David Beckham David Robert Joseph Beckham , ( -LSB- ˈbɛkəm -RSB- born 2 May 1975 ) is an English former professional footballer . He played for Manchester United , Preston North End , Real Madrid , Milan , LA Galaxy , Paris Saint-Germain , and the England national team for which he held the appearance record for an outfield player until 2016 when Wayne Rooney surpassed his total . He is the first English player to win league titles in four countries : England , Spain , the United States and France . He announced his retirement in May 2013 after a 20-year career , during which he won 19 major trophies .   Known for his range of passing , crossing ability and bending free-kicks as a right winger , Beckham was runner up in the Ballon d'Or , twice runner-up for FIFA World Player of the Year and in 2004 he was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world 's greatest living players . He was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2008 . A global ambassador for the sport , Beckham is regarded as a British cultural icon .   Beckham 's professional club career began with Manchester United , where he made his first-team debut in 1992 aged 17 . With United , he won the Premier League title six times , the FA Cup twice , and the UEFA Champions League in 1999 . He then played four seasons with Real Madrid , winning the La Liga championship in his final season with the club . In July 2007 Beckham signed a five-year contract with Major League Soccer club LA Galaxy . While a Galaxy player , he spent two loan spells in Italy with Milan in 2009 and 2010 . He was the first British footballer to play 100 UEFA Champions League games .   In international football , Beckham made his England debut on 1 September 1996 at the age of 21 . He was captain for six years , earning 58 caps during his tenure . He made 115 career appearances in total , appearing at three FIFA World Cup tournaments , in 1998 , 2002 and 2006 , and two UEFA European Championship tournaments , in 2000 and 2004 .   Beckham has consistently ranked among the highest earners in football , and in 2013 he was listed as the highest-paid player in the world , earning over $ 50 million in the previous 12 months . He has been married to Victoria Beckham since 1999 and they have four children . He has been a UNICEF UK ambassador since 2005 , and in 2015 he launched 7 : The David Beckham UNICEF Fund . In 2014 , MLS announced Beckham and a group of investors would own an expansion team in Miami , which would begin in 2016 or 2017 .


This Is Us has Chrissy Metz as part of the cast in 2009.

This Is Us (TV series) This Is Us is an American television series created by Dan Fogelman that premiered on NBC on September 20 , 2016 . The ensemble cast stars Milo Ventimiglia , Mandy Moore , Sterling K. Brown , Chrissy Metz , Justin Hartley , Susan Kelechi Watson , Chris Sullivan , and Ron Cephas Jones . It is about the family lives and connections of several people who all share the same birthday and the ways in which they are similar and different .   The series has received positive reviews since its premiere , receiving nominations for Best Television Series -- Drama at the 74th Golden Globe Awards and Best Drama Series at the 7th Critics ' Choice Awards , as well as being chosen as a Top Television Program by the American Film Institute . The cast has received accolades , with Mandy Moore and Chrissy Metz receiving Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actress , and Sterling K. Brown receiving a SAG nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series . It was also nominated and won the MTV Movie & TV Awards for Best Tearjerker Moment in 2017 .   On September 27 , 2016 , NBC picked up the series for a full season of 18 episodes . In January 2017 , NBC renewed the series through its third season , for a total of 36 additional episodes , 18 per season .


WALL-E WALL-E ( stylized with an interpunct as WALL · E ) is a 2008 American computer-animated dystopian science fiction comedy film directed and co-written by Andrew Stanton , produced by Jim Morris , and co-written by Jim Reardon . It stars the voices of Ben Burtt , Elissa Knight , Jeff Garlin , Fred Willard , John Ratzenberger , Kathy Najimy , Sigourney Weaver and the MacInTalk system . It was produced by Pixar Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures , and was the overall ninth feature film produced by the company .   After directing Finding Nemo , Stanton felt Pixar had created believable simulations of underwater physics and was willing to direct a film set largely in space . WALL-E has minimal dialogue in its early sequences ; many of the characters do not have voices , but instead communicate with body language and robotic sounds designed by Ben Burtt . The film criticizes consumerism , corporatism , nostalgia , waste management , human environmental impact and concerns , obesity , and global catastrophic risk . It is also Pixar 's first animated film with segments featuring live-action characters . Following Pixar tradition , WALL-E was paired with a short film titled Presto for its theatrical release .   WALL-E was released in the United States and Canada on June 27 , 2008 , by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures . It was an instant blockbuster , grossing $ 533.3 million worldwide over a $ 180 million budget , receiving overwhelming acclaim from critics and winning the 2008 Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film , the 2009 Hugo Award for Best Long Form Dramatic Presentation , the final Nebula Award for Best Script , the Saturn Award for Best Animated Film and the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature with five nominations . The film also topped Times `` Best Movies of the Decade '' .


Charlie Rubin has written for the comedy sketch series In Living Color.

In Living Color In Living Color is an American sketch comedy television series that originally ran on Fox from April 15 , 1990 , to May 19 , 1994 . Brothers Keenen and Damon Wayans created , wrote and starred in the program . The show was produced by Ivory Way Productions in association with 20th Century Fox Television and was taped at stage 7 at the Fox Television Center on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood , California . The title of the series was inspired by the NBC announcement of broadcasts being presented `` in living color '' during the 1960s , prior to mainstream color television . It also refers to the fact that most of the show 's cast were black , unlike other sketch comedy shows such as Saturday Night Live whose casts are mostly white . It was controversial due to the Wayans ' decision to portray African-American humor from the ghetto in a time when mainstream American tastes regarding black comedy had been set by more upscale shows such as The Cosby Show , causing an eventual feud for control between Fox executives and the Wayans .   Other members of the Wayans family -- Kim , Shawn , and Marlon -- had regular roles , while brother Dwayne frequently appeared as an extra . The show also starred the rising stand-up comic/actor Jim Carrey alongside previously unknown actor/comedians Jamie Foxx , Tommy Davidson , David Alan Grier , and T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh . Additionally , Dancing with the Stars judge and choreographer Carrie Ann Inaba , and actress and pop music star Jennifer Lopez , were members of the show 's dance troupe The Fly Girls with actress Rosie Perez serving as choreographer . The show launched the careers of Carrey , Foxx , Davidson , Grier , Keymáh , Inaba , and Lopez and is credited with bringing the Wayans family to a higher level of fame as well . It was immensely popular in its first two seasons , capturing more than a 10-point Nielsen rating ; in the third and fourth seasons , ratings faltered as the Wayans brothers fell out with Fox network leadership over creative control and rights . The series won the Emmy for Outstanding Variety , Music or Comedy Series in 1990 . The series gained international prominence for its bold move and its all-time high ratings gained by airing a live , special episode as a counterprogram for the halftime show of U.S. leader CBS 's live telecast of Super Bowl XXVI , prompting the National Football League to book A-list acts for future game entertainment , starting with Michael Jackson the following year .


Charlie Rubin Charlie Rubin is an American television comedy writer , producer , and humorist .   He has written for National Lampoon , The Carol Burnett Show , In Living Color , The Jon Stewart Show , Saturday Night Live , Seinfeld , and Law & Order : Criminal Intent .   Charlie attended Horace Mann School in Riverdale , New York and then Williams College , from which he graduated in 1972 . While at Williams , Charlie , along with his friend , Mitchell Rapoport , founded The Williams Advocate . He also produced an original musical called `` Sizzle '' with William Finn at the Adams Memorial Theater . It was the first original musical to be mounted at Williams College since Stephen Sondheim attended over 20 years earlier .   Charlie is currently working on a screen adaptation of Veeck -- As In Wreck : The Autobiography of Bill Veeck . He is also a professor at NYU 's Tisch School of the Arts in the Rita & Burton Goldberg Department of Dramatic Writing , where he teaches writing for television .   He married writer Susan Shapiro on July 27 , 1996 .


The Nilotic languages are spoken by the Luo peoples.

Nilotic languages The Nilotic languages are a group of Eastern Sudanic languages spoken across a wide area between South Sudan and Tanzania by the Nilotic peoples , who traditionally practice cattle-herding .


Nilotic peoples Nilotic peoples are peoples indigenous to the Nile Valley who speak Nilotic languages ; this is a large sub-group of the Nilo-Saharan languages spoken in South Sudan , Uganda , Kenya , and northern Tanzania . In a more general sense , the Nilotic peoples include all descendants of the original Nilo-Saharan speakers . Among these are the Luo , Sara , Maasai , Kalenjin , Dinka , Nuer , Shilluk , Ateker , and the Maa-speaking peoples , each of which is a cluster of several ethnic groups .   The Nilotes constitute the majority of the population in South Sudan , an area that is believed to be their original point of dispersal . After the Bantu peoples , they constitute the second-largest group of peoples inhabiting the African Great Lakes region around the Eastern Great Rift . They make up a notable part of the population of southwestern Ethiopia as well .   The Nilote peoples primarily adhere to Christianity and traditional faiths , including the Dinka religion .


Technologic `` Technologic '' is a song by French duo Daft Punk from the album Human After All . It was released as the second single on 14 June 2005 . The music video for `` Technologic '' was directed by Daft Punk .


Get Lucky (Daft Punk song) `` Get Lucky '' is a song by French house music duo Daft Punk , featuring Pharrell Williams and co-written by the duo , Williams , and Nile Rodgers . It is the lead single from Daft Punk 's fourth studio album , Random Access Memories ( 2013 ) . Before its release as a single , `` Get Lucky '' was featured in television advertisements broadcast during Saturday Night Live , after which Rodgers and Williams announced their involvement in the track . Small excerpts also appear throughout the promotional video series The Collaborators .   `` Get Lucky '' is a disco song with lyrics that , according to Williams , are about the fortune of connecting with someone , as well as sexual chemistry . After it leaked in mid-April , the single was released as a digital download on 19 April 2013 . `` Get Lucky '' has since received acclaim from critics , and has spawned numerous cover versions and parodies . The single reached the top ten in the music charts of over 32 countries , and has sold more than 9.3 million copies , making it one of the best-selling songs of all time . The song won awards for Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards , during which Stevie Wonder joined Daft Punk , Williams and Rodgers onstage to perform the song .


