CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS & TRIVIA

Celebrity Birthdays & Trivia

March

1 – Ron Howard – 55 – Duncan, OK
2 – Donald Craig – 41 – Chester, England
2 – Jon Bon Jovi – 47 – Perth Anthony, NJ
3 – Jessica Biel – 26 – Ely, MN
4 – Patricia Heaton – 51 – Bay Village, OH
5 – Jake Lloyd – 20 – Fort Collins, CO
5 – Eva Mendez – 35 – Miami, FL
5 – Dean Stockwell – 73 – Hollywood, CA
6 – Shaquillo O’Neal – 37 – Newark, NJ
6 – Tom Arnold – 50 – Ottumwa, IA
6 – Rob Reiner – 62 – The Bronx, NY
6 – Ed McMahon – 86 – Detroit, MI
8 – James Van Der Beek – 32 – Cheshire, CT
8 – Freddie Prinze, Jr. – 33 – Los Angeles, CA
8 – Lynn Redgrave – 66 – London, England


Trivia





RON HOWARD




Howard was the son of Jean Speegle Howard, an actress, and Rance Howard, a director, writer, and actor. Ron Howard graduated from John Burroughs High School, and later attended the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts but did not graduate.

Ron Howard made a notable guest-star appearance on the popular television series M*A*S*H during that show's first season as an underage American serving in the Marines during the Korean War. In 1976, Howard was offered the role of Gillom Rogers in the movie “The Shootist”, starring opposite Hollywood legend John Wayne. At the time, Howard had no idea that this would be the last pairing of the two, as Wayne would die three years later of cancer; in fact, Howard is often quoted as saying: "About a couple of months after filming wrapped on The Shootist, Duke called me up and said, 'I found a good script, kid . . . it's you and me, or it's nobody.'" As a token of respect, during the beginning of "The Shootist," Howard lent his voice to the beginning montage, which shows Wayne in various clips from his career.

JENNIFER HUDSON

Jennifer Hudson will pay a visit to “The Oprah Winfrey Show” later this week.

Hudson will perform her new single, “If This Isn’t Love,” on the talk show on Friday, it was announced on the singer’s Web site.

Jennifer Hudson made her comeback at the Super Bowl in Tampa last month.

ADRIANA LIMA

Victoria’s Secret model Adriana Lima is now a married woman.

Lima and her NBA beau, Marko Jaric, eloped on Valentine’s Day in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, People reported.

Lima, 27, and Jaric, 29, met in 2006 and got engaged last summer on Lima’s birthday.

OSCAR NIGHT TOP WINNERS

“Slumdog Millionaire” took home eight Oscars Sunday night, including Best Picture and Best Director.

The other top winners: Kate Winslet, best actress for the Holocaust-themed drama “The Reader”; Sean Penn, best actor for the title role of “Milk”; Heath Ledger, supporting actor for “The Dark Knight”; and Penelope Cruz, supporting actress for “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.”

HUGH JACKMAN

Hugh Jackman's versatile performance clearly showed up as the Oscars prepared to put everything he’s got into the hosting job.

Judging from the broadcast’s first hour or so, he was a solid choice to help bring needed new life to “Hollywood’s biggest night.”

As an action star, a song-and-dance man and People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” (among his many credentials), Jackman would seem to be capable of most anything.

CLAY AIKEN

Clay Aiken has left RCA Records, People reported.

“We were unable to come to terms in a recent contract negotiation, and decided that it was best to move on,” a rep for the singer told the mag.

The former “American Idol” runner-up released four albums on the label, most recently 2008’s “On My Way Here.”

CONAN O'BRIEN

Conan O’Brien is heading to Los Angeles, where NBC will fulfill a promise it made five years ago to make him “Tonight” show host. That new gig begins in June.

O’Brien took a sledgehammer and ax to his stage set this week, giving fans souvenirs. On his last show, taped Friday evening and aired at 12:35 a.m. ET, a construction vehicle was used to tear down a pillar of lights, which was cut up offstage.

