21 Iconic Movie Characters That Were Almost Played By Completely Different Actors
21 Iconic Movie Characters That Were Almost Played By Completely Different Actors -
Emily Blunt as Black Widow
Emily Blunt was almost cast as Black Widow in Iron Man 2 but she turned down the role because of a scheduling conflict while working on Gulliver’s Travels.
Ryan Gosling as Doctor Strange
Before Benedict Cumberbatch starred as Doctor Strange in the movie, Marvel wanted Ryan Gosling so much that they commissioned some concept art of Gosling as Doctor Strange.
Jason Momoa as Drax
Jason Momoa who is now known for his role as a DC superhero, Aquaman, rejected the role of Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy because he said he had done a lot of roles where he didn’t say much and appeared with his shirt off. There was even some concept art done of him as Drax.
Will Smith as Neo
Will Smith passed on the role of Neo in The Matrix because he couldn’t get on board with the idea when it was pitched to him. He admitted that he would’ve messed the movie up since he had a more animated approach than Keanu Reeves did.
Gwyneth Paltrow as Rose DeWitt Bukater
Gwyneth Paltrow was one of the last 2 contenders for the lead female protagonist in Titanic, but she turned the offer down. She was hesitant to talk about it because her mother would not have been pleased to learn she was turning down offers and would deem it “unladylike”.
Jack Nicholson as Michael Corleone
Jack Nicholson who was known for his portrayal of The Joker in Batman (1989) was considered for the part of Michael Corleone in The Godfather. But ultimately, it was Al Pacino who made the character come to life.
Hugh Jackman as James Bond
Fearing he would be typecast as an action star if he took on both Wolverine and James Bond roles, Hugh Jackman said no when his agent called him up about acting in Casino Royale.
Christina Applegate as Elle Woods
After 10 years of playing Kelly Bundy in Married With Children, Christina Applegate rejected the role of Elle Woods for fear of being typecast as a dumb blonde. She said sarcastically that she couldn’t possibly regret her decision after Reese Witherspoon became more successful than her from starring in Legally Blonde.
Sean Connery as Gandalf
The original James Bond said no when Peter Jackson offered him the part of Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings because he claimed he didn’t understand the script.
John Travolta as Forrest Gump
John Travolta was the first choice for Forrest Gump, but he had to turn down the offer. While Tom Hanks did a marvelous job as the lead character, Travolta starred in Pulp Fiction which is also one of the greatest movies of all time.
Eddie Redmayne as Peter Quill aka Star-Lord
Eddie Redmayne was a serious candidate for the role of Star-Lord and was confirmed among those reading for it. However, in the end, Chris Pratt who was known for his role in Parks and Recreation became the Star-Lord we know today.
Michelle Pfeiffer as Clarice Starling
Michelle Pfeiffer was one of the first choices to play the FBI agent who had that famous conversation with Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs.
Christopher Walken as Han Solo
George Lucas disliked the idea of reusing actors from his previous films. That’s why he initially didn’t want Harrison Ford who had appeared in his film American Graffiti as Han Solo in Star Wars. He had Christopher Walken in mind but Ford eventually landed the job.
Liam Hemsworth as Thor
Liam Hemsworth, the brother of Chris Hemsworth who played Thor on the big screen, was also considered to play the character. In the end, the older Hemsworth won the role.
Jim Carrey as Edward Scissorhands
The director of Edward Scissorhands, Tim Burton, considered Jim Carrey to play the titular character. Carrey’s movie antics would’ve made Edward very different than how Johnny Depp interpreted the role.
Gal Gadot as Nebula
Gal Gadot almost became Marvel’s Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy. The DC’s Wonder Woman said she would’ve had to shave off her hair and turn her head blue for the role which is ultimately what Karen Gillan did for it.
Bruce Willis as Sam Wheat
Bruce Willis passed on the chance to engage in some sensuous pottery-making with then-wife Demi Moore in the movie Ghost. He said no to the role and it wound up going to Patrick Swayze.
Reese Witherspoon as Cher Horowitz
While the director wanted Alicia Silverstone to play Cher Horowitz in Clueless from the beginning, the studio held auditions with other actresses including Reese Witherspoon who would star in Legally Blonde just a few years later.
Matt Damon as Jake Sully
Matt Damon had to give up the role of Jake Sully in Avatar due to a scheduling issue as he was just finishing The Bourne Ultimatum.
Jake Gyllenhaal as Peter Parker aka Spider-Man
Fearing a delay in Spider-Man 2 (2004), Sony reached out to Jake Gyllenhaal to replace Tobey Maguire. However, in the end, Maguire reprised the role while Gyllenhaal made a splash with his part in Brokeback Mountain. In an odd turn of events, the upcoming Spider-Man: Far From Home would actually show Gyllenhaal as the villain, Mysterio!
Olivia Wilde as Gamora
The part of the “most dangerous woman in the galaxy” was offered to Olivia Wilde. However, she did not accept it for undisclosed reasons.
12 Celebrities You Didn't Know Had a Twin
12 Celebrities You Didn't Know Had a Twin -
1. Rami and Sami Malek
2. Scarlett and Hunter Johansson
3. Vin Diesel and Paul Vincent
4. Gisele and Patricia Bündchen
5. Michael and Ashton Kutcher
6. Willow and Autumn Shields
7. Giovanni and Marissa Ribisi
8. Tasha and Sidra Smith
9. Jose and Ozzie Canseco
10. Linda Hamilton and Leslie Hamilton Gearren
11. Parker and Christopher Posey
12. Shawn and Aaron Ashmore
25 Celebrities Who Got Fired And The Reasons They Lost The Gig
25 Celebrities Who Got Fired And The Reasons They Lost The Gig -
1 Lisa Kudrow
Lisa Kudrow was originally cast as Roz in Frasier but was fired before the pilot was shot because she had a personality too close to "Daphne". She would land a spot on F.R.I.E.N.D.S. next year.
2. Canadian actor Michael Bublé was fired from the set of The X-Files for stealing a hotdog from craft services.
3. Jean-Claude Van Damme was originally cast as the Predator but was fired for several reasons, including that he really wanted the Predator to kickbox.
4. Melora Hardin (Jan from the office) was originally cast to play Jennifer Parker in Back to the Future. She was fired after they recast Marty because she was taller than Michael J. Fox.
5. Dan Aykroyd had JT Walsh fired from Loose Cannons (1990) after finding out he acted in the John Belushi biopic Wired (1989). The delay in production cost $125,000.
6 David Herman
Actor David Herman (Michael Bolton from the movie "Office Space") got himself fired from MADtv by screaming all his lines during the read-through. Apparently, he wanted to leave the show to do other projects, but Fox would not let him out of his contract.
7. Fitness model Christian Boeving starred in the documentary Bigger, Stronger, Faster* about the use of steroids in America. He said he had a testosterone prescription from his doctor. For this, he was fired by his sponsor MuscleTech, which has a policy against disclosing steroid use publicly.
8. Piers Morgan was fired as the editor of a popular British newspaper in 2004 after publishing fake photos of the torture of Iraqi prisoners by British soldiers.
9. Rick Moranis was fired from the set of The Breakfast Club after he kept playing the janitor as a goofy Russian character.
10. Suzanne Somers was fired from tv series Three's Company when she asked to be paid equally to costar John Ritter.
11 Sebastian Bach
Sebastian Bach was fired from Skid Row because he wanted to open for KISS and the band refused. After he was canned he left the band a voicemail saying that nobody is ever too big to open for KISS.
12. American actor Gilbert Gottfried was fired from voicing the Aflac duck after he tweeted out a series of jokes about the earthquake disaster of Japan in 2011. Aflac does 75% of its business in Japan.
13. Bobby Keys, a sax player (and Keith Richards' best friend) was fired from the Rolling Stones 1973 tour after being found in a bathtub filled with Dom Perignon champagne. The cost of the champagne was deducted from his pay and he made no money from the tour.
14. TV show host Marc Summers went public about his Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, causing him to be fired as host of the Hollywood Squares revival, and is in remission for chronic lymphatic leukemia.
15. Chris Farley was fired from SNL for making late-night prank phone calls from the SNL offices with Adam Sandler, and mooning people from a limo shortly after. He once even once defecated out a window. He was known to frequently get naked and do various stunts for laughs.
16 James May
English television presenter James May was fired from Autocar magazine after he put a hidden message using the initial letter on each page. The secret message read out the following: “SO YOU THINK IT’S REALLY GOOD, YEAH? YOU SHOULD TRY MAKING THE BLOODY THING UP. IT’S A REAL PAIN IN THE ARSE.”
17. Rock group “The Pretenders” fired bass guitarist Pete Farndon due to his drug habits in June 1982. Two days later guitarist James Honeyman-Scott died as a result of cocaine intolerance. In April 1983 Farndon drowned in the bath at his home in London, after overdosing on heroin.
18. Pro Wrestler King Kong Bundy was fired from the WWF for acting in Headstart Explorer computer commercials without their approval.
19. Liam Neeson was once a school teacher but got fired because a student pulled a knife on him, and Neeson punched him.
20. Nicki Minaj worked as a waitress at a Red Lobster in the Bronx but was fired for discourtesy to customers. She said she was fired from "at least 15 jobs" for similar reasons.
21 Chris Hansen
Chris Hansen, who was the host of “NBC’s Dateline: To Catch a Predator” (a show that featured him conducting a sting operation on online sex predators by catching them on hidden cameras), was fired from NBC after he was caught cheating on his wife by a hidden-camera sting operation.
22. Jimi Hendrix played guitar in Little Richard's band until he was fired for being too flamboyant, out-dressing, and upstaging the singer.
23. Tupac Shakur was fired from the movie Menace II Society because he had an argument with Director Allen Hughes which led to a fistfight. Shakur was later found guilty of assault and battery.
24. Bill Hader worked at a movie theater in college and was fired for telling rude customers how "Titanic" ended.
25. In 1981, a 27-year-old James Cameron was working as a director on Pirhana II, when he was fired for failing to get a close-up of the lead actress. He then got food poisoning and during his illness had a nightmare about a robot sent from the future to kill him, which became the idea for “The Terminator.”
NOW VS THEN: 21 CHILD STARS THAT ARE NOW ADULTS
NOW VS THEN: 21 CHILD STARS THAT ARE NOW ADULTS -
1. Jaden Smith
2. Justin Bieber
3. Ralph Macchio
4. Lizzy Greene
5. Alyson Stoner
6. Melissa Joan Hart
7. Mara Wilson
8. Anna Paquin
9. Madeline Zima
10. Susan Olsen
11. Edward Furlong
12. Leelee Sobieski
13. Parker McKenna
14. Mackenzie Rosman
15. Jason James Richter
16. Liam Aiken
17. Chloë Grace Moretz
18. Michelle Trachtenberg
19. Hallie Eisenberg
20. Noah Hathaway
21. Steven Anthony Lawrence
25 Interesting Facts About Celebrities Before They Found Fame
25 Interesting Facts About Celebrities Before They Found Fame -
1 Bill Hader
Bill Hader once worked as an usher at a movie theater and was fired for spoiling the end of Titanic to noisy patrons.
2. Before he was a famous musician Johnny Cash was a military code breaker for the US Air Force. He worked as a Morse Intercept Operator in Germany, handling the hardest jobs, intercepting Russian intelligence and deciphering code transmissions. He copied the first news of Stalin’s death.
3. Retta, the actress who played Donna Meagle on Parks and Recreation, graduated from Duke University, worked as a chemist before doing stand-up and moving to Los Angeles, and is also the niece of former Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
4. Hugh Jackman worked as a birthday clown named 'Coco' and made just 50 bucks. Jackman admits that he had no magic tricks and was even told off by a 6-year-old that he is terrible.
5. Adam Jones, the guitarist of the rock band TOOL, worked on makeup and set design for Hollywood blockbuster films such as Jurassic Park, Terminator 2 and Ghostbusters II, and used his background in film to create TOOL's "unique" stop-motion music videos.
6 Colonel Sanders
Before establishing KFC, Colonel Sanders worked at a gas station and once also got into a gunfight with a rival gas station manager.
7. Celebrity chef Alton Brown worked as a cinematographer and video director before he became a food star. He was the director of photography for R.E.M.'s music video "The One I Love" and spent all of his time between takes on the set watching cooking shows, feeling that he could do a better job.
8. Before realizing his true potential in comedy, Will Ferrell worked as a teller at Wells Fargo. Apparently, he lost close to $600 on his first two days on the job.
9. Sir Patrick Stewart used to regularly fabricate fake news in the newspaper he worked for because he was spending his time practicing theatre with a theatre company during times that conflicted with his work schedule as a journalist.
10. Stand-up comedian Demetri Martin worked as a White House intern during the Clinton administration.
11 Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein worked as an electrician on the Oktoberfest 1896.
12. Before he was on MTV's Jackass, Steve-O went to Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Clown College and worked for several years as a performing clown.
13. Pope Francis worked briefly as a chemical technician and nightclub bouncer before entering the seminary.
14. Ronald Reagan started work as a lifeguard at a park in 1926 and was credited with saving 77 lives during the seven summers he worked there.
15. Science-fiction author Gene Wolfe worked as an engineer on the design of the machine that makes Pringles chips.
16 Bob Marley
Bob Marley worked on an assembly line at a Chrysler plant in Newark, New Jersey under the alias "Donald Marley."
17. As a teen, Christopher Walken answered a help wanted ad and worked as a lion tamer.
18. Chad Stahelski, the director of the John Wick films, had worked as Keanu Reeves’ stunt double for 15 years prior to his directorial debut.
19. Actor Michael Keaton got his start in show business as a production assistant on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. He helped with the puppets and ran the trolley.
20. Henry Ford worked as chief engineer at Edison Illuminating Company before starting his automobile business.
21 Steve Carell
Steve Carell has worked as a mail carrier in Massachusetts. He quit 7 months later because his boss told him he was not very good at being a mail carrier and needed to be faster. He has also performed with Chicago troupe The Second City where Stephen Colbert was his understudy for a time.
22. Ina Garten, known for her cooking show Barefoot Contessa, worked in the White House as a nuclear budget analyst.
23. Tom Morello (the guitar player for Rage Against The Machine) worked as a male stripper with the goal of saving enough money to purchase a hot tub.
24. Kenneth Koe, the inventor of Zoloft worked his way through college washing dishes at a restaurant which was named Hung Far Low.
25. Comedian Michelle Wolf studied kinesiology in college and worked for Bear Stearns from 2007 to 2008 before taking an improv class after the financial collapse.
40 RARELY SEEN CELEBRITY PHOTOS
40 RARELY SEEN CELEBRITY PHOTOS -
1. David Bowie, The Man Who Fell To Earth, 1975
2. Audrey Hepburn, 1967
3. Elton John, The Muppet Show, Elstree Studios, England
4. Tina Turner, Paris, 1984
5. Freddie Mercury & Mick Rock
6. Amy Winehouse, London, 2004
7. Led Zeppelin In Front Of The Starship, 1973
8. Bob Marley, Essex House, NYC, 1980
9. Elizabeth Taylor, Culver City, CA, 2000
10. Paul & Linda Mccartney, Cover Of Life Magazine, 1971
11. Faye Dunaway, Beverly Hills Hotel, CA, 1977
12. Paul Newman, Burbank, CA, 1958
13. Yoko Ono And John Lennon, Butterfly Studios, NYC, 1972
14. Janis Joplin And Tina Turner At Madison Square Garden, November 27, 1969
15. Stevie Nicks, Fleetwood Mac At JFK Stadium, Philadelphia, 1978
16. David Bowie And Elizabeth Taylor, 1975
17. Debbie Harry, Late 1970s
18. Cher, 'I'd Rather Believe In You' Album Cover, 1976
19. David Bowie, “Keep Your ‘Lectric Eye”, 1973
20. David Bowie & Aretha Franklin, Grammy Awards, NYC, 1975
21. Gloria Steinem, Palm Beach, FL, 1971
22. The Jackson 5, Encino, CA, 1974
23. Cyndi Lauper, 1984
24. Stevie Wonder, Dance Theater Of Harlem, NYC, 1976
25. Cher, 1976
26. Brigitte Bardot, Cuautla, Mexico, 1964
27. Frank Sinatra, Capitol Records, Hollywood, CA, 1956
28. Nirvana, 1993
29. Jim Morrison, Fantasy Fair, Mill Valley, CA, 1967
30. Paul McCartney With Anti-Beatles Button, 1964
31. Mick Jagger And John Lennon, Abbey Road Studios, London, 1967
32. Yoko Ono, NYC, 1973
33. Tupac Shakur, New York City, 1993
34. Bob Dylan On Train From Dublin To Belfast, 1966
35. Billy Idol, Max's Kansas City, NYC, 1978
36. Steve Jobs, Woodside, CA, 1984
37. The Supremes, 1965
38. Kate Bush, Late 1970's
39. Robert Mapplethorpe And Patti Smith, New York City, 1969
40. Dolly Parton And Mick Jagger, Bottom Line Concert, May, 1977
33 Rarely Seen Photos of Famous People When They Were Young
33 Rarely Seen Photos of Famous People When They Were Young -
1.) Walt Disney at around the age of 16, circa 1917
2. Oprah Winfrey crowned Miss Black Tennessee at age 17, 1971, East Tennessee State University
3.) Cadet Captain Donald Trump in his graduation photo from the New York Military Academy, 1964
4.) A rascally, young Stephen Colbert at age 22
5.) A naughty 21-year-old Betty White from a series of nude poses she did in 1943, many of which ended up on playing cards
6.) Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt, 15-years old and already a member of Dollar Shave Club
7.) Christopher Walken, age 22
8.) Queen Elizabeth II, an 18-year-old princess at the time, trained as a military mechanic and drove a supply truck during W.W. II
9.) Ryan Seacrest, an American Idol at the age of 13
10.) Barak Obama, 1980, a freshman at Occidental College posing for a photo essay by aspiring photographer Lisa Jack (she hoped he’d ask her out afterward but he never did)
11.) Mother Teresa
12.) Lady killer George Clooney at the age of 15
13.) Martin Luther King, Jr. at age 7
14.) A delicious 22-year-old Martha Stewart
15) A 15-year-old Samuel Clemens before he became Mark Twain
16.) Marilyn Monroe at age 12.
