Top ten celebrity expats living in Switzerland

Whatever happened to Shania Twain, Tina Turner and Phil Collins? For one reason or another, all have ended up in Switzerland. They're just three of our top ten celebrity expats living in the country. Find out where they are and why.

When was the last time you saw packs of photographers door-stepping the Swiss home of a star or politician? The answer is probably never.
Welcome to Switzerland – the land where the rich and famous can walk down a busy street without anyone so much as batting an eyelid. Here, even the very notion of celebrity seems foreign.

It’s no surprise, then, that increasing numbers of global celebrities are choosing the Swiss mountains over the Hollywood hills.
Of course, camera shyness isn’t the only reason why celebrities choose to move there. Switzerland's famous tax breaks for rich foreigners have reportedly drawn many a minted magnate in recent years. In 1976, Switzerland became home to Swedish Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad of Sweden, now the country's richest resident.  
For all you nosy neighbours out there, The Local has compiled a list of the top ten celebrity expats. 

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Avril Ramona Lavigne Biography

ALSO LISTED IN: Actresses, Pop Singers, Rock Singers, Lyricists & Songwriters
ALSO KNOWN AS: Avril Ramona Lavigne
NATIONALITY: Canadian    Famous Canadian Women, French    Famous French Women
BORN ON: 27 September 1984 AD
BIRTHDAY: 27th September    Famous 27th September Birthdays
AGE: 31 Years
SUN SIGN: Libra    Libra Women
BORN IN: Belleville
FATHER:John Lavigne
MOTHER: Judy Lavigne
SIBLINGS: Michelle Lavigne, Matthew Lavigne
SPOUSE: Deryck Whibley
NET WORTH: $50 millionAWARDS: 2008 - AG Canadian Hair Cosmetics Award (Favorite Canadian Musician Hair)
2010 - AG Canadian Hair Cosmetics Award (Favorite Canadian Musician Hair)
2003 - ASCAP Film and Television Music Award (Best Pop Song
 
When Avril Lavigne first emerged on the music scene at age 17, she was known as a young, pop-punk tomboy who refused to resort to skin-baring come-ons, preferring to entice the record-buying public with her powerhouse voice, high-spirited melodies, and straight-talking lyrics. Staying steadfastly true to herself and putting music before image paid off both critically and commercially for the small-town girl from Napanee, Ontario. In 2002, Lavigne shot to international pop stardom with the 6x-platinum Let Go, followed by 2004’s 3x-platinum Under My Skin, 2007’s platinum The Best Damn Thing, and 2011’s Goodbye Lullaby, which sold more than two million copies worldwide. Over the course of her decade-plus career, Lavigne has scored a string of international hit singles, toured the globe on multiple sold-out tours, earned eight Grammy Award nominations, won eight Canadian Juno Awards, and sold more than 35 million albums and 20 million tracks worldwide.

A self-taught musician, who plays guitar, piano, and drums, and who writes on every one of her songs, Lavigne had already been singing and performing for several years before releasing Let Go, which featured the smash singles “Complicated” and “Sk8r Boi” and sold more than 16 million copies worldwide. Her second album, 2004’s Under My Skin, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200, and sold more than eight million copies worldwide fueled by the hit singles “Don’t Tell Me” and “My Happy Ending.” Four years later came The Best Damn Thing, which featured the No. 1 single “Girlfriend.” Lavigne’s biggest record to date, “Girlfriend” was the top digital track of 2007, selling more than 7.3 million downloads in eight languages. “Here’s To Never Growing Up,” the first single off her self-titled new album (released in November), debuted at No. 1 in 22 countries and was a Top 10 single in 44 countries.

