Joan Rivers: She Knew How To Keep Us Laughing

Joan Rivers

The Woman

The daughter of Russian immigrant parents, Joan Rivers—originally Joan Alexandra Molinsky—was born on June 8, 1933, in Brooklyn, New York. Before entering show business, Rivers worked at various jobs such as a tour guide at Rockefeller Center, a writer/proofreader at an advertising agency and a fashion consultant at Bond Clothing Stores. During this period, agent Tony Rivers advised her to change her name, so she chose Joan Rivers as her stage name. Continue reading

Meryl Streep: She’s a National Treasure

Meryl Streep

 

The Woman

Considered by many to be the greatest actress of all time, Meryl Streep has the rare gift of being talented, humble, ambitious, and proficient—all at the same time. She has been nominated for an Academy Award® a record 18 times ( having won three of them), won two out of her three Emmy Nominations and eight of her 28 Golden Globe nominations. Her first Oscar® nomination was for her performance in the 1979 Best Picture film, The Deer Hunter and she took home her first Oscar for her Best Supporting Role in the 1980 Best Picture film, Kramer vs. Kramer. Continue reading

Scarlett Johansson Keeps Surprising Us

Scarlett Johansson The Woman:

Tony and BAFTA award-winning actress Scarlett Johansson (Lucy) has proven to be one of Hollywood’s most talented young actresses. The Golden Globe Award nominee recently starred in Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, opposite Chris Evans; Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin; and Jon Favreau’s ensemble comedy Chef, opposite Robert Downey, Jr. and Dustin Hoffman. In addition, she lent her voice to Spike Jonze’s critically acclaimed sci-fi romance Her, in the role of Samantha, an operating system, and earned the Best Actress Award at the Rome Film Festival. Continue reading

Angelina Jolie: Far From Maleficent

Angelina Jolie at the Golden Globe Foreign-Language Nominees SemThe Woman

Born to actor Jon Voight and actress Marcheline Bertrand, Angelina Jolie Voight has Hollywood’s blood running through her veins. She developed an interest in performing by the time she was eleven and enrolled in the Lee Strasburg Theatre Institute. Her education there only lasted two years as she soon found work as a model. Continue reading

Everyone’s Fallin’ for Alicia Keys *Update

The Woman

Singer-songwriter Alicia Keys has had us falling for her from the start. In 2001, she became the best-selling new artist and best-selling R&B artist with the release of her debut album Songs in A Minor. The album sold 12 million copies and Keys collected five Grammy awards, including Best New Artist and Song of the Year for “Fallin’.” After more musical success, Keys made many guest appearances on television series, such as Charmed and The Nanny Diaries. She also appeared on the big screen in the feature film The Secret Life of Bees, which earned her a nomination for the NAACP Image Awards. Continue reading

Lucy Liu: Artist/Angel

THE WOMAN

Lucy Liu was 19 when she was spotted by an agent while riding the subway. Apprehensive to work with him, she finally agreed after cross-referencing his credentials with the Better Business Bureau.  This relationship lead Liu to book her first commercial and begin her career in acting.  She spent the early 90s in small TV and film roles before landing the part of Ling Woo—specifically created for her by the writers—on Ally McBeal. In 1997 she was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award and an Emmy for her role in the series.  Liu’s next big move was playing Alex Munday in the movie Charlie’s Angels in 2000Also in 2000 she hosted Saturday Night Live and appeared in TV shows like Ugly Betty and Sex in the City.   This success lead to more movie roles—in 2003 Liu played O-Ren Ishii in Quentin Tarantino’s popular Kill Bill series, followed by a part in Chicago, and then opposite Kira Knightly in Domino. She has since starred in a variety of roles from providing her voice for Kung Fu Panda, making her Broadway debut in God of Carnage, a Tony-winning play and acting in a slew of other movies. Liu’s current project is working on the CBS television series Elementary, a Sherlock Holmes drama in which Liu plays the typically male part of Watson.  In 2013 she became a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.  When not acting, Liu pursuits her passion for art.  A painter and photographer, Liu attended the New York Studio School from 2004-2006 and often shows her work under a pseudonym, Yu Ling.

UPDATE* Season 3 of Elementary ends on May 14th! Make sure you tune in!

THE CAUSE

Incorporating her love for art with her love for charity, Liu has partnered with UNICEF—a United Nations program dedicated to providing much needed assistance to children and mothers in developing nations— on a variety of projects.  Liu first joined with UNICEF in 2004 when she was named an ambassador and traveled with them to Pakistan and Lesotho. Since then the actress has continued to give to UNICEF by holding art shows in which she donates all of her profits to the program.  She published a book featuring her artwork, Seventy Two, and vowed to donate proceeds from this as well. Liu was also named a spokeswoman for The Human Rights campaign in 2011 and has worked with Heinz to push back against anemia and other potentially life-threatening vitamin deficiencies that are occurring in children in developing countries.  In 2012, Liu was honored for her widespread humanitarian work by the charity Women for Women International and presented with the Champion of Peace award.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP

Visit UNICEF at http://www.unicefusa.org/ to find out how to donate, volunteer, or learn more about the challenges that UNICEF aspires to overcome.

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Jennifer Lawrence: Girl of Mystique

THE WOMAN

Jennifer Lawrence was always fond of acting.  While growing up in Louisville, Kentucky she loved to perform, and at age 14 she convinced her parents to take her to New York to look for an agent. Fast to book commercials and modeling gigs, these small parts caught the attention of casting agents and Jennifer was offered roles in independent films like The Burning Plain and Winter’s Bone. Continue reading