Daft Punk Daft Punk are a French electronic music duo formed in 1993 by Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter . The duo achieved significant popularity in the late 1990s as part of the French house movement and had continuous success in the years following , combining elements of house music with funk , techno , disco , rock music and synthpop influences . They are also known for their visual stylization and disguises associated with their music ; the duo have worn ornate helmets and gloves to assume robot personas in most of their public appearances since 2001 and rarely grant interviews or appear on television . The duo were managed from 1996 to 2008 by Pedro Winter ( also known as Busy P ) , the head of Ed Banger Records .   Bangalter and de Homem-Christo were originally briefly in an indie rock band named Darlin ' . When the group disbanded , it left the two to experiment musically with drum machines and synthesisers . The duo released their debut studio album Homework through Virgin Records in 1997 to highly positive reviews . The duo 's next album Discovery ( 2001 ) was even more successful , driven by the release of the hit singles `` One More Time '' , `` Digital Love '' and `` Harder , Better , Faster , Stronger '' . In March 2005 , the duo released their third album Human After All to mixed reviews . However , the singles `` Robot Rock '' and `` Technologic '' achieved considerable success in the United Kingdom .   Daft Punk toured throughout 2006 and 2007 and released the live album Alive 2007 , which won a Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album . The duo later composed the score for the Disney film Tron : Legacy in 2010 , and released its soundtrack album that same year . In January 2013 , Daft Punk left Virgin for Columbia Records , and released their next album Random Access Memories in 2013 to worldwide critical acclaim . The album 's lead single `` Get Lucky '' became an international success , peaking on top 10 charts in 32 countries . Random Access Memories won five Grammy Awards in 2014 , including Album of the Year and Record of the Year for `` Get Lucky '' . Daft Punk later gained their first number one on the Billboard Hot 100 with the song `` Starboy '' , a collaboration with The Weeknd .


Random Access Memories Random Access Memories is the fourth studio album by French electronic music duo Daft Punk . It was released on 17 May 2013 , by the duo 's imprint Daft Life and Columbia Records . The album pays tribute to the late 1970s and early 1980s American music , particularly from Los Angeles . This theme is reflected in the album 's packaging , as well as its promotional campaign , which included billboards , television advertisements and a web series .   Unlike their previous albums , Daft Punk recruited session musicians to perform live instrumentation and limited the use of electronic instruments to drum machines , a custom-built modular synthesizer , and vintage vocoders . The album features collaborations with Giorgio Moroder , Panda Bear , Julian Casablancas , Todd Edwards , DJ Falcon , Chilly Gonzales , Nile Rodgers , Paul Williams and Pharrell Williams . It is the first Daft Punk album released by Columbia Records .   Random Access Memories received critical acclaim , scoring an 87 out of 100 on review aggregator site Metacritic and appearing on many music critics ' year-end lists . It is one of Daft Punk 's most commercially successful albums , topping the charts in more than 25 countries worldwide . It was their first album to top the United States Billboard 200 chart , selling more than 339,000 copies within its first week . The lead single `` Get Lucky '' was a critical and commercial success , topping the charts in more than 30 countries and becoming one of the best-selling digital singles of all time . The album won Grammy Awards for Album of the Year , Best Dance/Electronica Album and Best Engineered Album , Non-Classical , and `` Get Lucky '' won for Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards in 2014 .


Starboy (song) `` Starboy '' is a song recorded by Canadian singer The Weeknd for his third studio album of the same name . It features French electronic duo Daft Punk and was written by the trio alongside Doc McKinney , Henry Walter and Jason Quenneville , being produced by Daft Punk and co-produced by The Weeknd , McKinney and Cirkut . It was released as the first single from the album on September 22 , 2016 , by XO and Republic Records . It is an R&B and electropop song with lyrics that contain themes of extravagance of a celebrity life .   `` Starboy '' topped the charts in countries such as Canada , France , Netherlands , New Zealand and Sweden , as well as the US Billboard Hot 100 , where it became The Weeknd 's third chart-topper , and Daft Punk 's first chart-topper . The music video for the song was directed by frequent collaborator Grant Singer , who directed The Weeknd 's previous music videos for `` Ca n't Feel My Face '' and `` The Hills '' . In the music video , The Weeknd is shown trying to destroy evidence of his previous self , including his own awards from his past album , Beauty Behind the Madness . The video has been described as The Weeknd 's attempt to murder his former persona .


Human After All Human After All is the third studio album by the French electronic music duo Daft Punk , released on 14 March 2005 internationally and a day later in the United States by Virgin Records . With this album , the duo took a more minimalistic and improvisational approach to their music using a mixture of guitars and electronics . A remix album , Human After All : Remixes was released exclusively in Japan . Human After All was Daft Punk 's last studio album to be released by Virgin Records .   Human After All received mixed reviews from critics , who derided its minimalistic and repetitive nature and its reported six-week creation , which was particularly short compared to the production of Discovery and Homework . However , the singles `` Robot Rock '' and `` Technologic '' charted in several countries while the title track `` Human After All '' charted in France . The album 's songs would later be incorporated into Daft Punk 's Alive 2006/2007 tour which received critical acclaim . Human After All reached number one on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart , and was nominated for the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album .


Digital Love `` Digital Love '' is a song by the French electronic music duo Daft Punk . It was released as the third single from the album Discovery . As part of the album , the song is featured in the film Interstella 5555 : The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem .


Alive 2006/2007 Alive 2006/2007 was a concert tour by French electronic music duo Daft Punk , their first tour as a duo since 1997 . While the 2006 concerts were not given a formal title , the 2007 performances were advertised as `` Alive 2007 '' . The 2006 performances and 2007 tour as a whole was later retroactively named `` Alive 2006/2007 '' .   The tour was met with praise and critical acclaim . The Times described Daft Punk 's set as a `` memorable sensory spectacle , both dazzling and deafening '' .


Tron: Legacy (soundtrack) Tron : Legacy is the soundtrack album to the 2010 film of the same name , released by Walt Disney Records on December 3 , 2010 . It is the first film score by French music duo Daft Punk .


Homework (Daft Punk album) Homework is the debut studio album by the French electronic music duo Daft Punk , released on 20 January 1997 by Virgin Records and Soma Quality Recordings . The album revived house music and departed from the Eurodance formula . The duo produced the tracks without plans to release an album . After working on projects that were intended to be separate singles over five months , they considered the material good enough for an album .   Homework success brought worldwide attention to French house music . Homework charted in 14 different countries , peaking at number 3 on the French Albums Chart , number 150 on the United States Billboard 200 and at number 8 on the UK Albums Chart . By February 2001 , the album had sold more than two million copies worldwide and received several gold and platinum certifications . Overall , Homework received positive critical response . The album features singles that had significant impact in French house and global dance music scenes , including the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play number-one singles `` Da Funk '' and `` Around the World '' , the latter of which reached number 61 on the Billboard Hot 100 .


Lily Collins Lily Jane Collins ( born 18 March 1989 ) is a British-American actress and model . The daughter of English musician Phil Collins and an American mother , Jill Tavelman , she was born in Surrey and moved to Los Angeles as a child . Her first screen role was at the age of two in the BBC series Growing Pains . She went on to study broadcast journalism at the University of Southern California and as a teenager , wrote for Seventeen magazine , Teen Vogue , and The Los Angeles Times . She was named International Model of the Year by Spain 's Glamour magazine after being selected by Chanel to wear one of their gowns at the Hotel de Crillon in 2007 . In 2008 , she was named Newest Red Carpet Correspondent and One to Watch in 2008 .   Collins appeared as a guest star on the teen drama television series 90210 in 2009 , followed by her feature film debut in the semi-biographical sports film The Blind Side . She had leading roles in the sci-fi action-horror film Priest ( 2011 ) and the psychological action-thriller film Abduction , and was nominated for the Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress -- Sci-Fi/Fantasy for her role as Snow White in the fantasy film Mirror Mirror . She received wider recognition after taking on the role of Clary Fray in the fantasy film adaptation of Cassandra Clare 's The New York Times best-selling novel , The Mortal Instruments : City of Bones , for which she was nominated for the Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress -- Action and an MTV Movie Award .   Collins is also known for her roles in independent films , such as the romantic comedy-drama Stuck in Love ( 2012 ) , the romantic comedy The English Teacher ( 2013 ) , and the romantic comedy-drama Love , Rosie ( 2014 ) . She won the New Hollywood Film Award and received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical or Comedy her role as Marla Mabrey in Rules Do n't Apply ( 2016 ) . In 2017 , her debut novel , Unfiltered : No Shame , No Regrets , Just Me , was released to critical praise . In May 2017 , Lily Collins and Marti Noxon were honoured at Project Heal for their movie To the Bone .


Björk performed in the film Dancer in the Dark.

Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir  ( BYURK; Icelandic: [pjœr̥k ˈkvʏðmʏntsˌtouʰtɪr̥] (listen); born 21 November 1965) is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, record producer, actress, and DJ. Over her four-decade career, she has developed an eclectic musical style that draws on a range of influences and genres spanning electronic, pop, experimental, trip hop, classical, and avant-garde music.Born and raised in Reykjavík, Björk began her music career at the age of 11 and first gained international recognition as the lead singer of the alternative rock band the Sugarcubes, whose 1987 single "Birthday" was a hit on UK and US indie stations and a favourite among music critics. After the band's 1992 breakup, Björk embarked on a solo career, coming to prominence with albums such as Debut (1993), Post (1995), and Homogenic (1997), while collaborating with a range of artists and exploring a variety of multimedia projects. Her other albums include Vespertine (2001), Medúlla (2004), Volta (2007), Biophilia (2011), Vulnicura (2015), and Utopia (2017).Several of Björk's albums have reached the top 20 on the US Billboard 200 chart and she is reported to have sold between 20 and 40 million records worldwide as of 2015. She has had 31 singles reach the top 40 on pop charts around the world, with 22 top 40 hits in the UK, including the top 10 singles "It's Oh So Quiet", "Army of Me", and "Hyperballad", and the top 20 singles "Play Dead", "Big Time Sensuality", and "Violently Happy". Her accolades and awards include the Order of the Falcon, five BRIT Awards, and 15 Grammy nominations. In 2015, she was included in Time's list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Björk was ranked number 60 and number 81 in Rolling Stone's 100 greatest singers and songwriters lists, respectively.In addition to her music career, Björk starred in the 2000 Lars von Trier film Dancer in the Dark, for which she won the Best Actress Award at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival, and was nominated for Academy Award for Best Original Song for "I've Seen It All". Biophilia was marketed as an interactive app album with its own education program. Björk has also been an advocate for environmental causes in her home country Iceland. A full-scale retrospective exhibition dedicated to Björk was held at the New York Museum of Modern Art in 2015.