In addition, Lavigne has co-written songs for other artists, such as Kelly Clarkson (her smash hit “Breakaway”), as well as tracks for Demi Lovato and Leona Lewis. Her songs have also graced the soundtracks of such feature films as Eragon, Sweet Home Alabama, Bruce Almighty, Legally Blonde 2, The Princess Diaries 2, The House Bunny, and Alice in Wonderland. (She has appeared as an actress in the films Over the Hedge, Fast Food Nation and The Flock.) In 2010, Lavigne wrote “Alice” for Tim Burton’s film fantasy, which was included on the compilation album Almost Alice. She also brought her best-selling fashion and lifestyle brand Abbey Dawn into the mix, designing “Alice in Wonderland” pieces that were sold in stores in connection with the film’s release.

Lavigne has been wildly successful as an entrepreneur with Abbey Dawn, a youthful collection of apparel and accessories inspired by her life, music, and worldwide travels, as well as three fragrances, Black Star, Forbidden Rose, and Wild Rose. Over the years, she has designed specialty pieces and designated the net proceeds to The Avril Lavigne Foundation, which works in partnership with such organizations as Easter Seals, Erase MS and Make-A-Wish. To date, the Avril Lavigne Foundation has raised more than half a million dollars to provide support to children and youth living with serious illnesses or disabilities through awareness-raising initiatives and grants.

Though devoted to her creative and philanthropic endeavors, music still comes first for Lavigne, who has just released her fifth album, simply titled Avril Lavigne. It finds Lavigne working with new collaborators (Chad Kroeger and David Hodges, with whom she wrote eight songs, as well as Martin Johnson, J Kash, Matt Squire, and others) and experimenting with a wide range of sounds, from nostalgia-tinged, carefree pop (“Here’s To Never Growing Up,” “Bitchin’ Summer,” “17”) to unapologetic rock (“Rock N Roll,” “Bad Girl,” featuring Marilyn Manson) to sassy dub-step-flavored pop (“Hello Kitty”) to her trademark epic ballads, “Hush Hush” and “Let Me Go,” a duet with Nickelback’s Kroeger, whom she married in July 2013. Introduced by Lavigne’s manager, who thought they’d be a good writing team, the two fell in love over the course of making the album.

“I thought working with Chad was a good idea because I thought it’d be a cool experience to write with another performer,” Lavigne says. “He knows what it’s like to have to sell a song in front of a big crowd. He’s a guitar guy. He’s a rock star. He goes through what I go through. We’re both Canadian. To put two people in a room who have the exact same life made sense. We met for the first time in the studio. We bonded over music. In the studio it was Chad, myself, and Dave Hodges. We called ourselves The Tripod. That’s really how this record began. I had just finished a world tour and my job was to go to the studio every day with these guys. We’d wear top hats and smoke cigarettes and order pizza and lay on the floor and write a song every day, just laughing our asses off. I thought Chad was the funniest person ever. It just grew from there.”

With a new husband, a new album, and yet another world tour approaching in 2014, Lavigne is thoughtful about her success, which she attributes to staying true to who she is. When asked what she would say to her 17-year-old self just getting started in the music business, she replies: “I would say just be yourself. Do what you want to do and don’t let anyone change you. Know who you are as an artist and where you want to go stylistically and stick to your guns. Fight for who you are.”
Avril Lavigne came to limelight at a very young age and was signed by Arista records when she turned 16. Her grungy pop-rock sound appealed to teens worldwide. The skater-girl combat trousers and unique look made her extremely popular with the American teens, who associated themselves with her. Best known for mixing Rock, Punk and a rebellious style, she appeared on stage along with Shania Twain as part of an award ceremony and grabbed attention. She also caught the eye of Peter Zizzo, an American songwriter/producer with her home video that featured her singing karaoke. Upon his invitation, this young talent joined him on a song writing trip to New York. Lavigne’s music career catapulted with her debut album ‘Let Go’ and she successfully established herself in the world of music with her sparkling performance. She earned great popularity and was consequently signed by Arista Records. This proved to be a huge boost to her music career, and soon mass appreciation followed and her dream of becoming a music sensation was within eyeshot. She enchanted the music loving audience with her second album ‘Under My Skin’, which went on to top the US Billboard. With her third album ‘The Best Damn Thing’ she proved she was here to stay and established her name with chart bursting scores.
Childhood & Early Life
Born in Belleville, Ontario Avril Ramona Lavigne grew up in the small town of Nappanee, Ontario, Canada.

