title: Yoko Ono

text: For many years, Ono was frequently criticized by both the press and the public. She was blamed for the breakup of the Beatles and repeatedly criticized for her influence over Lennon and his music. Her experimental art was also not popularly accepted. The British press was particularly negative and prompted the couple's move to the US. As late as December 1999, "NME" was calling her a "no-talent charlatan".


title: Yoko Ono

text: Lennon and Ono were injured in a car accident in June 1969, partway through recording "Abbey Road". According to journalist Barry Miles, a bed with a microphone was then installed in the studio so that Ono could make artistic comments about the album. Miles thought Ono's continual presence in the studio during the latter part of the Beatles' career put strain on Lennon's relationship with the other band members. George Harrison got into a shouting match with Lennon after Ono took one of his chocolate digestive biscuits without asking.


title: Yoko Ono

text: The English press dubbed Ono "the woman who broke up the Beatles", which had been foreseen by Paul McCartney in 1969 during the group's rehearsals for their film and album "Let It Be", when he said "It's going to be such an incredible sort of comical thing, like, in fifty years' time, you know: 'They broke up 'cause Yoko sat on an amp.'" In an interview with Dick Cavett, Lennon explicitly denied that Ono broke up the Beatles, and Harrison said during an interview with Cavett that the problems within the group began long before Ono came onto the scene. Ono herself has said that the Beatles broke up without any direct involvement from her, adding "I don't think I could have tried even to break them up."


title: Yoko Ono

text: While the Beatles were together, every song written by Lennon or McCartney was credited as Lennon–McCartney regardless of whether the song was a collaboration or written solely by one of the two (except for those appearing on their first album, "Please Please Me", which originally credited the songs to McCartney–Lennon). In 1976, McCartney released a live album called "Wings over America", which credited the five Beatles tracks as P. McCartney–J. Lennon compositions, but neither Lennon nor Ono objected. After Lennon's death, however, McCartney again attempted to change the order to McCartney–Lennon for songs that were solely or predominantly written by him, such as "Yesterday", but Ono would not allow it, saying she felt this broke an agreement that the two had made while Lennon was still alive, and the surviving Beatle argued that such an agreement never existed. A spokesman for Ono said McCartney was making "an attempt to rewrite history".


title: Yoko Ono

text: In a "Rolling Stone" interview in 1987, Ono pointed out McCartney's place in the disintegration of the band. On the 1998 John Lennon anthology, "Lennon Legend", the composer credit of "Give Peace a Chance" was changed to "John Lennon" from its original composing credit of "Lennon–McCartney". Although Lennon wrote the song during his tenure with the Beatles, it was both written and recorded without the help of the band, and released as Lennon's first independent single under the "Plastic Ono Band" moniker. Lennon subsequently expressed regret that he had not given co-writing credit to Ono instead, who actually helped him write the song. In 2002, McCartney released another live album, "Back in the U.S. Live 2002", and the 19 Beatles songs included are described as "composed by Paul McCartney and John Lennon", which reignited the debate over credits with Ono. Her spokesperson Elliott Mintz called it "an attempt to rewrite history". Nevertheless, Ono did not sue.


title: Yoko Ono

text: In 1995, after the Beatles released Lennon's "Free as a Bird" and "Real Love", with demos provided by Ono, McCartney and his family collaborated with her and Sean to create the song "Hiroshima Sky is Always Blue", which commemorates the 50th anniversary of the atomic bombing of that Japanese city. Of Ono, McCartney stated: "I thought she was a cold woman. I think that's wrong... she's just the opposite... I think she's just more determined than most people to be herself." Two years later, however, Ono publicly compared Lennon to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, while McCartney, she said, more closely resembled his less-talented rival Antonio Salieri. This remark infuriated McCartney's wife Linda, who was dying from breast cancer at the time. When Linda died less than a year later, McCartney did not invite Ono to his wife's memorial service in Manhattan.


title: Yoko Ono

text: Accepting an award at the 2005 Q Awards, Ono mentioned that Lennon had once felt insecure about his songwriting. She had responded, "You're a good songwriter. It's not June with spoon that you write. You're a good singer, and most musicians are probably a little bit nervous about covering your songs."


title: Yoko Ono

text: In an October 2010 interview, Ono spoke about Lennon's "lost weekend" and her subsequent reconciliation with him. She credited McCartney with helping save her marriage to John. "I want the world to know that it was a very touching thing that [Paul] did for John." While visiting Ono in March 1974, McCartney, on leaving, asked "[W]hat will make you come back to John?" McCartney subsequently passed her response to Lennon while visiting him in Los Angeles. "John often said he didn't understand why Paul did this for us, but he did." In 2012, McCartney revealed that he did not blame Ono for the breakup of the Beatles and credited Ono with inspiring much of Lennon's post-Beatles work.


title: Yoko Ono

text: Ono had a difficult relationship with her stepson Julian, but the relationship improved over the years. He expressed disappointment at her handling of Lennon's estate, and at the difference between his upbringing and Sean's, adding, "when Dad gave up music for a couple of years to be with Sean, why couldn't he do that with me?" Julian was left out of his father's will, and he battled Ono in court for years, settling in 1996 for an unspecified amount that the media reported was "believed to" be in the area of £20 million, which Julian has denied.


title: Yoko Ono

text: He has said that he is his "mother's boy", which Ono has cited as the reason why she was never able to get close to him: "Julian and I tried to be friends. Of course, if he's too friendly with me, then I think that it hurts his other relatives. He was very loyal to his mother. That was the first thing that was in his mind." Nevertheless, she and Sean attended the opening of Julian's photo exhibition at the Morrison Hotel in New York City in 2010, appearing for the first time for photos with Cynthia and Julian. She also promoted the exhibition on her website, and Julian and Sean are close.


title: Yoko Ono

text: Mary Beth Edelson's "Some Living American Women Artists / Last Supper" (1972) appropriated Leonardo da Vinci’s "The Last Supper", with the heads of notable women artists collaged over the heads of Christ and his apostles; Ono was among those notable women artists. This image, addressing the role of religious and art historical iconography in the subordination of women, became "one of the most iconic images of the feminist art movement."


title: Yoko Ono

text: The post-punk rock band Death of Samantha, founded in 1983, named themselves after a song from Ono's 1972 album "Approximately Infinite Universe", also called "Death of Samantha".


title: Yoko Ono

text: Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies' debut single was "Be My Yoko Ono", first released in 1990 and later appearing on their 1992 album "Gordon". The lyrics are "a shy entreaty to a potential girlfriend, caged in terms that self-deflatingly compare himself to one of pop music's foremost geniuses". It also has a "sarcastic imitation of Yoko Ono's unique vocal style in the bridge".


title: Yoko Ono

text: In 2000, American folk singer Dar Williams recorded a song titled "I Won't Be Your Yoko Ono". Bryan Wawzenek of the website "Ultimate Classic Rock" described the song as "us[ing] John and Yoko as a starting point for exploring love, and particularly, love between artists".


title: Yoko Ono

text: The British band Elbow mentioned Ono in their song "New York Morning" from their 2014 album "The Take Off and Landing of Everything" ("Oh, my giddy aunt, New York can talk / It's the modern Rome and folk are nice to Yoko"). In response Ono posted an open letter to the band on her website, thanking them and reflecting on her and Lennon's relationship with the city. In Public Enemy's song "Bring the Noise", Chuck D and Flavor Flav rap, "Beat is for Sonny Bono/Beat is for Yoko Ono!" Ono's name also appears in the lyrics of the Le Tigre song "Hot Topic".


title: Yoko Ono

text: In "The Simpsons"' episode 1 of season 5, "Homer's Barbershop Quartet", Barney who is in Homer's band, has creative disputes within the group when he falls in love with a Japanese conceptual artist that is visually made to resemble Yoko Ono.


title: Chuck Norris

text: Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris (born March 10, 1940) is an American martial artist and actor. He is a black belt in Tang Soo Do, Brazilian jiu jitsu and judo. After serving in the United States Air Force, Norris won many martial arts championships and later founded his own discipline Chun Kuk Do. Shortly after, in Hollywood, Norris trained celebrities in martial arts. Norris went on to appear in a minor role in the spy film "The Wrecking Crew" (1969). Friend and fellow martial artist Bruce Lee invited him to play one of the main villains in "Way of the Dragon" (1972). While Norris continued acting, friend and student Steve McQueen suggested him to take it seriously. Norris took the starring role in the action film "Breaker! Breaker!" (1977), which turned a profit. His second lead "Good Guys Wear Black" (1978) became a hit, and he soon became a popular action film star.


title: Chuck Norris

text: Norris went on to star in a streak of bankable independently-made action and martial arts films, with "A Force of One" (1979), "The Octagon" (1980), and "An Eye for an Eye" (1981). This made Norris an international celebrity. He went on to make studio films like "Silent Rage" (1982) with Columbia, "Forced Vengeance" (1982) with MGM, and "Lone Wolf McQuade" (1983) with Orion. This led Cannon Films to sign Norris into a multiple film deal, starting with "Missing in Action" (1984), which proved to be very successful and launched a trilogy. Norris started to work almost exclusively on high-profile action films with Cannon, becoming their leading star during the 1980s. Films with Cannon included "Invasion U.S.A" (1985), "The Delta Force" (1986), "Firewalker" (1986), etc. Apart from the Cannon films, Norris made "Code of Silence" (1985), which was received as one of his best films. In the 1990s, he played the title role in the long running CBS television series "Walker, Texas Ranger" from 1993 until 2001. Until 2006, Norris continued taking lead roles in action movies, including "" (1990), "The Hitman" (1991), "Sidekicks" (1992), "Forest Warrior" (1996), "The President's Man" (2000) and its (2002). Norris made his last film appearance to date in Sylvester Stallone's "The Expendables 2" (2012).


title: Chuck Norris

text: Throughout his film and TV career Norris diversified from his regular endeavors. He is a noted writer, having penned books on martial arts, exercise, philosophy, politics, Christianity, western fiction, and biography. He was twice a New York Times bestselling author, first with his book on his personal philosophy of positive force and the psychology of self-improvement based on personal anecdotes called "The Secret of Inner Strength: My Story" (1988). His second New York Times Best Seller, "" (2008), was about his critique on current issues in the USA. Norris also appeared in several commercials endorsing several products most notably being one of the main spokespersons for the Total Gym infomercials. In 2005, Norris found new fame on the Internet when Chuck Norris facts became an Internet meme documenting humorous, fictional and often absurd feats of strength and endurance. Although Norris himself did not produce the "facts", he was hired to endorse many products that incorporated Chuck Norris facts in advertising. The phenomenon resulted in six books (two of them "New York Times" best sellers), two video games, and several appearances on talk shows, such as "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" where he read the facts or participated in sketches.


