2008) Heath Ledger (2009) Tom Felton (2010) Tom Felton (2011) Jennifer Aniston (2012) [show] v t e Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor (1991–2010)   William Sadler (1991) Robin Williams (1992) Lance Henriksen (1993) Gary Sinise (1994) Brad Pitt (1995) Brent Spiner (1996) Vincent D’Onofrio (1997) Ian McKellen (1998) Michael Clarke Duncan (1999) Willem Dafoe (2000) Ian McKellen (2001) Andy Serkis (2002) Sean Astin (2003) David Carradine (2004) Mickey Rourke (2005) Ben Affleck (2006) Javier Bardem (2007) Heath Ledger (2008) Stephen Lang (2009) Andrew Garfield (2010)   Complete list (1974–1990) (1991–2010) (2011–present) [show] v t e Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role (2001–2020)   Ian McKellen (2001) Christopher Walken (2002) Tim Robbins (2003) Morgan Freeman (2004) Paul Giamatti (2005) Eddie Murphy (2006) Javier Bardem (2007) Heath Ledger (2008) Christoph Waltz (2009) Christian Bale (2010) Christopher Plummer (2011)   Complete list (1994–2000) (2001–2020)

Persondata
Name	Ledger, Heath Andrew
Alternative names
Short description	Australian actor
Date of birth	4 April 1979
Place of birth	Perth, Australia
Date of death	22 January 2008
Place of death	New York City

 

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Michael J. Fox

Michael J. Fox

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Michael J. Fox OC
Michael J. Fox in April 2011
Born	Michael Andrew Fox June 9, 1961 (age 50) Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Occupation	Actor, author, producer, activist, voice-over artist
Years active	1973–present
Spouse	Tracy Pollan (1988–present; 4 children)

Michael J. Fox, OC (born Michael Andrew Fox; June 9, 1961) is a Canadian American actor, author, producer, activist and voice-over artist. With a film and television career spanning from the late 1970s, Fox’s roles have included Marty McFly from the Back to the Future trilogy (1985–1990); Alex P. Keaton from Family Ties (1982–1989) for which he won three Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award; and Mike Flaherty from Spin City (1996–2000), for which he won an Emmy, three Golden Globes, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991, and disclosed his condition to the public in 1998. Fox semi-retired from acting in 2000 as the symptoms of his disease worsened. He has since become an activist for research toward finding a cure. This led him to create the Michael J. Fox Foundation, and on March 5, 2010, Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet gave him a honoris causa doctorate for his work in advocating a cure for Parkinson’s disease.^[1]

Since 2000 Fox has mainly worked as a voice over actor in films such as Stuart Little and Atlantis: The Lost Empire, and taken guest TV roles such as in Boston Legal, The Good Wife, Scrubs, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. He has also released three books, Lucky Man: A Memoir (2002), Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist (2009) and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future: Twists and Turns and Lessons Learned (2010). He was inducted as an Officer of the Order of Canada on May 27, 2011 for his outreach and fundraising work.^[2]

Contents [hide] 1 Early life 2 Acting career 2.1 Early career 2.2 Back to the Future trilogy 2.3 Mid-career 2.4 Spin City and later career 3 Personal life 3.1 Illness and activism 4 Filmography 4.1 Actor 4.2 Producer 5 Awards and nominations 6 Books 7 See also 8 References 9 External links

[edit] Early life

Michael Andrew Fox was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, the son of Phyllis (née Piper), an actress and payroll clerk, and William Fox, a police officer and member of the Canadian Forces.^[3][4] Fox’s family lived in various cities and towns across Canada because of his father’s career.^[3] The family finally moved to the Vancouver suburb of Burnaby, British Columbia, when his father retired in 1971. He currently lives in Vancouver.^[5] Fox attended Burnaby Central Secondary School, and now has a theatre named after him in Burnaby South Secondary.^[6]

Fox starred in the Canadian television series Leo and Me at the age of fifteen, and in 1979, moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career at the age of eighteen. Shortly after his marriage, he decided to move back to Vancouver, BC.^[3] Fox is one of four members of the Leo and Me cast and crew who eventually developed Parkinson’s disease in mid-life, an unusually high number that led to some investigation as to whether an environmental factor may have played a role.^[7][8][9]

Fox was discovered by producer Ronald Shedlo and made his American television debut in the television movie Letters from Frank, credited under the name “Michael Fox”. He intended to continue to use the name, but when he registered with the Screen Actors Guild, which does not allow duplicate registration names to avoid credit ambiguities, he discovered that Michael Fox, a veteran character actor, was already registered under the name.^[3] As he explained in his autobiography, Lucky Man: A Memoir, and in interviews, he needed to come up with a different name. He did not like the sound of “Andrew” or “Andy” Fox, so he decided to adopt a new middle initial and settled on “J”, as a homage to actor Michael J. Pollard.^[5]

[edit] Acting career

[edit] Early career

Michael J. Fox with Tracy Pollan at the 40th Emmy Awards in August 1988 shortly after they were married

Fox’s first feature film roles were in Midnight Madness (1980) and Class of 1984 (1982), credited in both as Michael Fox. Shortly afterward, he began playing “Young Republican” Alex P. Keaton in the show Family Ties which aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989. Fox only received the role after Matthew Broderick was unavailable.^[10] Family Ties had been sold to the television network using the pitch “hip parents, square kids,”^[10] with the parents originally intended to be the main characters. However, the positive reaction to Fox’s performance led to his character becoming the focus of the show following the fourth episode.^[10] At its peak, the audience for Family Ties drew one-third of America’s households every week.^[3] Fox won three Emmy awards for Family Ties in 1986, 1987 and 1988 respectively.^[11] He also won a Golden Globe Award in 1989.^[12]

Brandon Tartikoff, one of the show’s producers, felt that Fox was too short in relation to the actors playing his parents, and tried to have him replaced. Tartikoff reportedly said that “this is not the kind of face you’ll ever find on a lunch-box”. After his later successes, Fox presented Tartikoff with a custom-made lunch-box with the inscription “To Brandon, this is for you to put your crow in. Love and Kisses, Michael J. Fox”. Tartikoff kept the lunch-box in his office for the rest of his NBC career.^[13]

While filming Family Ties, Fox met his future wife, Tracy Pollan, when she portrayed his girlfriend, Ellen.^[3] When Fox left the TV series Spin City, his final episodes made numerous allusions to Family Ties: Michael Gross (who played Alex’s father Steven) portrays Mike Flaherty’s (Fox’s) therapist,^[14] and there is a reference to an off-screen character named “Mallory“.^[15] Also, when Flaherty becomes an environmental lobbyist in Washington D.C., he meets a conservative senator from Ohio named Alex P. Keaton, and in one episode Meredith Baxter played Mike’s mother.

[edit] Back to the Future trilogy

Michael J. Fox at the 40th Emmy Awards, August 1988

Back to the Future tells the story of Marty McFly (Fox), a teenager who is accidentally sent back in time from 1985 to 1955. He meets his parents in high school, accidentally attracting his mother’s romantic interest. Marty must repair the damage to history by causing his parents to fall in love, while finding a way to return to 1985. Robert Zemeckis, the director, originally wanted Fox to play Marty but Gary David Goldberg the creator of Family Ties, which Fox was working on at the time refused to allow Zemeckis to even approach Fox as he felt that as Meredith Baxter was on maternity leave at the time that Fox’s character Alex Keaton was needed to carry the show in her absence. Eric Stoltz was cast and was already filming Back to the Future, but Zemeckis felt that Stoltz was not giving the right type of performance for the humor involved.^[16] Zemeckis quickly replaced Stoltz with Fox whose schedule was now more open with the return of Meredith Baxter. During filming, Fox would rehearse for Family Ties from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m, then rush to the Back to the Future set where he would rehearse and shoot until 2:30 a.m.^[3] This schedule lasted for two full months.^[3] Back to the Future was both a commercial and critical success. The film spent 8 consecutive weekends as the number one grossing movie at the US box office in 1985, and eventually earned a worldwide total of $381.11 million.^[17] Variety applauded the performances, arguing Fox and his co-star Christopher Lloyd imbued Marty and Doc Brown‘s friendship with a quality reminiscent of King Arthur and Merlin.^[18] Two sequels, Back to the Future Part II and Back to the Future Part III, were released in 1989 and 1990, respectively.

[edit] Mid-career

Fox in September 1987

During and immediately after the Back to the Future trilogy, Fox starred in Teen Wolf (1985), Light of Day (1987), The Secret of My Success (1987), Bright Lights, Big City (1988) and Casualties of War (1989).

In The Secret of My Success, Fox played a recent graduate from Kansas State University who moves to New York City where he has to deal with the downs and ups of the business world. The film was successful at the box office, taking $110 million worldwide.^[19] Roger Ebert in The Chicago Sun Times wrote; “Fox provides a fairly desperate center for the film. It could not have been much fun for him to follow the movie’s arbitrary shifts of mood, from sitcom to slapstick, from sex farce to boardroom brawls.”^[20]

In Bright Lights, Big City Fox played a fact-checker for a New York magazine, who spends his nights partying with alcohol and drugs. The film received mixed reviews, with Hal Hinson in The Washington post criticizing Fox by claiming that “he was the wrong actor for the job”.^[21] Meanwhile Roger Ebert praised the actor’s performance: “Fox is very good in the central role (he has a long drunken monologue that is the best thing he has ever done in a movie)”.^[22] During the shooting of Bright Lights, Big City, Michael was reunited with his on-screen girlfriend Tracy Pollan from Family Ties.

Fox then starred in Casualties of War, a war drama about the Vietnam War, alongside Sean Penn. Casualties of War was not a box office hit, but Fox, playing a Private serving in Vietnam, received good reviews for his performance. Don Willmott on film critic’s website wrote; “Fox, only one year beyond his Family Ties sitcom silliness, rises to the challenges of acting as the film’s moral voice and sharing scenes with the always intimidating Penn.”^[23]

In 1991, he starred in Doc Hollywood, a romantic comedy about a talented medical doctor who decides to become a plastic surgeon. While relocating from Washington D.C. to Los Angeles, California, he winds up as a doctor in a small southern town. Michael Caton-Jones, from Time Out, described Fox in the film as “at his frenetic best”.^[24] The Hard Way was also released in 1991, with Fox playing an undercover actor learning from police officer James Woods. Between 1992 and 1996, he continued making several films, such as For Love or Money (1993), Life With Mikey (1993) and Greedy (1994). Fox then played small supporting roles in political drama The American President (1995) and comedy Mars Attacks! (1996).^[3]

His last major film role was in The Frighteners (1996). The Frighteners tells the story of Frank Bannister (Fox), an architect who develops psychic abilities allowing him to see, hear, and communicate with ghosts. After losing his wife, he uses his new abilities by cheating customers out of money for his “ghosthunting” business. However, a mass murderer comes back from Hell, prompting Frank to investigate the supernatural presence. Fox’s performance received critical praise, Kenneth Turan in The Los Angeles Times wrote; “The film’s actors are equally pleasing. Both Fox, in his most successful starring role in some time, and Alvarado, who looks rather like Andie MacDowell here, have no difficulty getting into the manic spirit of things.”^[25]

Fox has also done voice-over work providing the voice of Stuart Little in the Stuart Little movie and its sequel, both of which were based on the popular book by E. B. White.^[26] He also voiced the American Bulldog Chance in Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey and its sequel Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco, as well as Milo Thatch in Atlantis: The Lost Empire.^[26]

[edit] Spin City and later career

The hand prints of Michael J. Fox in front of The Great Movie Ride at Walt Disney World‘s Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park.

Spin City ran from 1996 to 2002 on American television network channel ABC. The show was based on a fictional local government running New York City, originally starring Fox as Mike Flaherty, a Fordham Law graduate serving as the Deputy Mayor of New York.^[3] Fox won an Emmy award for Spin City in 2000,^[11] three Golden Globe Awards in 1998, 1999 and 2000^[12] and two Screen Actors Guild Awards in 1999 and 2000.^[27] During the third season of Spin City, Fox made the announcement to the cast and crew of the show that he had Parkinson’s Disease. During the fourth season, he announced his retirement from the show to focus on spending more time with his family.^[28] He announced that he planned to continue to act and would make guest appearances on Spin City (he made three more appearances on the show during the final season). After leaving the show, he was replaced by Charlie Sheen, who portrayed the character Charlie Crawford.^[29] Altogether, 145 episodes were made. Fox also served as an executive producer during his time on the show, alongside co-creators Bill Lawrence and Gary David Goldberg.^[29]

In 2004, Fox guest starred in two episodes of the comedy-drama Scrubs as Dr. Kevin Casey, a surgeon with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder.^[30] The series was created by Spin City creator Bill Lawrence.^[30] In 2006, he appeared in four episodes of Boston Legal as a lung cancer patient.^[31] The producers brought him back in a recurring role for Season three, beginning with the season premiere. Fox was nominated for an Emmy Award for best guest appearance.^[11] In 2009, he appeared in five episodes of the television series Rescue Me which earned him an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.^[11] Since 2000 Fox has released three books, Lucky Man: A Memoir (2002), Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist (2009) and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future: Twists and Turns and Lessons Learned (2010). In 2010, Fox returned to television as a guest star in US drama The Good Wife. Fox will make another guest-star appearance on The Good Wife in episode 13.^[32]

He made an appearance at the 2010 Winter Olympics closing ceremony in Vancouver, Canada and delivered comedic monologues, along with William Shatner and Catherine O’Hara, in the “I am Canadian” part of the show.^[33]

Along with Tatjana Patitz, Fox appears in the 2011 Carl Zeiss AG calendar, photographed by Bryan Adams in New York City in the summer of 2010.^[34]

Despite a soundalike voicing his character of Marty McFly in the 2011 Back to the Future episodic adventure game, Fox lent his likeness to the in-game version of McFly alongside Christopher Lloyd. Fox makes a special guest appearance in the final episode of the series as an elder version of Marty, as well as his great grandfather Willie McFly.^[35][36]

[edit] Personal life

The Michael J. Fox Theatre in Burnaby

Fox married actress Tracy Pollan on July 16, 1988, at West Mountain Inn in Arlington, Vermont. The couple have four children: Sam Michael (born May 30, 1989), twins Aquinnah Kathleen and Schuyler Frances (born February 15, 1995), and Esmé Annabelle (born November 3, 2001). Fox holds dual Canadian-U.S. citizenship.^[37] On February 28, 2010, Fox provided a light-hearted segment during the 2010 Winter Olympics‘ closing ceremony which took place in Vancouver, Canada wherein he expressed how proud he is to be Canadian.^[38] On June 4, 2010, the City of Burnaby, British Columbia honoured Fox by granting him the Freedom of the City.^[6]

[edit] Illness and activism

Fox started displaying symptoms of early-onset Parkinson’s disease in 1990 while shooting the movie Doc Hollywood, although he was not properly diagnosed until the next year.^[28] After his diagnosis, Fox began drinking more heavily than in the past; however, he sought help and stopped drinking altogether.^[39] In 1998, he decided to go public with his condition, and since then he has been a strong advocate of Parkinson’s disease research.^[3] His foundation, The Michael J. Fox Foundation, was created to help advance every promising research path to curing Parkinson’s disease, through embryonic stem cell studies.^[3]

Fox manages the symptoms of his Parkinson’s disease with the drug Sinemet,^[40] and he also had a thalamotomy in 1998.^[41]

His first book, Lucky Man focused on how after seven years of unacceptance of the disease he set up the Michael J Fox Foundation, stopped drinking and began to be an advocate of PD sufferers.^[42]

In Lucky Man, Fox wrote that he did not take his medication prior to his testimony before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee in 1998;

I had made a deliberate choice to appear before the subcommittee without medication. It seemed to me that this occasion demanded that my testimony about the effects of the disease, and the urgency we as a community were feeling, be seen as well as heard. For people who had never observed me in this kind of shape, the transformation must have been startling

Michael J. Fox, Lucky Man^[43]

In an interview with NPR in April 2002,^[40] Fox explained what he does when he becomes symptomatic during an interview;

Well, actually, I’ve been erring on the side of caution — I think ‘erring’ is actually the right word — in that I’ve been medicating perhaps too much, in the sense [that] … the symptoms … people see in some of these interviews that [I] have been on are actually dyskinesia, which is a reaction to the medication. Because if I were purely symptomatic with Parkinson’s symptoms, a lot of times speaking is difficult. There’s a kind of a cluttering of speech and it’s very difficult to sit still, to sit in one place. You know, the symptoms are different, so I’d rather kind of suffer the symptoms of dyskinesia… this kind of weaving and this kind of continuous thing is much preferable, actually, than pure Parkinson’s symptoms. So that’s what I generally do… I haven’t had any, you know, problems with pure Parkinson’s symptoms in any of these interviews, because I’ll tend to just make sure that I have enough Sinemet in my system and, in some cases, too much. But to me, it’s preferable. It’s not representative of what I’m like in my everyday life. I get a lot of people with Parkinson’s coming up to me saying, “You take too much medication.” I say, Well, you sit across from Larry King and see if you want to tempt it.

Interview, 30 April 2002, Fresh Air, NPR

In 2006, Fox starred in a campaign ad for then-Missouri State Auditor Claire McCaskill in her 2006 Senate campaign against incumbent Jim Talent, expressing her support for stem cell research. In the ad, he visibly showed the effects of his Parkinson’s medication;

As you might know, I care deeply about stem cell research. In Missouri, you can elect Claire McCaskill, who shares my hope for cures. Unfortunately, Senator Jim Talent opposes expanding stem cell research. Senator Talent even wanted to criminalize the science that gives us the chance for hope. They say all politics is local, but that’s not always the case. What you do in Missouri matters to millions of Americans, Americans like me.