Arnold Vinick is portrayed by an American actor who was born in the year 1936.

Arnold Vinick Arnold Vinick is a fictional character on the television series The West Wing played by Alan Alda . The role earned Alda the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2006 .


Alan Alda Alan Alda ( -LSB- ˈældə -RSB- born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo ; January 28 , 1936 ) is an American actor , director , screenwriter , and author . A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner , he is widely known for his roles as Captain Hawkeye Pierce in the TV series M * A * S * H ( 1972 -- 1983 ) and Arnold Vinick in The West Wing ( 2004 -- 2006 ) . He has also appeared in many feature films , most notably in Crimes and Misdemeanors ( 1989 ) as pretentious television producer Lester and in The Aviator ( 2004 ) as U.S. Senator Owen Brewster , the latter of which saw Alda nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor .   For 14 years , he served as the host of Scientific American Frontiers , a television show that explored cutting-edge advances in science and technology . He is currently a visiting professor at Stony Brook University and a founder and member of the advisory board of the university 's Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science and the Future of Life Institute . He serves on the board of the World Science Festival and is a judge for Math-O-Vision .


Yardie (novel) Yardie was the first novel by Jamaican-born British writer Victor Headley , published in London in 1992 by Dotun Adebayo 's X Press . As described by Goodreads : `` Yardie is , quite simply , a literary sensation in England . Originally published by X Press , a two-man operation , the book was produced on a desktop computer and distributed through unusual channels : it was sold at clothing shops , hairdressers , and even on top of over-turned dumpsters outside of nightclubs . On word of mouth alone , Yardie has sold over twelve thousand copies . ''   The novel borrows its title from yardie , a term stemming from the slang name originally given to occupants of `` government yards '' -- social housing projects with very basic amenities , and is based on the fictional story a young Jamaican 's rise from the streets of London to the top of the drug-dealing underworld , .


Beautiful (Christina Aguilera song) was recorded by someone who sings and began life in 1980.

Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera ( born December 18 , 1980 ) is an American singer , songwriter , actress and television personality . Born in Staten Island , New York and raised in Rochester and Wexford , Pennsylvania , she appeared on the television series Star Search and The Mickey Mouse Club in her early years . After recording `` Reflection '' , the theme for Disney 's 1998 film Mulan , Aguilera signed with RCA Records . She rose to prominence with her 1999 self-titled debut album that spawned the Billboard Hot 100 number one singles ; `` Genie in a Bottle '' , `` What a Girl Wants '' , and `` Come On Over Baby ( All I Want Is You ) '' . The following year , Aguilera released two studio albums ; the Spanish-language album Mi Reflejo and the holiday album My Kind of Christmas . She assumed creative control for her fourth studio album , Stripped ( 2002 ) , which produced `` Dirrty '' , `` Beautiful '' , and `` Fighter '' . Aguilera 's fifth studio album , Back to Basics ( 2006 ) , debuted at number one on the album charts of ten countries and spawned the tracks `` Ai n't No Other Man '' and `` Hurt '' . In 2010 , Aguilera released her sixth studio album Bionic and starred in the film Burlesque . The following year , she debuted as a coach on the reality competition television series The Voice ; she has since appeared on six of its twelve seasons . Her seventh studio album , Lotus , was released in 2012 . Aguilera has also been featured on several successful collaborations during her career , including `` Lady Marmalade '' , `` Moves like Jagger '' , and `` Say Something '' .   Aguilera has been recognized as a pop icon and earned the title `` Pop Princess '' in her early years . Her work has earned her five Grammy Awards , one Latin Grammy Award , and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . She has sold over 17.9 million albums in the United States as of 2014 and 50 million albums worldwide as of 2015 . In 2009 , she ranked at number 58 on Rolling Stones list of 100 Greatest Singers of All Time , thereby becoming the youngest and the only artist under 30 to be named . Billboard recognized her as the 20th most successful artist of the 2000s , and Time listed Aguilera among the top 100 Most Influential People in the World of 2013 . Aside from her work in the entertainment industry , Aguilera is involved in charitable activities through human rights , world issues , and her work as a UN ambassador for the World Food Programme .


Beautiful (Christina Aguilera song) `` Beautiful '' is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera for her fourth studio album , Stripped ( 2002 ) . It was released as the album 's second single on November 16 , 2002 . A pop and R&B ballad , `` Beautiful '' was written and produced by Linda Perry . Lyrically , it discusses inner beauty , as well as self-esteem and insecurity issues . Aguilera commented that she put `` her heart and her soul '' into the track , which she felt represented the theme of Stripped . The song was later re-recorded in an electronic style for her first greatest hits album Keeps Gettin ' Better : A Decade of Hits ( 2008 ) .   Upon its release , `` Beautiful '' received universal acclaim from music critics , who have ranked it among Aguilera 's strongest material . It won a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and was also nominated for Song of the Year at the 2004 ceremony . `` Beautiful '' was also a commercial success , topping the charts in Australia , Belgium , Canada , Ireland , New Zealand and the United Kingdom . The song peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States , where it was certified Gold for 500,000 units shipped . It was kept from the number one spot by `` Bump , Bump , Bump '' by B2K featuring P. Diddy .   `` Beautiful '' has been widely embraced as an anthem by the LGBT community for its message of self-empowerment and inner beauty . An accompanying music video was directed by Jonas Åkerlund , and earned Aguilera a GLAAD Media Award for its positive portrayal of gay and transgender people . In 2011 , UK LGBT rights organization Stonewall named `` Beautiful '' the most empowering song of the previous decade for gay , lesbian , and bisexual people . In 2009 , Rolling Stone and VH1 listed it as one of the best songs of the 2000s ( decade ) . The song is widely recognized as one of Aguilera 's signature songs and has been covered on numerous occasions and featured on several television shows .


Divergent was released on Blu-ray on August 5, 2014.

Divergent (film) Divergent is a 2014 American science fiction action film directed by Neil Burger , based on the novel of the same name by Veronica Roth . The film is the first installment in The Divergent Series and was produced by Lucy Fisher , Pouya Shabazian , and Douglas Wick , with a screenplay by Evan Daugherty and Vanessa Taylor . It stars Shailene Woodley , Theo James , Ashley Judd , Jai Courtney , Ray Stevenson , Zoë Kravitz , Miles Teller , Tony Goldwyn , Ansel Elgort , Maggie Q and Kate Winslet . The story takes place in a dystopian and post-apocalyptic Chicago where people are divided into distinct factions based on human virtues . Beatrice Prior is warned that she is Divergent and thus will never fit into any one of the factions . She soon learns that a sinister plot is brewing in the seemingly perfect society .   Development of Divergent began in March 2011 when Summit Entertainment picked up the film rights to the novel with Douglas Wick and Lucy Fisher 's production company Red Wagon Entertainment . Principal photography began April 16 , 2013 , and concluded on July 16 , 2013 , with reshoots taking place from January 24 -- 26 , 2014 . Production mostly took place in Chicago .   Divergent was released on March 21 , 2014 , in the United States . The film received mixed reviews from critics , with praise going towards its concepts and action , and criticism focused on its execution . Reviewers found the film to be generic and unoriginal , comparing it unfavorably to other young adult fiction adaptations . Despite this , the film was a financial success as it reached the # 1 spot at the box office during its opening weekend . After its release , the film earned over US$ 288 million worldwide against its budget of US$ 85 million . It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on August 5 , 2014 .   A sequel , Insurgent , was released on March 20 , 2015 in the United States .


Syria includes Syrian Arabs, Greeks, Armenians, Assyrians, Kurds, Circassians,  Mandeans, and Turks.

Syria Syria ( -LSB- ˈsɪ.riə -RSB- سوريا ) , officially known as the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia , bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west , Turkey to the north , Iraq to the east , Jordan to the south , and Israel to the southwest . Syria 's capital and largest city is Damascus .   A country of fertile plains , high mountains , and deserts , Syria is home to diverse ethnic and religious groups , including Syrian Arabs , Greeks , Armenians , Assyrians , Kurds , Circassians , Mandeans and Turks . Religious groups include Sunnis , Christians , Alawites , Druze , Mandeans , Shiites , Salafis , and Yazidis . Sunni Arabs make up the largest religious group in Syria .   In English , the name `` Syria '' was formerly synonymous with the Levant ( known in Arabic as al-Sham ) , while the modern state encompasses the sites of several ancient kingdoms and empires , including the Eblan civilization of the 3rd millennium BC . Its capital Damascus and largest city Aleppo are among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world . In the Islamic era , Damascus was the seat of the Umayyad Caliphate and a provincial capital of the Mamluk Sultanate in Egypt .   The modern Syrian state was established after the end of centuries of Ottoman control in World War I as a French mandate , and represented the largest Arab state to emerge from the formerly Ottoman-ruled Arab Levant . It gained independence as a parliamentary republic on 24 October 1945 when Syria became a founding member of the United Nations , an act which legally ended the former French Mandate -- although French troops did not leave the country until April 1946 . The post-independence period was tumultuous , and a large number of military coups and coup attempts shook the country in the period 1949 -- 71 . In 1958 , Syria entered a brief union with Egypt called the United Arab Republic , which was terminated by the 1961 Syrian coup d'état . The Arab Republic of Syria came into being in late 1961 after December 1 constitutional referendum , and was increasingly unstable until the Ba'athist coup d'état , since which the Ba'ath Party has maintained its power . Syria was under Emergency Law from 1963 to 2011 , effectively suspending most constitutional protections for citizens . Bashar al-Assad has been president since 2000 and was preceded by his father Hafez al-Assad , who was in office from 1970 to 2000 .   Syria is a member of one international organization other than the United Nations , the Non-Aligned Movement ; it has become suspended from the Arab League on November 2011 and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation , and self-suspended from the Union for the Mediterranean . Since March 2011 , Syria has been embroiled in an uprising against Assad and the Ba'athist government as part of the Arab Spring , a crackdown that contributed to the Syrian Civil War and to Syria 's becoming one of the most violent countries in the world . Since the start of the war in 2011 , a number of self-proclaimed state entities have since emerged on Syrian territories , including the Syrian Opposition , the Federation of Northern Syria and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant .


Ajay Devgn Ajay Devgan ( born Vishal Veeru Devgan on 2 April 1969 ) , also credited as Ajay Devgn , is an Indian film actor , director and producer . He is widely considered as one of the most popular actors of Hindi cinema , who has appeared in over a hundred Hindi films . Devgan has won numerous accolades , including two National Film Awards and four Filmfare Awards . In 2016 , he was honoured by the Government of India with the Padma Shri , the fourth highest civilian honour of the country .   Devgan began his professional career with Phool Aur Kaante in 1991 and received a Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut for his performance . He then starred in successful films such as Jigar ( 1992 ) , Dilwale ( 1994 ) , Suhaag ( 1994 ) , Naajayaz ( 1995 ) , Diljale ( 1996 ) and Ishq ( 1997 ) . In 1998 , he appeared in a critically acclaimed performance in Mahesh Bhatt 's drama Zakhm and he received his first National Film Award for Best Actor for his role in the movie . In 1999 , his most-talked-about film was Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam in which he played Vanraj , a man who tries to unite his wife with her lover .   In the early 2000s , he gave critically acclaimed performances in Ram Gopal Varma 's fictional expose of Mumbai underworld Company . He played the character of a gangster , for which he won Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor . The same year he gave another critically acclaimed performance in Deewangee for which he received the Filmfare Best Villain Award . In 2003 , he won his second National Film Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Bhagat Singh in Rajkumar Santoshi 's biopic The Legend of Bhagat Singh . Throughout his career he has performed in many critically and commercially successful films including Raincoat ( 2004 ) , '' Gangajal , ( 2004 ) , Yuva ( 2004 ) , Apaharan ( 2005 ) , Omkara ( 2006 ) , Golmaal : Fun Unlimited ( 2006 ) , Golmaal Returns ( 2008 ) , All the Best : Fun Begins ( 2009 ) , Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai ( 2010 ) , Golmaal 3 ( 2010 ) , Raajneeti ( 2010 ) , Singham ( 2011 ) , Bol Bachchan ( 2012 ) , Son of Sardaar ( 2012 ) , Singham Returns ( 2014 ) and Drishyam ( 2015 ) . He has starred in more than hundred Hindi films . Having done so , he established himself as one of the leading actors of Hindi cinema .   In addition , Devgn owns a production company Ajay Devgn FFilms which was established in 2000 . In 2008 , he debuted as a film director with U Me Aur Hum . He is married to film actress , Kajol since 1999 and the couple have two children . In August 2009 , Devgn changed his surname from Devgan to Devgn on the request of his family .


Pixar Pixar ( -LSB- ˈpɪksɑr -RSB- ) , also referred to as Pixar Animation Studios , is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville , California that is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company . Pixar began in 1979 as the Graphics Group , part of the Lucasfilm computer division , before its spin-out as a corporation in 1986 , with funding by Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Jobs , who became the majority shareholder . Disney purchased Pixar in 2006 at a valuation of $ 7.4 billion , a transaction that resulted in Jobs becoming Disney 's largest single shareholder at the time . Pixar is best known for CGI-animated feature films created with RenderMan , Pixar 's own implementation of the industry-standard RenderMan image-rendering application programming interface , used to generate high-quality images .   Pixar has produced seventeen feature films , beginning with Toy Story ( 1995 ) , which was the first-ever computer-animated feature film , and its most recent being Finding Dory ( 2016 ) . All 17 of its films have debuted with CinemaScore ratings of at least an `` A − , '' indicating positive receptions with audiences . The studio has also produced several short films . , its feature films have earned approximately $ 10.8 billion at the box office worldwide , with an average worldwide gross of $ 634 million per film . Finding Dory , along with its predecessor Finding Nemo ( 2003 ) , as well as Toy Story 3 ( 2010 ) are among the 50 highest-grossing films of all time , with the lattermost film being the third all-time highest-grossing animated film with a gross of $ 1.063 billion . Fourteen of Pixar 's films are also among the 50 highest-grossing animated films of all time .   The studio has earned sixteen Academy Awards , seven Golden Globe Awards , and eleven Grammy Awards , among many other awards and acknowledgments . Many of Pixar 's films have been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature since its inauguration in 2001 , with eight winning ; this includes Finding Nemo and Toy Story 3 , along with The Incredibles ( 2004 ) , Ratatouille ( 2007 ) , WALL-E ( 2008 ) , Up ( 2009 ) , Brave ( 2012 ) , and Inside Out ( 2015 ) . Monsters , Inc. ( 2001 ) and Cars ( 2006 ) are the only two films that were nominated for the award without winning it , while Cars 2 ( 2011 ) , Monsters University ( 2013 ) , The Good Dinosaur ( 2015 ) , and Finding Dory have not been nominated . Up and Toy Story 3 were also the respective second and third animated films to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture , the first being Walt Disney Animation Studios ' Beauty and the Beast ( 1991 ) . Luxo Jr. , a character from the studio 's 1986 short film of the same name , is the studio 's mascot .   On September 6 , 2009 , Pixar executives John Lasseter , Brad Bird , Pete Docter , Andrew Stanton , and Lee Unkrich were presented with the Golden Lion award for Lifetime Achievement by the biennial Venice Film Festival . The award was presented by Lucasfilm 's founder George Lucas .


Brokeback Mountain was directed by Ang Lee.

Brokeback Mountain Brokeback Mountain is a 2005 American neo-western romantic drama film directed by Ang Lee and produced by Diana Ossana and James Schamus . Adapted from the 1997 short story of the same name by Annie Proulx , the screenplay was written by Ossana and Larry McMurtry . The film stars Heath Ledger , Jake Gyllenhaal , Anne Hathaway , and Michelle Williams , and depicts the complex emotional and homosexual relationship between Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist in the American West from 1963 to 1983 .   The film received critical acclaim and commercial success . It won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival , Best Picture and Best Director at the British Academy Film Awards , Golden Globe Awards , Producers Guild of America Awards , Critics ' Choice Movie Awards , and Independent Spirit Awards , among others . The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards , the most nominations at the 78th Academy Awards , where it won three : Best Director , Best Adapted Screenplay , and Best Original Score , while losing Best Picture to Crash .


Resident Evil 7: Biohazard left out healing items.

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard Resident Evil 7 : Biohazard is a survival horror video game developed and published by Capcom . The game was released worldwide in January 2017 for Microsoft Windows , PlayStation 4 -- with support for the PlayStation VR headset -- and Xbox One . It is the eleventh main entry and 24th entry overall in the Resident Evil franchise . It is the first main series installment to be played from a first-person perspective .   The story follows civilian Ethan Winters as he searches for his wife Mia , which leads him to a derelict plantation inhabited by the Baker family . Ethan makes use of weapons and tools in the fight against the Baker family , and the `` Molded '' , a humanoid form of bacteria . Healing items are used in the event of injury and there are puzzles that may be solved to further the story . Instead of being action-oriented like Resident Evil 5 and 6 , the survival horror element present in earlier installments took priority . Thus , the game uses a first-person perspective . It is the first full-length game to be developed in the RE Engine .   Resident Evil 7 received generally favorable reviews , which praised the gameplay , graphics , and design . PlayStation VR was hailed for increasing player involvement . However , it was also subject to complaint , with decreased resolution and physical discomfort cited as its chief offenses . Further criticism was directed at the game 's boss battles and the final chapter of the game . It had the third-best sales debut in the series and has sold over 3 million copies .


J. Cole Jermaine Lamarr Cole ( born January 28 , 1985 ) , better known by his stage name J. Cole , is an American hip hop recording artist and record producer . Raised in Fayetteville , North Carolina , Cole initially gained recognition as a rapper following the release of his debut mixtape , The Come Up , in early 2007 . Intent on further pursuing a solo career as a rapper , he went on to release two additional mixtapes after signing to Jay Z 's Roc Nation imprint in 2009 .   Cole released his debut studio album , Cole World : The Sideline Story , in 2011 . It debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 , and was soon certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) . His next two releases , 2013 's Born Sinner and 2014 's 2014 Forest Hills Drive , received mostly positive reviews from critics , while being both certified platinum in the US . The latter earned him his first Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap Album . In December 2016 Cole released his fourth studio album 4 Your Eyez Only . The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified platinum in April 2017 .   Self-taught on piano , Cole also acts as a producer alongside his hip hop career , producing singles for artists such as Kendrick Lamar and Janet Jackson , as well as handling the majority of the production in his own projects . He has also developed other ventures , including Dreamville Records , as well as non-profit organization the Dreamville Foundation . The Dreamville Foundation is not the only non-profit gesture Cole has put forth ; in January 2015 , he decided to house single mothers rent-free in his childhood home at 2014 Forest Hills Drive , Fayetteville , North Carolina .


Martin Scorsese established The Film Foundation.