title: Chuck Norris

text: Norris was born in Ryan, Oklahoma, on March 10, 1940, to Wilma (née Scarberry) and Ray Dee Norris, who was a World War II Army soldier, a mechanic, bus driver, and truck driver. Norris has stated that he has Irish and Cherokee roots. Norris was named after Carlos Berry, his father's minister. He was the oldest of three brothers, the younger two being Wieland and Aaron. When Norris was sixteen, his parents divorced, and he later relocated to Prairie Village, Kansas and then to Torrance, California with his mother and brothers.


title: Chuck Norris

text: Norris has described his childhood as downbeat. He was nonathletic, shy, and scholastically mediocre. His father, Ray, worked intermittently as an automobile mechanic, and went on alcohol drinking binges that lasted for months at a time. Embarrassed by his father's behavior and the family's financial plight, Norris developed a debilitating introversion that lasted for his entire childhood.


title: Chuck Norris

text: He joined the United States Air Force as an Air Policeman (AP) in 1958 and was sent to Osan Air Base, South Korea. It was there that Norris acquired the nickname "Chuck" and began his training in Tang Soo Do (tangsudo), an interest that led to black belts in that art and the founding of the Chun Kuk Do ("Universal Way") form. When he returned to the United States, he continued to serve as an AP at March Air Force Base in California.


title: Chuck Norris

text: Norris was discharged from the U.S. Air Force in August 1962. Following his military service, Norris applied to be a police officer in Torrance, California. While on the waiting list, Norris opened a martial arts studio.


title: Chuck Norris

text: Norris started to participate in martial arts competitions. He was defeated in his first two tournaments, dropping decisions to Joe Lewis and Allen Steen. He lost three matches at the International Karate Championships to Tony Tulleners. By 1967, Norris had improved enough that he scored victories over the likes of Vic Moore. On June 3, Norris won the 1967 tournament of karate, Norris defeated seven opponents, until his final fight with Skipper Mullins. On June 24, Norris was declared champion at the S. Henry Cho's All-American Karate Championship at the Madison Square Garden, taking the title from Julio LaSalle and defeating Joe Lewis. During this time, Norris also worked for the Northrop Corporation and opened a chain of karate schools, including a storefront school in his then-hometown of Torrance, CA on Hawthorne Boulevard. Norris's official website lists celebrity clients at the schools; among them Steve McQueen, Chad McQueen, Bob Barker, Priscilla Presley, Donny Osmond and Marie Osmond.


title: Chuck Norris

text: In early 1968, Norris suffered the tenth and final loss of his career, losing an upset decision to Louis Delgado. On November 24, 1968, he avenged his defeat to Delgado and by doing so won the Professional Middleweight Karate champion title, which he then held for six consecutive years. On April 1, Norris successfully defended his All-American Karate Championship title, in a round robin tournament, at the Karate tournament of champions of North America Sunday. Again that year, Norris won for the second time the All-American Karate Championship. It was the last time Norris participated and retired undefeated. While competing, Norris met Bruce Lee, who at the time was known for the TV series "The Green Hornet". They developed a friendship, as well as a training and working relationship.


title: Chuck Norris

text: In 1969, during the first weekend of August, Norris defended his title as world champion at the International Karate Championship. The competition included champions from most of the fifty states as well as a half dozen from abroad who joined for the preliminaries. Norris retained his title. Norris won Karate's triple crown for the most tournament wins of the year, and the Fighter of the Year award by "Black Belt" magazine. That year, Norris made his acting debut in the Dean Martin film "The Wrecking Crew".


title: Chuck Norris

text: In 1972, he acted as Bruce Lee's nemesis in the widely acclaimed martial arts movie "Way of the Dragon" (titled "Return of the Dragon" in its U.S. distribution). The film grossed 5,307,350.50 at the Hong Kong box office, beating previous records set by Lee's own films, "The Big Boss" and "Fist of Fury", making it the highest-grossing film of 1972 in Hong Kong. "The Way of the Dragon" went on to gross an estimated worldwide. The film is credited with launching him toward stardom.


title: Chuck Norris

text: In 1974, actor Steve McQueen, who was his martial art student and friend at the time, saw his potential and encouraged him to begin acting classes at MGM. That same year, he played the supporting role of the main antagonist in Lo Wei's "Yellow Faced Tiger". Norris plays a powerful drug king in San Francisco, where he dominates the criminal world including the police department. He is eventually challenged by a young police officer who stands up to corruption. The film played theatrically in the US in 1981 as "Slaughter in San Francisco". It was noticed that it was an older low-budget film announcing Norris as the lead. The film played as a double-bill to other action and genre film. It was described as a low budget martial arts actioner taking advantage of Norris's fame.


title: Chuck Norris

text: In 1975, he wrote his first book "Winning Tournament Karate" on the practical study of competition training for any rank. It covers all phases of executing speedy attacks, conditioning, fighting form drills, and one-step sparring techniques.


title: Chuck Norris

text: Norris's first starring role was 1977's "Breaker! Breaker!." He chose it after turning down offers to do many martial art films, Norris decided that he wanted to do films that had story and where the action would take place when it is emotionally right. The low budget film turned out to be very successful.


title: Chuck Norris

text: In 1978, Norris starred "Good Guys Wear Black." He considers it to be his first significant lead role. No studio wanted to release it, so Norris and his producers four-walled it, renting the theaters and taking whatever money came in. The film did very well; shot on a $1 million budget, it made over $18 million at the box office. Following years of kung fu film imports from Hong Kong action cinema during the 1970s, most notably Bruce Lee films followed by Bruceploitation flicks, "Good Guys Wear Black" launched Norris as the first successful homegrown American martial arts star, having previously been best known as a villain in Lee's "Way of the Dragon". "Good Guys Wear Black" distinguished itself from earlier martial arts films with its distinctly American setting, characters, themes, and politics, a formula which Norris continued to develop with his later films.


title: Chuck Norris

text: In 1979, Norris starred in "A Force of One", where he played Matt Logan, a world karate champion who assists the police in their investigation. The film was developed while touring for "Good Guys Wear Black". Again no studio wanted to pick it up, but it out-grossed the previous film by making $20 million at the box office.


title: Chuck Norris

text: In 1980, he released "The Octagon", where his character must stop a group of terrorists trained in the ninja style. Unlike his previous films this time the studios were interested. American Cinema Releasing distributed it and it made almost $19 million at the box office.


title: Chuck Norris

text: In 1982, he had the lead in the action horror film "Silent Rage." It was his first film released by a major studio Columbia Pictures. Norris plays a sheriff who must stop a psychopath on a rampage. Shortly afterward MGM gave him a three-movie deal and that same year, they released "Forced Vengeance" (1982). Norris was unhappy with the direction they wanted to take with him, hence the contract was canceled.


title: Chuck Norris

text: In 1983, Norris made "Lone Wolf McQuade" with Orion Pictures and Carver directing. He plays a reckless but brave Texas Ranger who defeats an arms dealer played by David Carradine. The film was a worldwide hit and had a positive reception from movie critics, often being compared to Sergio Leone's stylish Spaghetti Westerns. The film became the inspiration for Norris's future hit TV show "Walker, Texas Ranger". Film critic Roger Ebert gave the film a 3.5 star rating, calling the character of J.J. McQuade worthy of a film series and predicting the character would be a future classic. The same year, he also published a book on exercises called "Toughen Up! the Chuck Norris Fitness System". Also in 1983, Xonox produced the video game "Chuck Norris Superkicks" for the Commodore 64, VIC-20, Atari 2600, and Colecovision. The game combines two types of gameplay: moving through a map, and fighting against enemies. The player takes control of Norris who has to liberate a hostage. It was later sold as "Kung Fu Superkicks" when the license for the use of the name Chuck Norris expired.


title: Chuck Norris

text: In 1984, Norris starred in Joseph Zito's "Missing in Action." It's the first of a series of POW rescue fantasies, where he play Colonel James Braddock. Produced by Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus and released under their Cannon Films banner, with which he had signed a multiple movie deal. Norris later dedicated these films to his younger brother Wieland, who was a private in the 101st Airborne Division, and had been killed in June 1970 in Vietnam while on patrol in the defense of Firebase Ripcord. The film was a huge success and Norris became Cannon's most prominent star of the 1980s.


title: Chuck Norris

text: "" premiered on March 1, 1985. It is a prequel to the first installment, about the time Colonel James Braddock was held in a North Vietnamese POW camp. Orion Pictures released "Code of Silence" on May 3. It received positive reviews and was also a box office success. "Code of Silence" is a crime drama, and features Norris as a streetwise plainclothes officer who takes down a crime czar. "Invasion U.S.A." premiered on September 27, with Zito directing.


title: Chuck Norris

text: On February 14, 1986, Menahem Golan's "The Delta Force" premiered. Norris co-stars with Lee Marvin. They play leaders of an elite squad of Special Forces troops who face a group of terrorists. "The Delta Force" was a box office success. In October, Ruby-Spears' cartoon "Karate Kommandos" first aired. The animated show lasted 6 episodes. In it, Norris voices a cartoon version of himself who leads a United States government team of operatives known as the Karate Kommandos. Marvel made a comic book adaptation. On November 21, J. Lee Thompson's "Firewalker" was released. In it, Norris and Louis Gossett Jr. play adventurers.


title: Chuck Norris

text: In 1987, he published the New York Times Best Seller "The Secret of Inner Strength: My Story". It is about his self-improvement philosophy.


title: Chuck Norris

text: On January 2, 1988, "" premiered, Norris returned to the title role and his brother Aaron Norris directed. On August 28, Norris starred in "Hero and the Terror" directed by William Tannen. In it Norris stars as a cop investigating a serial killer.


title: Chuck Norris

text: By 1990, his films had collectively grossed over worldwide . By this time, he had drawn comparisons to both Bruce Lee and Clint Eastwood, sometimes called the "blonde Bruce Lee" for his martial arts film roles while his "loner" persona was compared to the Eastwood character Dirty Harry. That same year, MGM acquired the Cannon Films library. Norris continued making films with Aaron, who directed him in "", "The Hitman," "Sidekicks" (1993)., "Hellbound" (1994), "Top Dog" (1995), and "Forest Warrior" (1996).