Michael J. Fox, Campaign Advertisement for Claire McCaskill^[44][45]

The New York Times called it “one of the most powerful and talked about political advertisements in years” and polls indicated that the commercial had a measurable impact on the way voters voted, in an election that McCaskill won.^[46] His second book Always Looking Up: The Adventures Of An Incurable Optimist describes his life between 1999 and 2009, with much of the book centered on how Fox got into campaigning for stem cell research.^[42] On March 31, 2009, Fox appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show with Dr. Oz to publicly discuss his condition as well as his book, his family and his prime time special which aired May 7, 2009 (Michael J. Fox: Adventures of an Incurable Optimist).^[47]

His work led him to be named one of the 100 people “whose power, talent or moral example is transforming the world” in 2007 by Time magazine.^[48] On March 5, 2010, Fox received an honorary doctorate in medicine from Karolinska Institutet for his contributions to research in Parkinson’s disease.^[49] He also has received an honorary doctor of laws from the University of British Columbia.^[50]

[edit] Filmography

[edit] Actor

Film

Year	Film	Role	Notes
1980	Midnight Madness	Scott Larson
1982	Class of 1984	Arthur
1985	Back to the Future	Marty McFly
1985	Teen Wolf	Scott Howard
1987	Light of Day	Joe Rasnick
1987	The Secret of My Success	Brantley Foster/Carlton Whitfield
1988	Bright Lights, Big City	Jamie Conway
1989	Casualties of War	PFC. Eriksson
1989	Back to the Future Part II	Marty McFly, Marty McFly Jr, Marlene McFly
1990	Back to the Future Part III	Marty McFly, Seamus McFly
1991	The Hard Way	Nick Lang/Ray Casanov
1991	Doc Hollywood	Dr. Benjamin Stone
1993	Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey	Chance	Voice only
1993	Life with Mikey	Michael “Mikey” Chapman
1993	For Love or Money	Doug Ireland
1994	Where the Rivers Flow North	Clayton Farnsworth
1994	Greedy	Daniel McTeague
1995	Blue in the Face	Pete Maloney
1995	Coldblooded	Tim Alexander	Also Producer
1995	The American President	Lewis Rothschild
1996	Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco	Chance	Voice only
1996	The Frighteners	Frank Bannister
1996	Mars Attacks!	Jason Stone
1999	Stuart Little	Stuart Little	Voice only
2001	Atlantis: The Lost Empire	Milo James Thatch	Voice only
2002	Interstate 60	Mr. Baker
2002	Stuart Little 2	Stuart Little	Voice only
2006	Stuart Little 3: Call of the Wild	Stuart Little	Voice only Direct-to-video

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1977	The Magic Lie		Episode: “The Master”
1979	Letters from Frank	Ricky	CBS television film
1979	Lou Grant	Paul Stone	Episode: “Kids”
1980	Palmerstown, U.S.A.	Willy-Joe Hall
1980	Family	Richard Topol	Episode: “Such a Fine Line”
1980	Trouble in High Timber Country	Thomas Elston	ABC television film
1981	Trapper John, M.D.	Elliot Schweitzer	Episode: Brain Child
1981	Leo and Me	Jamie	Produced in 1976; was not televised on CBC, until 1981 Credited as “Mike Fox”
1982–1989	Family Ties	Alex P. Keaton
1983	The Love Boat		Episode: “I Like to Be in America…”
1983	High School U.S.A.	Jay-Jay Manners	NBC television film/pilot
1984	Night Court	Eddie Simms	Episode: “Santa Goes Downtown”
1984	The Homemade Comedy Special	Host	NBC television special
1985	Poison Ivy	Dennis Baxter	NBC television film
1986	David Letterman’s 2nd Annual Holiday Film Festival		NBC television special Segment: The Iceman Hummeth
1988	Mickey’s 60th Birthday	Alex P. Keaton (a flashback clip)	Television special
1990	Sex, Buys & Advertising		Television special
1991	Saturday Night Live	Host	Episode: “Michael J. Fox/The Black Crowes”
1991	Tales from the Crypt	Prosecutor	Episode: “The Trap”
1994	Don’t Drink the Water	Axel Magee	ABC television film
1996–2001	Spin City	Mike Flaherty	Seasons 1 – 4
2002	Clone High	Gandhi’s Remaining Kidney	Voice only “Escape to Beer Mountain: A Rope of Sand“
2004	Scrubs	Dr. Kevin Casey	Episode: “My Catalyst” Episode: “My Porcelain God”
2006	Boston Legal	Daniel Post
2009	Rescue Me	Dwight
2010	The Colbert Report	Himself
2010	The Good Wife	Louis Canning	Episode: “Poisoned Pill” Episode: “Real Deal” Episode: “Wrongful Termination”
2011	Ace of Cakes	Himself
2011	Curb Your Enthusiasm	Himself	Episode: “Larry vs. Michael J. Fox”
2011	Phineas and Ferb	Michael	Episode: “The Curse of Candace”

Video games

Back to the Future: The Game (2011): Willie McFly, Future Marty McFly – Voice only, video game, Episode 5: “Outatime”

[edit] Producer

Year	Title	Notes
1995	Coldblooded	Producer
1996–2000	Spin City	Executive producer
1999	Anna Says	Executive producer
2002	Otherwise Engaged	Executive producer
2003	Hench at Home	Executive producer

[edit] Awards and nominations

Canada’s Walk of Fame

• 2000: Inducted, Canada’s Walk of Fame^[51]

Hollywood Walk of Fame

• 2002: Star on the Walk of Fame – 7021 Hollywood Blvd.^[52]

Emmy Awards^[11]

• 1985: Nominated, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series – Family Ties
• 1986: Won, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series – Family Ties
• 1987: Won, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series – Family Ties
• 1988: Won, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series – Family Ties
• 1989: Nominated, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series – Family Ties
• 1997: Nominated, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series – Spin City
• 1998: Nominated, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series – Spin City
• 1999: Nominated, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series – Spin City
• 2000: Won, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series – Spin City
• 2006: Nominated, Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series – Boston Legal
• 2009: Won, Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series – Rescue Me
• 2011: Pending, Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series- The Good Wife

Golden Globe Awards^[12]

• 1986: Nominated, Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series — Comedy/Musical – Family Ties
• 1986: Nominated, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Comedy/Musical – Back to the Future
• 1987: Nominated, Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series — Comedy/Musical – Family Ties
• 1989: Won, Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series — Comedy/Musical – Family Ties
• 1997: Nominated, Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series — Comedy/Musical – Spin City
• 1998: Won, Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series — Comedy/Musical – Spin City
• 1999: Won, Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series — Comedy/Musical – Spin City
• 2000: Won, Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series — Comedy/Musical – Spin City

Screen Actors Guild Awards^[27]

• 1999: Won, Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series – Spin City
• 2000: Won, Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series – Spin City

Saturn Awards

• 1985: Won, Best Actor – Back to the Future^[53]

People’s Choice Awards

• 1997: Won, Favorite Male Performer in a New Television Series^[27]

Satellite Awards

• 1997: Nominated, Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series — Comedy or Musical – Spin City^[54]
• 1998: Nominated, Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series — Comedy or Musical – Spin City^[55]
• 1999: Nominated, Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series — Comedy or Musical – Spin City^[56]

Honorary Degrees

• 2008: Doctor of Fine Arts, honoris causa, New York University^[57]
• 2008: Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, University of British Columbia^[58]
• 2010: Honoris causa doctorate, Karolinska Institutet^[1]

Grammy Awards^[59]

• 2010: Won, Best Spoken Word Album – Always Looking Up: Adventures of An Incurable Optimist

Influential Canadian Expat Award

• 2009: Awarded “Most Influential Canadian Expat”, Canadian Expat Association^[60]

Goldene Kamera

• 2011: Goldene Kamera für Lebenswerk (Lifetime Achievement Award), German film and TV award.^[61]

[edit] Books

• Fox, Michael J. (2002). Lucky Man: A Memoir. New York: Hyperion. ISBN 978-078686764-6
• Fox, Michael J. (2009). Always Looking Up: The adventures of an Incurable Optimist. New York: Hyperion. ISBN 978-140130338-9
• Fox, Michael J. (2010). A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future: Twists and Turns and Lessons Learned. New York: Hyperion. ISBN 978-140132386-8

[edit] See also

• 1980 in film

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b} “Michael J. Fox Gets Doctored”. E Online Website. March 5, 2010. Retrieved August 23, 2010.
2. ^ “Order of Canada Investiture Ceremony”. The Governor General of Canada Official Website. May 25, 2011. Retrieved May 27, 2011.
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l} “Michael J. Fox“. James Lipton (host). Inside the Actors Studio. Bravo. October 30, 2005. No. 4, season 12.
4. ^ Fox, Michael J. (2003). Lucky Man : A Memoir. Hyperion. pp. 34, 46–47. ISBN 0786888741.
5. ^ ^{a b} “Michael J. Fox Biography”. The Michael J Fox Foundation. Retrieved August 25, 2010.
6. ^ ^{a b} “Michael J. Fox Awarded Freeman Status”. City of Burnaby Official Website. June 14, 2010. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
7. ^ Atkins, Lucy (April 4, 2002). “Can you catch Parkinson’s?”. The Guardian. Retrieved January 23, 2011.
8. ^ Rocca, Liz (March 27, 2002). “Michael J. Fox part of B.C. Parkinson’s ‘cluster'”. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved January 23, 2011.
9. ^ “Leo and Me (1981) – News”. Internet Movie Database. March 27, 2002. Retrieved January 23, 2011.
10. ^ ^{a b c} Haglund, David (March 2, 2007). “Reagan’s Favorite Sitcom: How Family Ties spawned a conservative hero”. Slate. Retrieved January 2, 2011.
11. ^ ^{a b c d e} “EMMY Award History”. EMMY Official Website. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
12. ^ ^{a b c} “Michael J Fox Golden Globe History”. Golden Globes Official Website. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
13. ^ Fox, Michael J. (2002). Lucky Man: A Memoir. Hyperion. pp. 81–2. ISBN 0786867647.
14. ^ Wallace, Amy (March 20, 2000). “Putting His Own Spin on ‘City’s’ Season Finale”. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 23, 2010.
15. ^ Shales, Tom. “Michael J. Fox, Playing ‘Spin City’ to a Fare-Thee-Well.” Washington Post, May 24, 2000, C1.
16. ^ “Back to the Future: Making the Trilogy: Chapter 1 (DVD Documentary)”
17. ^ “Back to the Future Box Office Mojo”. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved August 25, 2010.
18. ^ “Back to the Future”. Variety. July 1, 1985. Retrieved October 9, 2008.
19. ^ “The Secret of My Success Box Office Mojo”. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
20. ^ “The Secret of My Success Review”. Chicago Sun Times. April 10, 1987. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
21. ^ Hinson, Hal (April 1, 1988). “City Blight”. Washington Post.
22. ^ Ebert, Roger (April 1, 1988). “Bright Lights, Big City“. Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved June 10, 2008.
23. ^ “Casualties of War Review”. Film Critic Website. January 4, 2006. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
24. ^ “Doc Hollywood Review”. Time Out Magazine. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
25. ^ “The Frighteners Review”. Los Angeles Times. July 19, 1996. Retrieved September 1, 2010.^{[dead link]}
26. ^ ^{a b} “Michael J Fox Biography”. Yahoo!. Retrieved August 23, 2010.
27. ^ ^{a b c} “About Michael J Fox”. The Michael J Fox Foundation. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
28. ^ ^{a b} “Fox quits Spin City”. BBC. January 19, 2000. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
29. ^ ^{a b} Weinraub, Bernard (May 7, 2001). “Charlie Sheen Delivers A New Spin To ‘Spin City'”. The New York Times. Retrieved August 25, 2010.
30. ^ ^{a b} Keveney, Bill (April 1, 2004). “Michael J. Fox to scrub up twice for ‘Scrubs'”. USA Today. Retrieved August 25, 2010.
31. ^ “Michael J. Fox to Seek Help on Boston Legal”. Associated Press. October 19, 2005. Retrieved August 25, 2010.
32. ^ “Michael J. Fox Returning to The Good Wife”. TV Guide. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
33. ^ Winter Olympics 2010 – Michael J. Fox, William Shatner and Catherine O’Hara embrace Canada at the closing from The New York Daily News originally published on Monday, March 1, 2010, 1:26 AM EST, online
34. ^ Michael J. Fox proves he’s still laughing in the face of Parkinson’s disease as he hams it up for new calendar from The Daily Mail dated on 3:55 PM GMT on September 18, 2010, online
35. ^ “@telltalegames: We very excitedly announce that Michael J. Fox is making a special appearance in Back to the Future: The Game: Episode 5!”. Twitter. Retrieved June 3. 2011.
36. ^ “Back To The Future Episode 5: OUTATIME Video Game, E3 2011: Exclusive Developer Diary HD”. GameTrailers. Retrieved June 3. 2011.
37. ^ Serrano, Alfonso (October 26, 2006). “Fox: I Was Over-Medicated In Stem Cell Ad”. New York: CBS News. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
38. ^ Littlejohn, Georgina (March 1, 2010). “Who knew so many celebrities were Canadian”. London: Daily Mail. Retrieved August 25, 2010.
39. ^ Brockes, Emma (April 11, 2009). “It’s the gift that keeps on taking”. London: The Guardian. Retrieved June 29, 2009.
40. ^ ^{a b} “Fresh Air” interview by Terry Gross” National Public Radio, April 2002.
41. ^ “Brain implant better than meds for Parkinson’s disease”. CNN. January 6, 2009. Retrieved August 13, 2010.
42. ^ ^{a b} Emma Brockes (April 11, 2009). “‘It’s the gift that keeps on taking'”. The Guardian. Retrieved October 25, 2010.
43. ^ Excerpt from Lucky Man, Chapter 8: Unwrapping the Gift. From michaeljfox.org. Retrieved February 8, 2010.
44. ^ “Michael J Fox makes stem cell ads”. BBC. October 25, 2006. Retrieved August 25, 2010.
45. ^ “Michael J. Fox In Campaign Ad”. CBS News. October 26, 2006. Retrieved August 25, 2010.
46. ^ “The Michael J. Fox Effect”. US News and World Report. October 26, 2006. Retrieved August 25, 2010.
47. ^ Smith, Lizzie (April 2, 2009). “Michael J Fox talks candidly about his battle with Parkinson’s on Oprah”. London: Daily Mail. Retrieved August 23, 2010.
48. ^ Patti Davis (May 3, 2007). “The TIME 100 – Michael J. Fox”. Time. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
49. ^ (In Swedish) “Michael J Fox hedersdoktor på KI”. Ny Teknik. March 5, 2010. Retrieved August 25, 2010.
50. ^ “Michael J. Fox ‘deeply moved’ by honorary degree from UBC”. The Vancouver Sun. May 23, 2008. Retrieved August 23, 2010.
51. ^ “Michael J Fox Canada Walk of Fame Profile”. Canada Walk of Fame Official Website. Retrieved August 23, 2010.
52. ^ “Michael J Fox Hollywood Star Walk”. Los Angeles Times. February 11, 2010. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
53. ^ “Saturn Award History”. Saturn Awards Official Website. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
54. ^ “Television Satellite Awards 1997”. International Press Academy Website. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
55. ^ “Television Satellite Awards 1998”. International Press Academy Website. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
56. ^ “Television Satellite Awards 1999”. International Press Academy Website. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
57. ^ “Michael J Fox Receives Honorary Doctorate from NYU”. New York University. May 14, 2008. Retrieved August 23, 2010.
58. ^ “Michael J Fox Receives Degree of Doctor of Laws”. University of British Columbia. May 22, 2008. Retrieved August 23, 2010.
59. ^ “Best Spoken Word Album”. Grammy Awards Official Website. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
60. ^ “2009 Most Influential Canadian Expat”. The Canadian Expat Association. November 4, 2009. Retrieved August 23, 2010.
61. ^ Hester, Jere (February 7, 2011). “Michael J. Fox’s “Good” Return”. NBC Connecticut. Retrieved February 12, 2011.

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Michael J. Fox

• Michael J. Fox at the Internet Movie Database
• The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research
• FRONTLINE: Interview with Michael J. Fox Fox’s perspective on living with Parkinson’s. Posted Jan. 29. 2009

[show]v · d · ePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor – Comedy Series (1976–2000)

[show]v · d · ePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor – Drama Series (2001–2025)

[show]v · d · eGolden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy (1970–1989)

[show]v · d · eGolden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy (1990–2009)

[show]v · d · eScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series (1994–2009)

[show]v · d · eSaturn Award for Best Actor

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Family Ties

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[Hide]

Family Ties

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Family Ties (disambiguation).

Family Ties
The Family Ties “family painting,” used in the opening sequence from 1983 to 1985.
Format	Sitcom
Created by	Gary David Goldberg
Starring	Meredith Baxter-Birney Michael Gross Michael J. Fox Justine Bateman Tina Yothers Brian Bonsall (1986–1989)
Theme music composer	Jeff Barry Tom Scott
Opening theme	“Without Us” Performed by Johnny Mathis & Deniece Williams[1]
Country of origin	United States
Language(s)	English
No. of seasons	7
No. of episodes	180 (List of episodes)
Production
Running time	22–24 minutes
Production company(s)	Ubu Productions Paramount Television CBS Television Distribution
Broadcast
Original channel	NBC
Original run	September 22, 1982 – May 14, 1989

Family Ties is an American sitcom that aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989. The sitcom reflected the move in the United States from the cultural liberalism of the 1960s and 1970s to the conservatism of the 1980s.^[2] This was particularly expressed through the relationship between young Republican Alex P. Keaton (Michael J. Fox) and his former-hippie parents, Elyse and Steven Keaton (Meredith Baxter-Birney and Michael Gross). The show won multiple awards, including three consecutive Emmy Awards for Michael J. Fox as Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

Contents [hide] 1 Overview 2 Cast 3 Guest stars 4 Theme Song 5 Ratings 6 Episodes 7 Awards 7.1 Emmy Awards 7.2 Golden Globes 7.3 TV Land Awards 8 Syndication 9 DVD releases 10 References to prior media 11 References in other media 12 References 13 Notes 14 External links

[edit] Overview

Cast of Family Ties from a later season. (From left to right) Justine Bateman, Michael J. Fox, Meredith Baxter-Birney, Michael Gross, Brian Bonsall, and Tina Yothers.

Set during the early years of the Reagan administration, Elyse and Steven Keaton (Meredith Baxter-Birney and Michael Gross) are baby boomers, former-Hippies and liberals ^[2] raising their three children: Alex (Michael J. Fox), Mallory (Justine Bateman) and Jennifer (Tina Yothers) in suburban Columbus, Ohio. Married in 1964, Elyse, an independent architect, and Steven, a station manager in a local public television station, were hippies during the 1960s.

According to the episode, “A Christmas Story” in season one, they were influenced by John F. Kennedy and were members of the Peace Corps following their marriage in 1964. Alex was born in 1965 in Africa. Mallory was born while Elyse and Steven were students at the University of California, Berkeley in 1967, and Jennifer was born the night Richard Nixon won his second term in 1972.

Much of the humor of the series focused on the cultural divide during the 1980s when younger generations rejected the counterculture of the 1960s and embraced the conservative politics which came to define the 1980s.^[3] Both Alex and Mallory embrace Reaganomics and exhibit conservative attitudes: Alex is a Young Republican and Mallory is a more materialistic young woman in contrast to her feminist mother.^[2] Mallory was also presented as a vacuous airhead, who was fodder for jokes and teasing from her brother Alex. Jennifer, an athletic tomboy and the youngest child, shares the values of her parents and just wants to be a normal kid. Elyse and Steven have a fourth child, Andrew, born in 1984 whom Alex doted on and quickly molded in his conservative image.

[edit] Cast

• Meredith Baxter-Birney as Elyse Keaton
• Michael Gross as Steven Keaton
• Michael J. Fox as Alex P. Keaton
• Justine Bateman as Mallory Keaton
• Tina Yothers as Jennifer Keaton
• Brian Bonsall as Andrew Keaton (seasons 5-7)
• Marc Price as Irwin “Skippy” Handelman
• Scott Valentine as Nick Moore (seasons 4-7)
• Tracy Pollan as Ellen Reed (season 4)
• Courteney Cox as Lauren Miller (seasons 6-7)

The show had been sold to the network using the pitch “hip parents, square kids”.^[4] Originally, Elyse and Steven were intended to be the main characters. However, the audience reacted so positively to Alex during the taping of the fourth episode that he became the focus on the show.^[2][4] Fox had received the role after Matthew Broderick turned it down.^[5] Coincidentally, Meredith Baxter had previously starred alongside Matthew Broderick’s father James (as his daughter) on the TV series Family.