17.) One of the first known pictures of Abraham Lincoln, circa 1840
18.) A hand-tinted picture of 21-year-old Sir Winston Churchill in military garb, 1895
19.) Larry David, 20-years-old, enthusiasm already curbed
20.) One of these hobbits is J.R.R. Tolkien
21.) 22-year-old Hillary Rodham Clinton, Park Ridge, Illinois, June 1969.
22.) Josef Stalin, the original hipster
23.) Either Howdy Doody or 10-year-old John F. Kennedy
24) Academy Award Winner Helen Mirren at age 25
25.) In 1964, 17-year-old Bill Clinton meets JFK
26.) Henry Hank Aaron, around age 19, circa 1953
27.) Vladimir Putin doing his best Macaulay Culkin
28.) German Chancellor Angela Merkel
29.) A handsome 19-year-old Mahatma Gandhi
30.) 2-year-old Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the days he was simply known as “Franny”
31.) Fidell Castro
32.) Albert Einstein, age 3, 1882
33.) A young George and Barbara Bush with an even younger George, W.
10 Celebrities Whose 15 Minutes Of Fame Was Cut 5 Minutes Short
10 Celebrities Whose 15 Minutes Of Fame Was Cut 5 Minutes Short -
Thousands of people dream of becoming famous. However, those who actually become famous quickly realize that staying popular is every bit as hard as becoming popular. So, even if you become really successful, it doesn’t mean your career will prosper in the future. And unfortunately, the examples of some stars only prove this to be true.
1. Neve Campbell
Neve Campbell became famous after she played the main role in Scream, an iconic horror movie of the ’90s. This was the biggest role for the young actress for several years to come: Neve portrayed the main character in all 3 parts of the franchise. However, after the end of the shooting process of the last installment in 2000, her career was in a slump. She never got any big roles in any popular movies. Neve appeared on the big screen only in 2011 when she portrayed Sidney Prescot yet again: the franchise’s creators decided to release another part of Scream. Maybe the actress just got into this character a little too deeply.
2. Vanilla Ice
Vanilla Ice became the first rap singer whose single was at the top of the music chart. His song, Ice Ice Baby became iconic right away and the sales of his album were extremely impressive. But despite his incredible popularity, his stage image quickly became boring for the artist himself. As a result, he terminated the contract with his label and became an independent singer. Today, Vanilla Ice still sings and also stars in movies as an actor and works as a music producer. Of course, he is not as famous as he once was but the ability to decide what he wants to look like and what songs he wants to sing makes him quite happy.
3. PSY
In 2012, the video for Gangnam Style became the most watched video in YouTube history. After the video was released, the entire world talked about the South Korean musician, PSY. In European countries, the song was at the top of the music charts for months even though it was in Korean. While he was still popular, PSY performed numerous concerts all around the world. Today, 7 years later, he still goes on tours, but there have been no similar big hits in his career. PSY himself called Gangnam Style one of the biggest achievements of his life.
4. Robert Englund
Robert Englund is also a man of one role. Freddy Kruger became his biggest achievement and the role he appeared as more often than any other. At the end of the ’80s, he was the most popular character and he portrayed Freddy from 1984 to 2003. On the one hand, this role made Englund incredibly popular but on the other, it didn’t let him demonstrate his actual acting abilities because the complicated makeup covered his real face. To this day, few people can actually recognize him for the same reason.
5. Rick Moranis
In the ’80s, Rick Moranis was one of the most popular comedic actors in the US and Canada. The movies he appeared in became popular right away: he played the main roles in Ghost Busters, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, and other famous family comedies of the time. There was no danger to his career but at the beginning of the ’90s, his wife died of cancer. After that, the actor made the decision to leave the world of acting to raise his children.
6. Crazy Town
The Crazy Town band was formed in 1995 and didn’t seem promising until they released the single called Butterfly in 1999. The song appeared at the top of world music charts and 1.5 million copies of the album were sold. However, all the following works of the band were way less successful — the singles never even appeared on any charts. The members of the band said that it was because of the pressure from labels. At the beginning of the 2000s, they took a big break and their new album was released only in 2015. Even though Crazy Town still exists as a band, they haven’t had any other outstanding songs.
7. Hayden Christensen
Hayden Christensen has been doing movies since he was a child but his most famous role up until now is Anakin Skywalker. Christensen portrayed this character in 2 parts of the Star Wars franchise. There were different opinions about his work as the actor was nominated for both a Golden Globe and a Saturn Award as well as a Golden Raspberry for the worst role. Today Hayden Christensen rarely appears in movies and when he does, it’s usually in supporting roles.
8. Bomfunk MC’s
Bomfunk MC’s was formed by 2 DJs in 1998 and in 2000, they released Freestyler. Up until today, this is probably the only song by this band that almost every person who lived in the 2000s must have heard. The musician received a few awards for the song but all of their next albums were less successful. The members of the band changed several times, and the musicians took breaks and did their own solo projects. But in 2019, they released a new Freestyler video to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the song and said that they were working on a new release.
9. Shelley Duvall
Shelley Duvall was a very promising actress: she received a Cannes Film Festival Award for her main role in 3 Women. After that, she had very successful parts in The Shining, Annie Hall and other movies. However, in the ’90s, Duvall started taking on a lot of supporting roles and in 2002 she stopped her movie career altogether. In 2016 she appeared on the show, Dr. Phil and admitted that she had a psychological disorder.
10. Rupert Grint
The actors who played the main roles in Harry Potter were the highest paid actors before they were teenagers. They appeared not only in movies and TV shows but also on the covers of notebooks, backpacks, and other products. The last episode of the franchise was released in 2011, and at that moment, Rupert Grint was a very popular actor. However, he had a series of roles in really bad movies and the industry’s interest in him disappeared. He continues to do movies and TV shows but apparently, it’s hard to do something as big as Harry Potter.
Not only is an absence of talent a good way to ruin a successful career, but unfortunate circumstances, health issues, and thousands of other unexpected things can have the same effect. Have you ever met people who were really promising at what they did but for some reason something went wrong?
17 Rarely Seen Images Of Celebrities' Kids
17 Rarely Seen Images Of Celebrities' Kids -
1. Björk’s son
2. Cher’s sons
3. Tilda Swinton and her daughter
4. Uma Thurman’s daughter and son
5. Danny Trejo’s children
6. Mick Jagger’s children
7. Gérard Depardieu’s daughters
8. Donatella Versace’s son and daughter
9. Woody Allen’s son and daughter
10. Charlotte Gainsbourg and her son
11. Meryl Streep’s big family
12. David Bowie’s children
13. Adriano Celentano’s son and daughter
14. Bette Midler and her daughter
15. Courtney Love’s daughter
16. Danny DeVito’s children
17. Rowan Atkinson’s son and daughter
TARANTINO'S TOP TEN (+1) FAVORITE FILMS WILL INSPIRE FLEDGLING DIRECTORS
TARANTINO'S TOP TEN (+1) FAVORITE FILMS WILL INSPIRE FLEDGLING DIRECTORS -
Every director’s got a list of movies that inspired them and shaped their vision. Sure, you can go to a film school to learn the techniques and visual language you need to make a great film, or you can just watch a shit ton of movies and take bits and pieces of each to make your own vision. Quentin Tarantino falls into the latter camp.For him, though, each choice he makes today for his movies, is a deliberate callback to a genre, character, costume or specific scene from the movies that shaped him. He’s had countless of interviews where he’s listed his top films, and that list usually ends up at 12, but it’s never completely consistent in terms of the films and the order. The most common is THIS list of amazing classics, but there’s also a handwritten list (recreated above by Open Culture), that throws some new ones into the mix.So, I’m thinking, we watch them all this weekend? Goovy.
2
American International Pictures
Rolling Thunder (1977)I might be missing something, but this is a pretty generic revenge thriller starring Tommy Lee Jones and William Devane. Devane’s a veteran who seeks revenge against the guys who broke into his house and killed his family. That’s not to say that it isn’t good; there’s a hand vs. garbage compactor scene that’s pretty horrific.The premise has been done a thousand times, and while the action is top notch and it’s incredibly violent, I’m too sure what makes it stand out more than Death Wish orStraw Dogs. Regardless, I’m sure he loves it for reasons we mere mortals cannot understand.
3
MGM
Pretty Maids All in a Row (1971)This mixture of dark comedy and murder mystery is the only writing credit of Gene Roddenberry; the creator of Star Trek. Starring Rock Hudson as a guidance counsellor who’s trying to nail as many beautiful students he can, before they all get murdered.This movie is so pitch black with humor, inappropriate moments and counter-culturalism that it’s perfect for Tarantino.
4
Universal Pictures
Sorcerer (1977)This road trip thriller from William Friedkin, is about some truckers trying to transport leaky dynamite across South America. This film can either be considered a lost cult-classic from the 70’s that completely underrated, or it’s an overblown travesty of cinema.You pick your side, but I’ll do with Tarantino on this one. I love me some gritty Roy Scheider.
5
Paramount Pictures
The Bad News Bears (1976)As far as a hilarious comedy goes, you can’t go wrong with this one. It’s crude, profane and angry, but genuinely funny. It also feels natural, because we can relate to the characters, their frustrations and their feelings.That’s probably why Tarantino loves it.
6
Gramercy Pictures
Dazed and Confused (1993)This coming-of-age comedy doesn’t really have a structure to it; it’s more of a series of loosely connected vignettes that tell you all you need to know about the teenage experience.This one is an unconventionally cool, drug-hazed, classic comedy.
7
United Artists
The Great Escape (1963)This is arguably one of the best and most beloved war movies ever made. The way the director evokes the performances out of his actors, shows where Tarantino learned how to wrangle his ensemble casts into some sort of shape.
8
Columbia Pictures
His Girl Friday (1940)If there’s any one movie you can thank for the way Tarantino writes dialogue, it’s this Howard Hawks classic. It’s got rapid fire sentences and ahead of it’s time gender-politics.Plus the chemistry in this film is so intense. Even if you’re not into older films, you need to see this one at least once.
9
United Artists
Carrie (1976)Out of all the other Stephen King adaptations out there, this Brian De Palma classic is the best. It’s tense, suspenseful and raw. That’s probably why Quentin loves it.
10
Warner Bros
Rio Bravo (1959)This Howard Hawks/John Wayne classic had a stacked cast and featured ‘The Duke’ as a lone cowboy fighting off corrupt ranchers. It’s the long, silent, and sweeping opening shot that attracts Tarantino to this film.
11
Filmways
Blow Out (1981)This Brian De Palma film has John Travolta as a movie sound engineer, who accidentally records an assassination. It’s an underrated neo-noir thriller and takes a lot of cues from Alfred Hitchcock.
12
Shaw Brothers Studio
5 Fingers of Death/King Boxer (1972)You knew there had to be a Kung-Fu movie on here somewhere. As for why this one, I’m not sure. But it is a nice mix of Kung-Fu tropes and Grindhouse elements.
13
Süd-Film
Pandora’s Box (1929)This silent film about a highly sexual woman was ahead of it’s time. There are a lot of twists and turns, murder, seduction, a lesbian subplot and a quiet cameo from Jack the Ripper.It’s a little fucked up for it’s time, and I think that’s the appeal for QT.
14
20th Century Fox
Unfaithfully Yours (1984)To be honest, there are two films with this title, this one a remake of an earlier screwball comedy from 1948, starring Rex Harrison.In both, a composer suspects his wife is cheating on him, so he hires someone to spy on her, and hijinks occur.
15
Paramount Pictures
5 Graves to Cairo (1943)This war film was directed by Billy Wilder, and involves the survivor of a British loss to General Rommel in the African Theatre of the war. This one is notable, because it’s both a war film and an adventure/treasure hunt film utilizing the Hitchcockian concept of the McGuffin.There are plenty of elements from this movie that you’ll find in Tarantino’s catalogue.
16
United Artists
Apocalypse Now (1979)This will always be considered one of the greatest films of all time, and it’s easy to see why. It takes the historic Joseph Conrad story and places it in a visually stunning hellhole.This was one of the worst wars in US history and this film blatantly captures all that nihilism and despair.
17
Universal Pictures
Jaws (1975)This one is also one of cinema’s greatest, and it’s because you don’t see Bruce the shark all that often. Spielberg lets your imagination go wild with the possibilities of the shark, and it’s brilliant.Add in that haunting monologue about the U.S.S Indianapolis, and you’ve got yourself a perfect film. It’s why everyone loves this classic.
18
Columbia Pictures
Taxi Driver (1976)This film is truly dark and gritty, and represents the feeling that a lot of vets found after Vietnam; a world they don’t understand anymore. You can tell how the way this film is lit, framed and scored, that it was a huge influence on Tarantino’s look.Scorcese is a master of cinema, so it’s pretty obvious that Quentin would list one of his best, in his list of bests.
19
United Artists
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1966)While the other films in this list fluctuate based on the interview, this is the only one that’s always #1. Between the Mexican standoffs, the editing, and the camera angles, everything Tarantino learned about filmmaking, came from Sergio Leone.I could watch this movie as the only thing on repeat until I die, it’s that good.
38 Celebrity Pairs That Are Complete Doppelganger / Look ALikes
38 Celebrity Pairs That Are Complete Doppelganger / Look ALikes -
Margot Robbie and Jaime Pressly
Jada Pinkett-Smith and Zoe Saldana
Will Ferrell and Chad Smith
Amy Adams and Isla Fisher
Henry Cavill and Matt Bomer
Alicia Silverstone and Kristen Stewart
Jessica Chastain and Bryce Dallas Howard
Rachel Bilson and Selena Gomez
Katy Perry and Zooey Deschanel
Sarah Hyland and Mila Kunis
Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Javier Bardem
Zachary Quinto and Eli Roth
Jordana Brewster and Demi Moore
Emmanuelle Chriqui and JWoww
Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Heath Ledger
Leighton Meester and Minka Kelly
Logan Marshall Green and Tom Hardy
Victoria Justice and Nina Dobrev
Bradley Cooper and Ralph Fiennes
Cindy Crawford and Eva Mendes
Melanie Griffith and Meg Ryan
Bill Murray and James Belushi
Patrick Dempsey and Guillaume Canet
Jennifer Garner and Hilary Swank
Cameron Diaz and Helena Christensen
Zoe Saldana and Thandiwe Newton
Kim Kardashian and Nicole Scherzinger
Milla Jovovich and Linda Evangelista
Amanda Peet and Lake Bell
Rosie Mac and Emilia Clarke
Georgia Мэй Jagger and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
Leonardo DiCaprio and Jack Nicholson
Emilia Clarke and Miranda Kerr
Natalie Portman and Keira Knightley
Elijah Wood and Daniel Radcliffe
Mark Wahlberg and Matt Damon
Mickey Rourke and Tim Robbins
James McAvoy and Luke Evans
A CELEBRITY BY ANY OTHER NAME, WOULD ACT AS SWEET? 20 CELEBRITIES' REAL NAMES
A CELEBRITY BY ANY OTHER NAME, WOULD ACT AS SWEET? 20 CELEBRITIES' REAL NAMES -
It shouldn’t come as a shock that many celebrities change their name. What might surprise you, however, are the sometimes ridiculous and other times explanatory names they began life with. How many of these did you know?
19 RARELY SEEN CHILDHOOD IMAGES OF CELEBRITIES
19 RARELY SEEN CHILDHOOD IMAGES OF CELEBRITIES -
1
Instagram/mindykaling
Mindy Kaling rehearsing for the musical ‘Rags’ in high school.
2
Instagram/adele
A young Adele with a ‘Spice Girls’ obsession.
3
Instagram/nicolerichie
Nicole Richie (left) and Rashida Jones (right).
4
Instagram/alisonbrie
Allison Brie rocking headgear.
5
Instagram/mingey
Amanda Seyfried (right) with her older sister on the beach.
6
Instagram/thehughjackman
Hugh Jackman with his track team.
7
Instagram/penelopecruzoficial
Penelope Cruz (left) with her little sister.
8
Instagram/curtisleejamie
Jamie Lee Curtis in some very 80’s fashion.
9
Instagram/johnstamos
John Stamos in the 70’s.
10
Instagram/instadanjlevy
Dan Levy and his little sister at her birthday party in the 90’s.
11
Instagram/cindycrawford
Cindy Crawford in her high school cheerleading pyramid.