title: Chuck Norris

text: In 1993, he began shooting the action series "Walker, Texas Ranger". The show is centered on Sergeant Cordell Walker (Norris), a Dallas–Fort Worth–based member of the Texas Rangers, a state-level bureau of investigation, and is about his adventures fighting criminals with his partner James Trivette. It lasted eight seasons on CBS and continued in syndication on other channels, notably the Hallmark Channel. The show was very successful in the ratings throughout its run, ranking among the Top 30 programs from 1995 until 1999, and ranking in the Top 20 in both the 1995–1996 and 1998–1999 seasons. In 1999, Norris produced and played Walker in a supporting role in the "Walker, Texas Ranger" spin-off "Sons of Thunder". The same year, also playing the role of Walker, Norris acted in a crossover episode of the Sammo Hung's TV show "Martial Law". For another crossover, Hung also appeared as his character in "Walker, Texas Ranger".


title: Chuck Norris

text: Separately from "Walker, Texas Ranger," on August 25, 1993, the Randy Travis television special "Wind in the Wire" first aired. Norris was among the guests. At the 1994 edition of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF)'s Survivor Series event, Norris was the special outside enforcer for the casket match between The Undertaker and Yokozuna. During the match, Norris delivered a roundhouse kick to an interfering Jeff Jarrett. In 1996, Norris wrote the book "The Secret Power Within: Zen Solutions to Real Problems". Since 1997, Norris has appeared with Christie Brinkley in a long-running series of cable TV infomercials promoting Total Gym home fitness equipment. On November 1, 1998, CBS premiered Michael Preece's television film "," starring Norris and Eddie Cibrian The television film was ranked third among the thirteen most viewed shows of that week.


title: Chuck Norris

text: In the early 2000s, Norris starred as a secret agent in the CBS's television films "The President's Man" (2000) and "".(2002).


title: Chuck Norris

text: In 2003, Norris played a role in the supernatural Christian film "Bells of Innocence." That same year, he acted in one episode of the TV show "Yes, Dear".


title: Chuck Norris

text: In 2004, Rawson Marshall Thurber's comedy "" was released. Norris plays himself as a judge during a dodgeball game. Described by critics as raunchy comedy that delivers for many, it grossed $167.7 million.


title: Chuck Norris

text: In 2005, Norris founded the World Combat League (WCL), a full-contact, team-based martial arts competition, of which part of the proceeds are given to his Kickstart Kids program.


title: Chuck Norris

text: On October 17, 2005, CBS premiered the Sunday Night Movie of the Week "". The production was a continuation of the series, and not scripted to be a reunion movie. Norris reprised his role as Cordell Walker for the movie. He has stated that future "Walker, Texas Ranger" Movie of the Week projects are expected; however, this was severely impaired by CBS's 2006–2007 season decision to no longer regularly schedule Movies of the Week on Sunday night.


title: Chuck Norris

text: Chuck Norris facts originally started appearing on the Internet in early 2005. Created by Ian Spector, they are satirical factoids about Norris. Since then, they have become widespread in popular culture. The "facts" are normally absurd hyperbolic claims about Norris's toughness, attitude, virility, sophistication, and masculinity. Norris has written his own response to the parody on his website, stating that he does not feel offended by them and finds some of them funny, claiming that his personal favorite is that they wanted to add his face to Mount Rushmore, but the granite is not hard enough for his beard. At first it was mostly college students exchanging them, but they later became extremely widespread.


title: Chuck Norris

text: From that point on, Norris started to tour with the Chuck Norris facts appearing on major talk shows, and even visiting the troops in Iraq, for morale boosting appearances.


title: Chuck Norris

text: In 2006, he starred in the film "The Cutter," where he plays a detective on a rescue mission. That year time he published the novel "The Justice Riders", co-written with Ken Abraham, Aaron Norris, and Tim Grayem.


title: Chuck Norris

text: On November 29, 2007, Gotham Books, the adult division of Penguin USA, released a book penned by Ian Spector entitled "The Truth About Chuck Norris: 400 facts about the World's Greatest Human". Norris subsequently filed suit in December against Penguin USA claiming "trademark infringement, unjust enrichment and privacy rights". Norris dropped the lawsuit in 2008. The book is a "New York Times" Best Seller. Since then, Spector has published four more books based on Chuck Norris facts, these are "Chuck Norris Cannot Be Stopped: 400 All-New Facts About the Man Who Knows Neither Fear Nor Mercy", "Chuck Norris: Longer and Harder: The Complete Chronicle of the World's Deadliest, Sexiest, and Beardiest Man", "The Last Stand of Chuck Norris: 400 All New Facts About the Most Terrifying Man in the Universe", and "Chuck Norris Vs. Mr. T: 400 Facts About the Baddest Dudes in the History of Ever" (also a "New York Times" Best Seller). That year Norris with the same team published a sequel to "The Justice Riders" called "A Threat to Justice".


title: Chuck Norris

text: In 2008, he published the political non-fiction book "", which reached number 14 on "The New York Times" best seller list in September 2008.


title: Chuck Norris

text: In 2008, Gameloft produced the video game "" for mobile devices, based on the popularity Norris had developed on the internet with the Chuck Norris facts. The player takes control of Norris in a side-scrolling beat 'em up. The game was well reviewed.


title: Chuck Norris

text: On October 7, 2009, Tyndale House Publishers issued "The Official Chuck Norris Fact Book: 101 of Chuck's Favorite Facts and Stories", which was co-written and officially endorsed by Norris.


title: Chuck Norris

text: Since 2010, Norris has been a nationally syndicated columnist with Creators Syndicate writing on both personal health issues and broader issues of health care in America.


title: Chuck Norris

text: In 2010, Norris appeared in advertisements for communications company T-Mobile in the Czech Republic.


title: Chuck Norris

text: In 2012, Norris played a mercenary in "The Expendables 2." The film was a success and grossed over $310 million worldwide.


title: Chuck Norris

text: That same year, Norris and his wife Gena founded CForce Bottling Co. after an aquifer was discovered on his ranch.


title: Chuck Norris

text: In 2017, Flaregames produced "Non Stop Chuck Norris", an isometric action-RPG game for mobile device and is the second game to be based on his popularity developed by the Chuck Norris facts. The game was well reviewed


title: Chuck Norris

text: In 2017, Norris became Fiat's ambassador, a "tough face" for its commercial vehicles. Fiat says Norris embodies four pillars of its business: determination, reliability, dynamism, and competence.


title: Chuck Norris

text: In 2018, Norris appeared in an ad for Hesburger, a Finnish hamburger chain. That year he also did a commercial for Cerveza Poker. His third commercial that year was for Toyota.


title: Chuck Norris

text: In early January 2020, Norris starred in a QuikTrip commercial for their Snackle line of food. In it Norris descends in parachute where he shoots hot-dogs out of a cannon at a crowd of people. On April 3, Norris appeared in the series finale of "Hawaii Five-0".


title: Chuck Norris

text: In 2021, Norris was obtainable as a tank-commander in "World of Tanks" during the Holiday Ops event. He gave players extra missions and featured a unique voice-over.


title: Chuck Norris

text: Norris has founded two major martial arts systems: American Tang Soo Do and Chuck Norris System (formerly known as Chun Kuk Do).


title: Chuck Norris

text: American Tang Soo Do was formed in 1966 by Norris, which is combination of Moo Duk Kwan-style Tang Soo Do, Judo and Karate (Shito-Ryu and Shotokan). Over the years it has been further developed by former black belts of his and their students.


title: Chuck Norris

text: The style was formally founded in 1990 as Chun Kuk Do by Norris, and was originally based on Norris's Tang Soo Do training in Korea while he was in the military.


title: Chuck Norris

text: During his competitive fighting career, Norris began to evolve the style to make it more effective and well-rounded by studying other systems such as Shōtōkan, Gōjū-ryū, Shitō-ryū, American Kenpo, Enshin kaikan, Kyokushin, Judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Arnis, Tae Kwon Do, Tang Soo Do and Hapkido. Chun Kuk Do now emphasizes self defense, competition, weapons, grappling, and fitness, among other things. Each summer the United Fighting Arts Federation (UFAF) holds a training conference and the Chun Kuk Do world championship tournament in Las Vegas, Nevada.


title: Chuck Norris

text: The art includes a code of honor and rules to live by. These rules are from Norris's personal code. They are:


title: Chuck Norris

text: Like most traditional martial arts, Chuck Norris System includes the practice of forms (Korean "hyung" and Japanese "kata"). The majority of the system's forms are adapted from Korean Tang Soo Do, and Taekwondo, Japanese Shitō-ryū, Shotokan Karate, Goju-ryu Karate, Judo, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, American Kenpo and Kyokushinkai. It includes two organization-specific introductory forms, two organization-specific empty-hand forms, and one organization-specific weapon form (UFAF Nunchuk form, UFAF Bo form, UFAF Sai forms).


title: Chuck Norris

text: The United Fighting Arts Federation has graduated over 3,000 black belts in its history, and currently has nearly 4,000 active members world-wide. There are about 90 member schools in the US, Mexico, Norway, and Paraguay.


title: Chuck Norris

text: Norris married his classmate Dianne Kay Holechek (born 1941) in December 1958 when he was 18 and Dianne was 17 years of age. They met in 1956 at high school in Torrance, California. In 1962, their first child, Mike, was born. He also had a daughter Dina who was born in 1963 of an extramarital affair. Later, he had a second son, Eric, with his wife in 1964. After 30 years of marriage, Norris and Holechek divorced in 1989, after separating in 1988, during the filming of "The Delta Force 2".


title: Chuck Norris

text: On November 28, 1998, he married former model Gena O'Kelley, 23 years Norris's junior. O'Kelley had two children from a previous marriage. She delivered twins on August 30, 2001.


title: Chuck Norris

text: On September 22, 2004, Norris told "Entertainment Tonight"'s Mary Hart that he did not meet his illegitimate daughter from a past relationship until she was 26, although she learned that he was her father when she was 16. He met her after she sent a letter informing him of their relationship in 1990, one year after Norris's divorce with his first wife Dianne Holechek.


title: Chuck Norris

text: An outspoken Christian, Norris is the author of several Christian-themed books. On April 22, 2008, Norris expressed his support for the intelligent design movement when he reviewed Ben Stein's "" for Townhall.com.


title: Chuck Norris

text: Norris is a Republican and outspoken conservative. Norris is a columnist for the far-right WorldNetDaily.


title: Chuck Norris

text: On November 18, 2008, Norris became one of the first members of show business to express support for the California Proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage, and he chided activists for "interfering" with the democratic process and the double standard he perceived in criticizing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints without criticizing African Americans, who had voted for the measure by a wide margin.