Supporting cast and characters included neighbor Irwin “Skippy” Handelman (Marc Price), Mallory’s Sylvester Stallone-esque boyfriend artist Nick Moore (Scott Valentine) and Alex’s feminist artist girlfriend Ellen Reed (Tracy Pollan, whom Michael J. Fox later married). In season 3, episode 17 Elyse gave birth to her fourth child, Andrew (who was played by Brian Bonsall from season 5 onward). Garrett Merriman played baby Andrew. Bewitched actor Dick Sargent guest starred as Elyse’s father Charlie in Season 1.

[edit] Guest stars

Several Hollywood stars appeared on the show before they were famous or during the early years of their careers

• Judith Light appeared in Season 2 as a colleague of Steven’s, whom she unsuccessfully attempted to seduce.
• Tom Hanks appeared during the first and second seasons as Elyse’s younger alcoholic brother Ned^[4]
• Geena Davis portrayed inept housekeeper Karen
• River Phoenix played a fourteen-year-old math genius who develops a crush on Jennifer after coming to tutor Alex. Phoenix’s sister, Rain, would also appear as one of Jennifer’s friends in a different episode.
• Courteney Cox played Alex’s girlfriend Lauren at the end of the series
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus portrayed a lawyer in the two-part episode “Read It and Weep”. Louis-Dreyfus would later co-star on the Family Ties spin-off Day by Day. It was revealed that the family patriarch, Brian Harper (played by Douglas Sheehan) was a college roommate of Steven Keaton. A total of 33 episodes were produced.
• Crispin Glover played one of Alex’s friends on the episode “Birthday Boy”. Glover would later become famous for his portrayal of George McFly, the father of Michael J. Fox’s character Marty McFly, in the blockbuster film Back to the Future.
• Wil Wheaton played a kid in which Jennifer played dumb in order to date him.
• Corey Feldman played a 7th grade classmate of Jennifer who was a nominee to win the Thomas Dewey best student achievement award on the episode “The Disciple”
• Jeff Cohen played 2 different characters, Marv Jr. on the episode, “The Visit”, and Dougie Barker on the episode, “4 Rms Ocn Vu”.
• Christina Applegate played Kitten, a member of Jennifer’s band, on the episode, “Band on the Run”.^[6]
• Stephen Baldwin appeared as a member of a therapy group that Alex attends with his girlfriend.
• Daniel Baldwin appeared as an army recruit who harasses Skippy.
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt played Dougie, a friend of Andrew in Kindergarten in two episodes, “Sign of the Times” and “Father can you spare me a Dime”.
• Jane Adams played Marty Broadie in two 7th season episodes, “They Can’t Take That Away from Me: Part 1” and “They Can’t Take That Away from Me: Part 2”.
• James Cromwell played John Hancock in the 3rd season episode, “Philadelphia Story”.

[edit] Theme Song

The Theme Song, “Without Us”, was composed by Jeff Barry and Tom Scott in 1982. It was performed by Deniece Williams and Johnny Mathis. The first 10 episodes were performed by Dennis Tufano and Mindy Sterling.

[edit] Ratings

• 1982–1983: outside the top 30^[7]
• 1983–1984: #43^[8]
• 1984–1985: #5, 18,847,800 households^[9]
• 1985–1986: #2, 25,770,000 households^[10]
• 1986–1987: #2, 28,579,800 households^[11]
• 1987–1988: #17, 15,327,800 households^[12]
• 1988-1989: #36^[13]

[edit] Episodes

Main article: List of Family Ties episodes

[edit] Awards

[edit] Emmy Awards

• 1986: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Michael J. Fox)
• 1987: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Michael J. Fox); Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series; Outstanding Technical Direction
• 1988: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Michael J. Fox)

[edit] Golden Globes

• 1989:Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series (Michael J. Fox)

[edit] TV Land Awards

• 2011: Fan Favorite, Presented by Ben Stiller

[edit] Syndication

NBC aired reruns of Family Ties weekday mornings from December, 1985 until January, 1987. In the fall of 1987, several Fox and independent stations, like WNYW-TV 5 in New York City, KTTV-TV 11 in Los Angeles, WFLD-TV 32 in Chicago WSBK-TV 38 in Boston, among others aired the show.

FamilyNet aired the program as part of its “Families on FamilyNet” programming block, also featuring My Three Sons and Happy Days between January 2009 and February 2010.

In the summer of 2008, WGN America aired reruns as part of their Outta Sight Retro Night programming block. Reruns previously aired on TBS, YTV, Nick at Nite, TV Land, and Hallmark Channel during the early to mid 2000s. Currently, it airs on The Hub.

In Canada, reruns of Family Ties began airing on CTS, a Christian-based network, on September 6, 2010. On May 15, 2011 Netflix began to stream season 1-7 on its “watch instantly” streaming service.^[14]

In Australia, reruns air every afternoon on Eleven.

[edit] DVD releases

CBS DVD (distributed by Paramount) has released the first five seasons of Family Ties on DVD in Region 1. Each release features music replacements due to copyright issues as well as special features such as gag reels and episodic promos. The second season contains interviews with Michael Gross and Michael J. Fox along with other cast members. The fourth season contains the made-for-TV-movie, Family Ties Vacation.

Paramount has also released the first three seasons on DVD in Region 4. Seasons 6 and 7 have yet to be released.

DVD Name	Ep#	Release dates
		Region 1	Region 4
The Complete First Season	22	February 20, 2007[15]	April 9, 2008[16]
The Second Season	22	October 9, 2007[17]	September 4, 2008[18]
The Third Season	24	February 12, 2008[19]	April 2, 2009[20]
The Fourth Season	28	August 5, 2008[21]	TBA
The Fifth Season	30	March 10, 2009[22]	TBA

[edit] References to prior media

Media critic Ben Shapiro has stated that, based on his interview with Gary David Goldberg, the show was an unintentional comic reversal of All in the Family (which had conservative parents and liberal kids). Goldberg didn’t plan it that way, but discovered that later as a happy accident.^[23]

[edit] References in other media

Over a decade after the cancellation of Family Ties, Michael J. Fox’s final episodes on Spin City featured numerous allusions to the show. In these episodes, Michael Gross played a therapist for Fox’s character Michael Patrick Flaherty^[24] and the episode contained a reference to an off-screen character named “Mallory”.^[25] In the episode, after Flaherty becomes an environmental lobbyist in Washington D.C., he meets a “conservative congressman named Alex P. Keaton.”^[26] Meredith Baxter also portrayed Mike Flaherty’s mother, Macy Flaherty, in the episodes “Family Affair” (Parts 1 and 2).

Family Ties has also been referenced on Family Guy, as it is a favorite show of Seth MacFarlane. In the opening scene of the episode “Fifteen Minutes of Shame“, Peter Griffin is coloring the painting of the Keaton family, just like in the title sequence (with the theme song in the background). In the episode “Movin’ Out (Brian’s Song)“, Stewie Griffin compared Brian’s breakup with Jillian to Alex’s: “Remember when Alex P. Keaton lost his girlfriend? And then he got another one and everything was all right? And then he got Parkinson’s. Yikes.” In the episode “Jerome is the New Black“, Family Ties is playing on the television and Jerome buys Peter Griffin a sculpture made by the character Nick. In the episode “Brothers & Sisters“, the Griffins are watching a “later-season” episode of Family Ties, in which puberty has changed Jennifer into a buffalo. Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter reprised their roles for the scene. Coincidentally, this episode of Family Guy aired at the same time as the 9th Annual TV Land Awards when the cast of Family Ties accepted the Fan Favorite Award for the show.

The cast of Family Ties publicly reunited for the first time on February 7, 2008 for an interview on The Today Show.^[27]

[edit] References

• Fox, Michael J. (2002). Lucky Man: A Memoir. New York: Hyperion. ISBN 978-078686764-6
• Goldberg, Gary David. “Comedy Stop: What Would Alex Keaton Do?.” New York Times, March 3, 2008.
• Haglund, David. “Reagan’s Favorite Sitcom: How Family Ties spawned a conservative hero.” Slate. March 2, 2007.
• Hurst, Alex. “Remembering an icon from the ‘Me-Decade’.” The Daily Pennsylvanian, April 24, 2001.
• Patterson, Thomas. “What would Alex P. Keaton do?.” CNN, November 1, 2006.
• Saenz, Michael. “Family Ties.” – Museum of Broadcast Communications
• Stewart, Susan. “The Parents Ate Sprouts; the Kid Stole the Show. New York Times, February 25, 2007.

[edit] Notes

1. ^ For the first 10 episodes, the opening theme was performed by Dennis Tufano and Mindy Sterling. IMDb (1990-2009). “Biography for Dennis Tufano”. Amazon.com. Retrieved 28 October 2009.
2. ^ ^{a b c d} The Museum of Broadcast Communications: Family Ties
3. ^ What he left behind: From Tom Clancy to Alex P. Keaton, Ronald Reagan’s legacy extends beyond the political and into the cultural
4. ^ ^{a b c} Reagan’s Favorite Sitcom: How Family Ties spawned a conservative hero
5. ^ The Biography Channel – Matthew Broderick Biography
6. ^ http://www.tv.com/family-ties/band-on-the-run/episode/15518/summary.html
7. ^ TV hits ’82
8. ^ TV hits ’83
9. ^ TV hits ’84
10. ^ TV hits ’85
11. ^ TV hits ’86
12. ^ http://fbibler.chez.com/tvstats
13. ^ TV hits ’88
14. ^ Netflix:Family Ties (1982-1988) Seasons 1-7
15. ^ http://www.dvdempire.com/Exec/v4_item.asp?item_id=1249667
16. ^ http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/797829
17. ^ http://www.dvdempire.com/Exec/v4_item.asp?item_id=1347868
18. ^ http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/800184
19. ^ http://www.dvdempire.com/Exec/v4_item.asp?item_id=1376178
20. ^ http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/804826
21. ^ http://www.dvdempire.com/Exec/v4_item.asp?item_id=1404447
22. ^ http://www.dvdempire.com/Exec/v4_item.asp?item_id=1444065
23. ^ http://www.mattlewis.org/?p=5934
24. ^ Putting His Own Spin on ‘City’s’ season finale
25. ^ Shales, Tom. “Michael J. Fox, Playing ‘Spin City’ to a Fare-Thee-Well.” Washington Post, May 24, 2000, C1.
26. ^ Michael J. Fox Database
27. ^ “Family Ties: Reunited After Almost 20 Years!”. TVSeriesFinale.com. Retrieved 2008-02-07.

[edit] External links

• Family Ties at the Internet Movie Database
• Family Ties at TV.com

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Keating Five

Keating Five

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

• 

  Alan Cranston (D-CA)
• 

  Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ)
• 

  John Glenn (D-OH)
• 

  John McCain (R-AZ)
• 

  Donald W. Riegle (D-MI)

The Keating Five were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s. The five senators, Alan Cranston (Democrat of California), Dennis DeConcini (Democrat of Arizona), John Glenn (Democrat of Ohio), John McCain (Republican of Arizona), and Donald W. Riegle, Jr. (Democrat of Michigan), were accused of improperly intervening in 1987 on behalf of Charles H. Keating, Jr., chairman of the Lincoln Savings and Loan Association, which was the target of a regulatory investigation by the Federal Home Loan Bank Board (FHLBB). The FHLBB subsequently backed off taking action against Lincoln.

Lincoln Savings and Loan collapsed in 1989, at a cost of over $3 billion to the federal government. Some 23,000 Lincoln bondholders were defrauded and many elderly investors lost their life savings. The substantial political contributions that Keating had made to each of the senators, totaling $1.3 million, attracted considerable public and media attention. After a lengthy investigation, the Senate Ethics Committee determined in 1991 that Alan Cranston, Dennis DeConcini, and Donald Riegle had substantially and improperly interfered with the FHLBB in its investigation of Lincoln Savings, with Cranston receiving a formal reprimand. Senators John Glenn and John McCain were cleared of having acted improperly but were criticized for having exercised “poor judgment.”

All five of the senators involved served out their terms. Only Glenn and McCain ran for re-election, and they both succeeded. McCain would go on to run for president twice, including being the unsuccessful Republican Party nominee for president in 2008.

Contents [hide] 1 Circumstances 2 Corruption allegations 3 Failure of Lincoln and investigation of the senators 4 Relationships of senators to Keating 5 Senate Ethics Committee investigation and findings 5.1 History 5.2 Cranston: reprimanded 5.3 Riegle and DeConcini: criticized for acting improperly 5.4 Glenn and McCain: cleared of impropriety but criticized for poor judgment 5.5 Reactions 5.6 Leaks 6 Aftermath 7 Reports 8 Notes 9 References

[edit] Circumstances

See also: Savings and Loan crisis

The U.S. Savings and Loan crisis of the 1980s and early 1990s was the failure of 747 savings and loan associations (S&Ls) in the United States. The ultimate cost of the crisis is estimated to have totaled around $160.1 billion, about $124.6 billion of which was directly paid for by the U.S. taxpayer.^[1] The accompanying slowdown in the finance industry and the real estate market may have been a contributing cause of the 1990-1991 economic recession. Between 1986 and 1991, the number of new homes constructed per year dropped from 1.8 million to 1 million, at the time the lowest rate since World War II.^[2]

The Keating Five scandal was prompted by the activities of one particular savings and loan: Lincoln Savings and Loan Association of Irvine, California. Lincoln’s chairman was Charles Keating, who ultimately served five years in prison for his corrupt mismanagement of Lincoln.^[3] In the four years after Keating’s American Continental Corporation (ACC) had purchased Lincoln in 1984, Lincoln’s assets had increased from $1.1 billion to $5.5 billion.^[4] Such savings and loan associations had been deregulated in the early 1980s, allowing them to make highly risky investments with their depositors’ money. Keating and other savings and loan operators took advantage of this deregulation.^[4][5] Savings and loans established connections to many members of Congress, by supplying them with needed funds for campaigns through legal donations.^[5] Lincoln’s particular investments took the form of buying land, taking equity positions in real estate development projects, and buying high-yield junk bonds.^[6]

[edit] Corruption allegations

The core allegation of the Keating Five affair is that Keating had made contributions of about $1.3 million to various U.S. Senators, and he called on those Senators to help him resist regulators. The regulators backed off, to later disastrous consequences.

Beginning in 1985, Edwin J. Gray, chair of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board (FHLBB), feared that the savings industry’s risky investment practices were exposing the government’s insurance funds to huge losses.^[6] Gray instituted a rule whereby savings associations could hold no more than ten percent of their assets in “direct investments”,^[6] and were thus prohibited from taking ownership positions in certain financial entities and instruments.^[7] Lincoln had become burdened with bad debt resulting from its past aggressiveness, and by early 1986,^[6] its investment practices were being investigated and audited by the FHLBB:^[8] in particular, whether it had violated these direct investment rules; Lincoln had directed Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-insured accounts into commercial real estate ventures.^[4] By the end of 1986, the FHLBB had found that Lincoln had $135 million in unreported losses and had surpassed the regulated direct investments limit by $600 million.^[6]

Keating had earlier taken several measures to oppose Gray and the FHLBB, including recruiting a study from then-private economist Alan Greenspan saying that direct investments were not harmful,^[6] and getting President Ronald Reagan to make a recess appointment of a Keating ally, Atlanta real estate developer Lee H. Henkel Jr., to an open seat on the FHLBB.^[6] But by March 1987, Henkel had resigned, upon news of his having large loans due to Lincoln.^[6] Meanwhile, the Senate had changed control from Republican to Democratic during the 1986 Congressional elections, placing several Democratic senators in key positions, and starting in January 1987, Keating’s staff was putting pressure on Cranston to remove Gray from any FHLBB discussion regarding Lincoln.^[9] The following month, Keating began large-scale contributions into Cranston’s project to increase California voter registration.^[9] In February 1987, Keating met with Riegle and began contributing to Riegle’s 1988 re-election campaign.^[10]

It appeared as though the government might seize Lincoln for being insolvent.^[7] The investigation was, however, taking a long time.^[8] Keating was asking that Lincoln be given a lenient judgment by the FHLBB, so that it could limit its high risk investments and get into the safe (at the time) home mortgage business, thus allowing the business to survive. A letter from audit firm Arthur Young & Co. bolstered Keating’s case that the government investigation was taking a long time.^[11] Keating now wanted the five senators to intervene with the FHLBB on his behalf.

By March 1987, Riegle was telling Gray that “Some senators out west are very concerned about the way the bank board is regulating Lincoln Savings,” adding somewhat ominously, “I think you need to meet with the senators. You’ll be getting a call.”^[10] Keating and DeConcini were asking McCain to travel to San Francisco to meet with regulators regarding Lincoln Savings; McCain refused.^[7][11] DeConcini told Keating that McCain was nervous about interfering.^[7] Keating called McCain a “wimp” behind his back, and on March 24, Keating and McCain had a heated, contentious meeting.^[11]

On April 2, 1987, a meeting with chairman Gray of the FHLBB was held in DeConcini’s Capitol office, with Senators Cranston, Glenn, and McCain also in attendance.^[7] The senators requested that no staff be present.^[12] DeConcini started the meeting with a mention of “our friend at Lincoln.”^[7] Gray told the assembled senators that he did not know the particular details of the status of Lincoln Savings and Loan, and that the senators would have to go to the bank regulators in San Francisco that had oversight jurisdiction for the bank. Gray did offer to set up a meeting between those regulators and the senators.^[7]

On April 9, 1987, a two-hour meeting^[4] with three members of the FHLBB San Francisco branch was held, again in DeConcini’s office, to discuss the government’s investigation of Lincoln.^[7][11] Present were Cranston, DeConcini, Glenn, McCain, and additionally Riegle.^[7] The regulators felt that the meeting was very unusual and that they were being pressured by a united front, as the senators presented their reasons for having the meeting.^[7] DeConcini began the meeting by saying, “We wanted to meet with you because we have determined that potential actions of yours could injure a constituent.”^[13] McCain said, “One of our jobs as elected officials is to help constituents in a proper fashion. ACC [American Continental Corporation] is a big employer and important to the local economy. I wouldn’t want any special favors for them…. I don’t want any part of our conversation to be improper.” Glenn said, “To be blunt, you should charge them or get off their backs,” while DeConcini said, “What’s wrong with this if they’re willing to clean up their act? … It’s very unusual for us to have a company that could be put out of business by its regulators.”^[7] The regulators then revealed that Lincoln was under criminal investigation on a variety of serious charges, at which point McCain severed all relations with Keating.^[7]

The San Francisco regulators finished their report in May 1987 and recommended that Lincoln be seized by the government due to unsound lending practices.^[4][7] Gray, whose time as chair was about to expire, deferred action on the report, saying that his adversarial relationship with Keating would make any action he took seem vindictive, and that instead the incoming chair should take over the decision.^[6] Meanwhile Keating filed a lawsuit against the FHLBB, saying it had leaked confidential information about Lincoln.^[6] The new FHLBB chair was M. Danny Wall, who was more sympathetic to Keating and took no action on the report, saying its evidence was insufficient.^[4][7] In September 1987, the Lincoln investigation was removed from the San Francisco group^[7] and in May 1988, the FHLBB signed an agreement with Lincoln that included not going ahead with a criminal referral to the Department of Justice.^[14] In July 1988, a new audit of both Lincoln and American Continental began in Washington.^[7][14]

