Today (December 28) is the b-day of my ALL-TIME fave actor- Denzel Washington! Can you believe that Denzel is 54? Wow!
My fave films of Denzel’s are: Glory, Malcolm X, Cry Freedom, Mississippi Masala, Philadelphia, The Pelican Brief, and Crimson Tide.
I have created my own list of hotties. (Warning: Some are SUPER-HOT!) Some are rising stars, while others have been making their mark in TV/film/etc., for years. Not only are these gents good-looking, they’re good actors!
Aaron Eckhart
He’s not just Two Face, but an actor of MANY faces and facets. Aaron grew up in Cali, was raised Mormon, and attended BYU (where he met director and close pal, Neil LaBute.) They both come from a similar background, and have collaborated often. LaBute operates outside the mainstream, working on topics he likes. Aaron is unafraid to take on unusual projects; he’s gained lbs. and changed his hair/looks for many roles.
This is a screen shot from Possession (one of my fave films of ALL time!) In it Aaron plays an underappreciated American researcher (post-PhD) in London who happens upon a JUICY secret (at least in the field of Romantic poetry). He joins up w/ an icy Brit Womens Studies prof (Paltrow) to get more info… Too bad no REAL poetry experts look like him- LOL!!!
I smile a lot in public because I tend to look too serious.
Adrian Lester
Wow, check out those EYES!!! Like many performers of the “old days”, Adrian Lester can sing, dance, AND act onstage and onscreen. He’s a BIG talent (physically, too- he’s around 6’4″) who has a rather soft voice.
After I saw him in Primary Colors, I wondered why he wasn’t in more (big) films. Fans of the bard can check him out in Branagh’s musical film Love’s Labour Lost and As You Like It. His smile is VERY sweet!
Chiwetel Ejiofor
With a (Nigerian) name like that- you’re gonna have a nickname (Chewy)! This young actor (under 35) can pretty much play ANY part, as the song goes. He’s done Shakespeare (screen/satge), played a transvestite (Kinky Boots), and acted opposite Denzel (Inside Man / American Ganster)!
He made a HUGE impression w/ Dirty Pretty Things, a smart, sensitive view of immigrant, working-class London. He played a Nigerian immigrant (and former doc) who worked days driving a cab and nights at a hotel. Chewy based this character partly on his OWN immigrant father (who was a real-life doc). Unfortunately, he lost his father in a car accident when he was 11 y.o. The scars on his forehead are a reminder of that.
He disappears into roles like few other actors can, which makes him valuable to any film, but it also makes it difficult for him to become a star.
I enjoy every role that I’ve seen him perform. His acting seems effortless and his interaction with colleagues is a beautifully timed dance.
A superb artist and I believe he will win that Oscar one day. A magnificent actor!
-Fan comments from IMDB
Christian Bale
Welsh-born Bale has appeared in Shakespeare, dramas and comedies demonstrating a versatility, depth and range that has made him one of the best reviewed actors today and one of the most popular actors on the Internet.
-IMDB
Though born in Wales, he calls himself British (as he didn’t grow up in Wales). Christian grew up onscreen; his 1st movie role was at age 14 in Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun. He trained for 10 weeks in dancing and martial arts for the dance sequences in Newsies (1992) and Swing Kids (1993).
Since it’s holiday season, check out Little Women w/ Winona Ryder, Claire Danes, and Kristen Dunst.
An actor should never be larger than the film he’s in.
–Spin magazine, March 1996
I only sound intelligent when there’s a good scriptwriter around.
In American Psycho, Christian tackles a very, very EVIL businessman consumed w/ his own desires.
It’s the actors who are prepared to make fools of themselves who are usually the ones who come to mean something to the audience.
I don’t think I was particularly in need of superheroes. I never had any fascination with Superman or Spider-Man or a Batman kind of character. If it happened at all, it was imagined characters that I had invented. My dad was a role model for me. He was a fascinating man. There was intrigue and entertainment growing up with him. He gave me an edict that I still pursue: Life should never be boring.
Denzel Washington
Did you know one of Denzel’s twins, Katia, is now at Yale university?