title: Chuck Norris

text: On June 26, 2012, Norris published an article on Ammoland.com, in which he accused the Obama administration of paying Jim Turley, one of the national board members of the Boy Scouts of America at the time, to reverse the organization's policy that excluded gay youths from joining.


title: Chuck Norris

text: During the 2012 presidential election, Norris first recommended Ron Paul, and then later formally endorsed Newt Gingrich as the Republican presidential candidate. After Gingrich suspended his campaign in May 2012, Norris endorsed Republican presumptive nominee Mitt Romney, despite Norris having previously accused Romney of flip-flopping and of trying to buy the nomination for the Republican Party candidacy for 2012. On the eve of the election, he and his wife Gena made a video warning that if evangelicals did not show up at the polls and vote out President Obama, "...our country as we know it may be lost forever...".


title: Chuck Norris

text: Norris has visited Israel, and he voiced support for former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the 2013 and 2015 elections. Norris endorsed Huckabee again in the 2016 Republican primaries before he dropped out. In March 2016, it was reported that Norris endorsed Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz and that he would be attending a Cruz rally, but two days later, Norris stated he would only endorse the GOP nominee once that nominee has been nominated by the party. Norris endorsed former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore in the 2017 United States Senate special election in Alabama.


title: Chuck Norris

text: In 2019, Norris signed an endorsement deal with gun manufacturer Glock. The deal was met with criticism from some members of the public and some of his fans, who felt it was in bad timing due to the increase in school shootings in the United States.


title: Chuck Norris

text: In 2021, Norris announced his support of the 2021 gubernatorial election to recall incumbent Governor Gavin Newsom and endorsed radio talk show host Larry Elder to replace him.


title: Chuck Norris

text: In 1990, Norris established the United Fighting Arts Federation and Kickstart Kids. As a significant part of his philanthropic contributions, the organization was formed to develop self-esteem and focus in at-risk children as a tactic to keep them away from drug-related pressure by training them in martial arts. Norris hopes that by shifting middle school and high school children's focus towards this positive and strengthening endeavor, these children will have the opportunity to build a better future for themselves. Norris has a ranch in Navasota, Texas, where they bottle water; a portion of the sales support environmental funds and Kickstart Kids.


title: Chuck Norris

text: He is known for his contributions towards organizations such as Funds for Kids, Veteran's Administration National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans, the United Way, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation in the form of donations as well as fund-raising activities.


title: Chuck Norris

text: His time with the U.S. Veterans Administration as a spokesperson was inspired by his experience serving the United States Air Force in Korea. His objective has been to popularize the issues that concern hospitalized war veterans such as pensions and health care. Due to his significant contributions, and continued support, he received the "Veteran of the Year" award in 2001 at the "American Veteran Awards".


title: Chuck Norris

text: In India, Norris supports the Vijay Amritraj Foundation, which aims at bringing hope, help and healing to the defenseless and innocent victims of disease, tragedy and circumstance. Through his donations, he has helped the foundation support Paediatric HIV/AIDS homes in Delhi, a blind school in Karnataka, and a mission that cares for HIV/AIDS infected adults, as well as mentally ill patients in Cochin.


title: Rashida Jones

text: Rashida Leah Jones (; born February 25, 1976) is an American actress, director, writer, and producer.


title: Rashida Jones

text: Jones appeared as Louisa Fenn on the Fox drama series "Boston Public" (2000–2002), as Karen Filippelli on the NBC comedy series "The Office" (2006–2009; 2011), and as Ann Perkins on the NBC comedy series "Parks and Recreation" (2009–2015). From 2016 to 2019, Jones starred as the lead eponymous role in the TBS comedy series "Angie Tribeca", and in 2020, Jones starred as Joya Barris in the Netflix series "#blackAF".


title: Rashida Jones

text: Jones also appeared in the films "I Love You, Man" (2009), "The Social Network" (2010), "Our Idiot Brother" (2011), "The Muppets" (2011), "Celeste and Jesse Forever" (2012), which she co-wrote, and "Tag" (2018). Jones also co-wrote the story of "Toy Story 4" (2019).


title: Rashida Jones

text: She worked as a producer on the film "Hot Girls Wanted" (2015) and the series "" (2017), directing the first episode of the latter. Both works explore the sex industry. In 2018, her documentary "Quincy", about her father, Quincy Jones, debuted on Netflix; it won the Grammy Award for Best Music Film in 2019.


title: Rashida Jones

text: Jones was born in Los Angeles, California, to actress Peggy Lipton and musician/record producer Quincy Jones. She is the younger sister of actress and model Kidada Jones, and half-sister to five siblings from their father's other relationships, including Kenya Jones and Quincy Jones III. Jones's father has Tikar roots from Cameroon, and a Welsh paternal grandfather. Her mother was Ashkenazi Jewish (a descendant of Jewish emigrants from Russia and Latvia). Jones and her sister were raised in Reform Judaism by their mother; Jones attended Hebrew school, though she left at the age of ten and did not have a bat mitzvah.


title: Rashida Jones

text: Jones grew up in Los Angeles's Bel Air neighborhood. She has said of her parents' mixed-race marriage: "it was the 1970s and still not that acceptable for them to be together". In his autobiography, her father recalled how he would often find the six-year-old Jones under the covers after bedtime, reading five books at a time with a flashlight. She has said that she grew up a "straight-up nerd" and "had a computer with floppy disks and a dial-up modem before it was cool". Jones displayed musical ability from an early age and can play classical piano. Her mother told "Entertainment Tonight" in 1990 that Jones was "also a fabulous singer and songwriter".


title: Rashida Jones

text: Jones attended The Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, California, where she made the National Honor Society and was voted "Most Likely To Succeed" by her classmates. Jones was involved with theater at Buckley, with tutelage from acting teacher Tim Hillman. Jones's parents divorced when she was 14 years old; her sister subsequently remained with their father, while Rashida moved with their mother to Brentwood. In 1994, Jones garnered attention with an open letter responding to scathing remarks made by rapper Tupac Shakur about her parents' interracial marriage. They managed to patch up their differences and Shakur eventually went on to be friends with Rashida and her family. Rashida's sister, Kidada Jones, was dating Tupac at the time of his death.


title: Rashida Jones

text: Rashida Jones attended Harvard University, where she lived in Currier House and Eliot House. She belonged to the Hasty Pudding Theatricals, Harvard Radcliffe Dramatic Club, Harvard-Radcliffe "Opportunes", Black Students Association, and the Signet Society. She was initially interested in becoming a lawyer but changed her mind after becoming disillusioned by the O. J. Simpson murder trial. She became involved in the performing arts and served as musical director for the "Opportunes", an "a cappella" group, co-composed the score for the 149th annual Hasty Pudding Theatricals performance, and acted in several plays. In her second year at college, Jones performed in "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf", which she said was "healing" because she had been seen by many black students as not being "black enough". She studied religion and philosophy and graduated in 1997.


title: Rashida Jones

text: Jones made her professional acting debut in "The Last Don", 1997 miniseries based on the novel by Mario Puzo. She next appeared in "Myth America", "East of A" and "If These Walls Could Talk 2". In 2000, she guest-starred as Karen Scarfolli on "Freaks and Geeks" before landing the role of Louisa Fenn on "Boston Public." Between 2000 and 2002, she appeared in 26 episodes, earning an NAACP Image Award nomination in her final year. Although she had a minor supporting role in the series, film opportunities quickly surfaced. She had a small role in "Full Frontal", directed by Steven Soderbergh, and starred in "Now You Know", written and directed by Kevin Smith regular Jeff Anderson. She also starred in the short film "Roadside Assistance" with Adam Brody.


title: Rashida Jones

text: After Jones left "Boston Public", she appeared in "Death of a Dynasty", directed by Damon Dash, and two episodes of "Chappelle's Show" on Comedy Central. In 2004, she was cast in "Strip Search", an HBO film directed by Sidney Lumet, but her scenes were cut from the final broadcast version. Later that year, she played Dr. Rachel Keyes in "Little Black Book" and starred as Edie Miller in the British drama series "NY-LON". In 2005, Jones played Karen in the "Stella" pilot on Comedy Central and special government agent Carla Merced in the TNT police drama "Wanted".


title: Rashida Jones

text: Jones was considering leaving the acting profession and pursuing a graduate degree in public policy before she was offered the part on "The Office". She joined the ensemble cast in September 2006, playing the role of Karen Filippelli. She appeared regularly during the third season, returning as a guest star for three episodes in seasons four, five, and seven.


title: Rashida Jones

text: Jones also played Karen in the February 2007 "Saturday Night Live" episode hosted by Rainn Wilson, appearing briefly in the opening monologue's "Office" parody. Jones filmed cameo roles in "The Ten" and "Role Models", both directed by David Wain, with the latter appearing on the Blu-ray release. She co-starred in "Unhitched", the short-lived 2008 comedy series produced by the Farrelly brothers. She also appeared as the love interest in the Foo Fighters' music video "Long Road to Ruin".


title: Rashida Jones

text: In January 2009, Jones voiced several characters in an episode of the Adult Swim show "Robot Chicken". She played Hannah in "Brief Interviews with Hideous Men", an independent film by John Krasinski that screened during the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. She co-starred as Zooey Rice in "I Love You, Man", a DreamWorks comedy with Paul Rudd and Jason Segel.


title: Rashida Jones

text: Jones accepted a role in "Parks and Recreation", a mockumentary-style sitcom on NBC. The show was created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, with whom she previously worked on "The Office". She played nurse Ann Perkins from the show's debut until midway through the sixth season, and reprised the role for the final episode of the series.


title: Rashida Jones

text: Jones had a small role in the 2010 Kevin Smith film "Cop Out". She appeared in "The Social Network" (2010), alongside Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield, which is set at Harvard. She played Marylin Delpy, a second-year legal associate assisting with the defense of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.


title: Rashida Jones

text: Jones starred opposite Chris Messina in "Monogamy" (2010), a drama directed by Dana Adam Shapiro. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2010 and was released theatrically in March 2011.


title: Rashida Jones

text: Jones's other 2011 films were "Friends with Benefits", starring Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis; "The Big Year", with Steve Martin, Owen Wilson, and Jack Black; "The Muppets", with Jason Segel, Amy Adams and Chris Cooper; and "Our Idiot Brother", with Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks and Emily Mortimer. In the latter she played a lesbian lawyer named Cindy, the caring girlfriend of a bisexual character played by Zooey Deschanel. Jones also has a cameo in the Beastie Boys' short film "Fight For Your Right Revisited", which premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Additionally, Jones appeared on an episode of "Wilfred" as Lisa, a hospice volunteer. The episode aired on July 21, 2011, on FX.