12
Instagram/marisatomei
Marisa Tomei in the early 90’s.
13
Twitter/KaceyMusgraves
Kacey Musgraves rocking out back in the day.
14
Instagram/mandymooremm
Mandy Moore modeling in the 90’s.
15
Instagram/justintheroux
Justin Theroux at 14.
16
Instagram/prattprattpratt
Chris Pratt as a toddler, looking a hell of a lot like Chucky.
17
Instagram/emmawatson
Emma Watson posing for an old headshot.
18
Instagram/tomhardy
Tom Hardy when he was a student at the Drama Centre London back in the 90’s.
19
Instagram/elizabethbanks
Elizabeth Banks at 14.
16 Celebrities Who Look Completely Different in Real Life
16 Celebrities Who Look Completely Different in Real Life -
Daenerys Targaryen vs. Emilia Clarke
The Tramp vs. Charlie Chaplin
Daisy Mason vs. Sophie McShera
Kitty Sanchez vs. Judy Greer
Ichabod Crane vs. Tom Mison
Worf vs. Michael Dorn
Tiffany Pennsatucky Doggett vs. Taryn Manning
Jerri Blank vs. Amy Sedaris
Blanca Flores vs. Laura Gómez
Steve Urkel vs. Jaleel White
Cersei Lannister vs. Lena Headey
Suzanne Warren vs. Uzo Aduba
Gilly vs. Hannah Murray
Quark vs. Armin Shimerman
Khal Drogo vs. Jason Momoa
Pepper vs. Naomi Grossman
MY HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED: 16 Celebrities Different Centuries, Same Age
MY HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED: 16 Celebrities Different Centuries, Same Age -
Elizabeth Taylor and Maisie Williams, age 21
1
Audrey Hepburn and Eva Green, age 38
2
Clark Gable and Ryan Gosling, age 38
3
Grace Kelly and Dakota Fanning, age 24
4
Ingrid Bergman and Emma Roberts, age 27
5
Sophia Loren and Eva Mendes, age 45
6
James Dean and Ansel Elgort, age 24
7
Vivien Leigh and Catherine Zeta-Jones, age 49
8
Lauren Bacall and Monica Bellucci, age 55
9
Brigitte Bardot and Lily Collins, age 29
10
Alain Delon and Richard Madden, age 32
11
Marilyn Monroe and Amanda Seyfried, age 33
12
Liza Minnelli and Emma Stone, age 30
13
Barbra Streisand and Kaya Scodelario, age 27
14
Marlene Dietrich and Jessica Biel, age 36
15
Adriano Celentano and Nicholas Hoult, age 29
#16
THEN VS NOW: 15 People Who Were Famous For Viral Videos In The Past And What They Look Like Today
THEN VS NOW: 15 People Who Were Famous For Viral Videos In The Past And What They Look Like Today -
1. The brothers from “Charlie bit my finger” video.
2. Chris Crocker a.k.a. the “Leave Britney Alone” guy.
3. “Chewbacca Mom”
4. The boy from the “David After Dentist” video.
5. Antoine Dodson from the hilarious interview that would become “The Bed Intruder Song”.
6. “Chocolate Rain” singer Tay Zonday.
7. The little kid from the “Linda, Honey” video.
8. The singer of the infamous "Friday" song, Rebecca Black.
9. The “I Like Turtles” kid all grown up.
10. Psy the “Gangnam Style” guy.
11. The “Afro Ninja” guy, good to see he wasn't paralyzed after that.
12. “Alex From Target”
13. The “Hot mugshot guy” had women swooning, at least his "now" photo isn't another mugshot.
14. “Numa Numa” singer Gary Brolsma.
15. The performer from the classic “Evolution of Dance” video.
10 Musicians Who Got Caught For Oddball Crimes By 'Johnny Law'
10 Musicians Who Got Caught For Oddball Crimes By 'Johnny Law' -
Musicians are just as corruptible as the rest of us. It is commonplace now to see your favorite musicians in trouble with authorities for drug charges or drunken stupors. Drug- and alcohol-related arrests have become something of a staple of the music industry.
However, in rare circumstances, musicians get into trouble for the unlikeliest of transgressions. These strange criminal blunders are undoubtedly rare among musicians, but they are so puzzling and hilarious that they deserve a light shining on them.
10 Paul McCartney
In 1960, former Beatle Paul McCartney was arrested in Hamburg, Germany, for attempted arson. McCartney and then–Beatles’ drummer Pete Best pinned a condom to the wall of the Bambi Kino, their accommodations while playing in Hamburg, and set the condom on fire.
After living in filthy conditions during the early string of shows, Paul’s arson was a boyish act of protest against the Bambi Kino owner Bruno Koschmider. Renowned for beating customers with a chair leg, Koschmider had put up the Beatles in the back of his porno cinema while they tirelessly played for him in his run-down strip club known as the Indra.
As George Harrison, then 17, was already being deported from Germany for flouting Hamburg’s curfew laws for minors, the Beatles were ready to go home—but not before McCartney and Best set the condom alight.
Koschmider subsequently rang the police, who arrested and detained Best and McCartney before deporting them.[1]
9 Barry White
Before he had a music career and was nicknamed the “Walrus of Love,” Barry White was something of a criminal in his teens (by his own admission). However, White was hardly a master criminal as evinced by his arrest in 1960 for the theft of car tires which led to subsequent jail time.
As a teenager, White often got into trouble with his brother, Darryl. Barry stated that they were a “two-man gang, respected and feared [who] ran and ruled the streets of our neighborhood.” However, the theft of $30,000 worth of Cadillac tires landed him in prison.
Barry White served four months in prison in 1960. While he was incarcerated, the seeds of the Walrus of Love were sown because White vowed to do away with his minor criminal past and focus on music.[2]
8 D’arcy Wretzky
D’arcy Wretzky, former bassist for the Smashing Pumpkins, was arrested and eventually imprisoned in 2011 due to her horses escaping her home. Wretzky’s neighbors contacted the police after her horses were left to wander from her farm onto their land. Although she was notified of the offense in 2009, it took until 2011 before her antics led to prison time.
Michigan has an “animals running at large” law that Wretzky breached. However, the law is only a minor offense. It was Wretzky’s repeated absence from four consecutive court dates related to the incident that eventually landed her in jail.
Otherwise, Wretzky would have only had to pay a fine. Nevertheless, she was sentenced to six days imprisonment.[3]
7 Gary Numan
New wave singer and songwriter Gary Numan found himself on the wrong side of Indian police in 1981 when he was arrested on suspicion of smuggling and spying. As an air display pilot as well as a musician, Numan was flying with a friend over India. After the plane’s engine gave out, they were forced to land.
The pair sought help in a local Indian village but instead were arrested on suspicion of smuggling and spying. As the two men were wearing two watches each, the police thought they were smuggling. Worse still, the pair had cameras on them which gave the police grounds to believe that they were spying.
Little did Numan know, there was actually a Russian submarine base 32 kilometers (20 mi) from where they had landed. Therefore, the Indian police thought that they were taking photographs of that base.
Both Numan and his friend were arrested and detained for four days. Eventually, the pair contacted the Home Office, and they were duly released.[4]
6 Vanilla Ice
Rapper (sort of) Vanilla Ice got in trouble with authorities in 2004, albeit for something far less sinister than his arrest for burglary in 2015. In fact, it was animal control officials that landed Vanilla Ice in difficulty.
Vanilla Ice’s pet wallaroo, Bucky Buckaroo, and his pet goat, Pancho, decided one day to escape Vanilla Ice’s domicile in Florida. Pancho managed to headbutt open the latch of the gate of their enclosure, and the two went for a ramble in Florida.
The rebellious animals actually scratched one woman and kicked her car after she tried to feed them. Animal control officials eventually captured the two, and their days on the lam were cut short.
Animal control officials caught Vanilla Ice with an expired permit and duly fined him $220. Pancho and Bucky were eventually reunited with their owner.[5]
5 Peter Buck
REM’s guitarist Peter Buck was arrested for an air rage incident in 2001, but the story was far sillier than it sounds. After allegedly making the mistake of mixing a sleeping pill with alcohol, Buck went on a drunken rampage, much to the chagrin of his fellow passengers.
After being refused any more alcohol, Buck in his already-drunk, loutish state overturned a flight attendant’s trolley and demanded to leave the airplane mid-flight. He had to be pulled away from an exit door. As a pilot attempted to calm the situation, Buck responded that “he was just a f—king pilot and [Buck] was REM.” Even stranger, Buck sprayed flight attendants with yogurt and tried to steal cutlery from the plane.
The guitarist was later cleared of all charges, and he did help to clean up the yogurt mess while on the plane.[6]
4 Bob Dylan
New Jersey police detained poor old Bob Dylan in 2009 over a simple case of mistaken identity. The icon of folk music was set to headline a concert alongside Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp. But it nearly didn’t happen thanks to New Jersey police officer Kristie Buble, who believed that Dylan was a mad pensioner who had escaped from a hospital.
Dylan went for a stroll around the Long Branch area on his own in the pouring rain when a concerned citizen rang the police about the suspicious-looking character. When Buble arrived to determine what was going on, Dylan told her that he was indeed Bob Dylan. But for the police officer, that just confirmed her suspicions of a madman on the loose.
Apparently forgetting that people age, Buble expected Dylan to look like her memories of him from his younger years. As a result, Buble believed that the man in front of her was a rambling lunatic and not Bob Dylan.[7]
Detained by the police, the musician was taken to his nearby tour bus to confirm his identity. When they reached Dylan’s manager, he showed Dylan’s identification to the now-embarrassed police officer. In her defense, it was a little strange that Dylan was wandering around in the rain, but he’s never been one for conventional behavior.
3 Mick Jagger, Bill Wyman, And Brian Jones
The Rolling Stones
Although two of the Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, were infamously arrested and charged with drug offenses in 1967, it was public urination that saw three of the Rolling Stones—Bill Wyman, Mick Jagger, and Brian Jones—arrested in 1965.
After being refused access to a petrol station lavatory in London, three of the Rolling Stones took it upon themselves to relieve their full bladders by urinating on the petrol station itself. The unsympathetic station owner had denied Bill Wyman the key initially. However, Jagger and Jones also took offense at this.
All three began chanting “we’ll p—s anywhere, man” to the station owner and a nearby mechanic who had witnessed the scene and was merely attempting to move them on. When the owner wouldn’t concede, Jagger, Wyman, and Jones urinated on the wall of the petrol station while still chanting.
After the trio was arrested, they were charged with public indecency and subsequently fined £5 each.[8]
2 Frank Zappa
In the early years of Frank Zappa’s career, he was not too discerning about where his much-needed money came from. This became painfully apparent in 1962 when Zappa was duped into making porn for an undercover San Bernardino police detective in California.
After creating several scores for low-budget films, Zappa was offered work by a supposed used car salesman to produce a porn film. As the “used car salesman” knew of Zappa’s amateur film credentials, he turned to Zappa for help.
Though Zappa refused to outright make a porn film for the man, Zappa did offer to record audio-only porn with his friend Lorraine Belcher in a studio owned by Zappa. The recording was essentially a mock-up of a couple having sex.
After Zappa made the recording, the “salesman” refused to pay him. Instead, the police raided the studio and seized the tapes. Of course, the “used car salesman” was simply an undercover detective hoping to entrap an unwitting “criminal.”
Zappa was charged with conspiracy to make pornography and given a 10-day prison sentence. This made Zappa a lifelong cynic toward authority.[9]
1 Ozzy Osbourne
Yet more public urination from a beloved rock star. Throughout his lengthy career, Ozzy Osbourne has been a staple of the typical rock and roll antics that define the genre’s more reckless practitioners.
Ozzy is the epitome of the drunken, drug-induced wild behavior of rock stars. Some of his most outrageous behavior included biting the head off a bat and snorting a line of ants. But in 1982, a drunken Ozzy was arrested for urinating on a historic landmark.
In a drunken stupor, Ozzy stumbled around San Antonio, Texas, looking for a place to relieve himself. Unfortunately, he chose the city’s Cenotaph dedicated to the fallen soldiers in the Battle of the Alamo.
To make this story even stranger, Ozzy was wearing the clothes of his wife, Sharon, the whole time because she had denied him access to his own so that he could not go out and drink. Obviously, it didn’t work. The police arrested Ozzy for public intoxication. He was freed on $40 bond the same day.[10]
10 Indisputable Facts About the Sexual-Abuse Allegations Against Michael Jackson
10 Indisputable Facts About the Sexual-Abuse Allegations Against Michael Jackson
Key revelations and insights that viewers of the new HBO documentary Leaving Neverlandneed to know.
To help viewers contextualize the documentary’s presentation of what ultimately amounts to a narrow slice of a sprawling saga, here are 10 undeniable facts about the sexual-abuse allegations against Michael Jackson.
1. There is no dispute that, at age 34, Michael Jackson slept more than 30 nights in a row in the same bed with 13-year-old Jordie Chandler at the boy’s house with Chandler’s mother present. He also slept in the same bed with Jordie Chandler at Chandler’s father’s house. The parents were divorced.
2. So far, five boys Michael Jackson shared beds with have accused him of abuse: Jordie Chandler, Jason Francia, Gavin Arvizo, Wade Robson, and Jimmy Safechuck. Jackson had the same nickname for Chandler and Arvizo: “Rubba.” He called Robson “Little One” and Safechuck “Applehead.”
3. Jackson paid $25 million to settle the Chandlers’ lawsuit, with $18 million going to Jordie, $2.5 million to each of the parents, and the rest to lawyers. Jackson said he paid that sum to avoid something “long and drawn out.” Francia also received $2.4 million from Jackson.
4. Michael Jackson suffered from the skin discoloration disease vitiligo. Jordie Chandler drew a picture of the markings on the underside of Jackson’s penis. His drawings were sealed in an envelope. A few months later, investigators photographed Jackson’s genitalia. The photographs matched Chandler’s drawings.
5. The hallway leading to Jackson’s bedroom was a serious security zone covered by video and wired for sound so that the steps of anyone approaching would make ding-dong sounds.
6. Jackson had an extensive collection of adult erotic material he kept in a suitcase next to his bed, including S&M bondage photos and a study of naked boys. Forensic experts with experience in the Secret Service found the fingerprints of boys alongside Jackson’s on the same pages. Jackson also had bondage sculptures of women with ball gags in their mouths on his desk, in full view of the boys who slept there.
7. According to the Neverland staff interviewed by the Santa Barbara authorities, no one ever saw or knew of a woman spending the night with Michael Jackson, including his two spouses, Debbie Rowe or Lisa Marie Presley. Rowe, the mother of two of Jackson’s children, made it clear to the Santa Barbara authorities that she never had sex with Jackson.
8. The parents of boys Jackson shared beds with were courted assiduously and given myriad expensive gifts. Wade Robson’s mother testified in the 2005 trial that she funneled wages through Jackson’s company and was given a permanent resident visa. Jimmy Safechuck’s parents got a house. Jordie Chandler’s mother got a diamond bracelet.
9. Two of the fathers of those who have accused Jackson, Jordie Chandler and Wade Robson, committed suicide. Both were estranged from their sons at the time.
10. In a 2002 documentary, Living with Michael Jackson, Jackson told Martin Bashir there was nothing wrong with sharing his bed with boys.
25 Of The Dumbest Things Ever Said On Television
25 Of The Dumbest Things Ever Said On Television -
I didn't go to college. I was making records!
Mariah Carey was seen on TV introducing LA Reid for the Snowflake Gala in 2009. She goes to say, “LA Reid’s musical talents and accomplishments are unparalleled; and his philanthropic ef… Listen, honey, I didn’t go to college. I was making records!”
Rap is the new Rock n Roll
Kanye West spoke on BBC Radio about how rap is the new rock n’ roll and how he is the biggest rock star. He ends the interview saying he is a god. No one knows Kanye better than Kanye. While viewers were disturbed by his comments, I’m sure no one was left shocked.
You grew up on tacos, correct?
Fox News host Brian Kilmeade asked meteorologist Maria Molina if she grew up on tacos. Maria then tried to awkwardly laugh it off, informing everyone she was in fact Nicaraguan and tacos are not a Nicaraguan food.
Santa is white.
Megyn Kelly said live on CNN that Santa Claus, a fictional character, is indeed white and will always be. She wanted to make sure all the children watching knew the truth.
Blood was coming out of her eyes, blood was coming out of her... wherever.
President Trump spoke on CNN Tonight about how journalist Megyn Kelly had blood coming out of her eyes and out of her “wherever.” He later tweeted he was referring to her nose, but viewers weren’t buying it.
Our enemies never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.
During a Press Conference in 2007 former president George W. Bush talked about terrorists and their nonstop effort to harm the U.S. While I’m sure Bush didn’t mean to add “neither do we” at the end, he was still caught on camera making that mistake.
If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.
Todd Akin, a former U.S. Representative, talked about his views on abortions on Fox News and made that comment about rape. He left viewers outraged by his comments on female bodies.
It is the first time in history that fire has melted steel.
After the attacks on 9/11, Rosie O’Donnell made a comment on The View about how the terrorists attack could have been an act from the U.S. government. I’m not sure if she knew it has already been proven that steel melts at about 2,750 degrees Fahrenheit.
Is math related to science?