On Oprah, Julia Roberts commented that “working with Denzel (on The Pelican Brief) was like working with The Beatles.” Dir. Ed Zwick uses a lot of close-ups on him, because “even when he’s not saying anything, the audience is looking at him.” His wife in Crimson Tide, Vanessa Bell-Calloway, told People that “Denzel has wit, style, and intelligence.” But the coolest thing about this big Hollywood success is that he’s willing to help young actors!
Dylan McDermott
My theory about actors is we’re all walking milk cartons. Expirations dates everywhere.
After a very troubled childhood/family life, Dylan and his lil sis were adopted by his step-mom (actress/writer/feminist icon Eve Ensler). She encouraged him to go to acting school and Fordham. She also turned his life around. He had become a hard drinker and was constantly in fights. At age 23, he quit drinking. He also changed his name from Mark to Dylan in tribute to Eve.
This is a shot from The Mistress of Spices– a terrible film I suffered through just to see Dylan. In order to NOT alienate her Bollywood fans, Aishwarya Rai DID NOT kiss Dylan on the lips in Gurinder Chadha’s rom com film. Boy, talk about missed opportunity!
Hugh Dancy
In Elizabeth I, a great UK miniseries I previously wrote about, Hugh goes toe-to-toe w/ Jeremy Irons and Helen Mirren. Not bad for a guy just who’s just 33!
Who better to rescue a damsel in distress? LOL… Daniel Deronda is about a young man- sensitive, caring, and highly intelligent, but haunted by doubts about his identity. Is he a British gentleman like his adopted father? And why is he drawn to the Jewish faith?
Hugh is not just a pretty face; he graduated from Oxford University with a degree in English Literature & Language and speaks French fluently.
My dad is an academic but there was never any question of me following on that route. I’m thick.
Ioan Gruffudd
Isn’t he looking sophisticated in this pic? Ioan starred in Amazing Grace, and had a bit part (as Tony Blair) in Oliver Stone’s W. He’s done TV, historical stuff, action- you name it! An interesting fact about Ioan is that his first language was Welsh; he’s a bilingual, multicultural guy.
You don’t need blue eyes to be a hottie- warm brown ones can work, too. Did you know Ioan starred on a TV show (Horatio Hornblower) a few years back? It’s now sold in the US. You may have seen him in Wilde opposite Stephen Fry; he had gorgeous long hair then!
I’m looking forward to seeing one of his (older) films- Solomon and Gaenor. It’s a youthful love story between a Jewish boy and a Catholic girl in Ireland.
Jimmy Smits
Where else can you find cheekbones like that!? His height and striking looks (his heritage is Puerto Rican) make him a major presence onscreen. Jimmy Smits has been making his mark since the late 1980s, when he was cast on LA Law. Too bad he didn’t take the offer to star in CSI: Miami. (I’d rather watch him than David Caruso ANY day!) He grew up in one of the toughest neighborhoods of Brooklyn (Bushwick), and can be seen in ads for the charity NY Cares.
Here is a pic from The West Wing, where Jimmy played Matt Santos, a serious, sympathetic democratic presidential candidate w/ a young fam. Hmmm… sounds familiar.
Sometimes art imitates life! Like our future prez, Jimmy is someone who transcends race. He’s played Latino characters (from many backgrounds), but also characters that weren’t race-specific.
Toby Stephens
I like this longer hair A LOT! Toby is possibly the hottest Bond villain (aside from fellow Brit Sean Bean.) Speaking of Sean Bean… He and Sean acted in Sharpe’s Challenge (shot in Rajasthan, India). Speaking of India… He’s acted in English AND Hindi (alongside Aamir Khan in The Rising).
Like mom, Dame Maggie Smith (above w/ bro), Toby has an unmistakeable (posh) accent, confidant gait, large expressive eyes, and a wide smile.
In The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Toby plays a kind country farmer who falls for his new neighbor, and becomes a father figure to her little son. This character is VERY sweet and gentlemanly!
Toby took on the challenge of Mr. Rochester- a very “changeable” romantic hero who’s “larger than life.” Now he has MANY more fans!
Hello readers!
Feeling a BIT blue? Dark blue maybe? Money low in the bank? Investments down? Join the world! My mom says Obama will make some BIG changes for the better.
I’m VERY slowly emerging from my depression after leaving my love (NYC)! Since I have a long-term sub job and interview(s) coming up, I have to get focused. There is NOT much time to whine and cry these days! (I did that for 2-3 wks already, though!)