NBC has built a new studio for Jimmy Fallon, who replaces O’Brien beginning March 2.

MICKEY ROURKE

Mickey Rourke, the “Wrestler” star, won another trophy for his performance as an aging athlete at Film Independent’s 24th Annual Spirit Awards in LA on Saturday, dedicating it to his recently deceased dog, Loki.

TYLER PERRY

Tyler Perry’s “Madea Goes to Jail” reigned at the weekend box office, opening with $41.1 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

It was the highest grossing film opening ever for both Perry and the film’s studio, Lionsgate. Since Perry’s 2005 “Diary of a Mad Black Woman”, his highest previous debut with $30 million, the actor-director-producer’s films have frequently opened strongly, while generating little mainstream buzz.

Steve Rothenberg, president of distribution at Lionsgate said the debut of “Madea” was the studio’s best opening in its 14-year history. The studio’s previous top opening was the $33.6 million debut of 2006’s “Saw III.”

"DARK KNIGHT"

The "Dark Knight" has become the fourth film ever to reach $1 billion in worldwide box office receipts, joining “Titanic,” “Lord of the Rings: Return Of the King” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” .

The film broke box office records during its opening weekend, earning $155.3 million to top the previous top weekend gross set by “Spider-Man 3.”

NICOLE RICHIE

Nicole Richie is pregnant again, boyfriend Joel Madden has announced on the Web site of his band, Good Charlotte.

The couple, who began dating in late 2006, welcomed daughter Harlow in January 2008.

CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS

FEBRUARY

22 – Drew Barrymore – 34 – Culver City, CA
22 – Jeri Ryan – 41 – Munich, West Germany
23 – Michael Dell – 44 – Houston, TX
23 – Peter Fonda – 70 – New York City, NY
25 – Sean Astin – 38 – Santa Monica, CA
26 – Fats Domino – 81 – New Orleans, LA
27 – Elizabeth Taylor – 77 – London, England
28 – Gavin MacLeod – 79 – Mount Kisco, NY

TRIVIA

MICHAEL DELL

Dell had his first encounter with a computer at the age of 15 when he broke down a brand new Apple II computer and rebuilt it, just to see if he could. Dell attended Memorial High School in Houston where he did not excel academically. During that time he did however exhibit formidable business instincts selling subscriptions for the Houston Post. Dell found $18,000 in an untapped customer base in newlyweds; those "windfall profits" earned him a BMW and a computer.

While at the University of Texas at Austin, he started a computer company called PC's Limited in his room in Dobie Center. The company became successful enough that, with the help of an additional loan from his grandparents, Dell dropped out of the university at the age of 19 to run PC's Limited, which later became Dell Computer Corporation, then ultimately Dell, Inc.

KATE WINSLET

Kate Winslet, having already won two Golden Globes, as well as a BAFTA award, for her roles in “Revolutionary Road” and “The Reader”, she is now busy prepping for the Academy Awards for which she is nominated in the Best Actress category for “The Reader.”

Of her nomination, Kate told People that she is just “so happy…that it’s for a film that was so challenging”.

MICHAEL PHELPS

A South Carolina sheriff said Monday he was not going to charge swimmer Michael Phelps after a photo of the 14-time gold medalist showed him smoking from a marijuana pipe.

Phelps has called his judgment bad and said he would learn from his mistake.

USA Swimming suspended Phelps for three months in the wake of the photo, and Kellogg Co. said it would not renew its endorsement deal with him.

The photo surfaced in a British newspaper, News of the World, on Feb. 1. The swimmer, who won a record eight gold medals at the Beijing Games, did not dispute its authenticity.

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE

The March issue of GQ magazine picked entertainer Justin Timberlake to lead a list of the “10 Most Stylish Men in America.” It singled out Timberlake for his impact on fashion, willingness to take risks and “knack for targeting trends” such as hats, three-piece suits, skinny ties and beards.