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( -LSB- skɔːrˈsɛsi -RSB- -LSB- skorˈseːze -RSB- ; born November 17 , 1942 ) is an American director , producer , screenwriter , and film historian , whose career spans more than 50 years . Scorsese 's body of work addresses such themes as Sicilian-American identity , Roman Catholic concepts of guilt and redemption , faith , machismo , modern crime , and gang conflict . Many of his films are also known for their depiction of violence and liberal use of profanity .   Part of the New Hollywood wave of filmmaking , he is widely regarded as one of the most significant and influential filmmakers in cinematic history . In 1990 , he founded The Film Foundation , a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation , and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation . He is a recipient of the AFI Life Achievement Award for his contributions to the cinema , and has won an Academy Award , a Palme d'Or , Cannes Film Festival Best Director Award , Silver Lion , Grammy Award , Emmys , Golden Globes , BAFTAs , and DGA Awards .   He has directed works such as the crime film Mean Streets ( 1973 ) , the vigilante-thriller Taxi Driver ( 1976 ) , the biographical sports drama Raging Bull ( 1980 ) , the black comedy The King of Comedy ( 1983 ) , the religious epic drama The Last Temptation of Christ ( 1988 ) , the crime film Goodfellas ( 1990 ) , the psychological thriller Cape Fear ( 1991 ) and the crime film Casino ( 1995 ) , some of which he collaborated on with actor and close friend Robert De Niro . Scorsese has also been noted for his successful collaborations with actor Leonardo DiCaprio , having directed him in five films , beginning with Gangs of New York ( 2002 ) and most recently The Wolf of Wall Street ( 2013 ) . Their third film together , The Departed , won Scorsese the Academy Award for Best Director in addition to the film winning the award for Best Picture . Their collaborations have resulted in numerous Academy Award nominations for both as well as them winning several other prestigious awards .   Scorsese 's other film work includes the concert film The Last Waltz ( 1978 ) , the black comedy After Hours ( 1985 ) , the biographical drama The Aviator ( 2004 ) , the psychological thriller Shutter Island ( 2010 ) , the historical adventure drama Hugo ( 2011 ) and the religious epic Silence ( 2016 ) . His work in television includes the pilot episode of the HBO series Boardwalk Empire and Vinyl , the latter of which he also co-created . He won the Academy Award for Best Director for the crime drama The Departed ( 2006 ) . With eight Best Director nominations , he is the most nominated living director and is tied with Billy Wilder for the second most nominations overall .


The Hui people can also be found in Inner Mongolia.

Hui people The Hui people ( , Xiao'erjing : خُوِذُو Dungan : Хуэйзў , Xuejzw ) are a Chinese ethnic group which is composed predominantly of adherents of the Muslim faith and found throughout China , though they are concentrated mainly in the Northwestern provinces of the country and the Zhongyuan . According to a 2011 census , China is home to approximately 10.5 million Hui people , the majority of whom are Chinese-speaking practitioners of Islam , though some may practice other religions .   Hui people are ethnically and linguistically similar to Han Chinese with the exception that most of them practice Islam , engendering distinctive cultural characteristics . For example , as Muslims , they follow Islamic dietary laws and reject the consumption of pork , the most common meat consumed in China , and have given rise to their variation of Chinese cuisine . Traditional Hui clothing differs from that of other Chinese groups as it incorporates elements primarily found in other Islamic cultures . However , since the rapid industrialization and modernization of China , younger generations have slowly been shifting towards Western dress code .   The Hui people are one of 56 ethnic groups recognized by China . The government defines the Hui people to include all historically Muslim communities not included in China 's other ethnic groups . The Hui predominantly speak Chinese , while maintaining some Persian and Arabic phrases . In fact , the Hui ethnic group is unique among Chinese ethnic minorities in that it associates with non-Sinitic languages .   The Hui people are more concentrated in Northwestern China ( Ningxia , Gansu , Qinghai , Xinjiang ) , but communities exist across the country , e.g. Beijing , Inner Mongolia , Hebei , Hainan , and Yunnan .


Natalie Wood Natalie Wood ( born Natalia Nikolaevna Zakharenko ; July 20 , 1938 -- November 28 or 29 , 1981 ) was an American film and television actress . She was known for her screen roles in Miracle on 34th Street , Splendor in the Grass , Rebel Without a Cause , The Searchers , and West Side Story . She first worked in films as a child , then became a successful Hollywood star as a young adult , receiving three Academy Award nominations before she was 25 years old .   Wood began acting in movies at the age of four and , at age eight , was given a co-starring role with Maureen O'Hara in the classic Christmas film Miracle on 34th Street . As a teenager , her performance in Rebel Without a Cause ( 1955 ) earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress . She starred in the musical films West Side Story ( 1961 ) and Gypsy ( 1962 ) , and received Academy Award for Best Actress nominations for her performances in Splendor in the Grass ( 1961 ) and Love with the Proper Stranger ( 1963 ) . Her career continued with films such as Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice ( 1969 ) .   After this , she took a break from acting and had two children with different husbands , appearing in only three theatrical films during the 1970s . She was married to actor Robert Wagner twice , and to producer Richard Gregson . She had one daughter with Gregson , actress Natasha Gregson Wagner . Wood gave birth to Courtney Wagner during her second marriage to Wagner . Her younger sister Lana Wood is also an actress .   Wood starred in several television productions , including a remake of the film From Here to Eternity ( 1979 ) for which she won a Golden Globe Award . During her career , her films represented a `` coming of age '' for both her and Hollywood films in general .


Iceland Iceland ( -LSB- ˈaɪslənd -RSB- -LSB- ˈistlant -RSB- ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean . It has a population of and an area of 103000 km2 , making it the most sparsely populated country in Europe . The capital and largest city is Reykjavík . Reykjavík and the surrounding areas in the southwest of the country are home to over two-thirds of the population . Iceland is volcanically and geologically active . The interior consists of a plateau characterised by sand and lava fields , mountains and glaciers , while many glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands . Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate , despite a high latitude just outside the Arctic Circle . Its high latitude and marine influence still keeps summers chilly , with most of the archipelago having a tundra climate .   According to the ancient manuscript Landnámabók , the settlement of Iceland began in the year 874 AD when the Norwegian chieftain Ingólfr Arnarson became the first permanent settler on the island . In the following centuries , Norwegians , and to a lesser extent other Scandinavians , emigrated to Iceland , bringing with them thralls of Gaelic origin . The island was governed as an independent commonwealth under the Althing , one of the world 's oldest functioning legislative assemblies . Following a period of civil strife , Iceland acceded to Norwegian rule in the 13th century . The establishment of the Kalmar Union in 1397 united the kingdoms of Norway , Denmark and Sweden . Iceland thus followed Norway 's integration to that Union and came under Danish rule after Sweden 's secession from that union in 1523 . Although the Danish kingdom introduced Lutheranism forcefully in 1550 , Iceland remained a distant semi-colonial territory in which Danish institutions and infrastructures were conspicuous by their absence . In the wake of the French revolution and the Napoleonic wars , Iceland 's struggle for independence took form and culminated in independence in 1918 and the founding of a republic in 1944 . Until the 20th century , Iceland relied largely on subsistence fishing and agriculture , and was among the poorest in Europe . Industrialisation of the fisheries and Marshall Plan aid following World War II brought prosperity , and Iceland became one of the wealthiest and most developed nations in the world . In 1994 , it became a part of the European Economic Area , which further diversified the economy into sectors such as finance , biotechnology , and manufacturing .   Iceland has a market economy with relatively low taxes compared to other OECD countries . It maintains a Nordic social welfare system that provides universal health care and tertiary education for its citizens . Iceland ranks high in economic , political and social stability and equality . In 2013 , it was ranked as the 13th most-developed country in the world by the United Nations ' Human Development Index . Iceland runs almost completely on renewable energy . Affected by the ongoing worldwide financial crisis , the nation 's entire banking system systemically failed in October 2008 , leading to a severe depression , substantial political unrest , the Icesave dispute , and the institution of capital controls . Some bankers were jailed . Since then , the economy has made a significant recovery , in large part due to a surge in tourism .   Icelandic culture is founded upon the nation 's Scandinavian heritage . Most Icelanders are descendants of Germanic and Gaelic settlers . Icelandic , a North Germanic language , is descended from Old Norse and is closely related to Faroese and West Norwegian dialects . The country 's cultural heritage includes traditional Icelandic cuisine , Icelandic literature and medieval sagas . Iceland has the smallest population of any NATO member and is the only one with no standing army , its lightly armed coast guard being in charge of defence .


Wallander starred Northern Irish actor Kenneth Branagh.

Wallander (UK TV series) Wallander is a British television series adapted from the Swedish novelist Henning Mankell 's Kurt Wallander novels and starring Kenneth Branagh as the eponymous police inspector . It is the first time the Wallander novels have been adapted into an English-language production . Yellow Bird , a production company formed by Mankell , began negotiations with British companies to produce the adaptations in 2006 . In 2007 , Branagh met with Mankell to discuss playing the role . Contracts were signed and work began on the films , adapted from Sidetracked , Firewall and One Step Behind , in January 2008 . Emmy-award-winning director Philip Martin was hired as lead director . Martin worked with cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle to establish a visual style for the series .   The first three-episode series , produced by Yellow Bird , Left Bank Pictures and TKBC for BBC Scotland , was broadcast on BBC One from November to December 2008 . The second series was filmed from July to October 2009 and was broadcast in January 2010 . The third series was filmed in the summer of 2011 in Ystad , Scania , Sweden , and Riga , Latvia , and aired in July 2012 . The fourth and final series was shot from October 2014 to January 2015 and premiered on German TV , dubbed into German , in December 2015 . The final series aired in the original English on BBC One in May 2016 . Critics have written positively of the series , which has won a Broadcasting Press Guild Award ( Best Actor for Branagh ) and six British Academy Television Awards , including Best Drama Series .


Kenneth Branagh Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh ( -LSB- ˈbrænə -RSB- born 10 December 1960 ) is a Northern Irish actor , director , producer , and screenwriter originally from Belfast . Branagh trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art ( RADA ) in London , and in 2015 succeeded Richard Attenborough as its President . He has directed or starred in several film adaptations of William Shakespeare 's plays , including Henry V ( 1989 ) ( for which he was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Actor and Best Director ) , Much Ado About Nothing ( 1993 ) , Othello ( 1995 ) , Hamlet ( 1996 ) ( for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay ) , Love 's Labour 's Lost ( 2000 ) , and As You Like It ( 2006 ) .   Branagh has also starred in numerous other films and television series including Fortunes of War ( 1987 ) , Woody Allen 's Celebrity ( 1998 ) , Wild Wild West ( 1999 ) , The Road to El Dorado ( 2000 ) , Conspiracy ( 2001 ) , Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets ( 2002 ) , Warm Springs ( 2005 ) , Valkyrie ( 2008 ) , The Boat That Rocked ( 2009 ) , Wallander ( 2008 -- present ) , and My Week with Marilyn ( 2011 ) as Sir Laurence Olivier ( Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor ) . He has directed such notable films as Dead Again ( 1991 ) , in which he also starred , Swan Song ( 1992 ) ( Academy Award nominated for Best Live Action Short Film ) , Mary Shelley 's Frankenstein ( 1994 ) in which he also starred , The Magic Flute ( 2006 ) , Sleuth ( 2007 ) , the blockbuster superhero film Thor ( 2011 ) , the action thriller Jack Ryan : Shadow Recruit ( 2014 ) in which he also co-stars , and Cinderella ( 2015 ) .   He also narrated the BBC documentary miniseries ' Walking with Dinosaurs ( starred in 1999 ) ( as well as The Ballad of Big Al ) , Walking with Beasts ( 2001 ) and Walking with Monsters ( 2005 ) . Branagh has been nominated for five Academy Awards , five Golden Globes , and has won three BAFTAs , and an Emmy . He was appointed a knight bachelor in the 2012 Birthday Honours and was knighted on 9 November 2012 .