Cranston continued intervening on behalf of Keating after the April 1987 meetings, contacting both Wall and California state regulators and continuing to receive large amounts of new donations to the voter registration projects from Keating.^[15] DeConcini also continued on behalf of Keating, contacting Wall, California state regulators, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) advocating approval of a sale of Lincoln as a December 1988 alternative to government seizure.^[14][15] But bank regulators refused to approve the sale of Lincoln.^[14] Glenn too continued to help Keating after the April 1987 revelation, by setting up a meeting with then-House Majority Leader Jim Wright.^[16]

News of the April meetings between the senators and the FHLBB officials first appeared in National Thrift News in September 1987, but was only sporadically covered by the general media for the next year and a half.^[17] In early 1988, The Detroit News ran a story on Riegle’s participation,^[18] which Riegle responded to on Meet the Press by denying an interceding on Lincoln’s behalf,^[13] before returning Keating’s campaign contributions back to him.^[18] In spring 1988, the Los Angeles Times ran a short piece in their business section, but their political reporters did not follow up on it; two isolated, inside page mentions by The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal similarly failed to develop further.^[18] As media critic Howard Kurtz would later write, “the saga of Charles Keating took years to penetrate the national consciousness.”^[18] The political fortunes of the senators involved did not suffer at this time. During the 1988 U.S. presidential election, McCain was mentioned by the press as a vice-presidential running mate for Republican nominee George H. W. Bush,^[19][20] while Glenn was one of the two vice-presidential finalists in Michael Dukakis‘ selection process, losing out to Lloyd Bentsen.^[21]

[edit] Failure of Lincoln and investigation of the senators

Lincoln stayed in business; from mid-1987 to April 1989, its assets grew from $3.91 billion to $5.46 billion.^[6] During this time, the parent American Continental Corporation was desperate for cash inflow to make up for losses in real estate purchases and projects.^[22] Lincoln’s branch managers and tellers convinced customers to replace their federally-insured certificates of deposit with higher-yielding bond certificates of American Continental; the customers later said they were never properly informed that the bonds were uninsured and very risky given the state of American Continental’s finances.^[22] Indeed the regulators had already adjudged the bonds to have no solvent backing.^[12] FDIC chair L. William Seidman would later write that Lincoln push to get depositors to switch was “one of the most heartless and cruel frauds in modern memory.”^[12]

American Continental went bankrupt in April 1989, and Lincoln was seized by the FHLBB on April 14, 1989.^[4] About 23,000 customers were left with worthless bonds.^[23] Many investors, often ones living in California retirement communities, lost their life savings, and felt emotional damage for having been duped on top of their financial devastation.^[22][24] The total bondholder loss came to between $250 million and $288 million.^[23][25] The federal government was eventually liable for $3.4 billion to cover Lincoln’s losses when it seized the institution.^[26]

Keating was hit with a $1.1 billion fraud and racketeering action, filed against him by the regulators.^[4] In talking to reporters in April, Keating said, “One question, among many raised in recent weeks, had to do with whether my financial support in any way influenced several political figures to take up my cause. I want to say in the most forceful way I can: I certainly hope so.”^[27]

In the wake of the Lincoln failure, former FHLBB chair Gray went public about all five of the senators’ assistance to Keating in a May 21, 1989 front page story by John Dougherty in the Dayton Daily News, saying that in the April 1987 meetings the senators had sought “to directly subvert the regulatory process” to benefit Keating.^[14][28] Press attention to the senators began to pick up, with a July 1989 Los Angeles Times article about Cranston’s role.^[18] With a couple of months, Arizona Republic and Washington Post reporters were investigating McCain’s personal relationships with Keating.^[18]

On September 25, 1989, several Republicans from Ohio filed an ethics complaint against Glenn, charging that he had improperly intervened on Keating’s behalf.^[29][30] The initial charges against the five Senators were made on October 13, 1989 by Common Cause, a public interest group, who asked for the U.S. Justice Department and the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate the actions of the senators relative to Lincoln and the contributions received from Keating and whether they violated the rules of the Senate or federal election laws.^{[30][31][32][33]} But the most public attention came from the House Banking Committee, whose new chair Henry B. Gonzalez held 50 hours of hearings into the Lincoln failure and associated events.^[18]

By November 1989, the estimated cost of the overall savings and loan crisis had reached $500 billion, and the media’s formerly erratic coverage had turned around and become a feeding frenzy.^[18][34] The Lincoln matter was getting large-scale press attention and the senators became commonly known as the “Keating Five”.^[35][36] All the senators denied they had done anything improper in the matter, and said Keating’s contributions made no difference to their actions.^[29] The senators’ initial defense of their actions rested on Keating being one of their constituents; McCain said, “I have done this kind of thing many, many times,” and said the Lincoln case was like “helping the little lady who didn’t get her Social Security.”^[35] Some of the five hired high-power Washington lawyers to represent them – including Charles Ruff for Glenn and John Dowd for McCain – while others feared that to do so would give the appearance their political careers were in jeopardy.^[37][38]

The Justice Department and the FBI began by investigation possible criminal actions by Keating, but then expanded its inquiries to include the five senators.^[39] The FBI soon focused their attention on Cranston, because the largest sums of money from Keating came in to Cranston-involved voter-registration drives whose tax-exempt status might have been violated.^[40]

[edit] Relationships of senators to Keating

Much of the press attention to the Keating Five focused on the relationships of each of the senators to Keating.

Cranston had received $39,000 from Keating and his associates for his 1986 Senate re-election campaign.^[4] Furthermore, Keating had donated some $850,000 to assorted groups founded by Cranston or controlled by him, and another $85,000 to the California Democratic Party.^[4] Cranston considered Keating a constituent because Lincoln was based in California.^[35]

DeConcini had received about $48,000 from Keating and his associates for his 1988 Senate re-election campaign.^[4] In September 1989, after the government sued Keating and American Continental for improper actions regarding contributions, DeConcini returned the money.^[41] DeConcini considered Keating a constituent because Keating lived in Arizona; they were also long-time friends.^[35]

Glenn had received $34,000 in direct contributions from Keating and his associates for his 1984 presidential nomination campaign, and a political action committee tied to Glenn had received an additional $200,000.^[4] Glenn considered Keating a constituent because one of Keating’s other business concerns was headquartered in Ohio.^[35]

McCain and Keating had become personal friends following their initial contacts in 1981,^[11] and McCain was the only one of the five with close social and personal ties to Keating.^[42][43] Like DeConcini, McCain considered Keating a constituent as he lived in Arizona.^[35] Between 1982 and 1987, McCain had received $112,000 in political contributions from Keating and his associates.^[44] In addition, McCain’s wife Cindy McCain and her father Jim Hensley had invested $359,100 in the Fountain Square Project, a Keating shopping center, in April 1986, a year before McCain met with the regulators.^[7][45] McCain, his family, and their baby-sitter had made nine trips at Keating’s expense, sometimes aboard Keating’s jet; three of the trips were made during vacations to Keating’s opulent Bahamas retreat at Cat Cay.^[7] McCain did not pay Keating (in the amount of $13,433) for some of the trips until years after they were taken, when he learned that Keating was in trouble over Lincoln.^[7][46] In 1989 Phoenix New Times writer Tom Fitzpatrick opined that McCain was the “most reprehensible” of the five senators.^[47]

Riegle had received some $76,000 from Keating and his associates for his 1988 Senate re-election campaign.^[4] Riegle later announced in April 1988 he was returning the money.^[6] Riegle’s constituency connection to Keating was that Keating’s Hotel Pontchartrain was located in Michigan.^[35]

[edit] Senate Ethics Committee investigation and findings

[edit] History

The Senate Ethics Committee‘s investigation began on November 17, 1989.^[48] It focused on all five senators and lasted 22 months,^[32] with 9 months of active investigation and 7 weeks of hearings.^[49] The committee was composed of three Democratic senators, Howell Heflin (chair), David Pryor, and Terry Sanford, and three Republican senators, Warren Rudman (vice chair), Trent Lott, and Jesse Helms.^[48] Washington attorney Robert S. Bennett was appointed as special outside counsel to the committee, tasked with conducting the investigation.^[48]

Initially the committee investigated in private. On September 10, 1990, Bennett submitted a confidential report, which soon leaked, that recommended that the committee continue its investigation of Cranston, DeConcini, and Riegle, but take no action against Glenn and McCain,^[31] as there was insufficient evidence to pursue the latter two.^[50] Bennett also recommended that public hearings be held.^[30]

Speculation that this would be the decision had already taken place, and both Glenn and McCain were frustrated that the long delay in resolving their cases was damaging their reputations.^[50] However, there were political implications, as the removal of the two would eliminate the only Republican from the case.^[50] The committee’s work was further made difficult by there being no specific rule that governed the propriety of members intervening with federal regulators.^[50] By mid-October, several Republican senators, including former Ethics Committee chair Ted Stevens, were taking the unusual step of publicly complaining about the Ethics Committee’s inaction, saying that it was unfair to Glenn and McCain, that the whole lengthy process was unfair to all five, and that political motives might be behind the delays.^[51] Eventually, the committee could not agree on the Bennett recommendation regarding Glenn and McCain:^[31] vice chair Rudman agreed with Bennett, chair Heflin did not.^[16] On October 23, 1990, the committee decided to keep all five senators in the case, and scheduled public hearings to question them and other witnesses.^[30][31]

These hearings would take place from November 15 through January 16, 1991.^[31] They were held in the Hart Senate Office Building‘s largest hearing room.^[52] They were broadcast live in their entirety by C-SPAN, with CNN and the network news programs showing segments of the testimonies.^[52] At the opening of the hearings, as The Washington Post would later write, “the senators sat dourly alongside one another in a long row, a visual suggestive of co-defendants in a rogues’ docket.”^[53] Overall, McCain would later write, “The hearings were a public humiliation.”^[52]

The committee reported on the other four senators in February 1991, but delayed its final report on Cranston until November 1991.^[49] During that period there was partisan-aligned disagreement within the committee over how to treat Cranston, and in August 1991 a special counsel’s report was released by Helms.^[54] A delay was also caused when Pryor suffered a heart attack in April 1991, and was replaced on the committee by Jeff Bingaman.^[55] Bingaman spent months learning the complex materials involved in the matter, only to resign in July due to a conflict of interest.^[55] Pryor was reassigned to the committee in August 1991, so as to not further delay its deliberations.^[55]

The various committee reports addressed each of the five senators.

[edit] Cranston: reprimanded

The Senate Ethics Committee ruled that Cranston had acted improperly by interfering with the investigation by the FHLBB.^[56] He had received more than a million dollars from Keating, including $850,000 to the voter registration groups closely affiliated with him; he had done more arm-twisting than the other Senators on Keating’s behalf; and was the only Senator officially rebuked by the Senate in this matter.^[57]

Cranston was given the harshest penalty of all five Senators. In November 1991, the Senate Ethics Committee voted unanimously to reprimand Cranston, instead of the more severe measure that was under consideration: censure by the full Senate. Extenuating circumstances that helped to save Cranston from censure were the fact that he was suffering from cancer, and that he had decided to not seek reelection, according to chair Heflin. The Ethics Committee took the unusual step of delivering its reprimand to Cranston during a formal session of the full Senate, with almost all 100 Senators present.^[32]

Cranston was not accused of breaking any specific laws or rules, but of violating standards that Heflin said “do not permit official actions to be linked with fund-raising.” Although the Ethics Committee stated “No evidence was presented to the Committee that Senator Cranston ever agreed to help Mr. Keating in return for a contribution,” the Committee officially found that Cranston’s conduct had been “improper and repugnant”, deserving of “the fullest, strongest and most severe sanction which the committee has the authority to impose.” The sanction was in these words: “the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, on behalf of and in the name of the United States Senate, does hereby strongly and severely reprimand Sen. Alan Cranston.”^[32][58]

After the Senate reprimanded Cranston, he took to the Senate floor to deny key charges against him. In response, vice-chair Rudman charged that Cranston’s response to the reprimand was “arrogant, unrepentant and a smear on this institution,” and that Cranston was wrong to imply that everyone does what Cranston had done. Alan Dershowitz, serving as Senator Cranston’s attorney, alleged that other Senators had merely been better at “covering their tracks.”^[32]

[edit] Riegle and DeConcini: criticized for acting improperly

The Senate Ethics Committee ruled that Riegle and DeConcini had acted improperly by interfering with the investigation by the FHLBB.^[56] Specifically, it said that even though neither of them violated any Senate rule, their conduct “gave the appearance of being improper.”^[41] DeConcini was especially faulted for having taken the lead in the two meetings with the FHLBB.^[41]

After the ruling, Riegle expressed contrition, saying “I certainly regret and accept responsibility [for actions that] did lend themselves to an appearance of a conflict of interest.”^[41] DeConcini, however, said he would continue to be “aggressive” in representing his constituents in their affairs with federal regulators.^[41]

[edit] Glenn and McCain: cleared of impropriety but criticized for poor judgment

The Senate Ethics Committee ruled that the involvement of Glenn in the scheme was minimal, and the charges against him were dropped.^[56] He was only criticized by the Committee for “poor judgment.”^[59]

The Ethics Committee ruled that the involvement of McCain in the scheme was also minimal, and he too was cleared of all charges against him.^[56][57] McCain was criticized by the Committee for exercising “poor judgment” when he met with the federal regulators on Keating’s behalf.^[7] The report also said that McCain’s “actions were not improper nor attended with gross negligence and did not reach the level of requiring institutional action against him….Senator McCain has violated no law of the United States or specific Rule of the United States Senate.”^[60] On his Keating Five experience, McCain has said: “The appearance of it was wrong. It’s a wrong appearance when a group of senators appear in a meeting with a group of regulators, because it conveys the impression of undue and improper influence. And it was the wrong thing to do.”^[7]

Regardless of the level of their involvement, both senators were greatly affected by it. McCain would write in 2002 that attending the two April 1987 meetings was “the worst mistake of my life”.^[61] Glenn has described the Senate Ethics Committee investigation as the low point of his life.^[8]

The Senate Ethics Committee did not pursue, for lack of jurisdiction, any possible ethics breaches in McCain’s delayed reimbursements to Keating for trips at the latter’s expense, because they occurred while McCain was in the House.^[62] The House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct said that it too lacked jurisdiction, because McCain was no longer in the House.^[63] It said it did not require that McCain amend his existing financial disclosure forms for his House years, on the grounds that McCain had now fully reimbursed Keating’s company.^[63]

[edit] Reactions

Not everyone was satisfied with the Senate Ethics Committee conclusions. Fred Wertheimer, president of Common Cause, which had initially demanded the investigation, thought the treatment of the senators far too lenient, and said, “[The] action by the Senate Ethics Committee is a cop-out and a damning indictment of the committee,”^[41] and “The U.S. Senate remains on the auction block to the Charles Keatings of the world.”^[64] Joan Claybrook, president of Public Citizen, called it a “whitewash”.^[64] Jonathan Alter of Newsweek said it was a classic case of the government trying to investigate itself, labeling the Senate Ethics Committee “shameless” for having “let four of the infamous Keating Five off with a wrist tap.”^[65] The New York Times ran several editorials criticizing the Ethics Committee for having let the senators off lightly.^[66] Margaret Carlson of Time suspected the committee had timed its first report to coincide with the run-up to the Gulf War, minimizing its news impact.^[64] One of the San Francisco bank regulators felt that McCain had gotten off too lightly, saying that Keating’s business involvement with Cindy McCain was an obvious conflict of interest.^[67]

Some of the Senate Ethics Committee members were concerned that letting the senators off lightly would harm their own reputations.^[41] Nevertheless, the existing Senate rules did not specifically proscribe the actions taken by DeConcini, Riegle, Glenn, and McCain.^[41] Vice-chair Rudman defended the committee’s actions, saying: “Given the news media frenzy surrounding [the Keating Five], the easiest thing for the committee to do would have been to find them guilty of something and recommend sanctions. … The politically difficult thing, the one requiring backbone, was what we did — to review all the evidence and reach a predictably unpopular conclusion based only on fact.”^[66]

[edit] Leaks

A number of press reports came out during the Ethics Committee’s work that purported to reveal aspects of the investigations.^[45] Chair Heflin was upset by the leaks and two investigations into them were held, one by the General Accounting Office acting on behalf of the committee and one by the Senate’s Temporary Special Independent Counsel.^[45][62] Neither report reached a conclusive finding or directly implicated anyone in the leaks.^[62] The special counsel report, released in 1992, ascribed partisanship as the motive for the leaks and said they were intended to hurt DeConcini, Riegle, and Cranston; it also gave an inference that McCain and his staff were responsible for key leaks.^[45][62]

DeConcini later charged that McCain had leaked to the press sensitive information about the investigation that came from some of the closed proceedings of the Ethics Committee.^[7] McCain denied doing so under oath, although several press reports concluded that McCain had been one of the main leakers during that time.^[7][62] The GAO investigator later said, “There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that McCain made those leaks.”^[45] Vice chair Rudman stated in his 1996 autobiography that McCain and his staff were responsible for some of the leaks,^[62] but later repudiated the assertion.^[45]

[edit] Aftermath

Keating and Lincoln Savings became convenient symbols for arguments about what had gone wrong in America’s financial system and society,^[68] and were featured in popular culture references.^[68][69] The senators did not escape infamy either.^[67] By spring 1992, a deck of playing cards was being marketed, called “The Savings and Loan Scandal”, that featured on their face Charles Keating holding up his hand, with images of the five senators portrayed as puppets on his fingers.^[7][68] Polls showed that most Americans believed the actions of the Keating Five were typical of Congress as a whole.^[49] Political historian Lewis Gould would later echo this sentiment, as well as Cranston attorney Dershowitz’s argument, writing that, “the real problem for the ‘Keating Three’ who were most involved was that they had been caught.”^[5]

McCain testified against Keating in a civil suit brought by Lincoln bondholders, and was seen as the plaintiffs’ best witness.^[70] The other four senators refused to testify.^[70] Cranston left office in January 1993, and died in December 2000. DeConcini and Riegle continued to serve in the Senate until their terms expired, but they did not seek re-election in 1994. DeConcini was appointed by President Bill Clinton in February 1995 to the Board of Directors of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation.^[71] Glenn did choose to run for re-election in 1992, trying to become the first senator ever to win a fourth term from Ohio.^[8] The Republican candidate, Lieutenant Governor R. Michael DeWine, attacked Glenn on Keating Five as well as a number of other matters, in one of the dirtiest campaigns in the country that year and the toughest of Glenn’s senatorial contests.^[8][72] Glenn prevailed, however, defeating DeWine by nine percentage points to gain one more term in the Senate before retiring and not running for re-election in 1998.^[8][72]

After 1999, the only member of the Keating Five remaining in the U.S. Senate was John McCain, who had an easier time gaining re-election in 1992 than he anticipated.^[73] He survived the political scandal in part by becoming friendly with the political press.^[73] McCain subsequently ran for president in 2000 and became the Republican presidential nominee in 2008. During the 2000s, several retrospective accounts of the controversy reiterated the contention that McCain was included in the investigation primarily so that there would be at least one Republican target.^{[16][25][30][34]} Glenn’s inclusion in the investigation has been attributed to Republicans who were angered by the inclusion of McCain,^[25] as well as committee members who thought that dropping Glenn (and McCain) would make it look bad for the remaining three Democratic Senators.^[30]

The scandal was followed by a number of attempts to adopt campaign finance reform—spearheaded by U.S. Sen. David Boren (D-OK)—but most attempts died in committee. A weakened reform was passed in 1993. Substantial campaign finance reform was not passed until the adoption of the McCain-Feingold Act in 2002. Bennett would later write that the Keating Five investigation did make a difference, as members of Congress were afterward far less likely to intercede with federal investigations on behalf of contributors.^[74]

In early October 2008, the Keating Five scandal, its possible parallel to the subprime mortgage crisis and liquidity crisis of September 2008, and specifically the role in the scandal of Republican presidential nominee McCain, were briefly emphasized by the campaign of his Democratic opponent, Barack Obama, through a 13-minute “documentary” entitled Keating Economics.^[75][76] This introduction occurred after the McCain campaign began emphasizing the Obama–Ayers controversy.^[75] The Keating Five matter otherwise had little impact on McCain’s eventually unsuccessful campaign.^[77]

[edit] Reports

• United States Senate Select Committee on Ethics. Preliminary inquiry into allegations regarding Senators Cranston, DeConcini, Glenn, McCain, and Riegle, and Lincoln Savings and Loan: Open session hearings before the Select Committee on Ethics, United States Senate, One Hundred First Congress, second session, November 15, 1990, through January 16, 1991. Washington D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1991.
• United States Senate Select Committee on Ethics. Senate Select Committee on Ethics, Investigation of Senator Alan Cranston together with Additional Views, Report of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, S. Rep. No. 223, 102d Cong., 1st Sess. 36 (November 20, 1991). Washington D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1991.