SALMA HAYEK

Salma Hayek was married on Valentine's Day in Paris. The Mexican-born actress wed French magnate Francois-Henri Pinault in a civil ceremony Saturday at the City Hall in Paris’ chic 6th arrondissement, according to an official there.

The nuptials followed a rocky romance. The two met in Italy in 2006, announced their engagement and had a baby, Valentina Paloma, in September 2007. Last year they broke off their engagement but made up a few months later.

KEVIN COSTNER

Kevin Costner and his wife are proud parents of a baby boy, his publicist Arnold Robinson said.

Costner’s wife Christine Baumgartner gave birth to Hayes Logan Costner on Thursday night in Los Angeles. He weighs 8 pounds, 15 ounces.

He’s the second son for Costner and Baumgartner. Their other child, Cayden, is 21 months old.

CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS AND TRIVIA

CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS

FEBRUARY

15 – Jane Seymour – 58 – London, England
16 – ICE-T – 51 – Los Angeles, CA
16 – LeVar Burton- 52 – Landstuhl, West Germany
17 – Paris Hilton – 28 – New York City, NY
17 – Michael Jordan – 46 – Brooklyn, NY
17 – Rene Russo – 55 – Burbank, CA
18 – Vanna White – 52 – North Myrtle Beach, SC
18 – John Travolta – 55 – Englewood, NJ
18 – Cybill Shepherd – 59 – Memphis, TN
19 – Smokey Robinson – 68 – Detroit, MI
20 – Cindy Crawford – 42 – DeKalb, IL
20 – Sidney Poitier – 81 – Miami, FL
21 – Kelsey Grammer – 53 – St. Thomas US Virgin Islands

TRIVIA






JOHN TRAVOLTA



Travolta played a messenger on the CBS soap opera “The Edge of Night.” CBS soap opera “The Edge of Night.” He also appeared on another CBS serial “The Secret Storm.” Travolta's first California-filmed television role was as a fall victim in, Emergency! (S2E2), in September 1972, but his first significant movie role was as, "Billy Nolan,” a bully who was goaded into playing a prank on Sissy Spacek’s character in the horror film, Carrie (1976). Around the same time, he landed his star-making role as, "Vinnie Barbarino," in the TV sitcom “Welcome Back, Kotter” (1975–1979), in which his sister, Ellen, also occasionally appeared (as Arnold Horshack’s mother).

WOODY HARRELSON

Woody Harrelson says his new movie, “The Messenger,” gave him a new respect for the work of soldiers on difficult missions abroad.

The film showed Monday at the Berlin film festival. It stars Harrelson and Ben Foster as officers responsible for informing families about the deaths of soldiers in Iraq.

The crew spent time at the U.S. military’s Walter Reed Army Medical Center and at Army bases during the filming.

CHRIS BROWN

Chris Brown has been arrested for criminal threats in connection with an alleged violent incident with a woman reported to be the singer’s girlfriend, Rihanna, on Saturday night.

In a 2007 interview with GIANT magazine, Brown spoke candidly about his family’s history with alleged abuse.

"SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE"

“Slumdog Millionaire” continued its fairy-tale journey Sunday, winning seven prizes, including best picture, at the British Academy Film Awards and sealing its place as favorite for the Oscars later this month.

JENNIFER HUDSON

Jennifer Hudson took home the first award of the ceremony, winning Best R&B Album for her self-titled release, with Whitney Houston presenting the category.

As she accepted her Grammy, the first of her career, she made reference to her family tragedy in October, which claimed the lives of her mother, brother and nephew.

TIGER WOODS

The San Diego Union-Tribune, citing an unidentified person with ties to the Woods family, reported that Elin Woods gave birth for the second time. They had a daughter, Sam Alexis, in June 2007 on the day after the U.S. Open.

CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS & TRIVIA

Celebrity Birthdays & Trivia

February

8 – Gary Coleman – 41 – Zion, IL
8 – Nick Nolte – 68 – Omaha, NE
9 – Ziyi Zhang – 30 – People’s Republic of China
9 – Mia Farrow – 64 – Los Angeles, CA
9 – Carol King – 67 – New York, NY
9 – George Stephanopoulos – 48 – Fall River, MA
9 – Mark Spitz – 59 – Modesto, CA
11 – Jennifer Aniston – 40 – Sherman Oaks, CA
11 – Cheryl Crow – 46 – Kennett, MO
11 – Burt Reynolds – 73 – Lansing, MI
12 – Jennifer Stone – 16 – Arlington, TX
12 – Arsenio Hall – 54 – Cleveland, OH
13 – Jerry Springer – 65 – London, England
14 – Florence Henderson – 75 – Dale, IN
14 – Hugh Downs – 88 – Akron, OH


Trivia






JENNIFER ANISTON

Jennifer Aniston has two half-brothers, John Melick (older) and Alex Aniston (younger). Jennifer's godfather was the actor Telly Savalas, her father's best friend. She lived in Greece for one year as a child with her family, and they later relocated to New York City. Aniston attended the New York Rudolf Steiner School and graduated from Manhattan’s Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. She worked in Off Broadway productions such as For Dear Life and Dancing on Checker's Grave. She supported herself with several part-time jobs, including working as a telemarketer and bike messenger. In 1989, she moved to Los Angeles, CA.

ELTON JOHN

Promoters say the pop singer, Elton John, will close his Las Vegas Strip show, “The Red Piano,” on April 22.

The show made its debut in February 2004 at The Colosseum theater at Caesars Palace. After initially signing on for 75 shows, John’s engagement was extended.

The casino says the closing show will be the 241st performance.

JONAS BROTHERS

The teen sensation, Jonas Brothers, will host a night of “90210” and “Privileged” on the network, Tuesday, February 10 from 8:00 - 10:00pm. Viewers will get a sneak peek of the Brothers’ new film, “Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience,” which hits theaters on February 27.

“Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience” is the band’s first feature film. It is set to feature clips from their “Burning Up” tour, special guest performances, behind the scenes footage.

JESSICA BIEL

Actress Jessica Biel will host the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Scientific and Technical Awards on Saturday, February 7, at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills.

The Scientific and Technical Awards Presentation is not televised but filmed excerpts from the event will be integrated into the 81st Academy Awards telecast later this month.

ALEX BALDWIN

On February 14th, “SNL” will pair Alex Baldwin,the 14-time veteran host and Emmy Award Winner with first-time musical guests, The Jonas Brothers.

Since Baldwin’s “SNL” debut in 1990, he has proven a fan favorite, as this will mark his fourteenth time hosting the show.

Baldwin’s return to “SNL” comes on the heels of the star’s SAG Award win for Best Actor, for playing Jack Donaghy on NBC's “30 Rock.” Baldwin has also picked up an Emmy Award and two Golden Globes for playing the TV exec on the show.

GARY COLLINS

Authorities say they arrested actor and TV host Gary Collins on suspicion of drunken driving. According to an arrest report, deputies in the coastal county of Santa Barbara pulled Collins over Saturday evening after noticing him driving a motor home erratically. The 70-year-old was arrested by the California Highway Patrol after failing a field sobriety test. He was later released on $25,000 bail.

BRITNEY SPEARS

In a post Monday evening on her Web site, BritneySpears.com, the pop singer’s Web team confirmed that her boys, Sean Preston and Jayden James, will be by their mother’s side on her “Circus” trek.

JENNIFER HUDSON

Jennifer Hudson returned to the spotlight Sunday with a flawless performance of the national anthem before the Super Bowl.

It was her first performance since the October slayings in Chicago of her mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew. Her estranged brother-in-law has been charged in the killings.