Her French-Canadian parents John and Judy were devout Baptists. She was exposed to music by the age of two through her mother's church songs.
Until the age of 12, she was just a singer but soon started teaching herself guitar and also wrote lines which eventually grew into songs.
In 1998, Lavigne tasted success for the very first time and won a singing contest and appeared on stage, as part of her prize, alongside Shania Twain in Canada's capital, Ottawa.
In 1999, she was spotted by Cliff Fabri, who eventually became her first professional manager, while she was performing at a bookstore in Kingston, Ontario.
In June 2002, ‘Let Go’, her first album was released and featured at no. 2 on the US Billboard 200 and peaked at the music charts in the UK, Canada and Australia.
In 2004, she came out with her second album ‘Under My Skin’. She wrote most of the songs with Canadian singer/songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk.
In 2005, she set out for her first world tour, titled, ‘Bonez Tour’, during which she performed in almost all the continents throughout the year.
In 2006, she sang her song ‘Who Knows’ at the closing ceremony of the Torino Olympics.
In 2007, she released her third album ‘The Best Damn Thing’. The single ‘Girlfriend’ from the album earned great popularity and rocked the music charts, peaking at no. 1 on the US Billboard.
Hard working and smart, she knew world tours would increase her visibility and popularity. In 2008, she went on her second world tour ‘The Best Damn Tour’ to promote her album.
In March 2011, her fourth album ‘Goodbye Lullaby’ was released by RCA records. The songs in this album were mostly written by her during her teenage years.
Over the course of her four albums, Lavigne scored a string of international hit singles: ‘Complicated’, ‘Sk8er Boi’, ‘I’m With You’,‘Losing Grip’, ‘Don’t Tell Me’, ‘My Happy Ending’, ‘Nobody’s Home’, ‘Keep Holding On’, ‘Girlfriend’, ‘When You’re Gone’, ‘Hot’ and ‘The Best Damn Thing’.
‘Girlfriend’ had its share of controversy and her co-writer and record label were sued by songwriters James Gangwer and Tommy Dunbar. They claimed that ‘Girlfriend’ had taken its melody from their own song released in 1979 - ‘I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend’. The case was eventually settled out of court.
The single from her much talked about self-titled fifth album ‘Here’s to never growing up’ was released in 2013.

Did We Miss Something In Career? Why Don't You Add It
PUBLISH
Major Works
Her debut single ‘Complicated’ shot her to great fame and she earned huge appreciation from the critics. It peaked at number one in Australia and was the best-selling Canadian singles of 2002.
‘Girlfriend’, the single from her album ‘The Best Damn Thing’, was proclaimed as the most-downloaded track worldwide in 2007 by ‘The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry’. It went on to sell more than 7 million copies, with all the versions recorded in several languages.
For the album ‘Let Go’ and the single ‘Complicated’ she received Grammy Awards nominations in 2003.
For both ‘Let Go’ and ‘Complicated’, she won the Juno Award in 2003 in the categories, ‘Album of the Year’ and ‘Single of the Year’ respectively.
In 2005, she again won the Juno Award for ‘Under my skin’ in ‘Pop Album of the Year’ category.
With her earnings soaring to $12 million dollars in December 2007, Forbes ranked her eight in the “Top 20 Earners under 25”.
She was married to “Sum 41” front man, Deryck Whibley from 15 July 2006 to 16 November 2010.
In July 2013, she married fellow Canadian rocker Chad Kroeger, the front man of the band Nickelback.