title: Rashida Jones

text: In 2012, she starred opposite Andy Samberg in the film "Celeste and Jesse Forever", which she co-wrote.


title: Rashida Jones

text: Along with Danny DeVito, she was a voice guest star in "The Simpsons" episode "The Changing of the Guardian" (season 24, episode 11).


title: Rashida Jones

text: In 2014, Jones was cast in the lead role of Angie Tribeca on the TBS comedy series "Angie Tribeca", which premiered in 2016. The show was created by Steve and Nancy Carell and was cancelled in 2019.


title: Rashida Jones

text: In 2015, Jones produced the documentary film "Hot Girls Wanted", which examines the role of teenage girls in pornographic films. Netflix acquired the film after the film's premiere at Sundance Film Festival; it premiered on May 29, 2015. A spin-off series, "", debuted in 2017; Jones was a producer and directed the first episode. Jones is due to be involved in an adaptation of "Sell/Buy/Date", a play about the sex industry. Through her involvement in "Hot Girls Wanted", Jones has gathered a negative reputation among sex workers, as they see the film and series as unfairly depicting the industry and as violating performers' consent. "Turned On" was criticized after some people who appeared in it said that they did not give permission or withdrew permission, and that the series included their images or personal details without consent.


title: Rashida Jones

text: In 2020, Jones began starring and serving as an executive producer on the Netflix sitcom "#blackAF" opposite Kenya Barris, who created the series. Jones also voices recurring role of Mia on Fox's "Duncanville". She stars in the 2020 comedy-drama "On the Rocks" opposite Bill Murray directed by Sofia Coppola.


title: Rashida Jones

text: Jones created "Frenemy of the State", a comic book series about a socialite who is recruited by the CIA. The comics are published by Oni Press and co-written with husband-and-wife writing team Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir. In October 2009, before the first issue had been released, Jones sold the screen rights to Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment. Brian Grazer and Eric Gitter produced the film, and Jones co-wrote the screenplay with writing partner Will McCormack.


title: Rashida Jones

text: Jones sold her first screenplay, a comedy titled "Celeste and Jesse Forever", in March 2009. She co-wrote the script with McCormack and was attached to star in the film. It was released in 2012.


title: Rashida Jones

text: In 2016, Jones co-wrote the teleplay of "Nosedive", an episode of the television anthology series "Black Mirror" with Michael Schur from a story by Charlie Brooker.


title: Rashida Jones

text: Jones and McCormack worked on the script of "Toy Story 4" for Pixar Animation Studios. Jones left the writing assignment early due to feeling that Pixar is "a culture where women and people of color do not have an equal creative voice". The film was released in June 2019, with the pair being among those receiving a "story by" credit.


title: Rashida Jones

text: Jones has been published in "Teen Vogue" magazine, where she worked as a contributing editor. She wrote chapter 36 of her father's biography, "" (2001).


title: Rashida Jones

text: Jones contributed a "thank-you note" to Michelle Obama in "The New York Times" in 2016 which was excerpted in the 2017 book "Courage Is Contagious".


title: Rashida Jones

text: As a singer, Jones has provided backing vocals for the band Maroon 5. She appears on the tracks "Tangled", "Secret" and "Not Coming Home" from their debut record, "Songs About Jane", and on "Kiwi" from the follow-up album "It Won't Be Soon Before Long". Jones was a guest vocalist on the Tupac Shakur tribute album, "The Rose That Grew from Concrete", released in 2000. The track, "Starry Night", also featured her father's vocals, Mac Mall's rapping, and her half-brother QD3's production. Jones also contributed vocals on the song "Dick Starbuck: Porno Detective" on The High & Mighty's 1999 debut "Home Field Advantage".


title: Rashida Jones

text: Jones contributed vocals to songs on "The Baxter", "The Ten" and "" soundtracks. She sang in some episodes of "Boston Public" and for charitable events such as the What A Pair Benefit in 2002 to raise money for breast cancer research. In May 2015, Jones released a song titled "Wanted to Be Loved" alongside Daniel Ahearn, the song was used in the documentary "Hot Girls Wanted", which Jones produced.


title: Rashida Jones

text: In 2002, Jones appeared in the video to "More Than a Woman" by Aaliyah alongside her sister Kidada Jones and then-boyfriend Mark Ronson. Jones has also appeared in music videos for The Boy Least Likely To song "Be Gentle With Me", and the Foo Fighters' single "Long Road to Ruin". In the latter she was credited as Racinda Jules and played the role of Susan Belfontaine. In 2013, Jones directed the music video for Sara Bareilles' song "Brave". It marked her debut as a director.


title: Rashida Jones

text: In 2016, she featured in the music video "Flip and Rewind" by Boss Selection, with the video directed by Jones and McCormack.


title: Rashida Jones

text: Jones has appeared in several online comedy series projects. She starred in Funny or Die's "Speak Out" series with Natalie Portman and guest-starred in two episodes in the first webseason "Web Therapy" with Lisa Kudrow. Due to other commitments, Jones was unable to reprise her role for the second, third and fourth seasons, provided voiceover work for an off-screen appearance in the show's first TV season (containing her appearance from the first web season), and was able to make time to reprise her role on-screen for an exclusive appearance in the second-season finale of the show. She also played David Wain in disguise for an episode of My Damn Channel's "Wainy Days". In 2008, Jones appeared with several other celebrities in , an all-star video satirising California's anti-gay marriage initiative, written by Marc Shaiman. From 2013 to 2015, she provided the voice of Hotwire on the Hulu comedy series "The Awesomes".


title: Rashida Jones

text: In 2011, Dove selected Jones as its spokeswoman for its "Dove Nourishing Oil Care Collection." In 2015, she began starring in a series of commercials for Verizon FiOS. In 2017, Jones became a spokeswoman for the Almay brand of cosmetics. In 2018, Jones became the first female ambassador for Maison Kitsune. In 2019, she modeled for and endorsed the glasses brand, Zenni Optical. She has also served as the narrating voice for Southwest Airlines and Expedia as well as appearing in Expedia television commercials.


title: Rashida Jones

text: During the February 2022 Super Bowl LVI, she appeared alongside Tommy Lee Jones, Leslie Jones, and Nick Jonas in a Toyota commercial for the Tundra pickup truck entitled 'keeping up with the Joneses' with background music 'It's Not Unusual' by Tom Jones.


title: Rashida Jones

text: In November 2020 Jones started the "Bill Gates and Rashida Jones Ask Big Questions" podcast with co-host Bill Gates.


title: Rashida Jones

text: In September 2018, Jones's production company, Le Train Train, signed a first-look television deal with MRC.


title: Rashida Jones

text: Though raised Jewish, Jones began practicing Hinduism in her early teens with her mother, after the two visited an ashram in India. As an adult, she practices Judaism. She told a reporter:


title: Rashida Jones

text: On her multi-racial identity, she has remarked "I have gone through periods where I only feel black or Jewish. Now I have a good balance." and "The thing is, I do identify with being black, and if people don't identify me that way, that's their issue. I'm happy to challenge people's understanding of what it looks like to be biracial..."


title: Rashida Jones

text: Jones was engaged to music producer Mark Ronson in February 2003. He proposed on her 27th birthday, using a custom-made crossword puzzle spelling out "Will you marry me?" Their relationship ended approximately one year later.


title: Rashida Jones

text: Jones has worked to promote Peace First (formerly Peace Games), a nonprofit that teaches children to resolve conflict without violence. She has been a board member since 2004 and holds several annual benefits to raise money for the organization. Jones has participated in Stand Up to Cancer events, EDUN and ONE: The Campaign to Make Poverty History, and The Art of Elysium's volunteer program, which runs artistic workshops for hospitalized children. In 2007, she was honorary chair of the annual Housing Works benefit, which fights AIDS and homelessness in New York City. She has helped fundraise for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the EB Medical Research Foundation, and New York's Lower Eastside Girls Club.


title: Rashida Jones

text: In 2016, Jones visited a Syrian refugee camp in Lebanon. She wrote about the confronting experience for "Vanity Fair". She also made a virtual reality movie to document her experiences, which appeared on rescue.org.


title: Rashida Jones

text: Jones has campaigned for Democratic Party presidential candidates. Jones campaigned for Democratic candidate John Kerry during the 2004 election, speaking at student rallies and a public gallery in Ohio.


title: Rashida Jones

text: She supported Barack Obama during the 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns. In 2008, along with Kristen Bell, she visited college campuses in Missouri to discuss the candidates and to encourage voter registration for the Democratic Party. In 2012, she campaigned in Iowa along with "Parks and Recreation" co-star Adam Scott.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: Koduri Srisaila Sri Rajamouli ( ; born 10 October 1973) is an Indian film director and screenwriter who primarily works in Telugu cinema. He is the highest paid director in India, and is known for his action, fantasy, and epic genre films. Three of his films, "" (2015), "" (2017), and "RRR" (2022) are among the top five highest grossing-films in India to date. All three films were also the most expensive Indian films ever made at the time of their release. He is a recipient of various national and international honors including one New York Film Critics Circle award, two Saturn Awards, three National Film Awards, four Filmfare Awards South, and five Nandi Awards. In 2016, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri, for his contributions to the field of Art.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: Rajamouli has directed twelve feature films so far, and all of them were successful at the box office. "Baahubali 2" is currently the highest grossing film in India, and sold over 10 crore (100million) tickets during its box office run; the highest estimated admissions for any film in India since "Sholay" (1975). The 2009 fantasy action film "Magadheera" was the highest-grossing Telugu film ever at the time. His 2012 film "Eega" won the Most Original Film at the 8th Toronto After Dark Film Festival. "Baahubali" films have received six Saturn Award nominations, with "Baahubali 2" winning the Best International Film. "RRR" is nominated in three categories at the 47th Saturn Awards, including a Best Director nomination, winning the Best International Film, and the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: Rajamouli's films are often characterized by their epic grandeur, larger-than-life characters, stylized action sequences, and unbridled heroism with historical - mythological references. His films are noted for their integration of CGI with practical effects. With his "Baahubali" films, he has pioneered the pan-Indian film movement, wherein a film is simultaneously released in multiple Indian languages across the country, and made in a way that appeals to the audience cutting across the linguistic and cultural barriers. He is also credited for expanding the market of Telugu cinema and South Indian cinema into North India and international markets.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: Koduri Srisaila Sri Rajamouli was born on 10 October 1973 in a Telugu family in Amareshwara Camp near Manvi in Raichur district of present-day Karnataka state, to V. Vijayendra Prasad and Raja Nandini. His parents are ardent devotees of Lord Shiva. Rajamouli was born after his mother had a dream when she visited the pilgrimage site of Srisailam. Hence, he was named Srisaila Sri Rajamouli. He has one sister.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: Rajamouli's family hails from Kovvur near Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh. His mother's family hails from Vizag, Andhra Pradesh and Rajamouli lived there for several years. Rajamouli grew up in a joint family his father and his five brothers lived in the same house with their families. Prasad's family had lands in Kovvur which were lost when the railways lines were laid through them. Then, Prasad and his family moved to Karnataka from Kovvur in 1968. He, along with his elder brother K. V. Sivashankar, bought seven acres of paddy fields in Hirekotikal village of Manvi Taluk in Raichur district. Their family moved back to Kovvur in 1977.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: Rajamouli was educated in Kovvur till fourth standard and then shifted to Eluru where he studied till Intermediate 1st Year. He then took a break of two years and finished his Intermediate 2nd Year in Kovvur. After that, he did not pursue any further formal education.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: Rajamouli was passionate about storytelling right from his second standard. When he was seven years old, his grandmother introduced him to the epics "Ramayana", "Mahabharata", and "Bhagavata". At the same age, his father introduced him to "Amar Chitra Katha" comics that featured stories on Indian historical figures, religious legends, and folktales. It had a huge impact on him and developed his penchant for larger-than-life characters. He would remember those stories and the films he watched and then re-tell them to his friends in his own way. His mother was keen on him learning English and would take him to watch English-language films in the nearby towns. She encouraged him to read comics and storybooks in his free time and never pressurised him in his academics. His father recollects about Rajamouli's childhood, "He was not an ambitious child. For a long time, we did not know what interested him. He showed some inclination towards films. He played the role of young Krishna in a film I directed."