What I’m Watching:
CSI: NY
Yes, I started watching b/c of “NY” in the title, but it’s a pretty good show. Gary Sinise is VERY strong (no surprise there!), and there is a sweet office romance btwn Danny (Carmine Giovinazzo) and Lindsey (Anna Belknap), two cops who seem like opposites (at first glance). And… wait for it… they actually look like REAL people!!!
The REALLY cute guy (Eddie Cahill) who played Rachel’s younger bf on Friends is here, too.
And Hill Harper plays a doc; he’s also an author who wrote re: youth issues.
Movies I Recommend:
Dan in Real Life
Dan was living his life w/ his 3 (adorable/challenging) daughters until he met a woman who turned his head (after MANY years). Then he “went a little crazy” as he admits. But who wouldn’t fall in love w/ Juliette Binoche!?
Enchanted
Who wouldn’t fall in love w/ Patrick Dempsey!? (Even my dad likes him!) This is a fairy tale for BOTH kids, teens, and adults! Also ya get to see NYC…
Tortilla Soup
A Mexican-American version of the fantastic Chinese film Eat Drink Man Woman. You get to see Latino actors from several different backgrounds here. And Elizabeth Pena is ALWAYS great to watch IMHO!
Hello readers! Thanks for checking back with me. I’m missing NYC like CRAZY… still!
People are trying ALL crazy ways to get jobs these days! One recent MBA grad posted his resume in his taxicab in NYC. A middle-aged man (who had experience and degree from MIT) stood outside with a sandwich board, and got job offer.
I recently found out about 3 schools (Queens & Bklyn) that have started looking fot ELA teachers ALREADY!!! One of the schools has a GREAT reputation. 2 charter schools (that I learned about at a job fair before) are looking for MANY subj teachers.
On the DC front, I will start subbing at a small Catholic school very soon. I just heard back from a charter HS that needs a sub, too. This group of charters has a good rep, too.
Yeah, I feel a LITTLE less useless now!
EMMA
Hello all! I haven’t written these past two weeks b/c a LOT has been going on! I’ve moved to Northern Virginia (or NoVA as webbies write) to live with my dad (who works for the Department of Transportation, DoT). I needed to save money and look for a teaching job in a place with (hopefully) less competition. I cried about it for a few days, and then decided to move in early November. I REALLY didn’t want to go, and STILL hope to find a teaching job in NYC for fall 2009. But I tried for 3 school terms already, and substituting was just NOT cutting it money-wise. Yes, I could have scrimped and saved, but I have a tough time with that. (It’s one of my BIG issues when I live on my own!) Also, I have loans from when I went to law school (2 terms) that are gathering interest quickly. (Some of you know this stuff already, but stay w/ me here!) Good news: I have a job interview at a Catholic school (Pre-K to 8) in DC for a long-term substitute position!
Part of the reason that I was miserable end of Oct and beginning of Nov was problems w/ my former landlady (Mrs. S) in Jackson Heights, Queens (and her family). You see, her English (even after 30 yrs in US) is so bad that she needs fam to translate for her often. I told Mrs. S that I was moving 6 weeks ahead of time, just to be nice, and said my roomie (D) would find a new lady to live with. (They spoke to me mostly b/c they thought of me as the ONE in charge of the apartment- the top floor of their house.) They refused to have D there, and said flatly that she must leave when I do! They asked about her job situation (D is looking for a job after quitting a bad one) and hinted that they didn’t trust her. Aha! So, they are prejudiced people! “We know you, not that woman,” they said more that once. I thought to myself, these people are CRAZY (not to mention inconsiderate, irrational, etc.) My mom warned me that there might be probs b/c D was white, so these (Sylheti) folks wouldn’t feel comfortable dealing ONLY with her. That just sounded CRAZY to me b/c Mrs. S has two of her US-born and raised grown kids living in the house.