Katy Perry, an American singer, asked Neil deGrasse, an American astrophysicist, if math was related to science. A baffled Neil then goes on to say that math is the language of the universe.
I spray girls cologne on my pillows.
Ryan Seacrest admitted on his iHeartRadio show to Britney Spears and will.i.am that he sprays girl cologne on his pillow cases to make him feel like someone else is there.
It is a talent to have a brand that is really successful.
Kim Kardashian, a reality TV personality faced backlash after her 60 Minutes interview. She was asked what her talent was and she responded creating a successful brand and making people like her was her talent.
Guys, I'm the worst reader.
Kendall Jenner, a model and reality TV personality messed up her words at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards. However, instead of just moving along with her announcement, she blurted out, “Guys, I’m the worst reader.”
I have an interesting mind but I want to smell like a slut to be honest.
Lady Gaga, a singer and actress, told Maggie Lake on a CNN television interview that while she has an interesting mind, she wanted her new perfume to smell slutty.
I'm tired of pretending like I'm not bitchin, a total freakin rock star from Mars.
Charlie Sheen, an American actor, talked about how special he was on NBC’s Today Show. He then went on to demand a pay raise and how people can’t process him with a normal brain.
Whale Sharks that must mean a whale and a shark have sex.
Tara Reid, an American actress, admitted on Shark After Dark that she was shocked when she found out that whale sharks are not half shark, half whale, but just a name for another kind of shark.
I have decided in 2020 to run for president.
Kanye West announced on MTV Video Music Awards he was going to run for president in 2020. West is known for his shocking quotes but this one seemed to leave viewers concerned for the future of America.
Is that a chicken?!
Kris Jenner is seen holding a pet pig on “Keeping up With the Kardashians.” Kylie Jenner came down the stairs excitedly asking, “Is that a chicken?!” Viewers were left wondering if Kylie actually knew the difference between the two animals.
I'm not about to hire you if your name is Watermelondrea.
Raven Symone, former Disney Chanel star, admitted that she wouldn’t hire anymore with an ethnic sounding or non-traditional name on live television. Viewers were left confused by Ravens opinion because she herself has a non-traditional name.
If you kick every Latino out of this country, who is going to clean your toilets, Donald Trump?
Kelly Osbourne tried to back track her statement about Trump’s immigration policy on The View. Her suggestion that Latino jobs mostly involved cleaning toilets left viewers cringing.
White people shower a lot more than ethnic.
Naya Rivera, an actress and model, shared her views about white people showering more than ethnic people on The View. She went on to justify her claims by saying her white husband showers three times a day while her half black, half Puerto Rican mother only showered once a day.
There is no such things as a chemical imbalance.
Tom Cruise claimed on the Today Show that there was no such thing as a chemical imbalance. He also claimed that psychiatry is a pseudoscience. Tom was widely criticized by his claims.
When a president does it, it means it is not illegal.
David Frost, a British journalist, interviewed President Nixon about allegedly being involved in illegal activity. Nixon simply replied if a president does it, it means it is not illegal.
Is this chicken that I have or fish, I know it's tuna.
Jessica Simpson confused her tuna for chicken on MTV’s Newlyweds. She knew she was eating tuna but wasn’t completely sure since the brand was called “Chicken of The Sea.”
Everything bad that could happen to a person has happened to me.
Paris Hilton, whose father has a net worth of 300 million, spoke about her hard childhood in an interview with CNN in 2011. People were outraged by her ridiculous comment.
Therapy can be a good thing; it can be therapeutic.
Alex Rodriguez, third baseman for the New York Yankees, made an interesting point. Who would of known therapy could be therapeutic.
13 Famous People Who Prove There’s a Fine Line Between Genius and Madness
13 Famous People Who Prove There’s a Fine Line Between Genius and Madness -
Have you ever noticed that geniuses often behave strangely? For example, Victor Hugo shaved off half of his hair and beard to deter himself from going outside and distracting himself from writing his novel. Charles Dickens liked to visit the Paris morgue and Sarah Bernhardt used to sleep in a coffin.
Charles Darwin
The famous naturalist and traveler had really weird food preferences. During his trip around the world, Charles Darwin not only studied the faunal diversity, but also ate every single creature he met, including insects.
He really liked armadillo and an unnamed chocolate-colored rodent, but was disappointed with a puma stew. Darwin was even a member of The Glutton Club: they met each week and discussed which exotic dishes they’d tried.
Abraham Lincoln
The 16th president of the USA used to keep all important documents in his famous hat. What’s more, he started growing a beard after one young girl said that all ladies loved sideburns.
Victor Hugo
The writer forced himself to work using some weird methods. He made his servants take all his clothes away, so that he wasn’t able to leave his house. And when he worked on The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, he cut off half of his beard and hair and threw the scissors away.
Gabrielle Coco Chanel
The famous fashion designer always carried scissors around her neck. Once she noticed one of her models came wearing a dress created by another designer. Chanel cut her garment and said it looked more elegant that way.
Friedrich Schiller
Once Johann Goethe was waiting for Friedrich Schiller in his office. Suddenly he noticed an unpleasant smell. Trying to find where it came from, he opened a desk drawer, and found a pile of rotten apples. It turned out that the smell inspired the writer and helped him work.
Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens’ favorite entertainment was to visit the Paris morgue. He admitted, “When I’m Paris, an unknown force makes me visit the morgue. I don’t want to go there, but I go.” The writer also used to follow a champagne diet prescribed by a doctor.
Henry Ford
The American inventor liked to eat weeds. Ford went into the fields, picked the grass under his feet, and made sandwiches, salads, and soups out of it. He thought of the body as a machine and that the stomach was like a boiler and needed the proper fuel to run efficiently.
George Gordon Byron
Lord Byron was a really eccentric person who loved animals. When he entered Cambridge, he tried to carry his dog with him though pet dogs were banned.
When he was prohibited, the poet bought a bear and took it to his room. He argued that since bears weren’t specifically mentioned in their statutes, the college had no legal grounds for complaint. Byron won the argument against the college and the bear stayed with him in his room.
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde also liked exotic animals. He loved to walk with his pet lobster and used to go with a white rat to the theatre.
Clark Gable
The actor was obsessed with cleanliness. He always changed his clothes, took a shower several times a day, but avoided using a bath (in Gable’s mansion, there were no baths at all.) He was disgusted by the thought of sitting in dirty water.
Thomas Edison
The inventor had an unusual method of hiring new research scientists. He invited them for dinner, offered them a bowl of soup, and watched. Those who added salt before trying a dish were ruled out. Edison didn’t want to work with people who drew conclusions before carrying out an experiment.
Sarah Bernhardt
This French “theatre queen” was also really eccentric. She had a coffin that she always took with her when she moved around. She slept, read, and learned her roles by heart in there.
Ludwig Van Beethoven
The composer had many different oddities. For example, he rarely shaved, since he thought shaving was bad for creativity. He also didn’t pay attention to his looks. His clothes were usually dirty and ragged and his gray hair stood on end. What’s more, he requested coffee made of exactly 60 beansonly.
Bonus: David Bowie
Do you remember David’s famous look when he had no eyebrows and red hair? People used to think he shaved his eyebrows on purpose. But in fact, they fell out as a result of a nervous breakdown that occurred when his song Drive-In Saturday was rejected.
11 Times Method Acting Nearly Destroyed Actors' Lives
11 Times Method Acting Nearly Destroyed Actors' Lives -
Method acting, which was born within the philosophy of the Stanislavski system and popularized by the Strasberg Institute, has many famous adherents: from Marlon Brando to Marilyn Monroe. The past 40 years, though, have ushered in a rise of brilliant actors who took method acting way too far. While some of the best overall acting can come from the practice, these stories will leave you wondering if it was really worth the risk.
"Too far," of course, is a subjective term. For many, the insane commitment simply comes with the territory. But as is the case with almost any experiment, things can backfire. Heath Ledger - who may have actually sacrificed his life for his unforgettable turn as the Joker - tops the list of actors whose lives were destroyed by method acting. Or so the legend goes, anyway.
The business abounds with method acting consequences that were as extreme as they were short-lived. Consider Christian Bale, who almost starved himself to death for his role in The Machinist. Or Divine, who famously upstaged everyone by actually eating a piece of real dog sh*t for the sake of art.
While consuming dog sh*t may not be one of the worst manifestations of method acting, it's surely the most repulsive (even though Nicolas Cage did eat a live cockroach for Vampire's Kiss). But there's a lot more where that came from, so read on to inquire further - and vote up the actors who went above and beyond for their craft.
Christian Bale, who made his feature debut in 1987's Mio in the Land of Faraway, has always been known as an actor unafraid to take his craft to the extreme. But in 2004's The Machinist, he went way beyond the pale - and almost beyond mortality, itself.
According to sources, Bale dined on just a can of tuna and an apple each day for weeks leading up to the beginning of production. As Bale's co-star Michael Ironside remembers it:
I came to work one day... and I heard 'pssst...Michael!' from behind one of the cabanas. And I went over, and it was Chris. And he said, 'Can you look at this?' And he turned and dropped his overalls, which he was naked under... and the muscles in his ass had literally dropped out of the sockets of his hips... I said, 'You've gone beyond body fat, and now you're into actual muscle tissue and things are being affected.
Nevertheless, Bale persevered, and garnered widespread critical acclaim for his performance.
Malcolm McDowell Temporarily Blinded Himself For 'A Clockwork Orange'
Actor Malcolm McDowell was almost as much of a perfectionist as director Stanley Kubrick. When it came to doing multiple takes of potentially physically damaging scenes, though, said dedication sometimes backfired.
During the famous "forced viewing" sequence in A Clockwork Orange, real eye doctors were used. But McDowell still suffered harrowing damage in the form of a scratched cornea and, worse yet, temporary blindness - all as a result of having his "eyes propped open for too long."
Shia LaBeouf Yanked His Teeth Out And Stabbed Himself In The Face For 'Fury'
Since his beginnings as a Disney kid, Shia LaBeouf has evolved into something of a spectacularly dedicated Method actor. He may have had real, onscreen sex for Lars von Trier's Nymphomaniac, but that pales in comparison to what he did for 2014's Fury.
As LaBeouf told Dazed Digital, "I pulled my tooth out, knifed my face up and spent days watching horses die. I didn’t bathe for four months."
Divine Literally Ate Sh*t For 'Pink Flamingos'
In 1975, Pier Paolo Pasolini shook the cinematic world with Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom, which featured a banquet of sh*t. However, said feast was just chocolate. And that's why the scene doesn't have anything on what Divine did in 1972's Pink Flamingos: literally eat dog poop... fresh from the canine's bowels... right off the street.
As Divine, the stage name of Harris Glenn Milstead, once revealed, "I followed that dog around for three hours just zooming in on its assh*le." After the act, however, Milstead became paranoid, and apparently called a Baltimore emergency room to ask about the potentially "harmful effects" of ingesting dog waste. A shocking stroke of method acting, but not one likely to ever be repeated.
Klaus Kinski Went To Extremes In Pretty Much Everything
Relegating Klaus Kinski to the ranks of "mere" Method acting seems almost quaint. Kinski - whose onscreen insanity is legendary - drove himself to extremes for veritably every part he played. He was so crazed in his Fitzcarraldo role that a couple of the Peruvian natives (and extras) on the set allegedly offered to kill him for director Werner Herzog. According to Herzog, he declined, but only because he needed Kinski in order to finish the movie.
And during the filming of Crawlspace, he got so far into his role as a deranged former Nazi he started multiple fights on set, and almost got fired outright.
Adrien Brody Starved Himself For 'The Pianist'
Christian Bale isn't the only actor to have nearly starved himself to oblivion for a role. He had a notable inspiration and predecessor: the 6'1" Adrien Brody, who dropped down to a dangerous 130 pounds for Roman Polanski's award-winning 2002 film The Pianist.
The movie, which chronicles the concentration camp days of pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman, was a personal and a professional commitment for Brody. As he told the SF Gate:
[Szpilman] survived this and made (his experiences) available to the world... playing a real person, you have the obligation to do it the right way. During the time I was starving myself, the thing I was most comforted by was playing the music. It calmed me and allowed me to some degree to distract myself from my own loneliness at that time.
Billy Bob Thornton Walked Around With Glass In His Shoes For 'Sling Blade'
Billy Bob Thornton's Sling Blade has become a beloved cult classic. And Thornton was deeply committed to his role as the mentally disabled Karl Childers - right down to the last detail. Legend has it Thornton even put crushed glass in his shoes to make Karl's walk "more awkward and consistent."
Heath Ledger May Have Lost His Life To His Joker Role
The extent to which Heath Ledger's final role in The Dark Knight might have contributed to his untimely end remains controversial. As the actor told The New York Times:
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.
As a result, Ledger started taking Ambien as a sleep aid - and the rest is history. Many who know him insist there was no relationship, though, between the role and his fatal overdose.
Daniel Day-Lewis Caught Pneumonia Because He Refused To Wear A Modern Coat While Filming 'Gangs Of New York'
Like Klaus Kinski, Daniel Day-Lewis is known for pulling out all the stops to embody his characters. For his role as Christy Brown, an artist with cerebral palsy, in 1989's My Left Foot, Day-Lewis never left his wheelchair.
Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York was no exception. Supposedly, Day-Lewis refused to break character on or off set. According to sources, though it was storming outside, Day-Lewis refused to wear a proper coat as it wouldn't be period-accurate. He subsequently got pneumonia.
Nicolas Cage Ate A Live Cockroach For 'Vampire's Kiss'
Two years before he played Sailor Ripley in 1990's Wild at Heart, Nicolas Cage starred in Vampire's Kiss, which has since become a cult classic. Cage played Peter Loew, an unstable literary agent who believes he's been bitten by a vampire.
Cage took the role seriously, insisting on not staging the scene in which Peter eats a live cockroach. As Cage admitted, "Every muscle in my body didn't want to do it, but I did it anyway."
Chloë Sevigny Performed A Real Sex Act In 'The Brown Bunny'
When Chloë Sevigny performed "un-simulated fellatio" on her The Brown Bunny co-star (and former flame) Vincent Gallo - who also wrote and directed the film - a veritable scandal ensued. Sevigny claims that she doesn't regret anything, but the scene's fallout was difficult to endure for the actor.
According to an interview with W Magazine, Sevigny admits the scene had an adverse affect on her personal life. "It hurt me, in a lot of ways... some relationships have had trouble with it. Of course, my mom and I don’t talk about it.”
On the other hand, part of the reason Sevigny agreed the scene was to "push back against her growing fame at the time," which is the admirable mark of a true indie pioneer.
18 Child Actors From Our Favorite Movies That Are All Grown Up
18 Child Actors From Our Favorite Movies That Are All Grown Up -
1. Dakota Blue Richards — Lyra from The Golden Compass (2007)
2. Bailee Madison — May Belle from Bridge to Terabithia (2007)
3. Josh Hutcherson — Gabe from Little Manhattan (2005)
4. Anna Chlumsky — Vada from My Girl (1991)
5. Madeline Carroll — Juli from Flipped (2010)
6. Amandla Stenberg — Rue from The Hunger Games (2012)
7. Willow Shields — Primrose from The Hunger Games (2012)
8. Joey King — Molly from Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)
9. Kara Hayward — Suzi from Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
10. Saoirse Ronan — Susie from The Lovely Bones (2009)
11. Sophie Nélisse — Liesel from The Book Thief (2013)
12. Eliza Bennett — Meggie from Inkheart (2008)
13. Sophie Turner — Sansa from Game of Thrones (2011)
14. AnnaSophia Robb — Violet from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
15. Philip Wiegratz — Augustus from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
16. Bradley Pierce — Peter from Jumanji (1995)
17. Kirsten Dunst — Judy from Jumanji (1995)
18. Taylor Momsen — Cindy Lou Who from How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
27 Famous Celebrities From The Past And How They Look Today - Then vs. Now
27 Famous Celebrities From The Past And How They Look Today - Then vs. Now -
1. Brooke Shields
2. Thomas Anders
3. Dieter Bohlen
4. Amy Yasbeck
5. Don Johnson
6. C. C. Catch
7. Boy George
8. John Goodman
9. Erika Eleniak
10. Jennifer Beals
11. Steve Buscemi
12. Geena Davis
13. Karen Allen
14. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
15. Kelly McGillis
16. Brigitte Nielsen
17. Linda Kozlowski and Paul Hogan
18. Nastassja Kinski
19. Daryl Hannah
20. Michael J. Fox
21. Kathleen Turner
22. Olivia Newton-John
23. Nancy Allen
24. Andie MacDowell
25. Jamie Lee Curtis
26. Meg Ryan
27. Anjelica Huston
17 People Who Met Celebrities IRL And Surprise, They Were Nice!
17 People Who Met Celebrities IRL And Surprise, They Were Nice! -
At the end of January, a Twitter user named Boner Vivant asked their followers to share stories of how they accidentally met famous people and had a good experience with them. Followers started sharing their stories and the tweet went viral, generating more than 1,600 responses.