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: Rajamouli's grandfather was a wealthy landlord who owned 360 acres of land. By the time Rajamouli was 10 or 11 years old, they lost much of their wealth. As his father Vijayendra Prasad and uncle Siva Shakthi Datta were passionate about filmmaking, they sold most of their remaining assets and shifted to Madras (now Chennai) to make films. They started many films that went unfinished. They faced financial losses and started working as ghostwriters to make ends meet. Thirteen members of his extended family started living in a two-room apartment in Madras. Rajamouli recollects his family sitting together and making fun of themselves and their condition at the time, but they were never sad about it.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: Later Prasad established himself as a screenwriter with films like "Bobbili Simham" (1994) and "Gharana Bullodu" (1995). Wanting to make another film, his father then co-produced (along with Katragadda Prasad) and directed a film called "Ardhangi" (1996) with his life savings. Rajamouli recalls about that film:I was very actively involved in the project as an associate director. I felt that film was my child, even though I didn't direct the film. It was a miserable failure. My family went into a debt trap. It took us years to pick up and put the pieces together. All of that strongly stayed in my mind. That was a very low period for me. I then decided to never take anything for granted. It imbibed in me the work ethic to make everything perfect and interesting for the audience, no matter how small or unimportant that scene or shot might be. That lowest phase of my life taught me how I should work later on in my career.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: Rajamouli started his film career as an apprentice to the veteran film editor Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao and worked with him for six months. Rajamouli recollects, "Even in my early 20s, I didn't know how to plan for my future. My father would constantly scold me for doing nothing. I joined films just to get away from his nagging. Slowly, I found my love for direction." He worked at AVM recording theatre in Chennai for a few days. He also worked as an assistant director to Kranthi Kumar for some time. Then, he assisted his father Vijayendra Prasad for six years. He started writing for films but was always disappointed by the execution of his stories by other directors. His frustration as a writer motivated him to become a director so that he can bring out his vision as a writer perfectly onto the screen.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: He then shifted to Hyderabad from Chennai and worked with his relative Gunnam Gangaraju from whom he learnt about the practical aspect of filmmaking. Later under the supervision of K. Raghavendra Rao, he directed social message-oriented commercials. He also directed some advertisements for Telugu Desam Party. He then worked for one and half years as the director of the Telugu TV serial "Santhi Nivasam" along with Vara Mullapudi which was produced by Raghavendra Rao and aired on ETV. In an interview in 2005, Rajamouli called it the most arduous period in his life as he used to work for 17 hours a day. He recalled:“My main aim while working in television was to get Mr Rao’s approval. During my TV days, I didn’t have much of an idea of what I was making. The good thing was that I was a hard worker, and I earned the nickname work devil.”


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: In 2001, Raghavendra Rao offered Rajamouli the chance to direct a feature film under his production titled "" which the latter accepted. Raghavendra Rao provided the screenplay in addition to supervising the direction. Rajamouli later regretted not working for a longer time as an assistant director. “When I made my first film "Student No: 1", I didn’t know how to use a crane because I never used a crane while I was doing my TV serial." "Student No:1" was a coming of age romantic action film and was the second film of Jr. NTR in a lead role. Rajamouli would go onto collaborate with Jr. NTR in three more films. The film was a critical and commercial success and was Jr. NTR's first successful film.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: It took two years for Rajamouli to come up with his second film "Simhadri" (2003). After his first film, he realised that the kind of films he wanted to make had more drama and action, and so he made "Simhadri", an action masala film. It marked Rajamouli's first collaboration with his father Vijayendra Prasad who provided the story. "Simhadri" was also the first film penned by Rajamouli. The film emerged as a blockbuster and became one of the highest grossing Telugu films ever at the time.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: In the two-year gap between "Student No.1" and "Simhadri", Rajamouli planned his first mythological film with Malayalam actor Mohanlal, but the film eventually got shelved. In 2015, Assistant art director Manu Jagath, who later worked as the art director for Baahubali, released several sketches he had drawn for the shelved Mohanlal project. During the same period he was also supposed to direct a fantasy film with Prakash Kovelamudi as the lead but the film was shelved due to financial reasons.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: Rajamouli's third film was "Sye" (2004), starring Nithin and Genelia. He recalls, "I got plenty of offers after the success of "Simhadri". But I deliberately made a decision not to make an emotionally charged mass film like "Simhadri" immediately. I don't want to get branded as mass director. Hence I did "Sye", which is radically different compared to "Simhadri."" It was a first-of-its-kind film in Telugu cinema, in that it was based on the sport of Rugby. This film was also the first instance where Rajamouli collaborated with K. K. Senthil Kumar who would eventually work with him on seven more films. "Sye" was commercially successful and won four Nandi Awards. "Sye" made a huge impact on the Telugu popular culture through its popularisation of Rugby to the masses.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: His next venture was "Chatrapathi" (2005), an action drama set in Vizag dealing with the plight of refugees. "Chatrapathi" starred Prabhas in the lead role with music composed by M. M. Keeravani and cinematography by Senthil Kumar. It was Rajamouli's fourth consecutive hit and became one of the highest grossing Telugu films of the year.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: In his next project "Vikramarkudu" (2006), Rajamouli worked with Ravi Teja and Anushka Shetty. Rajamouli was attacked during the shooting of the film near Nanakramguda in Hyderabad. He suffered a hairline fracture on his hand and was admitted into a nearby Apollo hospital. "Vikramarkudu" was a breakthrough film for Anushka Shetty. The film was screened at the International Film Festival of India in the mainstream section. The film was a big success and was remade into several Indian languages including Kannada as "Veera Madakari" (2009), Tamil as "Siruthai" (2011), and Hindi as "Rowdy Rathore" (2012).


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: He then directed "Yamadonga" (2007), a fantasy action comedy film starring Jr NTR, Priyamani, Mohan Babu, and Mamata Mohandas. The plot follows Raja, a thief who is killed by his rivals. Raja's soul travels to Naraka (hell) to face the trail for his sins by Yama, the Hindu god of death and justice. The film was successful at the box-office and became one of the highest grossing Telugu films ever at the time.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: Rajamouli started his own production company Visvamithra Creations named after the ancient Indian sage Visvamitra. Prabhas acted as Visvamitra for the logo shoot of the company. "Yamadonga" was produced under the Visvamithra Creations banner but the producers were Cherry and Urmila Gunnam with Rama Rajamouli presenting the film.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: Rajamouli's next venture was the fantasy-action film "Magadheera" (2009), starring Ram Charan and Kajal Aggarwal. Made on a budget of 3544 crore (US$710 million), it was the most expensive Telugu film at the time. It was the first Telugu film to list a "visual effects producer" in its credits. "Magadheera" became one of the biggest commercial successes in Telugu cinema and was the highest-grossing Telugu film at the end of its theatrical run. For "Magadheera", Rajamouli won the Nandi Award for Best Director and Filmfare Award for Best Director – Telugu. The film also won the National Award for Best Choreography and Best Special Effects at the 57th National Film Awards and a total of six Filmfare Awards South and nine Nandi Awards. The film's success catapulted both the leads into stardom.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: "Magadheera" was dubbed into Tamil as "Maaveeran" and into Malayalam as "Dheera: The Warrior" and was released on 27 May 2011. Both the dubbed versions were successful and earned a good fan base for Ram Charan in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The Japanese-dubbed version of the film released in August 2018 and became one of the highest-grossing Indian films ever at the Japanese box office.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: In 2010 he directed the action comedy film "Maryada Ramanna" starring Sunil and Saloni. Rajamouli watched the 1923 silent comedy film "Our Hospitality" and liked it immensely. He wanted to re-tell the same story in his own way. He tried to contact the original creators but found out that the original writers of the film were long dead and that the film's copyright had expired as it had been over 75 years since the film's release. His cousin S. S. Kanchi and him then adapted that story with a Rayalaseema backdrop focusing on the factional violence and hospitality that co-existed in the region. Regarding his decision to make a small film like "Maryada Ramanna" he remarked, "I decided that my next project would be "Maryada Ramanna" during "Magadheera" shooting itself because "Magadheera" is a one and half year project that demands lot of physical labour and mental strain. I didn’t want to commit another physically exhausting film immediately after "Magadheera"."