An entrepreneur, she created a successful fashion and lifestyle brand, Abbey Dawn and two fragrances, Black Star and Forbidden Rose.
In 2006 she branched into film work and lent her voice to an animated character ‘Virginia Opossum’ from the film ‘Over the Hedge’.
‘The Avril Lavigne Foundation’ is involved in raising awareness to mobilize support for ill and disabled children and youth.
Avril Ramona Lavigne was born on September 27, 1984, in Belleville, a small city in the eastern part of the province of Ontario, Canada. The second of three children, her father, John, was a technician for Bell Canada; mother Judy was a stay-at-home mom. When Lavigne was five, the family moved to Napanee, a farming town even smaller than Belleville with a total population of only five thousand. From the time she was a toddler Lavigne idolized her older brother, Matt, and insisted on trying to do anything he could do. As she explained to Chris Willman of Entertainment Weekly, "Ifhe played hockey, I had to play hockey. He played baseball, I wanted to." In fact, when Lavigne was ten she played in the Napanee boy's hockey league; she also became known as quite a baseball pitcher.

As she grew older Lavigne gained a reputation as a tomboy who preferred family outings like dirt biking or camping over dating. And in the tenth grade she discovered skateboarding, which became a particular passion. "I'm just not a girlie-girl," Lavigne laughingly told Willman. When not playing sports, however, she did pursue another interest—singing. The Lavignes were devout Christians and attended Evangel Temple in Napanee, where young Avril sang in the choir beginning at age ten. Soon she branched out and began singing at all types of venues, including county fairs, hockey games, and company parties. She primarily sang covers of songs made popular by

"Why should I care what other people think of me? I am who I am. And who I wanna be."

country singers Martina McBride (1966–) and Faith Hill (1967–). Lavigne's parents bought her a sound machine to sing along with, and she practiced in front of a mirror at home for hours.

In 1998, when she was fourteen years old, Lavigne's first manager, Cliff Fabri, discovered her singing at a small performance in a local bookstore. When talking to Willman, Fabri described the young girl as a "frizzy-haired waif." But he liked Lavigne's voice, and he was especially impressed by her confident attitude. That same year, such confidence helped her win a contest to sing a duet with fellow Canadian Shania Twain (1965–) at the jam-packed Corel Centre in Ottawa. Even though it was her first time performing in front of twenty thousand people, Lavigne was fearless. As she told Willman, "I thought, 'This is what I'm going to do with my life."'

Lavigne lets go
Two years later, when she was sixteen, Fabri arranged for Lavigne to audition for L.A. Reid, head of Arista Records in New York City. After a fifteen-minute tryout Reid signed Lavigne to an amazing two-record, $1.25 million contract. The sixteen year old immediately dropped out of high school to devote herselfto working on her first album. At first producers offered Lavigne new country tunes to sing, but after six months the team was unable to write any actual songs, and it became apparent that things were not clicking. Reid then sent the singer to Los Angeles to work with a team of producers and writers known as The Matrix. When Lavigne arrived in L.A. Matrix producer Lauren Christy asked Lavigne what style she had in mind. As Christy relayed to Chris Willman, Lavigne had responded, "I'm 16. I want to rock out." That same day Lavigne and Matrix writers penned the first song for her album, "Complicated."

Lavigne's debut album, Let Go, was released on June 4, 2002, and within six weeks it had gone platinum, meaning over a million copies were sold. The single "Complicated," which received a great deal of radio airplay, reached number one on the adult Billboard charts; "I'm With You" also reached number one on the adult charts; and the catchy pop tune "Sk8er Boi" was

With edgy lyrics and a strong voice, Avril Lavigne has become one of Americas top-selling entertainers. AP/ Wide World Photos.
With edgy lyrics and a strong voice, Avril Lavigne has become one of America's top-selling entertainers.
AP/ Wide World Photos.
a top-requested video on MTV and made it in the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100.
To promote the album Lavigne set out on a whirlwind publicity tour, making appearances on talk shows such as Late Night with David Letterman, and giving a series of concerts in Europe with her newly formed band, which was put together by her new management firm, Nettwerk. Most inexperienced singers are backed by seasoned musicians, but Nettwerk chose to go with young performers who were up and coming in the Canadian punk-rock scene. As Nettwerk manager Shauna Gold told Shanda Deziel of Maclean's, "[Lavigne] is young, her music's young, we needed a band that would fit well with who she is as a person."
And, after being away from her small-town home in Canada, Lavignewas beginning to form her own personal style. Initially publicists tried to market her like other teen pop stars, but Lavigne rebelled. "IfI was made up by the record label," she remarked to Lorraine Ali of Newsweek, "I'd have bleached-blonde hair and I'd probably be wearing a bra for a shirt." Instead, the singer-songwriter opted for a skater-punk look, which consisted of cut-off plaid pants, steel-toed Doc Martens, and tank tops worn with neckties. According to Ali, the five-foot-one tomboy "spawned a prepubescent army of Lavignettes" who snatched up her records and faithfully copied her outfits.