A Song of Ice and Fire is a progression of epic novels.

A Song of Ice and Fire A Song of Ice and Fire is a series of epic fantasy novels by the American novelist and screenwriter George R. R. Martin . He began the first volume of the series , A Game of Thrones , in 1991 and had it published in 1996 . Martin , who initially envisioned the series as a trilogy , has published five out of a planned seven volumes . The fifth and most recent volume of the series published in 2011 , A Dance with Dragons , took Martin five years to write . He is still writing the sixth novel , The Winds of Winter .   A Song of Ice and Fire takes place on the fictional continents Westeros and Essos . The point of view of each chapter in the story is a limited perspective of a range of characters growing from nine , in the first novel , to thirty-one by the fifth . Three main stories interweave a dynastic war among several families for control of Westeros , the rising threat of the supernatural Others in the northernmost reaches of Westeros , and the ambition of Daenerys Targaryen , the deposed king 's exiled daughter , to assume the Iron Throne .   Martin 's inspirations included the Wars of the Roses and the French historical novels The Accursed Kings by Maurice Druon . A Song of Ice and Fire received praise for its diverse portrayal of women and religion , as well as its realism . An assortment of disparate and subjective points of view confronts the reader , and the success or survival of point of view characters is never assured . Within the often morally ambiguous world of A Song of Ice and Fire , questions concerning loyalty , pride , human sexuality , piety , and the morality of violence frequently arise .   As of April 2015 , the books have sold more than 60 million copies worldwide and , as of January 2017 , have been translated into 47 languages . The fourth and fifth volumes reached the top of The New York Times Best Seller lists upon their releases . Among the many derived works are several prequel novellas , a TV series , a comic book adaptation , and several card , board , and video games .


Demon Days Demon Days is the second studio album by British virtual band Gorillaz , released on 11 May 2005 in Japan and on 23 May internationally by Parlophone Records and in the United States by Virgin Records . The album features contributions from De La Soul , Neneh Cherry , Martina Topley-Bird , Roots Manuva , MF DOOM , Ike Turner , Bootie Brown of the Pharcyde , Shaun Ryder , Dennis Hopper , the London Community Gospel Choir , and a children 's choir . Albarn brought in Danger Mouse as producer .   Demon Days entered the UK charts at # 1 and the US charts at # 6 , outperforming the band 's eponymous 2001 debut album . The album has sold eight million copies worldwide . The album features the singles `` Feel Good Inc. '' , `` DARE '' , `` Dirty Harry '' , `` Kids with Guns '' , and `` El Mañana '' . As with their debut album , the release of Demon Days and its respective live performances were both accompanied by various multimedia . These included interactive features on the Gorillaz website , a total of four animated music videos , virtual interview sessions with the band and animatics for each song . Almost all of the visuals associated with the album were designed by Gorillaz co-creator Jamie Hewlett as his design company , Zombie Flesh Eaters . Spin ranked Demon Days as the fourth-best album of 2005 , while Mojo ranked it at number eighteen on their year-end list and hailed the album as a `` genre-busting , contemporary pop milestone . '' NME placed it 98th on their list of 100 greatest albums of the decade . Uncut ranked it at 75 on their list of top 150 albums of the decade . Complex included it on their list of 100 Best Albums of the Complex Decade , placing it at number 43 . Spin later included it in their list of The 300 Best Albums of 1985 -- 2014 .


Maynard James Keenan is the lead singer of the rock supergroup A Perfect Circle.

Maynard James Keenan Maynard James Keenan ( born James Herbert Keenan ; April 17 , 1964 ) , often referred to by his initials MJK , is an American musician , record producer , winemaker , and actor , best known as the vocalist for Grammy Award-winning progressive metal band Tool . He is originally from Ohio , but spent his high school and college years in Michigan . After serving in the United States Army in the early 1980s , he attended Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids . He moved to Los Angeles , California in 1988 to pursue a career in interior design and set construction . Shortly thereafter , he formed the band Tool with Adam Jones .   Keenan is also the lead singer of A Perfect Circle . In 2003 , he created Puscifer as a side project and has subsequently released three studio albums . Since rising to fame , Keenan has been noted as being a recluse ; however , he does emerge to support charitable causes .   In addition to his music career , he has performed improvisational sketch comedy and ventured into acting . He currently owns Merkin Vineyards and the associated winery , Caduceus Cellars , which are located in Arizona , where he lives . Among other business ventures , he is a partner in the Los Angeles restaurant Cobras & Matadors , and also owns an organic produce market in Cornville , Arizona , which features a food court and a tasting room for his wines .


A Perfect Circle A Perfect Circle is an American rock supergroup formed in 1999 by guitarist Billy Howerdel and Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan . A Perfect Circle has released three albums : their debut Mer de Noms in 2000 , a follow up , Thirteenth Step in 2003 , and an album of cover songs titled Emotive in 2004 . Shortly after Emotives release , the band went into hiatus while Keenan returned to Tool and starting up solo work in the form of the band Puscifer , and Howerdel releasing a solo album , Keep Telling Myself It 's Alright , under the moniker Ashes Divide . Band activity was sporadic in the coming years ; the band reformed in 2010 , and played live shows on and off between 2010 and 2013 , but fell into inactivity after the release of their greatest hits album , Three Sixty , and a live album box set , A Perfect Circle Live : Featuring Stone and Echo in late 2013 . However , in 2017 , the band returned to touring and announced plans to record and release a fourth studio album under a new record label , BMG Rights Management , between late 2017 and early 2018 .   Prone to downtime due to Keenan 's other musical commitments , the band has featured a variety of musicians in the rest of the band 's role throughout its alternating periods of activity and inactivity . The original incarnation of the band included Paz Lenchantin on bass , Troy Van Leeuwen on guitar , and Josh Freese on drums , though Primus drummer Tim Alexander had briefly stood in as a drummer prior to Freese in the band 's initial live shows prior to releasing any material . Band collaborator and producer Danny Lohner and Marilyn Manson bassist Jeordie White were also members for a short period in the early 2000s . The band 's current lineup features former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha , bassist Matt McJunkins , and drummer Jeff Friedl , the latter two also being contributors to the related Puscifer and Ashes Divide projects . Despite the varied cast and numerous lineup changes , the stylistic content of the songs has remained consistent with Howerdel as music composer , and Keenan penning the lyrics and vocal melodies . The band 's studio albums have been generally well received critically and commercially , with their three studio albums selling 4 million copies collectively as of 2005 .


Bruce Lee was in The Big Boss, Fist of Fury, Golden Harvest, Way of the Dragon, Enter the Dragon, and The Game of Death.

Bruce Lee Lee Jun-fan ( ; November 27 , 1940 -- July 20 , 1973 ) , known professionally as Bruce Lee , was a Hong Kong and American martial artist , actor , philosopher , filmmaker , and founder of the martial art Jeet Kune Do . Lee was the son of Cantonese opera star Lee Hoi-chuen . He is widely considered by commentators , critics , media , and other martial artists to be one of the most influential martial artists of all time , and a pop culture icon of the 20th century . He is often credited with helping to change the way Asians were presented in American films .   Lee was born in Chinatown , San Francisco , on November 27 , 1940 , to parents from Hong Kong and was raised in Kowloon , Hong Kong , with his family until his late teens . He was introduced to the film industry by his father and appeared in several films as a child actor . Lee moved to the United States at the age of 18 to receive his higher education , at the University of Washington , at Seattle and it was during this time that he began teaching martial arts . His Hong Kong and Hollywood-produced films elevated the traditional Hong Kong martial arts film to a new level of popularity and acclaim , sparking a surge of interest in Chinese martial arts in the West in the 1970s . The direction and tone of his films changed and influenced martial arts and martial arts films in the US , Hong Kong and the rest of the world .   He is noted for his roles in five feature-length films : Lo Wei 's The Big Boss ( 1971 ) and Fist of Fury ( 1972 ) ; Golden Harvest 's Way of the Dragon ( 1972 ) , directed and written by Lee ; Golden Harvest and Warner Brothers ' Enter the Dragon ( 1973 ) and The Game of Death ( 1978 ) , both directed by Robert Clouse . Lee became an iconic figure known throughout the world , particularly among the Chinese , as he portrayed Chinese nationalism in his films . He trained in the art of Wing Chun and later combined his other influences from various sources , in the spirit of his personal martial arts philosophy , which he dubbed Jeet Kune Do ( The Way of the Intercepting Fist ) .  Lee held dual nationality of Hong Kong and the US . He died in Kowloon Tong on July 20 , 1973 at the age of 32 .


Bran Stark is not a character in novels by an American novelist.

Bran Stark Brandon Stark , typically called Bran , is a fictional character in the A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin , and its television adaptation Game of Thrones . Martin told Rolling Stone in 2014 that Bran 's chapter with Jaime and Cersei Lannister is what `` hooked '' many readers early in the first novel .   Introduced in 1996 's A Game of Thrones , Bran is the son of Ned Stark , the honorable lord of Winterfell , an ancient fortress in the North of the fictional kingdom of Westeros . He subsequently appeared in Martin 's A Clash of Kings ( 1998 ) and A Storm of Swords ( 2000 ) . Bran was one of a few prominent characters that were not included in 2005 's A Feast for Crows , but returned in the next novel A Dance with Dragons ( 2011 ) .   Bran is portrayed by Isaac Hempstead Wright in the HBO television adaptation .