All The Celebrities (And There's A Lot) Accused Of Sexual Harassment Post-Harvey Weinstein
All The Celebrities (And There's A Lot) Accused Of Sexual Harassment Post-Harvey Weinstein
Since news broke of Harvey Weinstein's alleged misconduct, there has been a tidal wave of other famous people accused of sexual harassment. At this point, investigations are still in the early stages, but the first step to changing what is clearly a broken and dangerous power structure is to listen to the reported victims and learn the names of the accused people. When we recognize how these men operate, we can take the necessary steps to end their egregious behavior. As actress and Weinstein accuser Rose McGowan put it, this behavior "cannot and will not stand."
The list of alleged sexual harassers in Hollywood and beyond is long, and it is growing by the day. It includes men, like Weinstein, who are major behind-the-scenes players and power brokers; actors who have attained legendary status; newsmen who have built long and respected careers; celebrity chefs, former presidents, and even women. Toxic masculinity is everywhere – these people accused after Harvey Weinstein are living proof of that.
All The Notable Rooms In Buckingham Palace And What Happens In Them
All The Notable Rooms In Buckingham Palace And What Happens In Them
Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, but it's also a pretty awesome place to call home. There are 775 rooms in Buckingham Palace, including 19 state rooms, 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices, and 78 bathrooms. The Buckingham Palace floor plan also has a throne room, saloon, library, ballroom, and other spots for the monarch to rest her feet.
What else is going on inside Buckingham Palace? There's an ATM in the basement for the royals to get cash, a palatial bedroom for HM's corgis, and a gallery for invaluable paintings. The Buckingham Palace interior map also includes a state dining room for royals and ambassadors; after all, you can't eat dinner on a tray when you're a prince! And don't forget that inside Buckingham Palace the Queen's bedroom is private, separate even from that of her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh. Let's take a peek.
Do These 25 Creepy Photos Prove That Lizard People Actually Exist?
Do These 25 Creepy Photos Prove That Lizard People Actually Exist?
According to conspiracy theorists, real lizard people walk among us. What are lizard people, you ask? Well, lizard people (also referred to as reptilians) are hybrid, humanoid aliens that have the ability to shape-shift, and they are allegedly taking over prominent positions in our society.
David Icke has made the theorized existence of such creatures popular, but the idea may trace back to the "serpent men" who appeared in the work of Robert E. Howard in 1929. Icke has inspired people around the world to support his claims and has included notable political figures like Elizabeth II and George W. Bush in his reptilian takeover hypothesis.
But government figures aren't the only ones being called out, as the lizard people conspiracy might possibly include other celebrities too. This collection of lizard people photos contain many faces you'll recognize, but the decision of how human they really are is left up to you.
Read on to discover alleged pictures of possible lizard people, and vote up the photos you believe capture these fabled creatures.
27 Of Your Favorite Celebrities Before They Became Famous
27 Of Your Favorite Celebrities Before They Became Famous
The Most Famous Groupies in Music History
The Most Famous Groupies in Music History -
Infamous rock groupies are almost as big a part of music history as rock stars themselves. While many fans have taken their love of a particular artist to great lengths, these groupies became a part of the musicians' lives. In some instances, these super fans have gone on to have children, travel and even work for the stars to which they are so devoted. Then, you have those groupies who took pictures of celebs after the encounter.
While many were very young, some had long relationships with famous musicians, and would go on to inspire scores of songs. Some groupies struggled with substance abuse later in life, and a few either went to prison or passed young. But most seem fairly well-adjusted, writing memoirs about their time with bands, and parlaying their fame into media appearances. When thinking of the most famous groupies, Jim Morrison acolyte Pamela Des Barres definitely comes to mind, but there are plenty of others.
Here are some of the most famous groupies in the history of rock music.
The Last Known Photos Taken of 17 Legendary Historical Figures
The Last Known Photos Taken of 17 Legendary Historical Figures
Since the invention of photography, images of the famous and infamous have enchanted the viewing public. A visual memorial of a high-profile celebrity or historical figure always proves engrossing – and what's more fascinating than seeing some of the last photos of historical figures? They bring the past to life in a way that text alone simply can't match.
Some of these photographs are absolutely chilling: the last photo of Hitler, for instance – it's dated just days before he took his life. A final image of Diana, Princess of Wales shows her hiding from the camera in the backseat of her car shortly before her final accident. And then there are the last photos of presidents; Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, John F. Kennedy, and Franklin D. Roosevelt all appeared on film shortly before passing away.
While the dates of some of these photos are dubious, these last – or near last – photographs of historical figures capture fleeting moments in time, from the famous to the seemingly insignificant.
22 RARELY SEEN PHOTOS OF YOUR FAVORITE CELEBRITIES
22 RARELY SEEN PHOTOS OF YOUR FAVORITE CELEBRITIES
1. Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger dancing at the Cannes Film Festival in 1991
2. Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, and Ryan Gosling in 2001
3. Albert Einstein with his stepdaughter, Margot in 1939
4. The Spice Girls in November 2000 at the launch of their album
5. Marilyn Manson and Rose McGowan in 1997
6. Freddie Mercury with his friend during his 38th birthday party at the nightclub, 1984
7. Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt in Beverly Hills in 1999
8. Amy Winehouse in Paris in 1980
9. Ozzy Osbourne with his daughter Kelly in the 1980s
10. Michael Jackson and Brooke Shields attending the American Music Awards in 1987
11. Christian Bale playing alongside Charlton Heston in the film Treasure Island in 1990
12. Madonna and Tupac at the Interview Magazine party in 1994
13. Jay-Z and Aaliyah at Tommy Hilfiger’s party in 2000
14. 15-year-old Eva Mendes asking for 17-year-old Alyssa Milano’s autograph
15. Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston, Sting and Trudie Styler in New York in 1999
16. Alfred Hitchcock at his wedding with Alma Reville in 1926
17. Arnold Schwarzenegger wrestling with a lion in 1977
18. Shakira during in the ’90s
19. Humphrey Bogart and his wife Lauren Bacall in their home’s garden
20. Prince Harry posing next to the Spice Girls before a concert in Johannesburg in 1997
21. Nicki Minaj in high school
22. Nicole Kidman in one of her modeling photos during the 1980s
14 Pairs of Celebrities You Won't Believe Are the Same Age
14 Pairs of Celebrities You Won't Believe Are the Same Age
We believe that almost everyone has heard that appearances can be deceiving. This study discovered that some of the factors that can affect our aging process are sun exposure, smoking, alcohol consumption, stress, diet, exercise, disease, and medication. Take a look at each pair of celebrities below — they’re the same age but have extremely different looks.
1. Thomas Sangster and Liam Hemsworth
2. Vanessa Hudgens and Rumer Willis
3. Rami Malek and Josh Gad
4. Alyson Hannigan and Sarah Polson
5. Pierce Brosnan and Mickey Rourke
6. Emily Browning and Alexa Vega
7. Loni Anderson and Barbra Streisand
8. Bianca Lawson and Jessica Simpson
9. Jaclyn Smith and Goldie Hawn
10. Chris Colfer and Dev Patel
11. Ellen Page and Kesha
12. Reese Witherspoon and Candace Cameron Bure
13. Gabriel Mann and Jude Law
14. Channing Tatum and Jason Segel
Bonus: Jim Parsons and Brendan Fraser
19 Famous Movie Props That Were Used In Multiple Movies
19 Famous Movie Props That Were Used In Multiple Movies
Caught in the Act: 20 Of The Best Celebrity Walk of Shame Pics
Caught in the Act: 20 Of The Best Celebrity Walk of Shame Pics
Everyone loves to hear about celebrity sex - but what's (almost) even better? Catching a celebrity doing the walk of shame. Getting a glimpse of these famous people caught in the act as daylight breaks, as they try to quietly creep away from their one night stand, just like the rest of us, they do the morning walk.
It's safe to say that nearly anyone over the age of 21 with a pulse has taken the walk at least once - some of us more than others. We won't judge. Taking the walk is usually preceded by getting out of bed and putting on last night's clothes as quietly as is humanly possible, in an attempt not to wake the person you've spent the night before with. If you have ever wondered if celebrities take the walk, the answer is a resounding yes, and we have the photographic evidence to prove it.
Some celebs are more discreet than others but we've all been there. Bad judgement is not limited to ordinary people. The unfortunate thing for our famous friends is that there are nearly always paparazzi photographers waiting to capture their walk of shame. The morning after has found a variety of high profile celebs trying to creep out the door undetected and still sporting the same duds they were photographed wearing the night before.
12 Surprising Facts You Probably Didn't Know About Saving Private Ryan
12 Surprising Facts You Probably Didn't Know About Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan is not your typical war film. Director Steven Spielberg fills the movie with so much realistic imagery that some of America's most grizzled veterans experienced PTSD after watching the 1998 movie. It’s graphic, intense, and it doesn’t give way to sentimentality.
So, then, let's not waste time rattling off Saving Private Ryan wiki information or basic Saving Private Ryan trivia. No one needs to go over the nearly $500 million the film grossed worldwide or its 11 Academy Award nominations. Instead, find out about why the rest of the cast had real hated toward Matt Damon and how the film employed actual amputees as extras. Take a deep dive into some truly interesting facts that you may not have known about the Academy Award-winning film.
20 US Laws Named After A Victim And What They Do
20 US Laws Named After A Victim And What They Do
Laws named after victims remain a source of debate. While plenty of brutal crimes occur within any given year, only a very small percentage lead to changes to our legal system. When it comes to US laws created because of crimes, public outrage is key. Particularly horrifying kidnappings, murders, and suicides receive an unusual amount of press coverage, often resulting in the widespread backlash needed to pressure politicians into reforming the legal system.
The crimes that resulted in new laws were already illegal when they were committed. The resulting legislation is usually seen as closing a loophole or addressing a unique aspect of the crime. However, there is much public debate on whether such laws are ethical or effective. People who have laws named after them are honored and memorialized, on the one hand, but critics argue such laws are often too reactionary to be truly effective.
If you're unsure where you stand on the issue, browse this list. It will help you develop a more detailed understanding of how and why some crimes lead to new laws.
53 Celebrities Who Were Caught Cheating
53 Celebrities Who Were Caught Cheating
Hollywood stars may seem above it all, but they're still human. So of course it's devastating to their relationships when famous people get caught cheating. Actors, directors, and athletes have all been busted for having affairs. Many celebrities have even been caught cheating multiple times.
Who is the most famous celebrity who was caught cheating? Jennifer Lopez tops this list. Lopez was married to Chris Judd from 2001-2003 – then she met Ben Affleck. Kristen Stewart was caught cheating on her boyfriend, Robert Pattinson, with her married Snow White and the Huntsman director, Rupert Sanders, in 2012.
Some of the celebrities on this list were very literally caught in the act of cheating, and their dalliances were confirmed by paparazzi photos or confessions from the celebs themselves. Others, however, have never had their widely believed indiscretions confirmed.
10 Horror Legends' Favorite Movies
10 Horror Legends' Favorite Movies
We all have our favourite horror films and directors, but have you ever wondered what their favourites are? These 10 filmmakers absorbed plenty of films themselves before going on to create iconic work of their own.
The film that gets mentioned the most is Blow-up (1966), with its director Michelangelo Antonioni been mentioned a few times by name. The second most common is Citizen Kane (1941), which may not come as a surprise as it's already considered to be the greatest film by all time by many due to how it revolutionised storytelling.
Some other directors that come up by name and/or film mention frequently are other well-known pioneers of the horror genre. Find out who else they said...
10. Takashi Miike (Master Of Violence)
Whilst Takashi Miike has made some family-friendly films in his career, he is widely recognised for his extremely violent and gory horror films.
His films have caused controversy and have gained him a cult following. Some of Miike's most talked about films are Audition (1999), Ichi the Killer (2001) and Lesson of the Evil (2012), which all feature strong gore and violence.
Surprisingly, Miike has said his favourite film of all time is Starship Troopers (1997). He has also expressed admiration for directors Akira Kurosawa, Hideo Gosha, David Lynch, David Cronenberg and Paul Verhoeven.
9. Guillermo Del Toro (Godfather Of Monsters)
Guillermo del Toro is best known for his fantasy films which feature memorable monsters and their connections with romance.
He has worked in the horror-fantasy, sci-fi action and gothic romance genres, and his lifelong fascination with fairytales and monsters is no secret. Del Toro has directed Mimic (1997), Hellboy (2004), Pan's Labyrinth (2006), Crimson Peak (2015) and The Shape of Water (2017).
Del Toro is always gushing about his favourite films and has listed many throughout his career. They include the likes of Freaks (1932), Häxan (1922), Goodfellas (1990), Nosferatu (1922), The Seventh Seal (1957), Eyes Without A Face (1960) and Sullivan's Travels (1941).
8. Eli Roth (Master Of Modern Gore)
Whilst he's no Cronenberg, Eli Roth has been dubbed part of the 'Splat Pack' for creating violent and gory low-budget films.
His films Cabin Fever (2002), Hostel (2005) and Hostel: Part II (2007) has been praised in the horror community, but have been noted to contribute to the torture-porn sub-genre. Although he didn't write it, Roth also directed The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018), which is his first family PG-13 film.
Roth has listed some of his favourite horror films as Sleepaway Camp (1983), Troll 2 (1990), Creepshow (1982), Zombi 2 (1980) and Pieces (1982). He also praised directors Ridley Scott, Steven Spielberg, Tobe Hooper, George A. Romero and Stanley Kubrick as influencing his career.
7. Dario Argento (Master Of The Thrill)
Although Mario Bava is associated with the creation of the giallo film genre, Dario Argento is known for his influential contribution to giallo and the horror genre in general. Films such as Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1972), Deep Red (1975), Suspiria (1977) and Inferno (1980) have given him the nickname ‘Master of the Thrill’. Many of his films from the 70s and 80s have gained cult status.
Argento has famously said it’s hard to choose his favourite film because he’s seen way too many. However, he said his favourite directors are Alfred Hitchcock, Michelangelo Antonioni, Luis Buñuel, Ingmar Bergman and Fritz Lang. Some films that have inspiredArgento are The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Cat People (1942), Blood and Black Lace (1964) and The Witches (1967).
6. George A. Romero (Godfather Of The Dead)
George A. Romero is widely regarded as the pioneer of the modern zombie due to his zombie apocalypse series. It began with Night of the Living Dead (1968), which had a massive impact on popular culture and its influence is seen in places like Shaun of the Dead (2004) and The Walking Dead. Romero also directed The Crazies (1973), Creepshow (1982) and Season of the Witch (1973), the latter of which Romero considers to be a “feminist film.”
In an interview with Rotten Tomatoes, Romero has listed his favourite films, which are all from the early 50s. They are On the Waterfront (1954), The Thing From Another World (1951), The Quiet Man (1952) and Othello (1945).
He has also credited Tales of Hoffman (1951) as his favourite film of all time, and the one that inspired him to become a director. Beyond the 50s, Romero’s key influencesare Casablanca (1942), Dr. Strangelove (1964), North by Northwest (1959), Repulsion (1965) and Carnival of Souls (1962).
5. James Wan (Master Of Modern Horror)
Over time, James Wan has proven himself as the master of modern horror. He had his directorial debut with Saw (2004) which gained a cult following.
He later went on to direct Insidious (2010) and The Conjuring (2013) which also became successful film franchises. These three film series have revolutionised modern horror. More recently, Wan has directed the upcoming Aquaman film.
Wan listed some of his favourite horror films in an interview with Loaded Online. They are Jaws (1975), The Exorcist (1973), Poltergeist (1982) and even The Terminator (1984). He has also mentioned Lost Highway (1997) and Ringu (1998), and says he finds inspiration in lots of movies, including those outside of the horror genre.
4. John Carpenter (Master Of Horror)
John Carpenter has as career spanning five decades and is mostly known for his work in the horror and science-fiction genres.
He’s created some of the most iconic films within these genres, such as Halloween (1978), The Thing (1982) and In the Mouth of Madness (1995). Lots of Carpenter’s films have become cult classics, even the ones that didn’t do so well upon initial release!
In an interview, Carpenter listed the following as his favourite films: Vertigo (1958), Blow-up (1966), Only Angels Have Wings (1939), Rio Bravo (1959) and Citizen Kane (1941). He says Howard Hawks, director of Rio Bravo, was very influential on him as a young filmmaker.
3. Alfred Hitchcock (Master Of Suspense)
Alfred Hitchcock is considered one of the most influential filmmakers in cinema history, but his speciality in the psychological thriller genre gave him prominence amongst the horror community. He’s known for majority of his filmography, including classics such as Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958) and the iconic and influential Psycho (1960).
Having entered the film industry during its early stages, Hitchcock was around to create the first ever British “talkie” which was Blackmail (1929). However, there were still films that inspired him. Some of Hitckcock’s early influences are Thou Shalt Not Kill (1914), Forbidden Fruit (1921), A Ride on a Runaway Train (1921) and Destiny (1921).
He also enjoyed Un chien andalou (1929), Bicycle Thieves (1948), Les Diaboliques (1955), Peeping Tom (1960) and Blow-up (1966).
2. William Friedkin (Godfather Of Possession)
William Friedkin is known for directing The Exorcist (1974), which is based on the novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty. The fact it’s inspired by a real life case of demonic possession in 1949 makes it even scarier.
It’s classed as the scariest film of all time due to its impact on audiences in the 1970s. Friendkin, however, has said he and Blatty “never set out to make a horror film”, but more “a story about the mystery of faith.”