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: "Maryada Ramanna" opened to favourable reviews from critics. It became one of the highest grossing Telugu films of 2010. It received four Nandi Awards, including Best Popular Feature Film. "Maryada Ramanna" was remade in Hindi as "Son of Sardaar" and into other languages like Kannada, Bengali, Tamil, and Malayalam. In 2012 Rajamouli stated in an interview with Maa TV that "Maryada Ramanna" was his personal favourite among all the films he had directed.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: His next project was the fantasy action film "Eega" (2012). The film was produced by Sai Korrapati Vaaraahi Chalana Chitram with an estimated budget of 30–40 crore (US$6–7 million). It was simultaneously filmed in Tamil language with the title "Naan Ee" (). The film stars Sudeep, Nani, and Samantha.The idea of "Eega" originated in the mid-1990s in Vijayendra Prasad's mind. At that time, he was joking about a housefly seeking revenge on a human in a conversation with his son Rajamouli. After completing "Maryada Ramanna", Rajamouli reconsidered the concept after thinking of directing a film that was distinct from any other. He explained it thus:When I started making films, I stuck to formula films for a while which did well at the box office. After a while, I was getting too comfortable with what I was doing, so I wanted to experiment with something completely different. I wanted to take the audience by surprise and that is when I went back to the story I had heard 16 years ago.Upon release, the film received widespread critical acclaim including for Rajamouli's direction. It became one of the highest-grossing Telugu films of all time. The Tamil version "Naan Ee" and Malayalam version "Eecha" were also big hits at the box office. The Hindi dubbed version "Makkhi" underperformed at the box office which Rajamouli attributed to a poor promotional strategy. But the satellite rights of "Makkhi" were sold at a price of 8 crore to Star Gold, by far the highest price ever paid for the Hindi dub of a Telugu film at the time.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: "Eega" was screened at various international film festivals including the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. The Telugu version won nine awards, including Most Original Film at the 8th annual Toronto After Dark Film Festival. "Eega" won two National Film Awards (Best Feature Film in Telugu and Best Special Effects) and five South Filmfare Awards including Best Telugu Film and Best Telugu Director. Speaking at an event, filmmaker Shekhar Kapur said regional cinema is surpassing Hindi cinema in content and story, and cited "Eega" as an example. Kapur said he was impressed with its story and use of technology, and called it "no less than a Hollywood superhero film". "Eega" was listed among "The 25 Best Foreign Films of the Decade" by The Ringer.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: In 2015, he directed the epic action film "" starring Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, and Tamanna. The film was shot using Arri Alexa XT camera, marking Rajamouli's first film shot using a digital camera. Rajamouli's work was lauded by "The Hollywood Reporter", "The Guardian" and "The Huffington Post". It became the second highest grossing Indian film of all time, and the highest grossing Indian film of all time within India. Its Hindi dubbed version also broke several records. It was the first dubbed film to collect over 100 crore nett at the Hindi box office and became the highest-grossing dubbed film in Hindi of all time. It was screened at various international film festivals including the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. The making of the film was featured in BBC's documentary on 100 Years of Indian cinema, directed by Sanjeev Bhaskar.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: "Baahubali: The Beginning" received . It won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film and became the first Telugu film to win the award. It also won the National Award for Best Special Effects. At the 63rd Filmfare Awards South, the Telugu version won five awards from ten nominations, including Best Film and Best Director award for Rajamouli. It became the first Indian film to be nominated for Saturn Awards, receiving five nominations at the 42nd ceremony, including Best Fantasy Film.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: In 2015, Rajamouli was named as the CNN-News18 Indian of the Year in Entertainment. In 2016, he was honoured with the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian honour for his contributions towards the field of Art.His next project was "" (2017), which served as both a sequel and a prequel to "Baahubali: The Beginning". The film was premiered at the British Film Institute. It was made on an estimated budget of ($37 million) and was the most expensive Indian film ever made at the time. "Baahubali 2" was released on 28 April 2017 and later dubbed into Hindi, Malayalam, Japanese, Russian and Chinese. Released in conventional 2D and IMAX formats, "Baahubali 2" was the first Telugu film to also release in 4K High Definition format.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: Grossing worldwide ($267 million), the film surpassed "PK" (2014) to briefly become the highest grossing Indian film of all time, collecting approximately worldwide within just six days of its release. It became the first-ever Indian film to gross over , doing so in just ten days. Within India, it set many film records, becoming the highest-grossing film in Hindi, as well as in its original Telugu language. It stands as the highest grossing film in India, the second highest-grossing Indian film worldwide and the 39th highest-grossing film of 2017. The film sold over 10 crore (100million) tickets during its box office run, the highest estimated admissions for any film in India since "Sholay" (1975). "Baahubali 2" released to positive reviews from critics. It won the Saturn Award for Best International Film and three National Film Awards: Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment, Best Special Effects and Best Stunt Choreographer.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: The exceptional success of "Baahubali" films across different Indian languages, regions, and states kickstarted what has been termed the pan-Indian films movement where a film is simultaneously released in multiple Indian languages and is made to appeal to audiences across the country, cutting across the linguistic and cultural barriers. Several filmmakers and film analysts have credited Rajamouli for almost single-handedly expanding the reach and market of South Indian cinema to Northern India and beyond.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: Rajamouli's subsequent film "RRR" (2022) is a period drama based on the lives of Indian revolutionaries, Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem. Made on a budget of est. 550 crore (US$72 million), it is the most expensive Indian film ever made. The film stars NTR Jr, Ram Charan, Alia Bhatt, and Ajay Devgn. "RRR" opened to positive reviews from critics with praise for the performances, particularly Rama Rao and Charan, and screenplay by Rajamouli.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: With ₹240 crore (US$31 million) worldwide on its first day, "RRR" broke the record for the highest opening-day collection earned by an Indian film. "RRR" emerged as the highest-grossing film in its home market of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, grossing over ₹400 crore (US$52 million) and surpassing Rajamouli's previous film . The film grossed ₹1,150–1,200 crore (US$150–160 million) worldwide, setting several box office records for an Indian film, including the second-highest-grossing film in India and the third-highest-grossing Indian film. "RRR" is nominated in three categories at the 47th Saturn Awards including a Best Director nomination for Rajamouli. It was also nominated in Best Action / Adventure Film and Best International Film categories.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: Rajamouli is committed to collaborate with actor Mahesh Babu. The film, touted to be a jungle adventure set in Africa, is expected to begin its production in 2023. While attending the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, he revealed more details about the project. “My next film with Mahesh Babu will be a globetrotting action adventure. It’s going to be a kind of James Bond or Indiana Jones film with Indian roots.” In September 2022, he signed with the American talent agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA) in a move that has been described as a "coup for the agency".


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: There were also reports of him planning a live-action animated film rooted in Indian content. In August 2022, he revealed that he was working on a couple of scripts that would be suitable to be made as animation films.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: Rajamouli frequently speaks about his intention to make a film based on the Indian epic "Mahabharata" in the future. He thinks it will be at least a four-part project requiring a time period of six to ten years. In May 2017 he noted, "I don't want to compromise in making it and the huge project is going to take 10 years perhaps. I am apprehensive as to whether I will be able to execute such a technically-superior project (in the immediate future)." He had also revealed that the film series may not feature established movie stars. "This is the kind of film that will not work out if I rope in stars. Once the different characters are designed, I would have to hunt for the right artists and mould them accordingly," he said. In July 2022 he said, “"Mahabharata" has been my long, long, long dream project, but it will take a long time for me to step into that ocean. Before I step into "Mahabharata" I want to make, maybe, three or four films."


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: He also expressed his wish on several occasions to make films on the historical rulers Sri Krishnadevaraya, Rajaraja Narendra, Kakatiyas, Rani Abbakka.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: In 2022, during a talk at a Film festival in the United States of America, Rajamouli stated that he is not a Hindu in the sense of religion, however, considering it as Dharma, he is 'very much' Hindu. "I am a follower of Hindu dharma", he said.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: Rajamouli married Rama, sister-in-law of his cousin Keeravani in 2001. After their marriage, Rama worked as a costume designer for many of Rajamouli's films. He adopted Karthikeya, Rama's son from her previous marriage. The couple also has an adopted daughter Mayookha. Karthikeya is married to Pooja Prasad, niece of Telugu actor Jagapathi Babu.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: Rajamouli's cousin, M. M. Keeravani has worked as the music composer for all of his films. His other cousins Kalyani Malik and M. M. Srilekha are also music composers. S. S. Kanchi, a screenwriter and actor known for his role in the sitcom "Amrutham" is also one of his cousins. He collaborated with Rajamouli as a script doctor on many of his films and also acted in four of his films. Raja Koduri, a senior vice-president at Intel is also a cousin of his. Rajamouli considers K. Raghavendra Rao as his guru and mentor. He called Gunnam Gangaraju his philosopher and guide who made an impact on his worldview.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: Rajamouli is nicknamed "Jakkanna" after the legendary 12th century sculptor Jakanachari (known in Telugu as Jakkanna) who is credited with building numerous temples during the Hoysala reign. The moniker was coined by actor Rajeev Kanakala during the making of the TV serial "Santhi Nivasam" ( 2000) directed by Rajamouli and was in reference to his work ethic and perfectionism like the famed sculptor.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: Regarding his religious views he noted in a March 2022 interview, "I don't believe in God or religion the way it is portrayed now. But if you ask me 'Do you believe in the existence of God?' I'd say 'I don't know'." At Beyond Fest 2022 in Los Angeles, Rajamouli noted that he is not a Hindu in a religious sense; but, added that he is a follower of Hindu dharma, as a way of life and philosophy.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: In 2017, Chandrababu Naidu, then chief minister of Andhra Pradesh consulted Rajamouli for inputs on the design of Amaravati, the proposed capital of the state.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: Film critic Baradwaj Rangan opinied that, “Rajamouli is a great storyteller. He knows people expect something new with every film. He takes up familiar concepts and develops them in an unfamiliar and acceptable way.”


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: Production designer Sabu Cyril, a four-time National Award winner for Best Art Direction, who worked for the "Baahubali" duology, said his team came up with as many as 25,000 sketches to design the various grand sets for the film to meet up to the standards of Rajamouli, whose “visualisation is grand and, at the same time, goes into very minute details. He ensured that every pillar and wall had the right design. He makes no compromises.”


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: Rajamouli was cited as an influence by directors like Prashanth Neel and Ayan Mukerji. Prashanth Neel noted, "With his films, he brought immense recognition to South cinema and he is a big source of inspiration to all of us.” Ayan Mukerji cited Rajamouli as one of his two gurus in the filmmaking world along with James Cameron. He noted that there is a lot of Rajamouli’s influence on his film "" (2022). Filmmaker and actor Rahul Ravindran says, "Every time someone tells me during a script discussion that doing this or not doing that will make the script a hit film, I always say… how can you be sure, nobody can be, except Rajamouli sir.”


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: Matt Groening, the creator of the television shows "The Simpsons" and "Futurama" while discussing his inspiration for "Disenchantment" mentioned that Rajamouli had made some of his favourite films of the last decade especially "Magadheera". He added that the show has homages to Rajamouli. Noted filmmaker Mani Ratnam mentioned that the success of "Baahubali" inspired him to work on "." He said"," "I want to thank Rajamouli garu. In a way, he has opened a door for all of us and has shown us that this kind of film can be made. You can tell stories in two parts and be successful. It has become possible because of Baahubali, so I really want to thank him."