[edit] Notes

1. ^ “Financial Audit: Resolution Trust Corporation’s 1995 and 1994 Financial Statements” (PDF). U.S. General Accounting Office. July 1996.
2. ^ “Housing Finance in Developed Countries An International Comparison of Efficiency, United States” (PDF). Fannie Mae. 1992.
3. ^ Grossman, Political Corruption in America: An Encyclopedia of Scandals, Power, and Greed, p. 201.
4. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m} “The Lincoln Savings and Loan Investigation: Who Is Involved”. The New York Times. 1989-11-22.
5. ^ ^{a b c} Gould, The Most Exclusive Club, pp. 289–290.
6. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l} Nash, Nathaniel C. (1989-07-09). “Showdown Time for Danny Wall”. The New York Times.
7. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x} Nowicki, Dan and Muller, Bill (2007-03-01). “John McCain Report: The Keating Five”. The Arizona Republic. Retrieved 2007-11-23.
8. ^ ^{a b c d e f} “John Glenn archives: John Glenn ~ Political Career”. The Ohio State University. 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-16.
9. ^ ^{a b} Binstein and Bowden, Trust Me, p. 275.
10. ^ ^{a b} Binstein and Bowden, Trust Me, pp. 278–279.
11. ^ ^{a b c d e} Alexander, Man of the People, pp. 108–111.
12. ^ ^{a b c} Seidman, Full Faith and Credit, pp. 233, 235.
13. ^ ^{a b} Pizzo, Inside Job, pp. 291, 294–296.
14. ^ ^{a b c d e} Dougherty, John (1993-07-14). “DeConcini & Keating”. Phoenix New Times.
15. ^ ^{a b} “Who were the Keating Five?”. Chicago Tribune. 1990-01-14.
16. ^ ^{a b c} Karaagac, John McCain: An Essay in Military and Political History, pp. 163, 169.
17. ^ McCain and Salter, Worth the Fighting For, pp. 185–186. Used because it has a thorough list of media references to what would become Keating Five.
18. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h} Kurtz, Media Circus, pp. 69–72.
19. ^ Alexander, Man of the People, pp. 115–119.
20. ^ Nowicki, Dan and Muller, Bill (2007-03-01). “John McCain Report: The Senate calls”. The Arizona Republic. Retrieved 2007-11-23.
21. ^ Germond and Witcover, Whose Broad Stripes and Bright Stars?, pp. 340, 343.
22. ^ ^{a b c} Nash, Nathaniel C. (1989-11-30). “Collapse of Lincoln Savings Leaves Scars for Rich, Poor and the Faithful”. The New York Times.
23. ^ ^{a b} Stevenson, Richard W. (1991-12-13). “U.S. Files Keating Charges”. The New York Times.
24. ^ Stevenson, Richard W. (1990-09-19). “Keating Indicted in Savings Fraud and Goes to Jail”. The New York Times.
25. ^ ^{a b c} Tolchin, Glass Houses, p. 51.
26. ^ Berthelsen, Christian (1999-04-07). “Keating Pleads Guilty to 4 Counts of Fraud”. The New York Times.
27. ^ Nash, Nathaniel C. and Shenon, Philip (1989-11-09). “A Man of Influence: Political Cash and Regulation: A Special Report: In Savings Debacle, Many Fingers Point Here”. The New York Times.
28. ^ Dougherty, John (1989-05-21). “unknown”. Dayton Daily News. See also Preliminary inquiry into allegations regarding Senators Cranston, DeConcini, Glenn, McCain, and Riegle, and Lincoln Savings and Loan committee report, p. 126.
29. ^ ^{a b} Roberts and Doss, From Watergate to Whitewater, pp. 140–141.
30. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Bennett, In the Ring, pp. 129, 133–134.
31. ^ ^{a b c d e} Dewar, Helen (1991-02-08). “Panel Finds ‘Credible Evidence’ Cranston Violated Ethics Rules”. The Washington Post.
32. ^ ^{a b c d e} Dewar, Helen (1991-11-21). “Cranston Accepts Reprimand; ‘Keating 5’ Senator Angers Colleagues by Denying Misconduct”. The Washington Post.
33. ^ Berke, Richard L. (1989-10-27). “Savings and Loan Executives Accused of Tapping Phones”. The New York Times.
34. ^ ^{a b} Mitchell, Talking Back, pp. 147-148.
35. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Berke, Richard L. (1989-11-05). “Helping Constituents or Themselves?”. The New York Times.
36. ^ Carlson, Margaret (1989-11-27). “‘A Legal Bank Robbery'”. Time.
37. ^ Shenon, Philip (1989-11-22). “5 Senators Struggle to Avoid Keating Inquiry Fallout”. The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
38. ^ McCain and Salter, Worth the Fighting For, p. 195. Used to specify McCain’s attorney.
39. ^ Nash, Nathaniel C. (1989-11-13). “Savings Official’s Ties In Senate Investigated”. The New York Times.
40. ^ Berke, Richard L. (1989-12-06). “Cranston Inquiry Widens to Include Signups of Voters”. The New York Times.
41. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h} “Senate ethics panel cites Cranston in Keating Five case”. Chicago Tribune. 1991-02-28.
42. ^ Berke, Richard L. (1991-01-05). “2 Senators Deny Impropriety In Dealings With Keating”. The New York Times.
43. ^ Rosenblatt, Robert A. and Fritz, Sara (1991-01-05). “McCain Probed Over Traveling to Keating Spa Thrifts”. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-09-31.
44. ^ Sullum, Jacob (2005-03-11). “How John McCain Reformed”. Reason.
45. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Mahtani, Sahil (2008-11-01). “McCain First, Second, And Always”. The New Republic. Retrieved 2008-11-03.
46. ^ Rasky, Susan (1989-12-22). “To Senator McCain, the Savings and Loan Affair Is Now a Personal Demon”. The New York Times.
47. ^ Fitzpatrick, Tom (1989-11-29). “McCain: The Most Reprehensible of the Keating Five”. Phoenix New Times. Retrieved 2008-10-06.
48. ^ ^{a b c} McCain and Salter, Worth the Fighting For, pp. 194–195. Used to give committee composition.
49. ^ ^{a b c} Williams, Political Scandals in the USA, p. 103.
50. ^ ^{a b c d} Berke, Richard L. (1990-09-29). “Ethics Committee is Urged to Clear 2 of 5 in Savings Inquiry”. The New York Times.
51. ^ Berke, Richard L. (1990-10-15). “G.O.P. Senators See Politics In Pace of Keating 5 Inquiry”. The New York Times.
52. ^ ^{a b c} McCain and Salter, Worth the Fighting For, p. 199. Used to give atmosphere of hearings.
53. ^ Dobbs, Michael (2008-10-22). “Senator’s Image as Reformer Born in Crisis”. The Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-10-26.
54. ^ Berke, Richard L. (1991-08-05). “Cranston Censure Urged by Counsel”. The New York Times.
55. ^ ^{a b c} “Senator Pryor Returns to Ethics Committee”. The New York Times. 1991-08-22.
56. ^ ^{a b c d} “The Online NewsHour: Washington Corruption Probe”. PBS. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
57. ^ ^{a b} Purdy, Elizabeth (2005). “Keating Five”. In Salinger, Lawrence M. (ed.). Encyclopedia of White-collar & Corporate Crime. Sage Publications. ISBN 0761930043. pp. 476–478.
58. ^ Senate Select Committee on Ethics, Investigation of Senator Alan Cranston …
59. ^ Regens and Gaddie, The Economic Realities of Political Reform, p. 6.
60. ^ “Excerpts of Statement By Senate Ethics Panel”. The New York Times. 1991-02-28. Retrieved 2008-04-19.
61. ^ McCain and Salter, Worth the Fighting For, p. 161. Used to support direct quotation.
62. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Robinson, Walter V. (2000-02-29). “Pluck, leaks helped McCain to overcome S&L scandal”. The Boston Globe.
63. ^ ^{a b} McCain and Salter, Worth the Fighting For, p. 188. Gives best explanation for House treatment of Keating reimbursements.
64. ^ ^{a b c} Carlson, Margaret (1991-03-11). “Then There Was One”. Time.
65. ^ Alter, Jonathan (1993-10-25). “The Buck Stops Where?”. Newsweek.
66. ^ ^{a b} Rudman, Warren (1991-10-31). “To the Editor: On Keating Five, Ethics Panel Acted Properly”. The New York Times.
67. ^ ^{a b} Rutenberg, Jim; Thompson, Marilyn W.; Kirkpatrick, David D.; Labaton, Stephen (2008-02-21). “For McCain, Self-Confidence on Ethics Poses Its Own Risk”. The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
68. ^ ^{a b c} Binstein and Bowden, Trust Me, pp. 388–389.
69. ^ “The Simpsons: Lisa’s First Word”. TV.com. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
70. ^ ^{a b} Abramson, Jill and Mitchell, Alison (1999-11-21). “Senate Inquiry In Keating Case Tested McCain”. The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-10-17.
71. ^ “Dennis DeConcini Papers, 1944–2003: Biographical Note”. University of Arizona Library. Retrieved 2009-01-02.
72. ^ ^{a b} Mondak, Nothing to Read, p. 38.
73. ^ ^{a b} Nowicki, Dan and Muller, Bill (2007-03-01). “John McCain Report: Overcoming scandal, moving on”. The Arizona Republic. Retrieved 2007-11-23.
74. ^ Bennett, In the Ring, p. 148.
75. ^ ^{a b} Bacon Jr, Perry (2008-10-06). “Dems: Forget Ayers, Remember Keating”. The Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-10-06.
76. ^ Miller, S.A. (2008-10-31). “Candidates attack political associations”. The Washington Times. Retrieved 2008-11-19.
77. ^ Juliano, Nick (2008-09-25). “Fox host tells guest mentioning McCain role in Keating Five scandal to ‘pipe down'”. The Raw Story. Retrieved 2009-01-04.^{[dead link]}

[edit] References

• Alexander, Paul (2002). Man of the People: The Life of John McCain. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 0-471-22829-X.
• Bennett, Robert S. (2008). In the Ring: The Trials of a Washington Lawyer. Random House. ISBN 0307394433.
• Binstein, Michael; Bowden, Charles (1993). Trust Me: Charles Keating and the Missing Billions. Random House. ISBN 0-679-41699-4.
• Germond, Jack; Witcover, Jules (1989). Whose Broad Stripes and Bright Stars? The Trivial Pursuit of the Presidency 1988. Warner Books. ISBN 0-446-51424-1.
• Gould, Lewis J. (2005). The Most Exclusive Club: A History of the Modern United States Senate. Basic Books. ISBN 0-465-02778-4.
• Grossman, Mark (2003). Political Corruption in America: An Encyclopedia of Scandals, Power, and Greed. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 1576070603.
• Karaagac, John (2000). John McCain: An Essay in Military and Political History. Lexington Books. ISBN 0-7391-0171-4.
• Kurtz, Howard (1994) (paperback). Media Circus: The Trouble with America’s Newspapers. Times Books. ISBN 0-8129-6356-3.
• McCain, John; Salter, Mark (2002). Worth the Fighting For. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-375-50542-3.
• Mitchell, Andrea (2007). Talking Back: To Presidents, Dictators, and Assorted Scoundrels. Penguin Books. ISBN 0143038737.
• Mondak, Jeffrey J. (1995). Nothing to Read: Newspapers and Elections in a Social Experiment. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0472065998.
• Pizzo, Stephen; Fricker, Mary; Muolo, Paul (1989). Inside Job: The Looting of America’s Savings and Loans. McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-07-050230-7.
• Regens, James; Gaddie, Ronald (1996). The Economic Realities of Political Reform: Elections and the U.S. Senate. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 052147468X.
• Roberts, Robert North; Doss, Marion T. (1997). From Watergate to Whitewater: The Public Integrity War. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 0275955974.
• Seidman, L. William (1993). Full Faith and Credit: The Great S & L Debacle and Other Washington Sagas. Random House. ISBN 0-8129-2134-8.
• Tolchin, Martin; Tolchin, Susan J. (2003). Glass Houses: Congressional Ethics and the Politics of Venom. Westview Press. ISBN 0813341612.
• Williams, Robert (1998). Political Scandals in the USA. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 1853311898.

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Categories: Savings and Loan Crisis | Congressional scandals | Numeric epithets | John McCain

Bewitched (dissapearing)

Bewitched

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the American television sitcom. For other uses, see Bewitched (disambiguation).

Bewitched
Series title screen
Genre	Sitcom, Fantasy
Created by	Sol Saks
Starring	Elizabeth Montgomery Dick York Dick Sargent Agnes Moorehead David White
Theme music composer	Howard Greenfield Jack Keller
Composer(s)	Warren Barker
Country of origin	United States
Language(s)	English
No. of seasons	8
No. of episodes	254 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Harry Ackerman
Producer(s)	Danny Arnold Jerry Davis William Froug William Asher
Camera setup	Single-camera
Running time	25 minutes
Production company(s)	Screen Gems Ashmont Productions (1971–72)
Distributor	Sony Pictures Television (2002–present)
Broadcast
Original channel	ABC
Picture format	Black-and-white (1964–66) Color (1966–72)
Audio format	Monaural
Original run	September 17, 1964 – July 1, 1972
Chronology
Followed by	Tabitha

Bewitched is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York (1964–69) and Dick Sargent (1969–72), Agnes Moorehead, and David White. The show is about a witch who marries a mortal and tries to lead the life of a typical suburban housewife. Bewitched enjoyed great popularity, finishing as the number two show in America during its debut season. The show continues to be seen throughout the world in syndication and on DVD and was the longest-running supernatural-themed sitcom of the 1960s–1970s era.

In 2002, Bewitched was ranked #50 on “TV Guide’s 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time“.^[1] In 1997, the same magazine ranked the season 2 episode “Divided He Falls” #48 on their list of the “100 Greatest Episodes of All Time”.^[2]

Contents [hide] 1 Premise and characters 2 Cast 3 Production 4 In popular culture 5 Spin-offs, crossovers, and remakes 6 Episode availability 7 Further reading 8 References 9 External links

[edit] Premise and characters

See also: List of Bewitched episodes

[edit] Plot summary

A young-looking witch named Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery) meets and marries a mortal named Darrin Stephens (originally Dick York, later Dick Sargent). While Samantha pledges to forsake her powers and become a typical suburban housewife, her magical family disapproves of the mixed marriage and frequently interferes in the couple’s lives. Episodes often begin with Darrin becoming the victim of a spell, the effects of which wreak havoc with mortals such as his boss, clients, parents, and neighbors. By the epilogue, however, Darrin and Samantha most often embrace, having overcome the devious elements that failed to separate them.

Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick York as Samantha and Darrin Stephens, from a 1967 promo

The witches, most having names ending with the soft “-a” sound, and their male counterparts, known as “warlocks“, are very long-lived; while Samantha appears to be in her twenties, many episodes suggest she is actually hundreds of years old. To keep their society secret, witches avoid showing their powers in front of mortals other than Darrin. Nevertheless, the perplexing inexplicable effects of their spells and Samantha’s attempts to hide their supernatural origin from mortals drive the plot of most episodes. Witches and warlocks usually use physical gestures along with their magical spells, and sometimes spoken incantations. Most notably, Samantha often twitches her nose to perform a spell. Modest but effective special visual effects are accompanied by music to highlight the magic.

[edit] Setting

The main setting for most scenes is the Stephens’ house at 1164 Morning Glory Circle (Although the address changes in “How Green Was My Grass” to 192 Morning Glory Circle). Many scenes also take place at the Madison Avenue advertising agency “McMann and Tate” for which Darrin works. The Stephens’ home is located in a nearby upper-middle-class suburban neighborhood, either in Westport, Connecticut or within New York State, as indicated by conflicting information presented throughout the series.

[edit] Characters

Agnes Moorehead as Endora

Samantha’s mother, Endora (Agnes Moorehead), is the chief antagonist. Like all witches, she never reveals her surname, indicating to Darrin that he would be unable to pronounce it. Endora loathes mortals, and disapproves of Darrin, as do many of Samantha’s relatives. Endora refuses even to use Darrin’s name, alternatively calling him “Durwood”, “What’s-his-name”, “Darwin”, “Dum-Dum”, etc., all much to his annoyance. She refers to him as “Darrin” only eight times during the entire series.^[3] Many stories revolve around Endora, or another of Darrin’s in-laws, using magic to undermine the union. Endora casts countless farcical spells on Darrin, but never attempts to destroy him outright. Endora’s ploys to provoke a breakup always fail as Samantha’s and Darrin’s love overcomes every obstacle. When High Priestess Hephzibah expresses surprise that Darrin has withstood years of harassment from his mother-in-law, Endora can only shrug and admit, “He loves my daughter.”

Darrin works as an executive at the McMann and Tate advertising agency. His profit-obsessed boss Larry Tate (David White) is a regular character, but Tate’s partner, Mr. McMann, appears only twice during the series. Tate’s opinions turn on a dime to appease a client in an attempt to land a deal. Many episodes culminate in a dinner party with clients at the Stephens’ home that is humorously affected by magic. Samantha usually figures out a clever way to save the day and the account. Louise Tate (Irene Vernon, Kasey Rogers), Larry’s wife, eventually becomes Samantha’s closest mortal friend.

Darrin (Dick York) and Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery) in a 1968 episode

Across the street from Darrin and Samantha lives a retired couple, the nosy and tactless Gladys Kravitz (Alice Pearce, Sandra Gould) and her husband Abner (George Tobias). Gladys’s snooping often results in her witnessing witchcraft or its strange side effects. She frequently tries to prove Samantha is a witch, only to fail and be branded delusional by Abner.