Finds independence with Under My Skin:
By the end of 2002 Let Go had sold 4.9 million copies and was the second best-seller of the year just behind The Eminem Show. (By 2005 worldwide sales topped over fourteen million.) As 2003 progressed Lavigne continued to gather more fame and more accolades. She performed to sold-out crowds at her first North American concert tour; nabbed five Grammy nominations, including Song of the Year for "I'm With You"; and was named Best New Artist at the MTV Video Music Awards. In Canada Lavigne received six Juno nominations, winning four, including Best New Artist and Best Pop Album.

In the press Lavigne was deemed the leader of the pack of a new group of edgy, female singer-songwriters, which included Pink (1979–) and Michelle Branch (1983–). She also endured being called the "anti-Britney," referring to Britney Spears. In interviews Lavigne expressed her distaste for the label. "I don't like that term," she told Chris Willman. "It's stupid. She's a human being. God, leave her alone." But, in the same interview radio programmer Tom Poleman explained to Willman that Lavigne's popularity was partly thanks to her "anti-Britney" style. "Avril is much more the regular kid," Poleman commented. "For boys, she seems more attainable; girls can see themselves living more like her, dressing the same, being attracted to the same boys."

Despite her hectic schedule Lavigne returned to the studio in 2003 to record her second album, which she was determined to make her own way. Although Lavigne did write several of the songs on Let Go, she did so with the help of a slew of producers. This time she flew to Los Angeles to work privately with Canadian singer-songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk (1973–); she also cowrote one song with guitarist Ben Moody (1980–) of the band Evanescence. Lavigne's record label, Arista, did not hear a single track until the newly independent singer was finished. "There was no way I was gonna write songs and send

Canadian Punk Rockers: Sum 41
In June 2005 Avril Lavigne became engaged to her boyfriend of a year, Deryck Whibley (1980–), the lead singer of Canadian punk-pop group called Sum 41, whose members are known for their quick, catchy rock tunes and their highly energized live performances.

Sum 41 is composed of four musicians: drummer Steve "Stevo" Jocz, lead vocalist Deryck "Bizzy D" Whibley, lead guitarist Dave "Brownsound" Baksh, and bass player Jason "Cone" McCaslin. All four attended the same high school in Ajax, Ontario, and all played in various high school bands that performed in and around Toronto. In 1996, during the summer of their junior year, Jocz and Whibley decided to join forces and form their own band; they called it Sum 41 since the group was founded on the forty-first day of summer vacation. Jocz and Whibley tried out a number of bass players and guitarists before asking Baksh and McClasin to join the band. By 1999 the group was cemented and they began to create a unique sound that borrowed from all kinds of music, including hiphop, heavy metal, and alternative rock.

By late 1999 the foursome had created their own press kit, which included a ten-minute video featuring some of their musical numbers interspersed with clips of the band mates pulling pranks. They sent the kit off to several major record labels, and within a week Sum 41 was signed by Island Records. The band's first album, Half Hour of Power (2000), attracted little attention, but with 2001's All Killer No Filler Sum 41 began to reach an international fan base, especially because of the hit single "Fat Lip," which reached number sixty-six on the U.S. Billboard charts. The band attracted a loyal fol-lowing (who called themselves the Bomb Squad) particularly because of their on-stage antics. During Sum 41's 2001 Tour of the Rising Sun they pogo-jumped, participated in mock guitar battles, and urged the audience to join in rock song challenges.