Haiti is a member of the International Monetary Fund.

Haiti Haiti ( -LSB- ˈheɪti -RSB- Haïti -LSB- a.iti -RSB- Ayiti -LSB- ajiti -RSB- ) , officially the Republic of Haiti and formerly called Hayti , is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea . It occupies the western three-eighths of the island , which it shares with the Dominican Republic . Haiti is 27750 km2 in size and has an estimated 10.6 million people , making it the most populous country in the Caribbean Community ( CARICOM ) and the second-most populous country in the Caribbean as a whole .   The region was originally inhabited by the indigenous Taíno people . Spain discovered the island on 5 December 1492 during the first voyage of Christopher Columbus across the Atlantic . When Columbus initially landed in Haiti , he had thought he had found India or Asia . On Christmas Day 1492 , Columbus ' flagship the Santa Maria ran aground north of what is now Limonade . As a consequence , Columbus ordered his men to salvage what they could from the ship , and he created the first European settlement in the Americas , naming it La Navidad after the day the ship was destroyed .   The island was named La Española and claimed by Spain , which ruled until the early 17th century . Competing claims and settlements by the French led to the western portion of the island being ceded to France , which named it Saint-Domingue . The development of sugarcane plantations , worked by slaves brought from Africa , led to the colony being among the most lucrative in the world .   In the midst of the French Revolution ( 1789 -- 1799 ) , slaves and free people of colour revolted in the Haitian Revolution ( 1791 -- 1804 ) , culminating in the abolition of slavery and the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte 's army at the Battle of Vertières . Afterward the sovereign nation of Haiti was established on 1 January 1804 the first independent nation of Latin America and the Caribbean , the second republic in the Americas , the only nation in the western hemisphere to have defeated three European superpowers ( France , Spain , and the UK ) , and the only nation in the world established as a result of a successful slave revolt . The rebellion that began in 1791 was led by a former slave and the first black general of the French Army , Toussaint Louverture , whose military genius and political acumen transformed an entire society of slaves into an independent country . Upon his death in a prison in France , he was succeeded by his lieutenant , Jean-Jacques Dessalines , who declared Haiti 's sovereignty and later became the first Emperor of Haiti , Jacques I . The Haitian Revolution lasted just over a dozen years ; and apart from Alexandre Pétion , the first President of the Republic , all the first leaders of government were former slaves . The Citadelle Laferrière is the largest fortress in the Americas . Henri Christophe former slave and first king of Haiti , Henri I built it to withstand a possible foreign attack .   It is a founding member of the United Nations , Organization of American States ( OAS ) , Association of Caribbean States , and the International Francophonie Organisation . In addition to CARICOM , it is a member of the International Monetary Fund , World Trade Organization , and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States . It has the lowest Human Development Index in the Americas . Most recently , in February 2004 , a coup d'état originating in the north of the country forced the resignation and exile of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide . A provisional government took control with security provided by the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti ( MINUSTAH ) .


Planet of the Apes was unable to shoot scenes in the United States.

Planet of the Apes (1968 film) Planet of the Apes is a 1968 American science fiction film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner . It stars Charlton Heston , Roddy McDowall , Kim Hunter , Maurice Evans , James Whitmore , James Daly and Linda Harrison . The screenplay by Michael Wilson and Rod Serling was loosely based on the 1963 French novel La Planète des Singes by Pierre Boulle . Jerry Goldsmith composed the groundbreaking avant-garde score . It was the first in a series of five films made between 1968 and 1973 , all produced by Arthur P. Jacobs and released by 20th Century Fox .   The film tells the story of an astronaut crew who crash-land on a strange planet in the distant future . Although the planet appears desolate at first , the surviving crew members stumble upon a society in which apes have evolved into creatures with human-like intelligence and speech . The apes have assumed the role of the dominant species and humans are mute creatures wearing animal skins .   The script was originally written by Rod Serling , but underwent many rewrites before filming eventually began . Directors J. Lee Thompson and Blake Edwards were approached , but the film 's producer Arthur P. Jacobs , upon the recommendation of Charlton Heston , chose Franklin J. Schaffner to direct the film . Schaffner 's changes included an ape society less advanced -- and therefore less expensive to depict -- than that of the original novel . Filming took place between May 21 and August 10 , 1967 , in California , Utah and Arizona , with desert sequences shot in and around Lake Powell , Glen Canyon National Recreation Area . The film 's final `` closed '' cost was $ 5.8 million .   The film was released on February 8 , 1968 , in the United States and was a commercial success , earning a lifetime domestic gross of $ 32.6 million . The film was groundbreaking for its prosthetic makeup techniques by artist John Chambers and was well received by critics and audiences , launching a film franchise , including four sequels , as well as a short-lived television show , animated series , comic books , and various merchandising . In particular , Roddy McDowall had a long-running relationship with the Apes series , appearing in four of the original five films ( absent , apart from a brief voiceover , from the second film of the series , Beneath the Planet of the Apes , in which he was replaced by David Watson in the role of Cornelius ) , and also in the television series .   The original series was followed by Tim Burton 's remake Planet of the Apes in 2001 and the reboot Rise of the Planet of the Apes in 2011 . Also in 2001 , Planet of the Apes was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being `` culturally , historically , or aesthetically significant '' .


Gift of the Night Fury stars the voice of an actor whose third name is Saunders.

Jay Baruchel Jonathan Adam Saunders `` Jay '' Baruchel ( -LSB- ˈbæruːˌʃɛl -RSB- born April 9 , 1982 ) is a Canadian actor , comedian , screenwriter , director , and producer . He plays Josh Greenberg in the FXX comedy television series Man Seeking Woman and played the lead character in Judd Apatow 's comedy series , Undeclared . He is known for his voice role as Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III in the How to Train Your Dragon franchise , and for his roles in comedy movies such as Knocked Up , Tropic Thunder , Fanboys , She 's Out of My League , Goon , and This Is the End .


Gift of the Night Fury Gift of the Night Fury is a 2011 computer-animated short film by DreamWorks Animation and directed by Tom Owens . It was released on November 15 , 2011 , on DVD and Blu-ray , along with another original animated short film Book of Dragons .   Based on How to Train Your Dragon , the short takes place in the middle of preparing for the Viking winter holiday . After all dragons inexplicably fly away , the last one of them unwittingly kidnaps Hiccup . The film stars the voices of Jay Baruchel , Gerard Butler , Craig Ferguson , America Ferrera , Jonah Hill , T.J. Miller , Kristen Wiig , and Christopher Mintz-Plasse .


Bernie Sanders is not a self-described democratic socialist.

Bernie Sanders Bernard Sanders ( born September 8 , 1941 ) is an American politician who has been the junior United States Senator from Vermont since 2007 . Sanders is the longest serving independent in U.S. congressional history . Since his election to the House of Representatives in 1991 , he has caucused with the Democratic Party , which has entitled him to congressional committee assignments and at times given Democrats a majority . Sanders became the ranking minority member on the Senate Budget Committee in January 2015 ; he had previously been chair of the Senate Veterans ' Affairs Committee for two years . Since January 2017 , he has been Chair of the Senate Democratic Outreach Committee . Sanders 's campaign against Hillary Clinton for the party 's 2016 U.S. presidential nomination raised more money in small , individual contributions than any other in American history , and helped him rise to international recognition . A self-described democratic socialist , Sanders is pro-labor and emphasizes reversing economic inequality . Many scholars consider his views to be more in line with social democracy and New Deal-era American progressivism than democratic socialism .   Sanders was born and raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York City and graduated from the University of Chicago in 1964 . While a student he was an active protest organizer for the Congress of Racial Equality and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee during the Civil Rights Movement . After settling in Vermont in 1968 , Sanders ran unsuccessful third-party campaigns for governor and U.S. senator in the early to mid-1970s . As an independent , he was elected mayor of Burlington -- Vermont 's most populous city of 42,417 in 2010 -- in 1981 , by a margin of ten votes . He went on to be reelected as mayor three times . In 1990 , he was elected to represent Vermont 's at-large congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives , where he co-founded the Congressional Progressive Caucus in 1991 . He served as a congressman for 16 years before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006 . In 2012 , he was reelected with 71 % of the popular vote . Polls indicate that he is among the senators most popular with their constituents , ranking third in 2014 and first in both 2015 and 2016 .   Sanders rose to national prominence following his 2010 filibuster against the Middle Class Tax Relief Act of 2010 , which extended the Bush tax cuts that favored the wealthiest Americans . He has built a reputation as a leading progressive voice on issues such as campaign finance reform , corporate welfare , global warming , income inequality , LGBT rights , parental leave , and universal healthcare . Sanders has long been critical of U.S. foreign policy and was an early and outspoken opponent of the Iraq War , the First Gulf War , and U.S. support for the Contras in Nicaragua . He is also outspoken on civil liberties and civil rights , particularly criticizing racial discrimination in the criminal justice system as well as advocating for privacy rights against mass surveillance policies such as the USA PATRIOT Act and the NSA surveillance programs .   Sanders announced his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination on April 30 , 2015 . Initially considered a long shot , Sanders won 23 primaries and caucuses and approximately 43 % of pledged delegates to Clinton 's 55 % . His campaign was noted for the enthusiasm of its supporters , as well as his rejection of large donations from corporations , the financial industry , and any associated Super PAC . On July 12 , 2016 , Sanders formally endorsed Clinton against her Republican general election opponent Donald Trump , while urging his supporters to continue the `` political revolution '' his campaign had begun . In November 2016 , Sanders 's book Our Revolution : A Future to Believe In was released ; upon its release , it was on The New York Times best-seller list at number 3 . In 2016 Sanders formed a political organization , Our Revolution , to educate voters about issues , get people involved in the political process , and work to organize and elect progressive candidates . In February 2017 , Sanders began webcasting The Bernie Sanders Show on Facebook .