Samantha’s father, Maurice (Maurice Evans), is an urbane thespian much like Elizabeth Montgomery’s father, Robert Montgomery. Maurice often embellishes his entrances and exits with strained Shakespearean verse. Bewitched is unique for pre-1970s sitcoms in that it portrays Endora and Maurice in, as Maurice describes, “an informal marriage”. Endora once introduces Maurice as “my daughter’s father”, and twice threatens to “move in” with Maurice. In the episode “Samantha’s Good News”, Endora threatens to file for an “ectoplasmic interlocutory” (i.e. divorce), only to wrangle Maurice’s affection. Maurice also refers to Darrin with incorrect names, including “Duncan” and “Dustbin”, with Endora going so far as to “correct” him, saying “That’s Durwood.”

Darrin’s parents, the strait-laced Phyllis and laid-back Frank Stephens, visit occasionally but never learn of Samantha’s supernatural powers. Phyllis (Mabel Albertson) makes inopportune surprise visits, and often complains of “a sick headache” after accidentally witnessing a spell in motion.

On Samantha’s father’s side of the family^[4] is her far-out, egocentric lookalike cousin Serena. Also played by Elizabeth Montgomery, she is credited as “Pandora Spocks” (a spin on the phrase “Pandora’s box“) from 1969 to 1971. Serena is the antithesis of Samantha, in most episodes sporting a beauty mark on her cheek, raven-black cropped hair, and mod mini-skirts. Ever mischievous, Serena often chases after Darrin and Larry Tate (calling the white-haired Tate “Cotton-Top”), just for sport. More progressive than typical witches or warlocks, who generally abhor mortals, Samantha’s counter-culture cousin occasionally dates some (including characters played by Jack Cassidy and Peter Lawford). Despite her wild behavior and frequent co-plotting with Endora, Serena often supports Samantha and Darrin, even though she finds them both a bit “square.”

Uncle Arthur (Paul Lynde), Endora’s prank-loving brother, makes several appearances. Despite many practical jokes at Darrin’s expense, Uncle Arthur has a less antagonistic relationship with him than Endora. In one episode, both Serena and Uncle Arthur go head-to-head with the Witches Council to support the Stephens’ union, only to have their own powers suspended.

When one of Aunt Clara’s spells backfires, Samantha plays hostess to two space aliens in 1968’s “Samantha’s Secret Saucer”

The only one of Samantha’s relatives for whom Darrin regularly shows tolerance is the bumbling, elderly, absent-minded-but-lovable Aunt Clara (Marion Lorne). Though well-intentioned, Clara’s spells usually backfire, and her entrances and exits are often a grand fumble, such as entering via a chimney or colliding with a wall. She has a collection of over a thousand doorknobs (inspired by Lorne’s real-life collection).^[5] Rather than recast the role after Lorne’s death in 1968, a similar witch, the anxiety-ridden and magically inept housekeeper Esmeralda (Alice Ghostley), was introduced in 1969.

In the second season, Samantha gives birth to a daughter, Tabitha (spelled Tabatha in production credits until season 5) and later in the series has a son, Adam. Both eventually prove to have supernatural powers. The Tates’ son Jonathan is born several months before Tabitha.

A strange occurrence or condition caused by a supernatural illness is occasionally used as a plot device, and assistance is often sought from the warlock Dr. Bombay (Bernard Fox), a womanizer who is often accompanied by a buxom assistant, and who constantly cracks bad jokes. He could be summoned by the phrase, “Dr. Bombay, calling Dr. Bombay. Emergency, come right away.” Help for supernatural illnesses is also occasionally sought from the unnamed witches’ apothecary (Bernie Kopell), an amorous old warlock.

[edit] Other recurring characters

• Aunt Enchantra and Aunt Hagatha are Samantha’s aunts. They occasionally ride in an antique car called “Macbeth” (sometimes driven by chauffeur Rasputin, other times operating sans driver) which enters the Stephens’s home through the wall. Enchantra was played by three different actresses, while Hagatha was played by five, including Reta Shaw and Ysabel MacCloskey. Hagatha sometimes babysits the children.
• The “drunk guy” (Dick Wilson) shows up in various bars, jail cells and sidewalks to witness acts of witchcraft.
• Betty, the secretary at McMann and Tate, was played by various actresses.
• Sheila Sommers (Nancy Kovack) is Darrin’s wealthy former fiancée and Samantha’s nemesis. Twice in the series (in the premiere episode, “I, Darrin, Take This Witch, Samantha” and in “Snob in the Grass”) she tries to seduce Darrin, only to be stopped by Samantha’s powers. The character also appears in the 1968 episode “If They Never Met.”
• Howard McMann, is Larry Tate’s business partner, played by Roland Winters in “Man of the Year” (139) and Leon Ames in “What Makes Darrin Run” (191).
• Miss Peabody, Tabitha’s teacher (Maudie Prickett), appears in two episodes during Season 8: “Tabitha’s First Day of School” and “School Days, School Daze”.

[edit] Historical, fictional, and contemporary characters

Thanks to witchcraft, a number of interesting characters were seen, including Benjamin Franklin, Franklin Pierce, George and Martha Washington, Paul Revere, Sigmund Freud, Julius Caesar, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, Leonardo da Vinci, Napoleon, King Henry VIII, Cleopatra, Bonanno Pisano, Santa Claus, Jack of Jack and the Beanstalk, Mother Goose, The Artful Dodger, Hansel and Gretel, The Tooth Fairy, the Loch Ness Monster, a Leprechaun, Prince Charming, Sleeping Beauty, Willie Mays (playing himself), and Boyce and Hart (playing themselves).

[edit] Cast

Scene from “Daddy Does His Thing”, the last episode York filmed.

Cast of Characters

Character	Actor(s)	No. of episodes
Main Characters
Samantha Stephens	Elizabeth Montgomery	254
Darrin Stephens	Dick York (1964–1969) Dick Sargent (1969–1972)	156 (York) 84 (Sargent)
Endora	Agnes Moorehead	147
Larry Tate	David White	166
Recurring Characters
Tabitha Stephens	Cynthia Black (1966) Heidi and Laura Gentry (1966) Tamar and Julie Young (1966) Diane Murphy (1966–1968) Erin Murphy (1966–1972)	116
Gladys Kravitz	Alice Pearce (1964–1966) Sandra Gould (1966–1971)	57
Abner Kravitz	George Tobias (1964–1971)	55
Louise Tate	Irene Vernon (1964–1966) Kasey Rogers (1966–1972)	46
Aunt Clara	Marion Lorne (1964–1968)	28
Serena	Elizabeth Montgomery (1966–1972) (as “Pandora Spocks”)	24
Adam Stephens	unknown (1969–1970) Greg and David Lawrence (1970–1972)	24
Phyllis Stephens	Mabel Albertson (1964–1971)	19
Dr. Bombay	Bernard Fox (1967–1972)	18
Esmeralda	Alice Ghostley (1969–1972)	15
Frank Stephens	Robert F. Simon (1964–67, 1971) Roy Roberts (1967–1970)	13
Maurice	Maurice Evans	12
Uncle Arthur	Paul Lynde (1965–1971)	10

The series is noted for having a number of major cast changes, often because of illness or death of the actors. Most notably, the actor playing Darrin was quietly replaced mid-series. The only surviving members of the regular cast are Bernard Fox and the actors who played the Stephens children. The various changes during the series and untimely deaths of several of the regular actors in the decades following its cancellation produced a mythology that the series was cursed. However, a study of the average age of death of the actors, many of whom were already past middle age during the show’s production, reveals no unusual pattern.^[6]

Dick York was unable to continue his role as Darrin because of a severe back condition (the result of an accident during the filming of They Came To Cordura in 1959). Starting with the third season, York’s disability caused ongoing shooting delays and script rewrites. After collapsing on the set and being rushed to the hospital in January 1969, York left the show. Dick Sargent, who would go on to play Darrin in the sixth through eighth seasons, was cast for the role that same month.^[7]

Marion Lorne appeared in 28 episodes as Aunt Clara and won a posthumous Emmy Award in 1968. Essentially replacing this character was the similarly magic-disabled Esmeralda (Alice Ghostley) in season 6. Lorne and Ghostley had appeared side by side in the hotel scene of Mike Nichols’s film The Graduate in 1967.

Ghostley and Lorne together in The Graduate

Also winning a posthumous Emmy award in 1966 for her role, Alice Pearce was the first to play the character of Gladys Kravitz. After Pearce’s death from ovarian cancer, Mary Grace Canfield played Harriet Kravitz, Abner’s sister, in four episodes during the spring of 1966, and is said to be keeping house while Gladys is out of town. Sandra Gould assumed the role of Gladys Kravitz beginning in season 3.

Louise Tate was played by Irene Vernon during the first two seasons and then replaced by Kasey Rogers, who wore a short black wig to appear similar to Vernon. According to Rogers,^[8] Bill Asher noticed her tugging at the wig and asked why she was wearing it. She laughed and said, “Because you told me to.” He replied, “Why don’t you take it off!” and she played Louise with red hair for the show’s final three seasons.

Tabitha Stephens’s birth in the season 2 episode “And Then There Were Three” featured infant Cynthia Black in the role. For the remainder of the season, Tabitha was played by twins Heidi and Laura Gentry, followed by twins Tamar and Julie Young. Fraternal twin toddlers Diane and Erin Murphy were cast for the role at the beginning of season 3. In time, they began to look less alike, so Diane was dropped during season 4. Diane made several guest appearances in other roles, and filled in as Tabitha one last time in season 5’s “Samantha Fights City Hall”, because Erin had mumps.

Alice Ghostley (Esmeralda), Paul Lynde (Uncle Arthur), and Bernard Fox (Dr. Bombay) all had guest roles during the first two seasons as mortal characters before being cast as magical regulars.

[edit] Production

Ratings

Season	Rank (rating)
1) 1964–65	# 2 (31.0)
2) 1965–66	# 7 (25.9)
3) 1966–67	# 8 (23.4)
4) 1967–68	# 11 (23.5)
5) 1968–69	# 12 (23.3)
6) 1969–70	# 25 (20.6)
7) 1970–71	# 34 (15.0)
8) 1971–72	# 72 (10.0)

According to Harpies Bizarre,^{[9][unreliable source?]} creator Sol Saks‘ inspirations for this series in which many similarities can be seen were the 1942 film I Married a Witch (from Thorne Smith‘s unfinished novel The Passionate Witch and Me), and the John Van Druten Broadway play Bell, Book and Candle that was adapted into a 1958 movie.

Sol Saks, who received credit as the creator of the show, wrote the pilot of Bewitched, although he was not involved with the show after the pilot. Initially, Danny Arnold, who helped develop the style and tone of the series as well as some of the supporting characters who did not appear in the pilot, like Larry Tate and the Kravitzes, produced and headed writing of the series. Arnold, who wrote on McHale’s Navy and other shows, thought of Bewitched essentially as a romantic comedy about a mixed marriage; his episodes kept the magic element to a minimum. One or two magical acts drove the plot, but Samantha often solved problems without magic. Many of the first season’s episodes were allegorical, using supernatural situations as metaphors for the problems any young couple would face. Arnold stated that the two main themes of the series were the conflict between a powerful woman and a husband who cannot deal with that power, and the anger of a bride’s mother at seeing her daughter marry beneath her. Though the show was a hit right from the beginning, finishing its first year as the number 2 show in the United States, ABC wanted more magic and more farcical plots, causing battles between Arnold and the network.

Arnold left the show after the first season, leaving producing duties to his friend Jerry Davis, who had already produced some of the first season’s episodes (though Arnold was still supervising the writing). The second season was produced by Davis and with Bernard Slade as head writer, with mistaken identity and farce becoming a more prevalent element, but still included a number of more low-key episodes in which the magic element was not front and center.

With the third season and the switch to color, Davis left the show, and was replaced as producer by William Froug. Slade also left after the second season. According to William Froug’s autobiography, William Asher (who had directed many episodes) wanted to take over as producer when Jerry Davis left, but the production company was not yet ready to approve the idea. Froug, a former producer of Gilligan’s Island, was brought in as a compromise. By his own admission, Froug was not very familiar with Bewitched and found himself in the uncomfortable position of being the official producer even though Asher was making most of the creative decisions. After a year, Froug left the show, and Asher took over as full-time producer of the series for the rest of its run.

The first three seasons had aired Thursdays at 9:00, and the time was moved to 8:30 starting with the fourth season (1967-1968). During the sixth season (1969-1970), along with Darrin now being played by Dick Sargent, the show also saw a significant decline in ratings. Viewership continued to dwindle in the seventh season. The show used fewer recurring characters in later episodes, the Kravitzes, Darrin’s parents, and Uncle Arthur not appearing in the final (eighth) season at all. Scripts from old episodes were also recycled more frequently, the final season having eight remade episodes. The last season began with ABC moving Bewitched’s air time to Wednesdays at 8:00. The schedule change did not help ratings as the show was now pitted against CBS’s popular The Carol Burnett Show. Filming for the season ended in December 1971, and in January 1972 the show was finally moved to Saturday night at 8:00, opposite television’s number one show, All in the Family, and finished the year in 72nd place.

[edit] Storylines repeated from I Love Lucy

In the episode “Samantha’s Power Failure”, Serena’s and Uncle Arthur’s powers are removed by the Witches’ Council. The impotent duo get jobs in a confectionery factory, with both tossing and hiding an onslaught of bananas from a conveyor belt which are to be dipped in chocolate and nuts, then packaged. This episode mimics the famous chocolate assembly-line episode of I Love Lucy (“Job Switching”), which was directed by Bewitched producer/director William Asher. Serena’s and Arthur’s jokes and physical antics are taken from Lucy’s (Lucille Ball) and Ethel’s (Vivian Vance) playbook.

In the episode “Samantha’s Supermaid” Samantha interviews a maid, and the scene is almost identical to one in Lucy. Season 8 featured a European vacation, but was filmed in Hollywood using stock footage, like the “European” episodes of Lucy. Similar to Endora’s refusal to pronounce Darrin’s name correctly, Lucy’s mother always referred to son-in-law Ricky with incorrect names, including “Mickey”, and in a letter once, “what’s-his-name.”

[edit] Timely topics

Some episodes take a backdoor approach to such topics as racism, as seen in the first season episode, “The Witches Are Out”, in which Samantha objects to Darrin’s demeaning ad portrayal of witches as ugly and deformed. Such stereotypical imagery often causes Endora and other witches to flee the country until November. “Sisters at Heart” (season 7), whose story was submitted by a tenth-grade English class,^[10] involved Tabitha altering the skin tone of herself and a black friend with coordinating polka-dots, so that people would treat them alike.

In the 1969 episode, “Tabitha’s Weekend”, when offered homemade cookies by Darrin’s mother, Endora asks, “They’re not by chance from an Alice B. Toklas recipe?” Phyllis replies, “They’re my recipe”, to which Endora retorts, “Then I’ll pass.” Toklas had been known for her recipes being laced with marijuana.

[edit] Sets and locations

The 1959 Columbia Pictures Gidget movie was filmed on location at a real home in Santa Monica (at 267 18th Street). The blueprint design of this home was later reversed and replicated as a house facade attached to an existing garage on the backlot of Columbia’s Ranch. This was the house seen on Bewitched. The patio and living room sets seen in Columbia’s Gidget Goes to Rome (1963) were soon adapted for the permanent Bewitched set for 1964. The interior of the Stevens’ house can be seen, substantially unaltered, in the 1969 Jerry Lewis film Hook, Line & Sinker. The set was also used several times in Gidget and I Dream of Jeannie.

In June 1970, Bewitched filmed on location in Salem, Magnolia and Gloucester, Massachusetts. These location shoots marked the only time the show would film away from its Hollywood studio set, which was being rebuilt due to a fire. The eight so-called “Salem Saga” episodes helped the show’s sagging ratings.^[11] On June 15, 2005, TV Land unveiled a Samantha statue in Salem Massachusetts, to mark the show’s 40th anniversary. On hand were stars Bernard Fox, Erin Murphy and Kasey Rogers.

On the Columbia studio backlot, the Kravitzes’ house was actually down the street from the Stephens’ house exterior. Both homes’ exterior doors opened to an unfinished eighteen-by-fifteen foot entry, as the interiors were shot elsewhere. The exterior of the Kravitzes’ house later became the home of The Partridge Family.

[edit] In popular culture

The magical powers of the characters on the show and the sudden switch of actors playing Darrin at the start of the 1969 season without explanation have both been sources of many popular culture references to the show.

In an episode of the 1960s sitcom My Favorite Martian, Martin’s hands are tied so he is unable to utilize his martian powers with his finger. He instead tries twitching his nose, and when successful states that he had seen that technique on an Earth television program.

In the episode “Having His Baby”, of The Nanny, Mr. Sheffield asks Fran, “Since when did you want to have a baby?” and she replies, “Ever since Samantha had Tabitha on Bewitched.”

In the episode “Trouble with the Rubbles” of Roseanne, new neighbors move in and Jackie asks Roseanne if she knows anything about them. Roseanne jokingly replies, “Well, okay, the husband, Darrin, he’s in advertising, and they have this cute little daughter named Tabitha. But the wife, I don’t know, something’s wrong with her. I think she’s a witch.” In the episode “Homecoming”, daughter Becky is recast with a new actress. Becky returns home after moving away and Roseanne comments that it’s been so long, she barely recognizes her. During the epilogue, the Connors are watching Bewitched on television and discuss the two actors playing Darrin. Becky muses, “well, I like the second Darrin much better”.^[12] In another episode, Roseanne states sarcastically that she tried “twitching [her] nose” to clean up the kitchen, but it didn’t work.

In the supernatural child sitcom Wizards of Waverly Place, the principal of the title characters’ prep school is named Mr. Laritate, a reference to David White’s character, Larry Tate.

In the Charmed fourth season episode, “Lost and Bound”, Phoebe worries about her ability to be a good wife and notes the only married witch she can think of as a model is Samantha Stephens. Subsequently, Cole gives her a ring which causes Phoebe to start behaving like Samantha, wearing her hairdo, spending all her time in the kitchen, while alternating between color and black and white.

In The Simpsons episode “Duffless“, the advertising agency the feminists are protesting is called “McMahon and Tate Advertising”. In a segment of the Halloween episode “Treehouse of Horror VIII“, Marge Simpson portrays a witch in old Salem who is living as a mortal with her husband, Homer. When she is discovered and returns to her sister witches, one states, “So, you finally left Durwood.”

In the Family Guy episode, “The Cleveland-Loretta Quagmire“, Stewie puts on an episode of Bewitched that has Darrin throwing holy water on Endora as payback for all the spells she’s cast on him. Cleveland, angered at Quagmire for sleeping with Loretta, shouts “I hate Bewitched!” and flips the couch over with Stewie on it in a fit of rage.

In an episode of “The King of Queens” where Carrie goes back to school, she arrives home and tells Doug how she can’t understand the law theories of Plato when she can’t even comprehend two Darrins on “Bewitched”.

[edit] Spin-offs, crossovers, and remakes

The Flintstones episode, “Samantha” (1965), features Dick York & Elizabeth Montgomery as Darrin and Samantha Stephens^[13]

[edit] Tabitha and Adam and the Clown Family

An animated cartoon made in 1972 by Hanna-Barbera Productions for The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie, this featured teenage versions of Tabitha and Adam visiting their aunt and her family who travel with a circus.