After 2 long (and HIGHLY irritating) discussions, she and her fam agreed (grudgingly) to let D continue living there. I guess sometimes I think TOO well of people, and don’t anticipate them acting shady (as the teens say). My old roomie and I never had a lease with them, b/c THEY never wanted one. The next week, they offered D a lease. The weekend after that, they said D had to move out when I did- yes, again! Mrs. S came up with her youngest daughter and son to tell us VERY clearly (and coldly). D told her that she would move before December 1. I couldn’t believe how calm D was being w/ these folks, but there it was! (D even said that she “didn’t want to the ‘Ugly American’” in this situation.) She was disappointed and surprised, I could tell, but didn’t make any drama about it. D grew up in Brooklyn and on LI, so she knows how to deal w/ difficult people, my mom commented. Finally, I’m done with ALL that drama. Next time I go anywhere on my own, I’m NOT dealing with people like that- no matter what!
I made a few mistakes that I feel bad about before the move. For starters, I didn’t begin packing for the move until FRI. The only things I had packed were clothes (in a handful of suitcases)! I was VERY anxious and sad about the move, so maybe that’s why I didn’t pack too quickly. My dad came up in his BIG van on FRI evening. And he had also been having back problems recently, too. He was VERY tired after the drive; it takes between 6 and 7 hrs. There were several tolls to pay, totaling close to $25. Wow! Dad and I had to visit with my mom’s brother’s fam (close by in Elmhurst) and then his sis (where he was staying). This is how it is when you visit (Bangladeshi) relatives- they want to feed you tons of food and talk and talk. And my dad (sometimes) wants to KEEP ON talking, even when he has other things to do! (Not rare for the BD folks, you know!)
On SAT, my dad spent the morning at his sister’s. He said she was going on and on, so he didn’t come help me pack until noon. My two uncles couldn’t help out because they were tired and had to take care of other errand. I was surprised and disappointed that they didn’t make a LITTLE time for me! I had spent time with them and their families for the past 3.5 yrs, but they had other plans that day. Also, I was waiting to give away some of my old furniture to people in my ‘hood. 4 sweet, adorable Asian college guys from Woodside came to pick up my Ikea dining table and chairs on SAT. It took a few minutes to get the table out; there was a narrow kitchen entry and very steep stairway. But they were patient and thankful. When I said I was an English teacher, and going out of state, one said: “Too bad. You can teach us English.” I REALLY wished I could stay, too!
On SAT evening and SUN a.m., my dad and I had to flag down some random guys to help us clear some pieces of furniture out. (My landlady came up to the apt and said she wanted ALL of my stuff cleared out.) My dad heard two young guys from next door speaking Urdu. He asked them for some help. But when they were done, these guys refused to take any money! Shortly before we planned to go, two Mexican guys in their 30s who lived nearby came to help. They had been shopping earlier, and stopped to say “hi” on the way to their house. Even though they didn’t speak much English, they helped my dad out a LOT! They took out large bags of stuff I didn’t want. They helped my dad move my (heavy) bed frame and mattress. I gave away an Ikea chair to one of them. That shows you that there ARE some nice strangers out there! Finally, my dad and I were ready to leave on SUN late afternoon!
There are some positive things about my new area. The middle-class community houses and apartments (sorry to most of you New Yorkers) are much larger, newer, and in good condition. I sometimes wish my little Queens cousins could have bigger places to live. The people are (for the most part) polite and helpful. My dad loves his job, and is friendly with many who work with him. (We get along MUCH better than 5 years ago!) He learned how to cook a few years back, and is always on the lookout for good ingredients. He has even met some distant cousins (living in Manassas) and old friends from his college days at Dhaka University. My mom’s second cousin’s family lives very close to my dad’s (current) apt. building. Their eldest daughter in currently doing PhD in Harvard (a school with MANY NYC connections)! The younger daughter recently started high school and joined the cross-country team. It’s rare (and cool) to see desi kids in sports, right? My uncle is visiting his mother in Bangladesh now.
The people here come from ALL over the world, like NYC. I saw many people speaking Spanish, ads for Moroccan food/restaurants, and Thai restaurants (even inside a mall). My dad (whose lived over here almost a year) keeps saying that kids are disciplined and smart here, as many of their parents are affluent, scientific, and all that. I’ve met quite a few people who grew up around DC, and they all went to good colleges and have great jobs in: engineering, finance, marketing, and IT. I talked (briefly) to one young lady (also Bangladeshi-American) who is getting a masters in teaching history and works as a sub in Fairfax Co. She was a little surprised to hear that there are even some BDs teaching in NYC. There is a good chance of getting a job in this school district b/c it’s one of the largest in the country. We’ll see what happens…
Knightleyemma 