Friedkin has listed many favourite films during his lifetime. Some of them are Psycho (1960), The Birth of a Nation (1915), Citizen Kane (1941), Alien (1979) and Rosemary’s Baby (1968). He’s also a big fan of Michelangelo Antonioni, the Coen Brothers and Vincente Minnelli.
1. Wes Craven (Master Of Horror)
Wes Craven is known for having a massive impact on the slasher sub-genre, especially when it comes to meta horror. He is credited with bringing back to life the slasher genre with Scream (1996) and Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) has become one of the most recognised horror icons of our time.
In an interview with Rotten Tomatoes, Craven cited his favourite horror films as The Virgin Spring (1960), To Kill A Mockingbird (1962), Red River (1948), Night of the Living Dead (1968) and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974). He’s also mentioned Don’t Look Now (1974) and Blow-up (1966).
14 Celebrities Who Actually Look Nothing Like Their Stage Image
14 Celebrities Who Actually Look Nothing Like Their Stage Image
Most celebrities draw a clear line between their stage lives and their real lives. When they appear in public wearing eccentric clothes, they attract people’s attention. Most of the time, only their biggest fans know what their idols really look like. In order to be able to recognize a famous person in the street if you see one, we invite you to take a look at how different people can be from what they look like on stage.
1. Nicki Minaj
Famous American hip-hop singer Nicki Minaj always plans her costumes very carefully and she likes amazing the public with her revealing outfits. In real life, even though she prefers simpler clothes, she can still draw in people’s attention with her bright appearance.
2. Marilyn Manson
In 1989, Brian Hugh Warner adopted the music nickname, Marilyn Manson. This is a combination of the first name of the ’60s sex symbol Marilyn Monroe and the last name of the murderer Charles Manson. This is how the gothic image was invented that even people who don’t listen to rock music are familiar with. On his regular days, the singer looks quite normal and doesn’t shock the people around him.
3. Katy Perry
Katy Perry is believed to be one of the most popular pop singers. She became famous thanks to her simple dancing songs that she performs dressed as a cute girl in all sorts of outfits. Over time, Perry has become less brave in her choice of stage outfits but they’re still bright and attractive. In her regular life, the singer prefers more practical clothes and she is not scared of people seeing her without makeup.
4. Till Lindemann
Rock singers love making shows of their concerts and Rammstein’s frontman Till Lindemann is no exception. In his arsenal are iconic images that his fans look forward to seeing at his live concerts. In his regular life, Lindemann looks just like any other person. He used to have a piercing but now he doesn’t.
5. Lady Gaga
In 2008, everyone associated the word eccentric with singer Lady Gaga. Every new outfit she wore amazed everyone and made us ask, “How can you possibly create something like that?” Today, her image isn’t as crazy anymore. But in real life, it might be pretty hard to even notice Lady Gaga in a crowd. On days when she doesn’t need to perform, she prefers sportswear.
6. Miley Cyrus
During her last 2 tours in 2014 and 2015, Miley Cyrus managed to amaze everyone who visited her live concerts with her costumes. Some really loved her creativity, while others thought her ideas were too vulgar and over the top. But still, in her everyday life, Miley looks very different. She prefers sportswear and casual clothes.
7. Taryn Manning
Taryn Manning portrays Tiffany Doggett in Orange Is the New Black. In the first season, she looks quite scary, especially with her terrible teeth. In real life, the actress looks way more attractive than her character and treats people much better.
8. Elton John
British singer Elton John who is an iconic musician always appears in costumes with glitter and other fun accessories. On the days when he doesn’t need to perform, he usually wears sportswear. The only thing that doesn’t change is his sunglasses.
9. Jason Momoa
Jason Momoa who portrayed Khal Drogo on Game of Thrones looks really strict and powerful on screen. But in fact, Momoa is a kind and soft person. He’s an adherent of Buddhism and he often takes trips to gain spiritual knowledge.
10. Madonna
Madonna is famous not only because of her talent but also thanks to the clothes she wears during her shows. In 2018, she appeared on a Met Gala event where she was wearing a crown with a black veil covering her face. Outside of her public life, Madonna wears indie clothes and doesn’t use much makeup.
11. Sacha Baron Cohen
Sacha Baron Cohen is one of the most controversial actors today. He challenges the public with the characters he portrays in his movies. Sometimes, Cohen stays in character when he comes to different events. But when he returns to his regular life, he’s a great husband and a caring father.
12. Kesha
At all of her concerts, popular pop singer Kesha changes her bright costumes very often. But on normal days, she prefers sportswear. She sometimes adds some bright accessories to her image, like wearing cat ears on her head.
13. Cher
Cher’s career has been going strong for more than 50 years. During this long time, the pop singer remains one of the most mindblowing performers — people just love her! But despite all the craziness in her shows, in regular life, she looks quite normal. She often wears big knitted hats with 2 pigtail braids.
14. Johnny Galecki
Johnny Galecki portrays Leonard in the very popular series, The Big Bang Theory. On screen, he looks like a shy scientist who has trouble finding the right words when talking to beautiful girls. When he is not on set, he doesn’t look anything like that character. He’s a confident man who can charm any woman.
15 Famous Characters That Were Inspired by Real People
15 Famous Characters That Were Inspired by Real People
As it turns out, many of our favorite heroes were actually based on very real people. For example, Conrad Veidt’s creepy smile became one of the most recognizable features of the Joker, Irene Bedard gave Pocahontas her Native American facial features, while John Nettleship shared his whole appearance and passion for chemistry with Severus Snape.
1. Harley Quinn, DC Comics — Arleen Sorkin
Arleen Sorkin is an American actress, screenwriter, and comedian. Sorkin is known for inspiring and doing the voice for the DC Comics villain Harley Quinn.
Paul Dini, the creator of the character, shares his memories: “Arleen and I are friends. When I was thinking about Harley, I just thought to myself, “Gosh, she sounds like Arleen.” When Sorkin appeared as a wacky jester on Days of Our Lives in a Pied Piper outfit, and I was like, “Well, there she is. She should run around with the Joker dressed like that.”
2. Joker, DC Comics — Conrad Veidt
The origin of this creepy clown doesn’t come from the circus. The visual inspiration for Joker was German actor Conrad Veidt with his title role as Gwynplaine in the film The Man Who Laughs.
Though the Joker has evolved in the nearly 80 years since his debut, the main features of the character have stayed put: his frozen smile as the result of a disfiguring scar and his chalky-white skin brought to the screen back in 1928 by Veidt.
3. Pocahontas, Pocahontas — Irene Bedard
Irene Bedard is best known for her portrayal of Native American characters in a variety of films. For Disney, she dubbed and was a physical model for Pocahontas. Irene gave the character a powerful and emotional presence.
4. Belle, Beauty and the Beast — Vivien Leigh
Belle is an intelligent and beautiful character whose main features were inspired by many famous women and characters. Jo March, the character of actress Katharine Hepburn, gave Belle her strength and love for books. Belle’s elegance is based on impressionist Edgar Degas’ ballerinas and her European facial features were taken from actresses Vivien Leigh and Audrey Hepburn.
5. Milhouse, The Simpsons — Paul Pfeiffer (Josh Saviano)
Milhouse Van Houten is a caricature of Paul Pfeiffer (a character in the series The Wonder Yearsplayed by Josh Saviano). Both are the best friends of their show’s main characters, have the same hairstyle, prominent noses, and glasses. The characters serve the same character purpose — to stand by their best friends’ respective sides through thick and thin.
6. Chuckie Finster, Rugrats — Mark Mothersbaugh
Mark Mothersbaugh is an American singer, songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, author, and visual artist. Not only did he create Rugrats’ memorable soundtracks, but also inspired the design of Chucky, one of the show’s main characters.
7. Kyle Broflovski, South Park — Matt Stone
Kyle is based on the series co-creator Matt Stone, who voices him, and many of Kyle’s features are inspired by Matt and his feelings, behaviors, and beliefs. His hair is a nod to Matt’s old hairstyle, and both the character and the creator are Jewish.
8. Severus Snape, Harry Potter — John Nettleship
John Nettleship was a chemistry professor and one of his students was J.K. Rowling. It was exactly him who inspired the character of professor Snape in Rowling’s books. First, the physical resemblance: whip-thin and “ghostly white,” with long and often rather greasy black hair, a burning gaze, an intense manner, irregular teeth, and a rather large nose, and he was often a bit scruffy and unkempt. Second, his intelligence, wit, and passion for his subject.
Everybody that knew him, except himself, recognized him as Snape immediately. John Nettleship even told a story: “Quite a lot of my ex-students recognize the inspiration when they see the film. They come to me and say, ’We saw you in the movie, sir’.”
9. Rocko, Rocko’s Modern Life — Woody Allen
Rocko has the personality of a young wallaby Woody Allen. Joe Murray, the creator of Rocko’s Modern Life, described his character as a 20-year-old male scrub wallaby, who was “a young, anthropomorphic Woody Allen who had just moved away from home into a surrealistic adult world.” In this sketch, he described the character as somewhat spacy and “naive to the new chores of life.”
10. Krusty the Klown, The Simpsons — Rusty Nails
Before the world-famous Krusty there was Rusty. His real name is James Allen and he hosted children’s shows in the Portland area. Matt Groening, who grew up in Portland, used his childhood memory of Rusty as an inspiration for The Simpsons. Unlike Krusty, Rusty was loved by his community and not just by his TV audience.
Matt wrote in his book Planet Simpson: “Rusty Nails was very nice...a very sweet clown, but he had that name, Rusty Nails, which I found incredibly disturbing as a child.”
11. Alice, Alice in Wonderland — Alice Liddell
Alice in Wonderland is among the most influential books ever written. Lewis Carroll’s inspiration for this book was Alice Liddell, a 10-year-old girl and a friend of his. Lewis found his inspiration in a rowboat in Oxford, England in 1858. He was there with the 3 young daughters of his close friends Alice, Edith, and Lorina Liddell. To amuse the kids, he created a little story about a girl. Alice found the fairy tale so interesting that she begged Carrol to write it down for her and he couldn’t resist.
12. Zorro, The Mask of Zorro — Joaquín Murrieta
Zorro’s story is based on the biography of Joaquín Murrieta. This name was used in the movies with Antonio Banderas, whose character’s surname is Murrieta.
Joaquin Murrieta was born around 1829 in Hermosillo, Mexico. Murrieta faced racism from white Americans which caused him to rebel against society and its rules. Murrieta had become “a folk hero... a dashing, romantic figure that swore to avenge the atrocities committed upon his family and who committed his many crimes only to ‘right’ the many injustices against the Mexicans.”
13. Winnie-the-Pooh, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh — Winnipeg The Bear
© The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh / Disney © Manitoba Provincial Archives / Wikimedia Commons
Winnie-the-Pooh is actually inspired by a real-life bear who lived in the London Zoo whose name was Winnipeg. The bear got into the zoo thanks to a Canadian soldier and veterinarian named Harry Colebourn. Winnie was one of the most popular animals in the London Zoo. Christopher Robin was a frequent visitor there, and he even named his teddy bear after Winnie. Inspired by his son’s toy, A. A. Milne wrote a story and published Winnie-the-Pooh on October 14, 1926.
14. Vultures, The Jungle Book — The Beatles
1967 was the height of The Beatles popularity and also the year that The Jungle Book was released by Disney. Supposedly it was the Beatles manager who suggested that Disney Studios design the vultures based on them. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr were about to not only voice the characters but also to sing a song called “That’s What Friends Are For,” when Lennon suddenly refused. As a result, the song was rewritten as a barbershop quartet instead.
15. Captain Hook, Peter Pan — Hans Conried
Captain James Hook’s appearance, from Disney’s version of Peter Pan, was inspired by the American actor, voice actor, and comedian Hans Conried. At first, Hans’ task was only to voice the Captain, but the actor was so vibrant and authentic in costume that the animators decided to use his image as an influence for the character.
10 Pieces Of Evidence Pointing To Oswald As JFK’s Killer
10 Pieces Of Evidence Pointing To Oswald As JFK’s Killer -
This November marks 55 years since President John F. Kennedy (JFK) was assassinated while riding in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas. Just seconds after the fatal headshot, a crowd of horrified spectators scrambled up Dealey Plaza’s now-famous grassy knoll in search of a shooter.
Then as now, the idea that the murderer was a lone gunman perched in an upper-floor window nearly 100 meters (330 ft) behind the president’s limousine was a tough sell to a scared, skeptical public.
A rifleman was on the knoll. A team of assassins fired as many as six shots. A Secret Service agent shot JFK by accident. The limo driver shot him on purpose. Conspiracies big and small persist to this day.
The official conclusion, of course, is that Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated President Kennedy from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository building. And as much as we don’t want to believe that someone as insignificant as Oswald could single-handedly snuff out someone so monumental, a damning amount of evidence points to that likelihood.
We Can See Someone In The Sixth Floor Sniper’s Nest
Sometimes, advancements in technology bring new evidence to an old crime. This is one such instance.
While JFK’s limo made its nightmare-inspiring turn onto Elm Street, a home video shot by bystander Robert Hughes captures the Texas School Book Depository in the background. With enhanced video clarity and stabilization technology, the grainy, shaky film now reveals a figure clearly visible in a window on the building’s sixth floor—the same window, in fact, that would soon be pinpointed as the sniper’s nest. The figure is wearing a white shirt, as Oswald wore that day.
The video cuts off just before we likely would have seen the barrel of a rifle protrude from the window. This new visual evidence aligns with the six spectators claiming they saw a gunman firing from an upper floor of the depository. In addition, folks watching the motorcade from the windows of the building’s fifth floor not only heard gunshots but, ominously, shell casings hitting the ceiling above them.[1]
The figure we can now see is almost certainly Oswald, who had been left alone on the sixth floor during the noontime lunch break as his coworkers understandably went outside for a glimpse of the passing president.
The Zapruder Film Was Actually Two Films—And That Affects The Shooting Timeline
Staying on the topic of enhancements in video screening, it has become apparent that the most famous home video ever recorded—Dallas dressmaker Abraham Zapruder’s brief 8mm film capturing the fatal headshot—was actually two even briefer films.
Why? Because film was really expensive in 1963.
Video experts enhancing the film for the 2011 National Geographic documentaryJFK: The Lost Bullet came to believe that Zapruder started filming when he first saw the motorcade turn and then stopped filming once he realized various vehicle escorts were outpacing the president’s limo. He started recording again in time to capture both the initial neck wound (which caused JFK to clutch his throat with both hands) and the fatal headshot.
This is significant because it extends the shooting’s timeline. Using the Zapruder film as a sort of timer, conspiracy theorists have claimed that Oswald could not have fired three shots—and two of them accurately—in the six or so seconds the film showcases. But if Zapruder stopped and then restarted filming, Oswald had a longer window of time—let’s say 10 or 11 seconds—to get off three shots, which is eminently doable.[2]
Many doubting Oswald’s guilt have dismissed the single-bullet theory, which claims that JFK’s neck wound and the several injuries sustained by then–Texas Governor John Connally were inflicted by the same bullet. It turns out what really warrants reexamination is the single-film theory.
The Sniper’s Nest Shell Casings Are Revealing
New evidence often makes existing evidence more useful. In determining that the shooting’s timeline was likely longer than commonly thought, the positioning of the shell casings found on the floor of the sniper’s nest tells an interesting story.
Two cases were close together, while the third was farther away. This had always confounded investigators: If the shooting happened so quickly and Oswald fired in rapid succession, wouldn’t the shell cases all be clustered together?
But if the timeline is extended, the possibility that Oswald shifted his firing position mid-shooting comes into play. The neck and head shots were likely too close together for the shooter to have repositioned himself. That means the shift would have been between the first shot—which we would have to assume simply missed—and the second shot, the JFK neck wound and so-called “magic bullet.”[3]
When ballistics experts recreated the dual-position theory with the same rifle used by Oswald—an Italy-made Mannlicher Carcano—from a recreated sniper’s nest, they found that, indeed, the shells ended up in a similar position to the official photo.
If Oswald Changed Positions, He Likely Fired Earlier
Not to heap too much praise on one documentary, but JFK: The Lost Bulletbrought several revelations to light by way of “if this, then that” reasoning. Specifically, the discovery that the Zapruder film likely has a time gap in it led researchers to take a harder look at the placement of the shell casings and, from there, the positioning of the shooter.
If the shooter changed positions between the first and second shots, he likely fired the first shot earlier than previously thought. The shooter may have fired just as JFK was passing the sniper’s nest window. (Makes sense, doesn’t it?) That brings new potential obstacles into play, particularly the traffic signal at the corner of Houston and Elm Streets.
Sure enough: The FBI film from the sniper’s nest, recorded during investigations that led to the Warren Commission Report, reveals a hole in the traffic signal.
The traffic signal theory explains how Oswald could have missed from so short a distance (despite scoring a lethal headshot from much farther away). As bullets tend to ricochet when they hit metal (like a traffic signal), the theory also provides insight into how the only other victim that day—a bystander named James Tague—came to be injured.[4]
A Mystery Wound Explained
In many respects, we have James Tague—a spectator loitering near the famed triple underpass, which JFK’s motorcade never reached before the fatal shooting—associated with the Warren Commission’s controversial single-bullet theory. The reason is simple math: If a lone gunman fired just three shots, as the official report concluded, the flesh wound suffered by a bystander so far removed from the motorcade meant that one bullet must have missed the limousine entirely.