See Also List of Animated Spinoffs from Prime Time Shows

[edit] Tabitha

Main article: Tabitha (TV series)

In 1977, a short-lived spin-off entitled Tabitha aired on ABC. Lisa Hartman plays Tabitha, now an adult working with her brother Adam at television station KXLA. There were several continuity differences with the original series. Adam and Tabitha had both aged far more than the intervening five years between the two series would have allowed. Adam also had become Tabitha’s older mortal brother, rather than her younger warlock brother, as he was in Bewitched. Supporting character Aunt Minerva (Karen Morrow) is said to be “like a mother” to Tabitha, though she had never been mentioned once in the original series. Tabitha’s parents are mentioned but never appear. However Bernard Fox, Sandra Gould, George Tobias and Dick Wilson reprised their roles as Dr. Bombay, Gladys Kravitz, Abner Kravitz and the “drunk guy”, respectively.

[edit] Passions

Bernard Fox appeared as Dr. Bombay in two episodes of the supernatural-themed daytime soap opera Passions. This show also featured a character named Tabitha, a middle-aged witch whose parents were Samantha and a mortal, Darrin, and who names her own child “Endora.”^[14]

[edit] Theatrical movie

Main article: Bewitched (2005 film)

Bewitched inspired a 2005 film starring Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell. Rather than a remake, in this deconstruction of the sitcom, a failing Hollywood actor, Jack Wyatt (Ferrell), is offered the chance of a career comeback playing Darrin in a remake of Bewitched. All he has to do is find the perfect girl to play Samantha, which he does in Isabel Bigelow (Kidman), who really is a witch. The film, which was written, directed, and produced by Nora Ephron, was poorly received by most critics and was a financial disappointment, earning $22 million less than the production cost domestically. However it earned an additional $68 million internationally. The New York Times called the film “an unmitigated disaster.”^[15]

[edit] International television remakes

• Argentina — A remake called Hechizada, produced by Telefé, aired in early 2007. It starred Florencia Peña as Samantha, Gustavo Garzón as her husband, Eduardo, and Georgina Barbarrosa as Endora. This show adapted original scripts to an Argentinian context, with local humor and a contemporary setting. The show was cancelled due to low ratings after a few weeks.
• Japan — TBS, a flagship station of Japan News Network, produced a remake called Okusama wa majo (奥さまは魔女), also known as Bewitched in Tokyo.^[16] Eleven episodes were broadcast on JNN stations Fridays at 10 p.m., from January 16 to March 26, 2004, and a special on December 21, 2004. The main character, Arisa Matsui, was portrayed by Ryōko Yonekura. Okusama wa majo is also the Japanese title for the original American series.
• India — In 2002, Sony Entertainment Television began airing Meri Biwi Wonderful a local adaptation of Bewitched.
• Russia — In 2009, TV3 broadcast a remake entitled “Моя любимая ведьма” (“My Favorite Witch”), starring Anna Zdor as Nadia (Samantha), Ivan Grishanov, as Ivan (Darrin) and Marina Esepenko as Nadia’s mother. The series is very similar to the original, with most episodes based on those from the original series. American comedy writer/producer Norm Gunzenhauser oversaw the writing and directing of the series.
• United Kingdom — In 2008, the BBC made a pilot episode of a British version, with Sheridan Smith as Samantha, Tom Price as Darrin, and veteran actress Frances de la Tour as Endora.

[edit] Proposed Remake by CBS

A rebooted Bewitched may be created by CBS. The network has ordered a script to be written by Marc Lawrence who would also serve as executive producer.^[17]

[edit] Episode availability

[edit] Syndication history

After completing its original run, ABC Daytime and ABC Saturday Morning continued to show the series until 1973. Bewitched has since been syndicated on many local US broadcast stations. Cable television channel WTBS carried the show throughout the 1980s and 1990s. The first two seasons, which were available only in black and white at the time, were rarely seen in reruns from the late 1970s to the late 1980s, until Nick at Nite began syndication of the series in the 1990s. These seasons were later colorized for syndication and DVD sales. The Hallmark Channel aired the show from 2001 to 2003; TV Land then aired the show from 2003 to 2006, and it returned in March 2010.^[18] In October 2008, the show began to air in the US on WGN America and now broadcasts episodes in high definition. Channel 9 Australia airs the series on its digital channel GO! The Russian channel Domashny aired the show from 2008 to 2010.

The show has been distributed by Columbia Pictures Television (1974–1984, 1988-1996), Colex Enterprises (1984–1988), The Program Exchange (1980–1990, 2010–present), Columbia TriStar Domestic Television (1996–2002), and Sony Pictures Television (2002–present).

[edit] Internet

Selected episodes may be viewed on iTunes, YouTube, Internet Movie Database, Hulu, The Minisode Network, and Crackle.

[edit] DVD releases

Main article: Bewitched DVD releases

Beginning in 2005, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released all eight seasons of Bewitched. In regions 1 and 4, seasons 1 and 2 were each released in two versions—one as originally broadcast in black-and-white, and one colorized. Only the colorized editions were released in regions 2 and 4.

[edit] Further reading

• Alachi, Peter (2006). Salem’s Summer of Sam: On the Trail of “Bewitched” in Salem, 1970. palachi.com. ISBN 978-0977675128.
• Metz, Walter (2007-01-30). Bewitched. TV Milestones. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 978-0814332313.
• Meyers, Gina (2004-06-20). The Magic of Bewitched Trivia and More. iUniverse, Inc. ISBN 978-0595315574.
• Pilato, Herbie (2004-10). Bewitched Forever: 40th Anniversary Edition (2nd ed.). Tapestry Press. ISBN 978-1930819405.
• Piro, Rita (2006-03-24). Elizabeth Montgomery: A Bewitching Life (5th ed.). Great Feats Press. ISBN 978-0970626127.
• Tranberg, Charles (2007-08-31). I Love the Illusion: The Life and Career of Agnes Moorehead (2nd ed.). BearManor Media. ISBN 978-1593930950.
• Rogers, Kasey (1995-11-01). The Official Bewitched Cookbook: Magic in the Kitchen. Kensington Books. ISBN 978-1575660950.
• York, Dick (2004-06). The Seesaw Girl and Me: A Memoir. New Path Press. ISBN 978-0974544649.

[edit] References

1. ^ TV Guide Names Top 50 Shows
2. ^ “Special Collector’s Issue: 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time”. TV Guide (June 28-July 4). 1997.
3. ^ “Nicknames”. Bewitched @ Harpies Bizarre. Retrieved 2009-05-25.
4. ^ Episode 5.20, “Mrs. Stephens, Where Are You?” Aired 1969-02-13.
5. ^ IMDb bio of Marion Lorne Retrieved 2011-08-10
6. ^ Mikkelson, Barbara (2007-11-05). “‘Bewitched’ Curse”. Snopes.com. Retrieved 2009-05-25.
7. ^ “Sargent Replaces Bewitched Costar”. Los Angeles Times: p. G14. 1969-01-31.
8. ^ Interview with Kasey Rogers and Mark Wood – Bewitched @ Harpies Bizarre
9. ^ Sol Saks: Creator of Bewitched from harpiesbizarre.com
10. ^ Pilato, Herbie J. (2004-10). Bewitched Forever: 40th Anniversary Edition (2nd ed.). Tapestry Press. ISBN 978-1930819405.
11. ^ Alachi, Peter. “The Salem Saga, 1970”. Bewitched @ Harpies Bizarre. Retrieved 2009-05-25.
12. ^ “Homecoming Plot Synopsis”. imdb.com.
13. ^ “Samantha”. Barbera, Joseph R. (Executive Producer/Writer), Montgomery, Elizabeth (Samantha Stephens), York, Dick (Darrin Stephens), Corden, Henry (Fred Flintstone), Vander Pyl, Jean (Wilma Flintstone), Blanc, Mel (Barney Rubble), and Johnson, Gerry (Betty Rubble). The Flintstones. ABC. 1965-10-22. No. 6, season 6.
14. ^ “Tabitha Lenox”. TV Acres. Retrieved 2010-12-12.
15. ^ Barnes, Brooks (2009-07-31). “Full Stomachs, and Full Marriages Too”. The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-10-03.
16. ^ “奥さまは魔女 – Bewitched in Tokyo”. Tokyo Broadcasting System. Retrieved 2009-09-12.
17. ^ Fletcher, Alex (August 10, 2011). “‘Bewitched’ to be remade by CBS”. Retrieved August 10, 2011.
18. ^ “TV Land March 2010 Has Return of Bewitched; Hope For Haiti Now Telethon Airs Friday Night”. sitcomsonline.com. 2010-01-20.

[edit] External links

• Bewitched at the Internet Movie Database
• Bewitched at TV.com
• Encyclopedia of Television
• Bewitched @ Harpies Bizarre
• Bewitched ratings
• Sculpture of Samantha at night — Salem, MA

[hide] v d e Bewitched Characters Gladys Kravitz • Dr. Bombay Related List of episodes • DVD releases • Tabitha • Bewitched (film)

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Virginia Woolf

Virginia WoolfFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Redirected from Virginia woolfe)

Jump to: navigation, search

Born Adeline Virginia Stephen

25 January 1882(1882-01-25)

London, England

Died 28 March 1941(1941-03-28) (aged 59)

near Lewes, East Sussex, England

Occupation Novelist, Essayist, Publisher, Critic

Notable work(s) To the Lighthouse, Mrs Dalloway, Orlando: A Biography, A Room of One’s Own

Spouse(s) Leonard Woolf (1912–1941)

——————————————————————————–

Influences[show]William Shakespeare, George Eliot, Leo Tolstoy, Marcel Proust, James Joyce, Anton Chekhov, Emily Bronte, Daniel Defoe, E. M. Forster

Adeline Virginia Woolf (pronounced /ˈwʊlf/; 25 January 1882 – 28 March 1941) was an English author, essayist, publisher, and writer of short stories, regarded as one of the foremost modernist literary figures of the twentieth century.

During the interwar period, Woolf was a significant figure in London literary society and a member of the Bloomsbury Group. Her most famous works include the novels Mrs Dalloway (1925), To the Lighthouse (1927) and Orlando (1928), and the book-length essay A Room of One’s Own (1929), with its famous dictum, “A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.”

Contents [hide]

1 Early life

2 Bloomsbury

3 Work

4 Death

5 Modern scholarship and interpretations

6 Depictions

7 Bibliography

7.1 Novels

7.2 Short story collections

7.3 “Biographies”

7.4 Non-fiction books

7.5 Drama

7.6 Autobiographical writings and diaries

7.7 Letters

7.8 Prefaces, contributions

8 Biographies

9 Notes

10 External links

[edit] Early life

Photographic portrait of Julia Stephen, mother of Woolf, by Julia Margaret Cameron.Virginia Woolf was born Adeline Virginia Stephen in London in 1882. Her mother, a renowned beauty, Julia Prinsep Stephen (born Jackson) (1846–1895), was born in India to Dr. John and Maria Pattle Jackson and later moved to England with her mother, where she served as a model for Pre-Raphaelite painters such as Edward Burne-Jones.[1] Her father, Sir Leslie Stephen, was a notable historian, author, critic and mountaineer.[2] The young Virginia was educated by her parents in their literate and well-connected household at 22 Hyde Park Gate, Kensington. Her parents had each been married previously and been widowed, and, consequently, the household contained the children of three marriages. Julia had three children from her first husband, Herbert Duckworth: George Duckworth, Stella Duckworth, and Gerald Duckworth. Her father Leslie Stephen was married to Harriet Marian (Minny) Thackeray (1840–1875), and they had one daughter: Laura Makepeace Stephen, who was declared mentally disabled and lived with the family until she was institutionalised in 1891.[3] Leslie and Julia had four children together: Vanessa Stephen (1879), Thoby Stephen (1880), Virginia (1882), and Adrian Stephen (1883).

Sir Leslie Stephen’s eminence as an editor, critic, and biographer, and his connection to William Thackeray (he was the widower of Thackeray’s youngest daughter), meant that his children were raised in an environment filled with the influences of Victorian literary society. Henry James, George Henry Lewes, Julia Margaret Cameron (an aunt of Julia Stephen), and James Russell Lowell, who was made Virginia’s honorary godfather, were among the visitors to the house. Julia Stephen was equally well connected. Descended from an attendant of Marie Antoinette, she came from a family of renowned beauties who left their mark on Victorian society as models for Pre-Raphaelite artists and early photographers. Supplementing these influences was the immense library at the Stephens’ house, from which Virginia and Vanessa (unlike their brothers, who were formally educated) were taught the classics and English literature.

Julia Prinsep Stephen portrayed by Edward Burne-Jones, 1866According to Woolf’s memoirs, her most vivid childhood memories, however, were not of London but of St. Ives in Cornwall, where the family spent every summer until 1895. The Stephens’ summer home, Talland House, looked out over Porthminster Bay, and is still standing today, though somewhat altered. Memories of these family holidays and impressions of the landscape, especially the Godrevy Lighthouse, informed the fiction Woolf wrote in later years, most notably To the Lighthouse.

The sudden death of her mother in 1895, when Virginia was 13, and that of her half-sister Stella two years later, led to the first of Virginia’s several nervous breakdowns. She was, however, able to take courses of study (some at degree level) in Greek, Latin, German and history at the Ladies’ Department of King’s College London between 1897 and 1901, and this brought her into contact with some of the early reformers of women’s higher education such as Clara Pater, George Warr and Lilian Faithfull (Principal of the King’s Ladies’ Department).[4] Her sister Vanessa also studied Latin, Italian, art and architecture at King’s Ladies’ Department.

The death of her father in 1904 provoked her most alarming collapse and she was briefly institutionalised.[3] Her breakdowns and subsequent recurring depressive periods, modern scholars (including her nephew and biographer, Quentin Bell) have suggested,[5] were also influenced by the sexual abuse she and Vanessa were subjected to by their half-brothers George and Gerald Duckworth (which Woolf recalls in her autobiographical essays A Sketch of the Past and 22 Hyde Park Gate).

Throughout her life, Woolf was plagued by periodic mood swings and associated illnesses. Though this instability often affected her social life, her literary productivity continued with few breaks until her suicide.

[edit] Bloomsbury

The Dreadnought Hoaxers in Abyssinian regalia; Virginia Woolf is the bearded figure on the far leftAfter the death of their father and Virginia’s second nervous breakdown, Vanessa and Adrian sold 22 Hyde Park Gate and bought a house at 46 Gordon Square in Bloomsbury.

Woolf came to know Lytton Strachey, Clive Bell, Rupert Brooke, Saxon Sydney-Turner, Duncan Grant, Leonard Woolf and Roger Fry, who together formed the nucleus of the intellectual circle of writers and artists known as the Bloomsbury Group. Several members of the group attained notoriety in 1910 with the Dreadnought hoax, which Virginia participated in disguised as a male Abyssinian royal. Her complete 1940 talk on the Hoax was discovered and is published in the memoirs collected in the expanded edition of The Platform of Time (2008). In 1907 Vanessa married Clive Bell, and the couple’s interest in avant garde art would have an important influence on Virginia’s development as an author.[6]

Virginia Stephen married writer Leonard Woolf in 1912. Despite his low material status (Woolf referring to Leonard during their engagement as a “penniless Jew”) the couple shared a close bond. Indeed, in 1937, Woolf wrote in her diary: “Love-making – after 25 years can’t bear to be separate … you see it is enormous pleasure being wanted: a wife. And our marriage so complete.” The two also collaborated professionally, in 1917 founding the Hogarth Press, which subsequently published Virginia’s novels along with works by T.S. Eliot, Laurens van der Post, and others.[7] The Press also commissioned works by contemporary artists, including Dora Carrington and Vanessa Bell.

The ethos of the Bloomsbury group encouraged a liberal approach to sexuality, and in 1922 she met the writer and gardener Vita Sackville-West, wife of Harold Nicolson. After a tentative start, they began a sexual relationship, which, according to Sackville- West, was only twice consummated. [8] In 1928, Woolf presented Sackville-West with Orlando, a fantastical biography in which the eponymous hero’s life spans three centuries and both genders. Nigel Nicolson, Vita Sackville-West’s son, wrote “The effect of Vita on Virginia is all contained in Orlando, the longest and most charming love letter in literature, in which she explores Vita, weaves her in and out of the centuries, tosses her from one sex to the other, plays with her, dresses her in furs, lace and emeralds, teases her, flirts with her, drops a veil of mist around her”. [9] After their affair ended, the two women remained friends until Woolf’s death in 1941. Virginia Woolf also remained close to her surviving siblings, Adrian and Vanessa; Thoby had died of an illness at the age of 26.