The band released two more albums by the mid-2000s: Does This Look Infected? (2002) and Chuck (2004). The 2004 CD is named after Chuck Pelletier, a United Nations peacekeeper who was instrumental in saving the lives of the band members while they were making a documentary in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC; formerly Zaire). Since the late 1990s the Democratic Republic of Congo had been embroiled in the Second Congo War (1998–2002), a conflict that involved nine African nations, but that was centered in the DRC. Many artists from the United States and Canada have offered humanitarian aid to the citizens of the war-torn country. Although there is tentative peace in the DRC, military threats still exist for civilians. In April 2005 Chuck received the Rock Album of the Year prize at the Juno Awards, which are presented annually in Canada to honor achievement in the music industry.

Sum 41. Scott Gries/Getty Images.
Sum 41.
Scott Gries/Getty Images.
them to people to rewrite them like I did last time," Lavigne explained to Lorraine Ali. "I need to feel I'm doing this on my own."

Lavigne's second album, Under My Skin, was released on May 25, 2004, and debuted at number one on Billboard's U.S. album chart. It also sparked several popular singles, including "Don't Tell Me" and "My Happy Ending." Critics were consistently kind in their reviews, with Chuck Arnold of People applauding Lavigne for her "artistic independence" and praising her "rebellious spirit, racing rhythms, and tough-talking lyrics." Lorraine Ali pointed out that fans were seeing a more mature Lavigne, claiming her new songs "are rougher and darker" and her voice had lost some of its "girly high pitch." One song, in particular, received a good deal of attention—the emotional ballad "Slipped Away," which Lavigne wrote about the death of her grandfather.


Some of the press surrounding Under My Skin came as a result of a twenty-one-city mall tour that Lavigne and her band embarked on just prior to the album's release. As Lavigne explained to Deborah Evans Price of Billboard, "We thought it would be cool to put on a free show and give back to the fans." Armies of Lavignettes turned out to demonstrate their support, and thousands of CDs were pre-sold even before the album's release. To encourage even more sales Lavigne again went out on the road doing nonstop interviews and heading out on a spring 2004 concert tour. According to Jill Kipnis of Billboard, twenty-six of the thirty-one shows sold out completely and the tour grossed over $9 million.

By the end of 2004 the twenty-year-old Lavigne was the one of America's top-selling entertainers. Her face graced the covers of teen magazines like CosmoGIRL!, and she was featured in articles in such national magazines as Time and Newsweek. She also completed her second sold-out concert tour, the Bonez Tour, which was launched in October. Lavigne ended the year by appearing on the soundtracks of two films, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement and The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.

In 2005, just three years after her debut album appeared, Lavigne was again the top-honored entertainer at Canada's Juno Awards. She received five nominations and took home three prizes, including the Best Artist award and a second win for Best Pop Album. Lavigne also announced that she would be adventuring more into film by lending her voice to a character in an animated movie called Over the Hedge, scheduled for a 2006 release. Perhaps the biggest bit of personal Lavigne news came in June 2005, when the Canadian "punk princess" became engaged to boyfriend Deryck Whibley (1980–), lead singer of the Canadian punk-rock group Sum 41.

Although she had only two albums under her belt, most music critics predicted that Avril Lavigne had a solid future. As USA Today correspondent Brian Mansfield told Billboard, "Avril's core audience may be a very young one, but she strikes me as the type of artist that a wide range of people respect and hope to see succeed. Those are the kind of artists who have long careers."