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: Film trade analyst Komal Nahta told "Al Jazeera", “Rajamouli has an impeccable track record. Every film of his has worked … It would not be wrong to say that he’s the biggest [Indian film director] ever.” Manoj Kumar R of "The Indian Express" writes, "It’s a rarity to find a director who sells more tickets than the leading stars of a movie. And in that respect, he has monopolized that space.""" Latha Srinivasan of "Firstpost" wrote of him, "A filmmaker whose actors and producers have blind faith in knowing he will not let them or the audience down, and can dedicate years to his project. And this is an extremely hard feat to achieve in this day and age when every actor and director is as good as his last film." Sagar Tetali of "Film Companion" noted, "What they [Rajamouli's films] have meant for Telugu cinema is the triumph of directorial ambition over the actor-star — the triumph of a brand of storytelling over the South Indian star image."


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: Rachel Dwyer, professor of Indian Cultures and Cinema at SOAS University of London notes of him, "SS Rajamouli is perhaps India’s most significant director today. He can make a film in a south Indian language that, when dubbed, becomes a pan-Indian film that can also be enjoyed overseas." She adds, "SS Rajamouli is now widely regarded as one of India’s greatest directors. Rajamouli’s impact on Indian cinema is yet to be assessed, but he is perhaps primarily responsible for galvanising the interest in south Indian cinema that is now being watched all over India." Indira Kannan, a film critic noted, "Rajamouli and his last film "RRR" may have single-handedly prompted not just Indian audiences but also cinephiles worldwide to look beyond Bollywood while seeking entertaining Indian blockbusters.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: Through his "Baahubali" films, Rajamouli is credited with pioneering the pan-Indian films movement where a film is simultaneously released in multiple Indian languages and is made to appeal to audiences across the country, cutting across the linguistic and cultural barriers. Gautam Jain of Ormax Media, a media and entertainment consulting firm writes, "Before the release of "Bahubali: The Beginning" (2015), the term ‘Pan India film’ did not exist in film media or audience lingo." He also calls him the 'original Pan India filmmaker' and the 'most successful Pan India filmmaker'.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: Vijay Kiragandur, the producer of the "KGF" films which were huge hits across the country credits Rajamouli for making "Baahubali" films and giving him the confidence to take "" to audiences across the country with a multi-lingual release.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: Rajamouli is a recipient of various awards including three National Film Awards, four Filmfare Awards South, and five state Nandi Awards. "Baahubali: The Beginning" won the Best Feature Film at the 63rd National Film Awards and became the first Telugu film to ever win the award. "Baahubali 2: The Conclusion" won the Best Popular Film at the 65th National Film Awards. In 2012, "Eega" won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu. "Baahubali: The Beginning" became the first Indian film to be nominated for Saturn Awards, receiving five nominations at the 42nd ceremony, including Best Fantasy Film. "Baahubali 2" won the Saturn Award for Best International Film and was the first Indian film ever to win a Saturn Award.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: His films have been screened at various film festivals such as Cannes Film Festival, Shanghai International Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival, Sitges Film Festival among others. A retrospective of Rajamouli's films will be held from September 26 to October 10, 2022 in a special program titled “From Tollywood to Hollywood” as part of the 10th edition of Beyond Fest, the highest attended genre festival in the U.S.


title: S. S. Rajamouli

text: In 2015, Rajamouli was named as the CNN-News18 Indian of the Year in Entertainment. The Government of India honoured him with Padma Shri in 2016, for his contributions to the field of Art.


title: Susan Sarandon

text: Susan Abigail Sarandon (; née Tomalin; born October 4, 1946) is an American actor and activist. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for a Daytime Emmy Award, six Primetime Emmy Awards, and nine Golden Globe Awards. In 2002, she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions to the film industry.


title: Susan Sarandon

text: Sarandon began her acting career in the drama film "Joe" (1970), before appearing in the soap opera "A World Apart" (1970–1971). In 1974, she co-starred as a Zelda Fitzgerald surrogate in the television film "F. Scott Fitzgerald and 'The Last of the Belles'," and the following year, she starred as Janet Weiss in the musical comedy horror film "The Rocky Horror Picture Show". Sarandon was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for "Atlantic City" (1980), "Thelma & Louise" (1991), "Lorenzo's Oil" (1992), and "The Client" (1994), before winning for "Dead Man Walking" (1995). She has also won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for "The Client", and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress for "Dead Man Walking". Her other films include "Pretty Baby" (1978), "The Hunger" (1983), "The Witches of Eastwick" (1987), "Bull Durham" (1988), "White Palace" (1990), "Little Women" (1994), "James and the Giant Peach" (1996), "Stepmom" (1998), "Enchanted" (2007), "Speed Racer" (2008), "The Lovely Bones" (2009), "Cloud Atlas" (2012), "Tammy" (2014), "The Meddler" (2015), and "A Bad Moms Christmas" (2017).


title: Susan Sarandon

text: Sarandon made her Broadway debut in the play "An Evening with Richard Nixon" (1972) and went on to receive Drama Desk Award nominations for the Off-Broadway plays "A Coupla White Chicks Sitting Around Talking" (1979) and "Extremities" (1982). She returned to Broadway in the 2009 revival of "Exit the King". On television, she is a six-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee, including for her guest roles on the sitcoms "Friends" (2001) and "Malcolm in the Middle" (2002), supporting role in the film "You Don't Know Jack" (2010), as well as a leading role as Doris Duke in the film "Bernard and Doris" (2008) and another leading role as Bette Davis in the miniseries "Feud" (2017).


title: Susan Sarandon

text: Also known for her social and political activism, Sarandon was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 1999 and received the Action Against Hunger Humanitarian Award in 2006. In November 2022, Sarandon joined the HALO Trust, the largest humanitarian mine clearance organization, as an ambassador.


title: Susan Sarandon

text: Sarandon was born in Jackson Heights, Queens in New York City. She is the eldest of nine children of Lenora Marie (née Criscione 1923–2020) and Phillip Leslie Tomalin, an advertising executive, television producer, and one-time nightclub singer. She has four brothers: Phillip Leslie Jr., Terry (an outdoorsman, journalist, and community leader), Timothy, and O'Brian; and four sisters: Meredith (or "Merry"), Bonnie Priscilla, Amanda, and Melissa (or "Missy"). Her father was of English, Irish, and Welsh ancestry. His English ancestors came from Hackney in London and his Welsh ancestors from Bridgend. On her mother's side, she is of Italian descent, with ancestors from the regions of Tuscany and Sicily. Her father worked for WOR-TV in New York City.


title: Susan Sarandon

text: When she was four years old, the Tomalin family moved from New York City to the newly developed Stephenville community, located in the northern area of Raritan (now Edison) Township, New Jersey. The family was raised Roman Catholic and she and her sisters attended the all-girls Saint Francis Grammar School in nearby Metuchen, while her brothers attended the all-boys Saint Matthews Grammar School in Edison Township. Her mother was a member and board director of the Stephenville Women's Club and the Terra Tova Garden Club. The family was also member to the Woodside Swim Club, a private swimming club and park in the Stephenville community, where Sarandon and her sisters won many swimming competitions. Sarandon graduated from Saint Francis Grammar School in 1960.


title: Susan Sarandon

text: Sarandon attended Edison High School, a public school located in Edison Township. In 1962, while still in high school, she joined a band and dance group to entertain sick children at a nearby rehabilitation hospital. As a high school junior, she performed the lead in the play "Lady Precious Dream". As a senior, she played the title character in the comedy "My Sister Eileen", earning mentions in the local newspapers. In 1964, Sarandon was inducted into the National Honor Society.


title: Susan Sarandon

text: In May 1964, the Tomalin family moved to the newly developed Chandler Hill community, east of Stephenville in Edison. Sarandon graduated from Edison High School in 1964. She attended the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. from 1964 to 1968, earning a Bachelor of Arts in drama, and studying under the drama coach Gilbert V. Hartke. During and shortly after college, she supported herself by cutting hair, cleaning houses and working as a switchboard operator.


title: Susan Sarandon

text: In 1969, Sarandon went to a casting call for the motion-picture "Joe" (1970) with her then-husband Chris Sarandon. Although he did not get a part, she was cast in a major role of a disaffected teen who disappears into the seedy underworld. Between 1970 and 1972, she appeared in the soap operas "A World Apart" and "Search for Tomorrow", playing Patrice Kahlman and Sarah Fairbanks, respectively. She appeared in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" (1975) and also played the female lead in "The Great Waldo Pepper" (also 1975), opposite Robert Redford. She was twice directed by Louis Malle, in "Pretty Baby" (1978) and "Atlantic City" (1981). The latter earned Sarandon her first Academy Award nomination.


title: Susan Sarandon

text: Her most controversial film appearance was in Tony Scott's "The Hunger" (1983), a modern vampire story in which she had a lesbian sex scene with Catherine Deneuve. She appeared in the comedy-fantasy "The Witches of Eastwick" (1987) alongside Jack Nicholson, Cher, and Michelle Pfeiffer. However, Sarandon did not become a "household name" until she appeared with Kevin Costner and Tim Robbins in the film "Bull Durham" (1988), a commercial and critical success. Roger Ebert praised Sarandon's performance in his review for the "Chicago Sun-Times": "I don't know who else they could have hired to play Annie Savoy, the Sarandon character who pledges her heart and her body to one player a season, but I doubt if the character would have worked without Sarandon's wonderful performance".


title: Susan Sarandon

text: Sarandon was nominated for an Academy Award four more times in the 1990s, as Best Actress in "Thelma & Louise" (1991), "Lorenzo's Oil" (1992), and "The Client" (1994), finally winning in 1995 for "Dead Man Walking" in which she played Sister Helen Prejean who regularly visits a convicted murderer on death row. Janet Maslin, in "The New York Times", wrote of her performance in the last film: "Ms. Sarandon takes the kind of risk she took playing a stubbornly obsessed mother in "Lorenzo's Oil." She's commandingly blunt, and she avoids cheapening her performance with the wrong kind of compassion. Her Sister Helen is repelled and alarmed by this man, but she's determined to help him anyway. That's what makes the film so unrelenting." Sarandon was awarded the Women in Film Crystal Award in 1994. Additionally, she has received eight Golden Globe nominations, including for "White Palace" (1990), "Stepmom" (1998), "Igby Goes Down" (2002), and "Bernard and Doris" (2007).