[edit] WorkWoolf began writing professionally in 1900, initially for the Times Literary Supplement with a journalistic piece about Haworth, home of the Brontë family.[10]

Her first novel, The Voyage Out, was published in 1915 by her half-brother’s imprint, Gerald Duckworth and Company Ltd. This novel was originally entitled Melymbrosia, but Woolf repeatedly changed the draft. An earlier version of The Voyage Out has been reconstructed by Woolf scholar Louise DeSalvo and is now available to the public under the intended title. DeSalvo argues that many of the changes Woolf made in the text were in response to changes in her own life.[11]

Lytton Strachey and Woolf at Garsington, 1923.[12]Woolf went on to publish novels and essays as a public intellectual to both critical and popular success. Much of her work was self-published through the Hogarth Press. She has been hailed as one of the greatest novelists of the twentieth century and one of the foremost modernists.[13]

Woolf is considered one of the greatest innovators in the English language. In her works she experimented with stream-of-consciousness and the underlying psychological as well as emotional motives of characters. Woolf’s reputation declined sharply after World War II, but her eminence was re-established with the surge of Feminist criticism in the 1970s.[14]

Her work was criticised for epitomising the narrow world of the upper-middle class English intelligentsia. Some critics judged it to be lacking in universality and depth,[citation needed] without the power to communicate anything of emotional or ethical relevance to the disillusioned common reader,[citation needed] weary of the 1920s aesthetes. She was also criticised by some as an anti-semite, despite her being happily married to a Jewish man. This anti-semitism is drawn from the fact that she often wrote of Jewish characters in stereotypical archetypes and generalisations, including describing some of her Jewish characters as physically repulsive and dirty.[15] The overwhelming and rising 1920s and 30s anti-semitism possibly influenced Virginia Woolf. She wrote in her diary, “I do not like the Jewish voice; I do not like the Jewish laugh.” However, in a 1930 letter to the composer, Ethel Smyth, quoted in Nigel Nicolson’s biography,Virginia Woolf, she recollects her boasts of Leonard’s Jewishness confirming her snobbish tendencies, “How I hated marrying a Jew- What a snob I was, for they have immense vitality.”[16] In another letter to her dear friend Ethel Smyth, Virginia gives a scathing denunciation of Christianity, seeing it as self-righteous “egotism” and stating “my Jew has more religion in one toe nail—more human love, in one hair.”[17] Virginia and her husband Leonard Woolf actually hated and feared 1930s fascism with its anti-semitism knowing they were on Hitler’s blacklist. Her 1938 book Three Guineas was an indictment of fascism.[18]

Virginia Woolf’s peculiarities as a fiction writer have tended to obscure her central strength: Woolf is arguably the major lyrical novelist in the English language. Her novels are highly experimental: a narrative, frequently uneventful and commonplace, is refracted—and sometimes almost dissolved—in the characters’ receptive consciousness. Intense lyricism and stylistic virtuosity fuse to create a world overabundant with auditory and visual impressions.[18]

The intensity of Virginia Woolf’s poetic vision elevates the ordinary, sometimes banal settings – often wartime environments – of most of her novels. For example, Mrs Dalloway (1925) centres on the efforts of Clarissa Dalloway, a middle-aged society woman, to organise a party, even as her life is paralleled with that of Septimus Warren Smith, a working-class veteran who has returned from the First World War bearing deep psychological scars.[19]

To the Lighthouse (1927) is set on two days ten years apart. The plot centres around the Ramsay family’s anticipation of and reflection upon a visit to a lighthouse and the connected familial tensions. One of the primary themes of the novel is the struggle in the creative process that beset painter Lily Briscoe while she struggles to paint in the midst of the family drama. The novel is also a meditation upon the lives of a nation’s inhabitants in the midst of war, and of the people left behind. It also explores the passage of time, and how women are forced by society to allow men to take emotional strength from them.[20]

Orlando (1928) has a different quality from all Virginia Woolf’s other novels suggested by its subtitle, “A Biography”, as it attempts to represent the character of a real person and is dedicated to Vita Sackville-West. It was meant to console Vita for being a girl and for the loss of her ancestral home, though it is also a satirical treatment of Vita and her work. In Orlando the techniques of historical biographers are being ridiculed; the character of a pompous biographer is being assumed in order for it to be mocked.[21]

The Waves (1931) presents a group of six friends whose reflections, which are closer to recitatives than to interior monologues proper, create a wave-like atmosphere that is more akin to a prose poem than to a plot-centered novel.[22]

Her last work, Between the Acts (1941) sums up and magnifies Woolf’s chief preoccupations: the transformation of life through art, sexual ambivalence, and meditation on the themes of flux of time and life, presented simultaneously as corrosion and rejuvenation—all set in a highly imaginative and symbolic narrative encompassing almost all of English history. This book is the most lyrical of all her works, not only in feeling but in style, being chiefly written in verse.[23] While Woolf’s work can be understood as consistently in dialogue with Bloomsbury, particularly its tendency (informed by G.E. Moore, among others) towards doctrinaire rationalism, it is not a simple recapitulation of the coterie’s ideals.[24]

Her works have been translated into over 50 languages, by writers such as Jorge Luis Borges and Marguerite Yourcenar.

[edit] DeathAfter completing the manuscript of her last (posthumously published) novel, Between the Acts, Woolf fell into a depression similar to that which she had earlier experienced. The onset of World War II, the destruction of her London home during the Blitz, and the cool reception given to her biography of her late friend Roger Fry all worsened her condition until she was unable to work.[12] On 28 March 1941, Woolf put on her overcoat, filled its pockets with stones, and walked into the River Ouse near her home and drowned. Woolf’s body was not found until 18 April 1941.[25] Her husband buried her cremated remains under an elm in the garden of Monk’s House, their home in Rodmell, Sussex.

In h

er last note to her husband she wrote:

“ I feel certain that I am going mad again. I feel we can’t go through another of those terrible times. And I shan’t recover this time. I begin to hear voices, and I can’t concentrate. So I am doing what seems the best thing to do. You have given me the greatest possible happiness. You have been in every way all that anyone could be. I don’t think two people could have been happier ’til this terrible disease came. I can’t fight any longer. I know that I am spoiling your life, that without me you could work. And you will I know. You see I can’t even write this properly. I can’t read. What I want to say is I owe all the happiness of my life to you. You have been entirely patient with me and incredibly good. I want to say that – everybody knows it. If anybody could have saved me it would have been you. Everything has gone from me but the certainty of your goodness. I can’t go on spoiling your life any longer. I don’t think two people could have been happier than we have been. V.[26] ”

[edit] Modern scholarship and interpretationsRecently, studies of Virginia Woolf have focused on feminist and lesbian themes in her work, such as in the 1997 collection of critical essays, Virginia Woolf: Lesbian Readings, edited by Eileen Barrett and Patricia Cramer. Controversially, Louise A. DeSalvo reads most of Woolf’s life and career through the lens of the incestuous sexual abuse Woolf suffered as a young woman in her 1989 book Virginia Woolf: The Impact of Childhood Sexual Abuse on her Life and Work.

Woolf’s fiction is also studied for its insight into shell shock, war, class and modern British society. Her best-known nonfiction works, A Room of One’s Own (1929) and Three Guineas (1938), examine the difficulties female writers and intellectuals face because men hold disproportionate legal and economic power and the future of women in education and society.

Irene Coates’s book Who’s Afraid of Leonard Woolf: A Case for the Sanity of Virginia Woolf holds that Leonard Woolf’s treatment of his wife encouraged her ill health and ultimately was responsible for her death. This is not accepted by Leonard’s family but is extensively researched and fills in some of the gaps in the traditional account of Virginia Woolf’s life. Victoria Glendinning’s book Leonard Woolf: A Biography, which is even more extensively researched and supported by contemporaneous writings, argues that Leonard Woolf was not only supportive of his wife but enabled her to live as long as she did by providing her with the life and atmosphere she needed to live and write. Accounts of Virginia’s supposed anti-semitism (Leonard was jewish) are not only taken out of historical context but greatly exaggerated. Virginia’s own diaries support this view of the Woolfs’ marriage.[27]

Though at least one biography of Virginia Woolf appeared in her lifetime, the first authoritative study of her life was published in 1972 by her nephew Quentin Bell.

In 1992, Thomas Caramagno published the book The Flight of the Mind: Virginia Woolf’s Art and Manic-Depressive Illness.”

Hermione Lee’s 1996 biography Virginia Woolf provides a thorough and authoritative examination of Woolf’s life and work.

In 2001 Louise DeSalvo and Mitchell A. Leaska edited The Letters of Vita Sackville-West and Virginia Woolf. Julia Briggs’s Virginia Woolf: An Inner Life, published in 2005 is the most recent examination of Woolf’s life. It focuses on Woolf’s writing, including her novels and her commentary on the creative process, to illuminate her life. Thomas Szasz’s book My Madness Saved Me: The Madness and Marriage of Virginia Woolf (ISBN 0-7658-0321-6) was published in 2006.

Rita Martin’s play Flores no me pongan (2006) considers Woolf’s last minutes of life in order to debate polemical issues such as bisexuality, Jewishness and war. Written in Spanish, the play was performed in Miami under the direction of actress Miriam Bermudez.

[edit] DepictionsMichael Cunningham’s 1998 Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Hours, focused on three generations of women affected by Woolf’s novel Mrs Dalloway. In 2002, a film version of the novel was released starring Nicole Kidman as Woolf, a role for which she won the 2002 Academy Award for Best Actress. The film also starred Julianne Moore and Meryl Streep. Susan Sellers’ novel Vanessa and Virginia (2008) explores the close sibling relationship between Woolf and her sister, Vanessa Bell. It was adapted for the stage by Elizabeth Wright in 2010 and first performed by Moving Stories Theatre.

[edit] BibliographySee also: Bibliography of Virginia Woolf

[edit] NovelsThe Voyage Out (1915)

Night and Day (1919)

Jacob’s Room (1922)

Mrs Dalloway (1925)

To the Lighthouse (1927)

Orlando (1928)

The Waves (1931)

The Years (1937)

Between the Acts (1941)

[edit] Short story collectionsMonday or Tuesday (1921)

A Haunted House and Other Short Stories (1944)

Mrs Dalloway’s Party (1973)

The Complete Shorter Fiction (1985)

[edit] “Biographies”Virginia Woolf published three books to which she gave the subtitle “A Biography”:

Orlando: A Biography (1928, usually characterised Novel, inspired by the life of Vita Sackville-West)

Flush: A Biography (1933, more explicitly cross-genre: fiction as “stream of consciousness” tale by Flush, a dog; non-fiction in the sense of telling the story of the owner of the dog, Elizabeth Barrett Browning), reprinted in 2005 by Persephone Books

Roger Fry: A Biography (1940, usually characterised non-fiction, however: “[Woolf’s] novelistic skills worked against her talent as a biographer, for her impressionistic observations jostled uncomfortably with the simultaneous need to marshall a multitude of facts.”[28])

[edit] Non-fiction booksModern Fiction (1919)

The Common Reader (1925)

A Room of One’s Own (1929)

On Being Ill (1930)

The London Scene (1931)

The Common Reader: Second Series (1932)

Three Guineas (1938)

The Death of the Moth and Other Essays (1942)

The Moment and Other Essays (1947)

The Captain’s Death Bed And Other Essays (1950)

Granite and Rainbow (1958)

Books and Portraits (1978)

Women And Writing (1979)

Collected Essays (four volumes)

[edit] DramaFreshwater: A Comedy (performed in 1923, revised in 1935, and published in 1976)

[edit] Autobiographical writings and diariesA Writer’s Diary (1953) – Extracts from the complete diary

Moments of Being (1976)

A Moment’s Liberty: the shorter diary (1990)

The Diary of Virginia Woolf (five volumes) – Diary of Virginia Woolf from 1915 to 1941

Passionate Apprentice: The Early Journals, 1897–1909 (1990)

Travels With Virginia Woolf (1993) – Greek travel diary of Virginia Woolf, edited by Jan Morris

The Platform of Time: Memoirs of Family and Friends, Expanded Edition, edited by S. P. Rosenbaum (London, Hesperus, 2008)

[edit] LettersCongenial Spirits: The Selected Letters (1993)

The Letters of Virginia Woolf 1888–1941 (six volumes, 1975–1980)

Paper Darts: The Illustrated Letters of Virginia Woolf (1991)

[edit] Prefaces, contributionsSelections Autobiographical and Imaginative from the Works of George Gissing ed. Alfred C. Gissing, with an introduction by Virginia Woolf (London & New York, 1929)

[edit] BiographiesVirginia Woolf by Nigel Nicolson. New York, Penguin Group. 2000

Virginia Woolf: A Biography by Quentin Bell. New York, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1972; Revised editions 1990, 1996

“Vanessa and Virginia” by Susan Sellers (

Two Ravens, 2008; Harcourt 2009) [Fictional biography of Woolf and her sister Vanessa Bell]

The Unknown Virginia Woolf by Roger Poole. Cambridge UP, 1978.

The Invisible Presence: Virginia Woolf and the Mother-Daughter Relationship by Ellen Bayuk Rosenman. Louisiana State University Press, 1986.

Virginia Woolf and the politics of style, by Pamela J. Transue. SUNY Press, 1986. ISBN 0887062865.

The Victorian heritage of Virginia Woolf: the external world in her novels, by Janis M. Paul. Pilgrim Books, 1987. ISBN 0937664731.

Virginia Woolf’s To the lighthouse, by Harold Bloom. Chelsea House, 1988. ISBN 1555460348.

Virginia Woolf: the frames of art and life, by C. Ruth Miller. Macmillan, 1988. ISBN 0333448804.

Virginia Woolf: The Impact of Childhood Sexual Abuse on Her Life and Work by Louise DeSalvo. Boston: Little Brown, 1989

A Virginia Woolf Chronology by Edward Bishop. Boston: G.K. Hall & Co., 1989.

A Very Close Conspiracy: Vanessa Bell and Virginia Woolf by Jane Dunn. Boston: Little, Brown, 1990

Virginia Woolf: A Writer’s Life by Lyndall Gordon. New York: Norton, 1984; 1991.

Virginia Woolf and war, by Mark Hussey. Syracuse University Press, 1991. ISBN 0815625375.

The Flight of the Mind: Virginia Woolf’s Art and Manic-Depressive Illness by Thomas D. Caramago. Berkeley: U of California Press, 1992

Virginia Woolf by James King. NY: W.W. Norton, 1994.

Art and Affection: A Life of Virginia Woolf by Panthea Reid. New York: Oxford UP, 1996.

Virginia Woolf by Hermione Lee. New York: Knopf, 1997.

Granite and Rainbow: The Hidden Life of Virginia Woolf by Mitchell Leaska. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1998.

The Feminist Aesthetics of Virginia Woolf, by Jane Goldman. Cambridge University Press, 2001. ISBN 0521794587.

Virginia Woolf and the nineteenth-century domestic novel, by Emily Blair. SUNY Press, 2002. ISBN 0791471195.

Virginia Woolf: becoming a writer, by Katherine Dalsimer. Yale University Press, 2002. ISBN 0300092083.

Virginia Woolf: The Will to Create as a Woman by Ruth Gruber. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2005

My Madness Saved Me: The Madness and Marriage of Virginia Woolf by Thomas Szasz, 2006

Virginia Woolf: An Inner Life, by Julia Briggs. Harcourt, 2006. ISBN 0156032295.

The Bedside, Bathtub and Armchair Companion to Virginia Woolf and Bloomsbury by Sarah M. Hall, Continuum Publishing, 2007

Virginia Woolf and the Visible World, by Emily Dalgarno. Cambridge University Press, 2007. ISBN 0521033608,.

A Life of One’s Own: A Guide to Better Living through the Work and Wisdom of Virginia Woolf by Ilana Simons, New York: Penguin Press, 2007

Sudden Endings: 13 Profiles in Depth of Famous Suicides by M. J. Meaker, Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1964, p. 250-269: “The Fatal Game: Virginia Woolf”.

[edit] Notes1.^ Smith College libraries biography of Julia Prinsep Stephen

2.^ Alan Bell, ‘Stephen, Sir Leslie (1832–1904)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, May 2006

3.^ a b Robert Meyer, 1998, Case Studies in Abnormal Behaviour, Allyn and Bacon

4.^ Christine Kenyon Jones and Anna Snaith, ‘“Tilting at Universities”: Woolf at King’s College London’, Woolf Studies Annual, volume 16, 2010, pages 1–44.”

5.^ Bell 1996: 44

6.^ Briggs, Virginia Woolf (2005), 69–70

7.^ Claire Messud (10 December 2006). “The Husband”. New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/10/books/review/Messud.t.html?_r=1&n=Top%2fFeatures%2fBooks%2fBook%20Reviews&oref=slogin. Retrieved 10 August 2008.

8.^ Boynton, Victoria and Malin, Jo (2005) Encyclopedia of Women’s Autobiography: K-Z Greenwood Press p580

9.^ Blamires, Harry (1983) A Guide to twentieth century literature in English Routledge p307 ISBN 978-0416364507

10.^ “Virginia Woolf”. http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/vwoolf.htm. Retrieved 5 October 2007.

11.^ Haule, J. (1982). Melymbrosia: An Early Version of “The Voyage out”. Contemporary Literature, 23, 100–104.

12.^ a b Lee, Hermione: “Virginia Woolf.” Knopf, 1997.

13.^ “Critical Essays on Virginia Woolf”, Morris Beja, 1985, Introduction, p.1

14.^ “Critical Essays on Virginia Woolf”, Morris Beja, 1985, Introduction, p.1,3,53.

15.^ “Tales of abjection and miscegenation: Virginia Woolf’s and Leonard Woolf’s Jewish stories” Twentieth Century Literature, Fall, 2003 by Leena Kore Schroder, http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0403/is_3_49/ai_n6130106/pg_17/

16.^ “Mr. Virginia Woolf”. Commentarymagazine.com. http://www.commentarymagazine.com/cm/main/viewArticle.aip?id=10801&page=2. Retrieved 8 September 2008.

17.^ “The Letters of Virginia Woolf” Volume Five 1932–1935, Nigel Nicolson & Joanne Trautmann, 1979, p. 321.

18.^ a b “The Hours” DVD, “Special Features”, “The Mind and Times of Virginia Woolf”, 2003.

19.^ “Critical Essays on Virginia Woolf”, Morris Beja, 1985, p.13,53.

20.^ “Critical Essays on Virginia Woolf”, Morris Beja, 1985, p.15-17.

21.^ “The Novels of Virginia Woolf”, Hermione Lee, 1977, pp.138–157.

22.^ “Critical Essays on Virginia Woolf”, Morris Beja, 1985, p.19.

23.^ “Critical Essays on Virginia Woolf”, Morris Beja, 1985, p.24.

24.^ “From Clapham to Bloomsbury: a genealogy of morals”, Professor Gertrude Himmelfarb, 2001.

25.^ Panken, Shirley (1987). “”Oh that our human pain could here have ending” – Between the Acts”. Virginia Woolf and the “Lust of Creation”: a Psychoanalytic Exploration. SUNY Press. pp. 260–262. ISBN 9780887062001. http://books.google.com/?id=de4UyeBbCIwC&pg=PA260. Retrieved 13 August 2009.

26.^ Rose, Phyllis (1986). Woman of Letters: A Life of Virginia Woolf. Routledge. pp. 243. ISBN 0863580661. http://books.google.com/?id=Nco9AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA243&dq=%22I+don%27t+think+two+people+could+have+been+happier+than+we+have+been.%22. Retrieved 24 September 2008.

27.^ “Mr. Virginia Woolf”. Commentarymagazine.com. http://www.commentarymagazine.com/cm/main/viewArticle.aip?id=10801. Retrieved 8 September 2008.

28.^ Frances Spalding (ed.), Virginia Woolf: Paper Darts: the Illustrated Letters, Collins & Brown, 1991, (ISBN 1-85585-046-X) (hb) & (ISBN 1-85585-103-2) (pb), pp. 139–140

[edit] External links Wikisource has original works written by or about: Virginia Woolf

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Virginia Woolf

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Virginia Woolf

Literature portal

Archival material relating to Virginia Woolf listed at the UK National Register of Archives

Works by Virginia Woolf at Project Gutenberg

Works by or about Virginia Woolf in libraries (WorldCat catalog)

Biography of Virginia Woolf on the Yale Modernism Lab

Listen to Virginia Woolf’s BBC Broadcast (29 April 1937) ‘Words Fail Me’

Rare recordings of Virginia Woolf, Conan Doyle, and others

Monk’s House information at the National Trust

The Virginia Woolf Collection at the Victoria University Library Special Collections

[hide]v · d · eWorks by Virginia Woolf

Novels The Voyage Out · Night and Day · Jacob’s Room · Mrs Dalloway · To the Lighthouse · Orlando: A Biography · The Waves · The Years · Between the Acts

Short stories A Haunted House · A Society · Monday or Tuesday · An Unwritten Novel · The String Quartet · Blue & Green · Kew Gardens · The Mark on the Wall · The New Dress · The Duchess and the Jeweller

Biographies Flush: A Biography · Roger Fry: A Biography

Non-fiction Modern Fiction · The Common Reader · A Room of One’s Own · On Being Ill · The London Scene · The Second Common Reader · Three Guineas · The Death of the Moth and Other Essays · The Moment and Other Essays · Women and Writing

Bibliography of Virginia Woolf

Persondata

Name Woolf, Virginia

Alternative names Stephen, Virginia

Short description English novelist, essayist

Date of birth 25 January 1882

Place of birth London, England, UK

Date of death 28 March 1941

Place of death near Lewes, England, UK

Retrieved from “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Woolf”

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