Laura Prepon Laura Helene Prepon ( born March 7 , 1980 ) is an American actress , producer , and author . She is known for her role as Donna Pinciotti in all eight seasons of the Fox sitcom That '70s Show ( 1998 -- 2006 ) , and for her role as Alex Vause in the Netflix original comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black ( 2013 -- present ) . Following That '70s Show , Prepon worked mainly in television . She made her film debut in 2001 with the independent film Southlander . Her other films include the romantic drama Come Early Morning ( 2006 ) , the comedy Lay the Favorite ( 2012 ) , the thriller The Girl on the Train ( 2016 ) , and The Hero ( 2017 ) .


The Hero (2017 film) The Hero is a 2017 American film directed by Brett Haley . It stars Sam Elliott , Laura Prepon , Krysten Ritter , Nick Offerman , and Katharine Ross .   The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21 , 2017 . It is scheduled to be released on June 9 , 2017 , by The Orchard .


That '70s Show That '70s Show is an American television period sitcom that originally aired on Fox from August 23 , 1998 , to May 18 , 2006 . The series focused on the lives of a group of teenage friends living in the fictional suburban town of Point Place , Wisconsin , from May 17 , 1976 , to December 31 , 1979 .   The main teenage cast members were Topher Grace , Mila Kunis , Ashton Kutcher , Danny Masterson , Laura Prepon and Wilmer Valderrama . The main adult cast members were Debra Jo Rupp , Kurtwood Smith , Don Stark , Tommy Chong and Tanya Roberts .


Batman: The Killing Joke was written by Stan Lee.

Batman: The Killing Joke Batman : The Killing Joke is a 1988 DC Comics one-shot graphic novel featuring the characters Batman and the Joker written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Brian Bolland . The Killing Joke provides an origin story for the supervillain the Joker , loosely adapted from the 1951 story arc `` The Man Behind the Red Hood ! '' . Taking place over two timelines , The Killing Joke depicts the Joker attempting to drive Jim Gordon insane and Batman 's desperate attempt to stop him .   Created by Moore and Bolland as their own take on the Joker 's source and psychology , the story became famous for its origin of the Joker as a tragic character ; a family man and failed comedian who suffered `` one bad day '' that finally drove him insane . Moore stated that he attempted to show the similarities and contrasts between the two characters . The story 's effects on the mainstream Batman continuity also included the shooting and paralysis of Barbara Gordon ( a.k.a. Batgirl ) , an event that laid the groundwork for her to develop the identity of Oracle .   Many critics consider the graphic novel to be the definitive Joker story and one of the best Batman stories ever published . The comic won the Eisner Award for ` Best Graphic Album ' in 1989 and appeared on The New York Times Best Seller List in May 2009 . In 2006 , The Killing Joke was reprinted as part of the trade paperback DC Universe : The Stories of Alan Moore . In 2008 , DC Comics reprinted the story in a deluxe hardcover edition , which features new coloring by Bolland , with a more somber , realistic , and subdued palette than the original . Elements of The Killing Joke have inspired or been incorporated into other aspects of Batman media , such as films and video games .


Jim Henson James Maury `` Jim '' Henson ( September 24 , 1936 -- May 16 , 1990 ) was an American puppeteer , artist , cartoonist , inventor , screenwriter , film director and producer who achieved international fame as the creator of the Muppets . Born in Greenville , Mississippi , and raised in Leland , Mississippi , and Hyattsville , Maryland , Henson began developing puppets while attending high school . While he was a freshman at the University of Maryland , College Park , he created Sam and Friends , a five-minute sketch-comedy puppet show that appeared on television . After graduating from the University of Maryland with a degree in home economics , he produced coffee advertisements and developed some experimental films . Feeling the need for more creative output , Henson founded Muppets Inc. in 1958 ( which would later become the Jim Henson Company ) .   Henson became famous in the 1960s when he joined the children 's educational television program Sesame Street , and there helped develop characters for the series . He also appeared on the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live . In 1976 , after scrapping plans for a Broadway show , he produced The Muppet Show . He won fame for his creations , particularly Kermit the Frog , Rowlf the Dog , and Ernie , and was involved with Sesame Street for over 20 years . Rowlf the Dog was a cast member on the Jimmy Dean Show in the early 60 's . He also had frequent roles in Muppets films such as The Muppet Movie , The Great Muppet Caper , and The Muppets Take Manhattan , and created advanced puppets for projects like Fraggle Rock , The Dark Crystal , and Labyrinth . During the later years of his life , he also founded the Jim Henson Foundation and Jim Henson 's Creature Shop . His involvement in two television programs -- The Storyteller and The Jim Henson Hour -- led to Emmy Award wins .   Henson died of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome on May 16 , 1990 , at age 53 , twenty hours after experiencing a medical emergency -- an unexpected event that was widely lamented in the film and television industries . In the weeks after his death , he was celebrated in a wave of tributes . He was posthumously inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991 , and as a Disney Legend in 2011 .


Dr. Dre was formerly a creator on Death Row Records.

Dr. Dre Andre Romelle Young ( born February 18 , 1965 ) , better known by his stage name Dr. Dre , is an American rapper , record producer , and entrepreneur . He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics . Dre was previously the co-owner of , and an artist on , Death Row Records . He has produced albums for and overseen the careers of many rappers , including 2Pac , The D.O.C. , Snoop Dogg , Eminem , Xzibit , Knoc-turn ` al , 50 Cent , The Game and Kendrick Lamar . He is credited as a key figure in the popularization of West Coast G-funk , a style of rap music characterized as synthesizer-based with slow , heavy beats . In 2014 , Dr. Dre was ranked as the second richest figure in the American hip hop scene by Forbes with a net worth of $ 550 million ; he is at the top of the 2015 Forbes list , with an estimated pre-tax take of $ 620 million in 2014 .   Dre began his career as a member of the World Class Wreckin ' Cru and later found fame with the influential gangsta rap group N.W.A with Eazy-E , Ice Cube , MC Ren , and DJ Yella , which popularized the use of explicit lyrics in rap to detail the violence of street life . His 1992 solo debut The Chronic , released under Death Row Records , led him to become one of the best-selling American performing artists of 1993 and to win a Grammy Award for the single `` Let Me Ride '' . That same year he produced Death Row labelmate Snoop Dogg 's quadruple platinum debut Doggystyle , and even molded artists into top-notch producers such as his step-brother Warren G , which led to his Multi-Platinum debut Regulate ... G Funk Era in 1994 , and Snoop Dogg 's cousin Daz Dillinger which led to the double platinum debut album Dogg Food by Tha Dogg Pound in 1995 .   In 1996 , he left Death Row Records to establish his own label , Aftermath Entertainment . He produced a compilation album titled Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath in 1996 , and released a solo album titled 2001 in 1999 . During the 2000s , he focused on production for other artists , while occasionally contributing vocals to songs . Dr. Dre signed Eminem in 1998 and 50 Cent in 2002 to his record label respectively , while contributing production on their albums . He has won six Grammy Awards , including Producer of the Year . Dr. Dre has also had acting roles in movies such as Set It Off , The Wash and Training Day . Rolling Stone ranked Dre at 56 on their list of `` 100 Greatest Artists of All-Time '' .


Paul Wesley is professionally known as Paul Tomasz Wasilewski.

Paul Wesley Pawel Tomasz Wasilewski ( born July 23 , 1982 ) , known professionally as Paul Wesley , is an American actor , director , and producer . He is known for playing Stefan Salvatore in The CW 's supernatural drama The Vampire Diaries ( 2009 -- 2017 ) and as Aaron Corbett in the ABC Family miniseries Fallen . He appeared on several TV shows such as Guiding Light , Wolf Lake , Smallville , and Everwood .


Nicole Kidman Nicole Mary Kidman , AC ( born June 20 , 1967 ) is an Australian actress and film producer . Kidman 's breakthrough roles were in the 1989 feature film thriller Dead Calm and television thriller miniseries Bangkok Hilton . Appearing in several films in the early 1990s , she came to worldwide recognition for her performances in the stock-car racing film Days of Thunder ( 1990 ) , the romance-drama Far and Away ( 1992 ) , and the superhero film Batman Forever ( 1995 ) . Other successful films followed in the late 1990s . Her performance in the musical Moulin Rouge ! ( 2001 ) earned her a second Golden Globe Award for Best Actress -- Motion Picture Comedy or Musical and her first nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress . Kidman 's performance as Virginia Woolf in the drama film The Hours ( 2002 ) received critical acclaim and earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress , the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role , the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture -- Drama and the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the Berlin International Film Festival .   Kidman 's other notable films include the crime comedy-drama To Die For ( 1995 ) , for which she won her first Golden Globe Award for Best Actress -- Motion Picture Comedy or Musical , the erotic thriller Eyes Wide Shut ( 1999 ) , the horror-thriller The Others ( 2001 ) , the epic war drama film Cold Mountain ( 2003 ) , the drama Dogville ( 2003 ) , the political thriller The Interpreter ( 2005 ) , and the epic historical romantic drama Australia ( 2008 ) . Her performances in the drama Birth ( 2004 ) and the thriller The Paperboy ( 2012 ) earned her Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress and Supporting Actress respectively . Her performance in the 2010 drama Rabbit Hole ( 2010 ) , which she also produced , earned Kidman further accolades , including a third nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress . In 2012 , she earned her first Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for her role in the biopic Hemingway & Gellhorn ( 2012 ) . Kidman 's performance in Lion ( 2016 ) earned her a fourth Academy Award nomination , her first for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress . In 2017 , Kidman returned to television , starring in the HBO miniseries Big Little Lies .   Kidman has been a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF since 1994 and for UNIFEM since 2006 . In 2006 , Kidman was made a Companion in the Order of Australia , and was the highest-paid actress in the motion picture industry for that year . As a result of being born to Australian parents in Hawaii , Kidman has dual citizenship in Australia and the United States . Kidman founded and owns the production company Blossom Films .


Katie Stevens' birth date was December 8, 1992.

Katie Stevens Katherine Mari `` Katie '' Stevens ( born December 8 , 1992 ) is an American actress and singer best known for finishing in eighth place on the ninth season of American Idol and starring as Karma Ashcroft in the MTV series Faking It .