The bullet left a mark in the curb near Tague. It was likely kicked-up concrete, rather than the bullet itself, that caused the nonserious gash to his face.
That left two bullets, with one being the fatal headshot. Hence, the process-of-elimination, single-bullet theory to explain the wounds to JFK’s neck and Connally’s back, chest, wrist, and leg.[5]
Still, one head-scratching question remains: How in the world did the shooter miss by so much that the bullet ended up hitting a curb nowhere near the limo?
There’s still no completely plausible reason for that bullet striking where it did. But considering the lack of credible explanations, the traffic signal ricochet theory makes a lot of sense.
The Magic Bullet Wasn’t Magic at All
As difficult as it may be to believe that the same bullet that struck JFK’s neck also caused five wounds to Texas Governor John Connally, many academics have lent veracity to the Warren Commission’s conclusion.
John McAdams, a professor of political science at Wisconsin’s well-regarded Marquette University, has a long-running blog exploring the misconceptions that made the public so instantly—and enduringly—skeptical. Many Americans thought the bullet trajectory proposed by the Warren Commission looked highly implausible.
However, in a 2004 documentary called Unsolved History: JFK—Beyond the Magic Bullet, the single-bullet trajectory looks completely plausible. The film is a reenactment that adjusts for various factors, including Elm Street’s slight downward slope and, most significantly, the actual position of JFK’s seat. It was 7.6 centimeters (3 in) higher than the governor’s seat in front of him and slightly to the right as well.
With JFK’s and Connally’s wounds lined up, a direct beeline can be drawn to the sixth floor window of the Texas School Book Depository—the same window from which Oswald supposedly fired.[6]
The Great Curtain Rod Coincidence
Lee Harvey Oswald didn’t own a car. So he frequently got a ride to work from a colleague named Buell Frazier, who lived in the suburb of Irving, Texas, near where Oswald’s wife and daughter stayed.
Oswald typically stayed in a Dallas apartment near the book depository during the workweek. He only needed a lift to work on Monday mornings, so Frazier was surprised when Oswald asked for a ride on the morning of November 22, a Friday.
When Oswald got into Frazier’s car that morning, he had a long, thin package wrapped in brown paper. Frazier casually asked his coworker what the bag contained.
“Curtain rods,” replied Oswald. He was putting up new drapes in his apartment. When the two arrived at work, Oswald carried his package upstairs. Along with a rifle, the brown paper would later be found by investigators near the sixth-floor sniper’s nest.
Shortly after Oswald’s arrest that afternoon, investigators went to the house where Oswald’s wife and child were staying—and where Oswald himself had slept the night before. The home’s owner, Ruth Paine, was shocked when Oswald’s wife, Marina, informed the authorities that her husband did indeed own a rifle and that it was in the garage.[7]
She led them to the garage and pointed to the blanket where the rifle was concealed. When an officer went to pick up the blanket, it fell limp in his arms. The rifle was gone.
Coincidence? Conspiracy? Perhaps. But anyone who pulled off that caper deserves one hell of a . . . well . . . curtain call.
Oswald Had Plenty Of Time To Get Where He Was Seen
As soon as he heard the gunshots that day, Dallas Police Office Marrion Baker rushed into the Texas School Book Depository. He encountered the building manager, and together, they began searching for anyone out of place and therefore a suspect.
Walking upstairs, Baker saw someone in the second-floor lunchroom. It was Lee Harvey Oswald. He was alarmed—the officer had his gun drawn, so anyone would be alarmed—but not noticeably short of breath. The building manager confirmed that Oswald was an employee, and he and Baker continued their search elsewhere.
The encounter occurred approximately 90 seconds after the shooting. Many see this as proof that Oswald couldn’t have been on the sixth floor little more than a minute beforehand.
However, as proven in a tightly controlled reenactment (shown above), Oswald had plenty of time to shoot, conceal the rifle, walk down four flights of stairs, and enter the lunchroom—all without being short of breath. In fact, it took an actor with a similar build as Oswald less than 50 seconds.
Those doubting Oswald’s guilt also have asserted that Oswald didn’t have enough time later to walk from his boardinghouse, where a witness saw him stop briefly, to the site where police officer J.D. Tippit was murdered about 15 minutes later. This, too, was refuted through reenactment.[8] The timeline adds up, once again with time to spare.
Oswald Fit The Part
Many conspiracy theorists have pointed out that Oswald wasn’t the brightest bulb and had a naivete about him conducive to being manipulated or even set up. In other words, he was the perfect patsy.
Though nobody’s idea of a winner—he struggled mightily to provide for his family—Oswald was certainly competent when he had to be. After all, his time in Dallas was after he’d defected to the Soviet Union and then returned to the United States . . . all by age 24. Along the way, he learned Russian and found a beautiful bride. Some dummy.
However, one character trait that Oswald undoubtedly had in spades was a penchant for violence, including battering his wife. Neighbors complained about their violent arguments, and Marina sometimes left Lee for periods of time, only to return.
Oswald was also a liar, capable of telling grandiose falsehoods with a straight face. He courted his soon-to-be wife under false pretenses, wrote a fantastical “diary” with gross embellishments painting him as a victimized hero, evaded bill collectors with lies, and fictionalized his background and experience on resumes. As the “president” (and sole member) of the Fair Play for Cuba Committee, he even created an alias for himself—A.J. Hidell (rhymes with “Fidel”).[9]
Once, while being questioned by the FBI for disturbing the peace, Oswald made claims that interviewing agents knew for certain were not true. They were taken aback by his callousness—a man who lied seemingly for the sake of lying. No wonder his claims of being “just a patsy” following the assassination fell on deaf ears to law enforcement.
‘Back And To The Left’ Wasn’t JFK’s First Reaction
The Zapruder film is the genesis of many JFK cover-up theories. Even before the film was finally shown to the general public on a late-night television program in 1975, people with bootleg copies hosted viewing parties of the gruesome yet compelling footage.
Upon watching the film, many people understandably drew one overarching conclusion: Upon impact, the fatal headshot appears to drive the president’s head back and to the left, seemingly consistent with a shot from the front right-hand side—specifically, the grassy knoll. This reasonable reaction was immortalized in the famous courtroom scene of Oliver Stone’s JFK.
But as many expert analysts have noted—and as a CNN documentary showcased—JFK’s head actually moved slightly forward immediately upon impact, which indicates a shot from the rear. As shown in the video above, this forward movement can be seen upon comparing frame 312 to frame 313.
A split second later (actually less because each frame of the Zapruder film is one-eighteenth of a second), Kennedy’s head jerks violently back and to the left. This is not abnormal because the sudden destruction of brain matter can result in an uncontrollable spasm.
Considering that the fatal headshot blew out a good portion of JFK’s brain tissue, this is a very viable explanation—and another piece of evidence pointing squarely at Oswald.[10]
10 Actors Who Stupidly Turned Down Iconic Roles
10 Actors Who Stupidly Turned Down Iconic Roles
When actors reach the end of their careers and look back on all that they achieved, it's unlikely that many of them will be able to look out without at least a couple of mistakes rearing their ugly heads (unless we're talking about Gary Oldman of course).
For various reasons actors occasionally have to take on roles that end up being stinkers - to pay their mortgage perhaps, or because of the substances they might have taken to make their nights more entertaining, or simply because their agent was a filthy liar who convinced them of the most ludicrous of things - but it's the roles that they missed out on that will probably really stick with them.
The annals of cinema history are riddled with stories of actors who almost played infamous roles, only to be dropped at the last minute, or during filming, or who chose consciously to pass on the roles because of either schedule conflicts You can't say yes to them all - but this lot should probably have said yes to these films, considering how popular they subsequently went on to be (even if some of the actors chosen aren't exactly on the bread line)...
10. Tom Hanks - The Shawshank Redemption
The Role: Andy Dufresne
Tom Hanks isn't short of an award or two, and in three decades as an actor he has made some wonderful films, winning hearts and critical acclaim thanks to an everyman appeal and disarming charm that made him one of Hollywood's leading men not so long ago. He continues to star in huge projects like Cloud Atlas and Captain Phillips, but in truth his work hasn't been universally loved since he scored a double-header success with Road To Perdition and Catch Me if You Can back in 2002.
When Hanks looks back at his career after he's put the lid on it, chances are he won't have too many regrets - turning down Field Of Dreams was possibly wrong, but he did the right thing passing Jerry Maguire to Tom Cruise - but one that might stick out for the Big star is his inability to accept the role of Dufresne, thanks to a scheduling conflict on Forrest Gump.
Yes, that decision won him an Oscar, but Tim Robbins has pretty much been able to dine out on Shawshank since 94 (albeit apart from good cameos in War Of The Worlds and High Fidelity, and the excellent Arlington Road and Mystic River), and Hanks would probably be viewed with an awful lot more credibility had he played Dufresne.
9. Molly Ringwald - Pretty Woman
The Role: Vivian Ward
For a while there in the 80s, Molly Ringwald was the princess of Hollywood, thanks to her performances in classic fare like Pretty In Pink and The Breakfast Club before the tail-end of the 80s brought less successful films, followed by obscurity for the best part of the past two decades.
it would have been an awful lot different for Ringwald if she had decided to accept the role of Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman, which eventually led to an Oscar-nomination and a sparkling career for Julia Roberts, who didn't turn it down. Perhaps the chance to play a prostitute made Ringwald balk, given her family's sensibilities: David Lynch had apparently sent her the screenplay of Blue Velvet to try and get her interested in playing Sandy, but Molly's mother read it first, and refused to show it to Molly because she was disturbed by it.
Who knows, if she'd accepted the role, Molly could have went on to have greater longevity in her career, going on to make important films like Erin Brockovitch, rather than becoming a footnote from the 80s and a figure of fun in Family Guy.
8. Matt Damon - The Dark Knight
The Role: Harvey Dent When interviewing for the release of Invictus with MTV News, Damon apparently confirmed that he had been forced to turn down the opportunity to play Harvey Dent in Chris Nolan's The Dark Knight, thanks to a scheduling conflict, which meant he never actually got to sit down with the director to discuss the role:
"I couldn't there was aschedulingthing," Damon replied. "I never spoke to Chris Nolan. I'm a big Chris Nolan fan, but I never spoke to him. Look, Aaron is a great actor, so the movie didn't suffer for it."
To his credit, Damon isn't bitter:
"Look, Aaron is a great actor, so the movie didn't suffer for it. Every now and then you get one and you can't do it."
He probably didn't need the career boost, but Damon could probably have enjoyed a huge boost in his profile had he been able to take the gig, and it would have been great to see the actor playing a darker role when the film took the character in the dark direction for the climax.
7. Chevy Chase - American Beauty
The Role: Lester Burnham
Chevy has a habit of missing out on pretty incredible roles, either by choice or because he didn't quite make the cut, from Forrest Gump, through Animal House and Ghostbusters to American Gigolo, but arguably the biggest missed opportunity for the comedy "legend" was the chance to play Lester Burnham in Sam Mendes' American Beauty.
Provided he could have matched Kevin Spacey's exceptional performance, American Beauty could have been Chevy's crowning glory in an otherwise not so great career, and could well have picked him up an unlikely Oscar nomination. But then who is to say that Chevy would have been as masterful in that role as Spacey?
Chances are Chevy won't be getting these kind of offers any time soon, thanks to his notoriously difficult attitude, but American Beauty would have been a major deal for the paycheck-hungry Community star.
6. Will Smith - The Matrix
The Role: Neo
The fact that Will Smith passed on the opportunity to play Neo in order to make Wild Wild West makes his decision not to star in The Matrix even worse, but his initial choice - based on the fact that he couldn't see the film doing well - seems like a fairly big mistake even without that nasty little caveat.
Even worse it robbed us of the chance to see Smith flexing his muscles in that role rather than Keanu Reeves, who played the numb modern malcontent well, but whose "skills" were found more wanting when the role changed for the second and third films. But then even Smith probably couldn't have saved the Matrix sequels.
He spoke to Wired to state he was fine missing out on the role in retrospect:
You know, The Matrix is a difficult concept to pitch. In the pitch, I just didnt see it. I watched Keanus performance and very rarely do I say this but I would have messed it up. I would have absolutely messed up The Matrix. At that point I wasnt smart enough as an actor to let the movie be. Whereas Keanu was smart enough to just let it be. Let the movie and the director tell the story, and don't try and perform every moment.
I beg to differ Will. Unless by letting the movie be you mean Keanu offered as little as possible, then I perhaps agree in that regard.
5. Nic Cage - The Wrestler
The Role: Randy "The Ram" Robinson
Despite making some intelligent decisions in his career - okay, so they're few and far between - like Adaptation and Kick-Ass, Nic Cage has largely made himself a terrible reputation to wear in the past ten or so years, and he shows no signs of stopping, churning out unwatchable action dross that completely ignores the indie appeal he managed to build earlier in his career.
Had he followed through with his initial involvement with Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler, that might have been an awful lot different, since Cage was attached to the role of Randy The Ram before Mickey Rourke (who the role was actually written for) stepped in and made it his own.
Cage bowed out of the project when he realised that there was no way he had the time to bulk up to the necessary size to play a steroid-using wrestler, missing out on the chance to relaunch his image the way Rourke did, and becoming the darling of the critics. Here's Cage talking about passing on the role...
4. Tom Selleck - Raiders Of The Lost Ark
The Role: Indiana Jones
This one we can't really blame on the actor, as it was the producers of Magnum PI - the show which gave Selleck his big break - who refused to allow their star to be released to film what would have been an even bigger break for him as the all-action archeologist.
Selleck was reportedly torn on the choice, and he ultimately decided to be the good guy and honour his first contract with Universal Studios. was the career-savvy direction. But it was a close-run thing. There was even test footage shot of Selleck, which George Lucas admits he was impressed with...
Irony of ironies in the end the shooting of the Magnum PI thing was delayed for more than six months, which would have allowed him to film Indiana Jones anyway. Now that's got to be a bitter pill to swallow. So, now we know what it was that Indiana Jones was missing after all these years: a fine, thick moustache.
3. Dougray Scott- X-Men
The Role: Wolverine
Despite Hugh Jackman owning the role for many people, Wolverine was never initially meant to be his role - it was originally given to Scottish actor Dougray Scott, who had previously featured in the wonderful, under-rated Regeneration, and Twin Town, and who was largely as unheard of as Jackman when he eventually took the role on.
Unfortunately for Scott, he had also been hand-picked by Tom Cruise to play the villain in Mission: Impossible II - another potentially career-making role that he would have been silly to turn down - and that ultimately cost him his big chance for a Jackman-sized profile with X-Men. Scott was eventually forced to drop out of X-Men when the filming of Mission: Impossible II over-ran by two months, and Jackman was brought in to make the role his own.
Massive error: in an ideal world it should have been the M:I sequel that was dumped, and Scott could now be known as more than just that Scottish actor who was almost Wolverine that people vaguely remember from Mission: Impossible II.
2. John Travolta - Forrest Gump
The Role: Forrest Gump
These days it's hard to imagine anyone other than Tom Hanks in the role of the lovable and slow-witted hero of Robert Zemeckis' adaptation of Winston Groom's book, but it was almost a lot different as Grease star John Travolta turned the role down.
He has since admitted that the decision was a mistake, but the same year, he did make Pulp Fiction for Tarantino, and re-announced his cool in a way that Forrest Gump would probably never have managed. But then, when the role you turned down ends up landing its eventual star an Oscar for Best Actor ahead of your own nominated performance, as happened to Travolta in 1994, it's probably a lot easier to just accept that it was a mistake.
You would have thought John might have learned from his experience during the 80s - a decade of waste for the actor, who couldn't seem to catch a break, and managed to turn down both An Officer And A Gentleman and American Gigolo during his so-called downturn. But no.
1. Sean Connery - The Lord Of The Rings
The Role: Gandalf
Connery remains a legend of the British and worldwide industry, mostly thanks to his earlier work (and most iconically as James Bond), and he will probably long be considered as much, despite having retired from the industry in 2004.
But before he announced his intention to stop making films thanks to his disillusionment with the "idiots now making films in Hollywood," Connery did make arguably the worst decision of his career, turning down the role of Gandalf because he apparently didn't understand the script. CNN have subsequently reported that Connery was offered up to 15% of the worldwide box office receiptsto play the wizard, which would have made him about $400 million for the trilogy, and a very happy man. So that's the price of not understanding a script then...
Sadly the experience helped convince Connery he should sign on to The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen, despite not understanding that script either, but unfortunately that was clearly for different reasons. And now instead of him retiring on a high as Gandalf, we have to remember the final years of Connery's career as including both Gentlemen and the despicable The Avengers. Good call.
10 Ruthless Moves From The British Royal Family
10 Ruthless Moves From The British Royal Family
Being a member of the British royal family isn’t as easy as it looks. You can’t be political, controversial, or show emotion. And any slipup you do make will be all over the news across the globe in very short order.
The queen mother’s motto was, “Never complain, never explain,” but when words fail, actions can speak louder, and those actions can be passive-aggressive or just plain ruthless. Here are ten examples of when a royal let their guard down.
Taking The Saudi Prince For A Ride
Queen Elizabeth II loves to drive. She learned during World War II as second subaltern in the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service as a truck driver. As queen, she is not required to hold a driver’s license.
Former Saudi ambassador Sherard Cowper-Coles recalled a visit made by Crown Prince Abdullah in 1998.[1] After lunch at Balmoral, the queen suggested a tour of the Scottish estate and directed her guest toward the royal Land Rover. The crown prince sat down in the passenger side and was shocked to see the queen position herself in the driver’s seat. She started the engine and tore around the narrow roads, chatting away to the prince as they went over the rough terrain. Eventually, the panicky prince was forced to ask her—through his interpreter—to slow down. It may be a coincidence, but at the time, women were banned from driving in Saudi Arabia.
The prince survived his spin with the queen, and in June 2018, Saudi Arabia’s driving ban was finally lifted.
The Trial Of Paul Burrell
Paul Burrell (left above) was personal footman to Queen Elizabeth II and then went on to work for Princess Diana. The two formed a close bond, and Diana allegedly referred to him as “my Rock.” After her death in August 1997, Burrell quickly rose to fame. He became a regular on TV and took on a high-profile role with the charity set up in her name.
On January 18, 2001, Police raided Burrell’s home and found 342 items belonging to Diana hidden in the attic. The haul included signed CDs, clothing, personal letters, and photo albums. Burrell strongly denied any wrongdoing. He was charged with theft, and the trial began in October 2002.
The world’s press were out in force to report on the story. However, on day nine, the case was adjourned. The judge, Mrs. Justice Rafferty, sent the jurors home with no explanation. The following day, they were again told to stay home. Meanwhile, the queen, who had been unaware of the case, had seen a news report about the trial. She then recalled Burrell telling her that he had Diana’s possessions stored safely in his home.[2] The police were informed, and Prosecutor William Boyce, QC, told the court there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction. Burrell was free to go.
Outside the court, he famously said: “The queen came through for me.”
This brought an abrupt end to what many predicted would be a lengthy trial full of royal secrets. A spokesman for Buckingham Palace said, “There is no question of the Queen interfering.” Diana’s possessions were returned to her family, and Burrell continued with his media career. The royal family have never commented on the case of Diana’s missing things.
The Queen Puts Mrs. Thatcher In Her Place
Margaret Thatcher became the first female prime minister of the UK. Together, Queen Elizabeth II and Mrs. Thatcher were the most powerful women in the country. The queen was often irritated by Thatcher’s habit of turning up early for their meetings and had been heard referring to her as “that woman.” When Thatcher suggested that she and the queen should match their outfits for an occasion, Buckingham Palace responded: “The Queen does not notice what other people are wearing.”
The Commonwealth countries were important to Queen Elizabeth—having spent much time on tours there. Thatcher saw it as an outdated institution. Matters came to a head in the 1980s as people became uneasy about apartheid in South Africa.[3] The queen wanted to impose trade sanctions as a way of keeping the Commonwealth united. Thatcher disagreed.
In 1986, a headline appeared in The Sunday Times : “Queen dismayed by ‘uncaring’ Thatcher.”
The article went on to detail the rift between them. The Palace issued a denial, and the queen personally telephoned Thatcher. This was puzzling for the editor of The Sunday Times, as his source for the story was Michael Shea—the queen’s press secretary. It was unthinkable that Shea would have spoken without royal approval.
Despite this, Elizabeth grew to respect Thatcher. After Thatcher’s death in 2013, the queen made a last-minute decision to attend her funeral, even though duty did not require her to.
Royal Nanny Out In The Cold
The first rule of working for the royal family is: Keep your mouth shut. In 1932, Marion Crawford was employed as nanny to Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. Their privacy ended forever when their uncle, Edward VII, abdicated to marry Mrs. Simpson, making their father King. The family moved into Buckingham Palace, and “Crawfie,” as Marion was known, went with them.
Over the years, Crawfie became such a trusted servant to the royals that she stayed in service until 1948, when Princess Elizabeth became engaged to Phillip Mountbatten.
In 1949 the American Ladies’ Home Journal approached her for a piece they were writing on royal children.[4] Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (aka the mother of Elizabeth and Margaret) thought it would be a good way for Crawfie to earn some extra money. There was a strict understanding, however, that she would be anonymous.
The article was full of sweet anecdotes from the royal nursery and perfect for the American public. But when the magazine hit the stands, there was one glaring mistake—Marion Crawford was named as the interviewee. The queen mother was furious and instantly blamed Crawfie, saying that she had “gone off her head.”
The family severed all ties with Crawfie, who moved back to Scotland and never got over the rejection. She suffered from depression and attempted suicide twice. She kept the letters from the queen mother giving her consent to speak to the magazine locked away. Even though they could have cleared her name, she refused to release them.
Marion Crawford died in a nursing home in 1988, still hoping to hear from the royal family. In her will, she requested that all personal letters be returned to the Palace for safekeeping. The royal family have never mentioned her again or the role she played in shaping the future queen.
Diana’s Rage
After his divorce from Diana, Charles employed Alexandra “Tiggy” Legge-Bourke, a well-connected young woman, to help care for his sons. Tiggy’s job was to be a fun older sister rather than stern nanny, and she quickly formed a close bond with the princes. Their mother was not impressed with Tiggy’s role. Tensions grew between the two households, and soon, Diana began to suspect, wrongly, that Tiggy and Charles were having an affair. Diana seized upon a false rumor doing the rounds that Tiggy had gotten an abortion. Diana made an appearance at a staff party in December 1996, strolled up to Tiggy, and allegedly said: “So sorry about the baby.”
Tiggy instructed top libel lawyer Peter Carter-Ruck to write to Diana’s solicitors demanding an apology for the offending remark.[5] Tiggy continued to work for Charles until 1999, when she left to get married. She has remained close to Princes William and Harry.
The Attempted Kidnap Of Princess Anne
Princess Anne is known to be a strong character, and this was tested to the limit when Ian Ball attempted to kidnap Queen Elizabeth II’s only daughter.[6] On March 20, 1974, the princess, her husband Mark Phillips, a bodyguard, and Anne’s lady-in-waiting were traveling in a royal limousine. Ball, a 26-year-old unemployed man from London, drove his car into the royals’ vehicle and then jumped out, brandishing two handguns. Anne’s bodyguard approached him and was shot in the shoulder. Ball then tried to get into the car, shouting, “Open or I’ll shoot!” Anne and Phillips tried to hold the door shut.
Anne’s chauffeur approached Ball, only to be shot in the chest. Ball was now free to reach into the car, and he seized Anne’s wrist while Phillips—a captain in the British Army—clamped onto her waist.
“Please come out,” pleaded Ball.
“Not bloody likely!” was Anne’s reply.
Incredibly, Ball shot a further two people—a police officer and motorist who tried to help. Finally, a passerby punched Ball in the head. As police arrived, Anne bizarrely said to Ball, “Go on, now’s your chance.” Ball fled toward a park but was caught and arrested.
On searching Ball’s rented vehicle, police found handcuffs, Valium, and a ransom note addressed to the queen. The note demanded that £2 million be delivered in person by the queen and stated, “Anne will be shot dead.”
Ball was sentenced to life in a psychiatric unit. All those who came to Anne’s aid survived and were rewarded. Anne later described her experience with Ball as “a very irritating conversation.”
The Death Of A Princess
On August 31, 1997, Princess Diana was killed in a car accident in Paris. The news of her sudden death caused shock around the world. The royal family was on their summer break in Scotland. Apart from a short statement, little was heard from the royals about the tragedy.
In London, crowds flocked toward her home, Kensington Palace. People laid flowers and wept openly in the streets, and there was a growing mood of anger toward the royals. Some people began to turn their attention to Buckingham Palace, where the flag was still flying at full mast. To some, this was symbolic of how Diana had been treated in life.
In reality, the queen’s flag, called the Royal Standard, is never flown at half-mast, as it represents the monarchy itself, which is continuous.[7] When a monarch dies, there is instantly another to take their place. There was no Royal Standard flying from Buckingham Palace at that time, as the queen wasn’t in residence. Instead, it was the Union Jack, which is only flown at half-mast when a royal styled as “HRH” dies. Diana, as ex-wife of Prince Charles, had lost her HRH status in their divorce.
The media picked up on the public mood, and stories about the coldness of the royal family began to appear along with scenes of public anger. Headlines screamed, “Where is the Queen?” The Royal family stayed on holiday, and the flag stayed at full mast.
The night before the funeral, the queen made an unexpected speech on TV and paid tribute to Diana. Finally, on the morning of the funeral—without announcement—the flag was lowered to half-mast and stayed there until midnight as a last-minute mark of respect.
Farewell, Britannia
Some of Queen Elizabeth II’s happiest days were spent with her family on the royal yacht, Britannia. Launched in 1953, she toured the world and hosted many famous guests, including Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela. Britannia was also used for the queen’s private family holidays and was the place she felt most at peace.
In 1997, Tony Blair was the new prime minister. In a cost-cutting exercise, he blocked a £17 million refurbishing bill for the Britannia. At the time, the royals were being criticized for the cost of works at Windsor Castle after a fire. Blair made it clear that he would prefer the money to be spent on public services. The royals are not allowed to air political views, and so in December 1997, Britianniawas decommissioned.[8]
Queen Elizabeth and Princess Anne stood at the dock and openly wept as Britannia was sent to become a tourist attraction next to a shopping mall in Edinburgh. Even 14 years later, the loss was still felt by the royal family. In an interview, Prince Phillip commented, “She was sound as a bell and she could have gone on for another 50 years.” This may also explain why, when Prince William married Kate Middleton in 2011, the only former prime minister not to receive an invitation was one Tony Blair.
An Awkward Meeting
Queen Elizabeth II was very close to her cousin, Lord Mountbatten, who became a mentor to the young Prince Charles. In 1979, Mountbatten was killed when a terrorist bomb exploded on his boat in Ireland. His grandson, 14, and a local boy, aged 15, were also killed. The IRA claimed responsibility for the attack.
Martin McGuinness was a former IRA leader who later became deputy first minister of Northern Ireland.[9] In June 2012, the queen made history when, on a visit to Belfast, she met and shook hands in public with McGuinness. On their second meeting in 2016, when he asked her how she was, she responded, “Well, I’m still alive.”
Sitting Pretty
Marrying into the royal family can be tricky. Even if you are accepted, your familymay not quite match their requirements. Famously, many in-laws quietly fade into the background. (Thomas Markle, take note.)
When Kate Middleton married Prince William, her family were thrust into the spotlight. They appeared to be a loving and close unit, in contrast to Prince Charles, who could be awkward and distant. After the arrival of his grandchildren, Charles began to feel that he was being edged out of their life. Matters came to a head when the couple chose to spend Christmas with her parents, avoiding the traditional meet at Sandringham.
Aware of his disapproval, Charles’s staff began to freeze out the Middletons, which upset William.[10] News of the rift reached the queen, who was reportedly very fond of Kate’s family. A few weeks later in September 2016, the Middletons were invited to stay at Balmoral as personal guests of the queen.
The press turned out to photograph the royal group as they drove to a shooting party and were treated to the sight of the queen behind the wheel with Kate Middleton next to her as guest of honor. Her security team were relegated to the back seats. Game, set, and match to her Majesty.
20 SCARILY SIMILAR CELEBRITIES WHO JUST HAVE TO BE DOPPELGANGERS
20 SCARILY SIMILAR CELEBRITIES WHO JUST HAVE TO BE DOPPELGANGERS -
Javier Bardem And Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Tom Hardy And Logan Marshall-Green
Heath Ledger And Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Henry Cavill And Matt Bomer
Jaime Pressly And Margot Robbie
Nicolas Cage And A Civil War-Era Man
Helen Mirren And Jennifer Lawrence
Katy Perry And Zooey Deschanel
Minka Kelly And Leighton Meester
Tracy Morgan And Doug E. Fresh
Julia Stiles And Ansel Elgort
Aaron Paul And Tom Felton
Demi Moore And Courteney Cox
Amy Adams And Isla Fisher
Scarlett Johansson And Christopher Walken
Skylar Astin And Dane Cook
Carrie Underwood And Emily Osment
Mischa Barton And Elijah Wood
Rob Lowe And Ian Somerhalder
Isaac Mizrahi And Jj Abrams
49 Famous Actors and Actresses Then VS Now
49 Famous Actors and Actresses Then VS Now -
1. Javier Bardem (1994, 2018)
2. Mel Gibson (1970, 2017)
3. Jean-Claude Van Damme (1990, 2018)
4. John Travolta (1970, 2018)
5. Jessica Alba (1990, 2018)
6. Matthew McConaughey (1996, 2018
7. Christian Bale (1994, 2018)
8. Catherine Zeta-Jones (1989, 2018)
9. Russell Crowe (1990, 2018)
10. Scarlett Johansson (1996, 2018)
11. Robert De Niro (1971, 2018)
12. Anne Hathaway (1999, 2018)
13. Johnny Depp (1987, 2018)
14. Emma Thompson (1985, 2018)
15. Al Pacino (1970, 2018)
16. Halle Berry (1989, 2018)
17. Daniel Radcliffe (2000, 2018)
18. Salma Hayek (1995, 2018)
19. Liam Neeson (1984, 2018)
20. Monica Bellucci (1996, 2018)
21. Channing Tatum (2002, 2018)
22. Daniel Craig (1992, 2018)
23. Natalie Portman (1995, 2018)
24. Mark Wahlberg (1991, 2018)
25. Meg Ryan (1984, 2018)
26. Ashton Kutcher (1990, 2018)
27. Nicole Kidman (1983, 2018)
28. Brad Pitt (1988, 2018)
29. Jennifer Aniston (1990, 2018)
30. Blake Lively (2005, 2018)
31. Robert Downey Jr. (1986, 2018)
32. Tom Hanks (1980, 2018)
33. Ben Affleck (1997, 2018)
34. Winona Ryder (1989, 2018)
35. Chris Pratt (2002, 2018)
36. Keira Knightley (2002, 2018)
37. Chris Hemsworth (2005, 2018)
38. Kate Beckinsale (1995, 2018)
39. Tom Cruise (1981, 2018)
40. Cameron Diaz (1994, 2017)
41. Priyanka Chopra (2000, 2018)
42. George Clooney (1985, 2018)
43. Hugh Jackman (1999, 2018)
44. Julia Roberts (1989, 2018)
45. Sandra Bullock (1993, 2018)
46. Benedict Cumberbatch (2004, 2018)
47. Ryan Reynolds (1999, 2018)
48. Kate Winslet (1992, 2018)
49. Angelina Jolie (1991, 2018)
18 Celebrities Share Childhood Photos And Some Were NOT Born Stars
18 Celebrities Share Childhood Photos And Some Were NOT Born Stars -
The hashtag #TBT stands for Throwback Thursday on Instagram and has been used more than 200 million times already. Every week users post photos containing nostalgic memories from the past using this hashtag. This trend caught on quick with celebrities too and they started to post photos of times when they were dreaming more of Legos than world fame.
1. A simple Barbadian girl named Rihanna
https://www.instagram.com/p/vHBYiUhMxF/?utm_source=ig_embed
2. Heidi Klum was experimenting with her appearance when she was 9 years old.
https://www.instagram.com/p/c5dJOYj1Y5/?utm_source=ig_embed
3. Justin Bieber — a future idol to millions of girls
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZQG2OkDzh3/?utm_source=ig_embed
4. Anne Hathaway at the age of 12 — funny enough, her number on the football team was also 12.
https://www.instagram.com/p/4rm7eWF0Au/?utm_source=ig_embed
5. A young Enrique Iglesias with his signature cheek mole
https://www.instagram.com/p/9uOxcfqGSB/?utm_source=ig_embed
6. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson looks older and more serious in youth than he does now.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bj87sYGFj4H/?utm_source=ig_embed
7. Miley Cyrus, Queen of Fashion
8. Justin Timberlake used to be fond of baseball.
https://www.instagram.com/p/q1cXk5SdmI/?utm_source=ig_embed
9. Catherine Zeta-Jones, the femme fatale
https://www.instagram.com/p/6nIM1mA6mf/?utm_source=ig_embed
10. Jessica Alba doesn’t seem to have changed at all.
https://www.instagram.com/p/flpF47Muvp/?utm_source=ig_embed
11. Amanda Seyfried is adorable despite her fallen out baby teeth.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BfPKJtlHWxf/?utm_source=ig_embed
12. Adele’s smile was just as lovely with baby teeth.
https://www.instagram.com/p/9bAIrNAfO5/?utm_source=ig_embed
13. Kate Winslet was taking part in a commercial for breakfast corn flakes.
14. Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s dramatic demeanor can already be felt.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZt9CK2Dc5t/?utm_source=ig_embed
15. The hair belongs to Chloë Grace Moretz but the brows seem to belong to Snow White.
https://www.instagram.com/p/eA7PELjnRz/?utm_source=ig_embed
16. Kendall Jenner — the future runway star
https://www.instagram.com/p/BUPXx7zj39o/?utm_source=ig_embed
17. Kim Kardashian has been able to find the right angles from the very beginning.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BjP6whkle1Y/?utm_source=ig_embed
18. The adorable Hilary Duff and her signature smile
https://www.instagram.com/p/gbr429NTUa/?utm_source=ig_embed
Whose childhood photo did you like the most? Please tell us about it in the comments!