Periodicals:
Ali, Lorraine. "Anarchy on MTV? Tough Gals, Rejoice. Scrappy Skater Avril Lavigne Leads the Anti-Britney Revolution." Newsweek (December 30, 2002)

Ali, Lorraine. "Nobody's Fool: Avril Lavigne Interview." Newsweek (March 22, 2004)

Arnold, Chuck. "Under My Skin: Avril Lavigne." People (May 31, 2004)

Burton, Rebecca Brown. "Q…A with Avril Lavigne." Time (May 31, 2004)

Deziel, Shanda. "Avril's Edge." Maclean's (January 13, 2003)

Kipnis, Jill. "Organizers Hope Lavigne Trek Has Happy Ending." Billboard (October 30, 2004)
Mayfield, Geoff. "'Under' Puts Avril on Top." Billboard (June 12, 2004)

Price, Deborah Evans. "Avril Goes Back to Basics: Mall Tour Kicks Off Album Publicity Blast." Billboard (May 22, 2004)
"Usher and Avril: Teen Vogue Celebrates Two on Top of Their Music." PR Newswire (October 12, 2004).
Willman, Chris. "Avril Lavigne: The Anti-Britney." Entertainment Weekly (November 1, 2002)

Compared with the skin-bearing antics of other teen idols -- Britney Spears chief among them -- Lavigne was a new kind of superstar, one whose appeal didn't rely on sexy videos or suggestive music. She further distinguished herself by bypassing the assistance of professional writing teams during the creation of her second album, choosing instead to collaborate with singer/songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk, Evanescence's Ben Moody, and Evan Taubenfeld (who had previously worked with Lavigne as her touring guitarist). Released in May 2004, Under My Skin was more serious than its predecessor, dealing with such issues as premarital sex ("Don't Tell Me"), depression ("Nobody's Home"), and the death of Lavigne's grandfather ("Slipped Away"). The album debuted at number one in more than ten countries, went platinum within one month, and further established Lavigne as a pop icon. Incidentally, a song that was co-written by Lavigne and ultimately cut from the final track list -- "Breakaway" -- was later given to Kelly Clarkson, who used it as the title track and lead-off single for her Grammy-winning sophomore album.
Lavigne married her boyfriend of two years, Sum 41's Deryck Whibley, in July 2006, just one month after the animated film Over the Hedge announced her cinematic debut (Lavigne voiced the part of Heather, a hungry opossum). She also appeared in Richard Linklater's fictional adaptation of Fast Food Nation, which was released that November. Nevertheless, she spent most of the year working on her third album, enlisting former blink-182 drummer Travis Barker to play drums, and cherry-picking a variety of producers (including her husband) to helm the recording sessions. The Best Damn Thing appeared in April 2007, and its lead-off single, "Girlfriend," marked a return to the bratty, spunky, punk-pop of her first album. "Girlfriend" soon became the subject of controversy as the '70s power pop band the Rubinoos sued Lavigne, claiming that her tune reworked their 1979 song "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend." No amount of bad publicity could hurt the singer, however, as "Girlfriend" became her biggest U.S. single ever and The Best Damn Thing topped album charts worldwide.
Lavigne filed for divorce from Whibley in October of 2009. The dissolution of their union featured heavily on her next album, 2011's Goodbye Lullaby, which included tracks produced by Whibley.
Lavigne returned to the studio just weeks after the release of Goodbye Lullaby and begun work on her fifth album. In 2012 she started working on new material with Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger and eventually the pair began dating; she married Kroeger on July 1, 2013. By that point, she had released "Here's to Never Growing Up," the first single from her eponymous fifth album. Released in October, Avril Lavigne featured eight songs co-written by Kroeger, who also duetted with Avril on the record's third single, "Let Me Go." ~ Andrew Leahey, Rovi

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Justin Drew Bieber Biography

Famous as : Singer

Birth Name : Justin Drew Bieber

Birth Date : March 01, 1994

Birth Place : London, Ontario, Canada

Spouse : -

Claim to Fame : Single "One Time" (2009)

Born on March 1, 1994, Justin Bieber started singing since he was 12 and finished the second place when participating in a local singing competition. "The other people in the competition had been taking singing lessons and had vocal coaches. I wasn't taking it too seriously at the time, I would just sing around the house," he recalled. 

In an effort to share his victory to family and friends who missed his performances at the competition, he and his mother opened a YouTube account and posted his video performances on the file-sharing website. "I put my singing videos from the competition on YouTube so that my friends and family could watch them," he stated. "But it turned out that other people liked them and they started subscribing to them. That's how my manager found me. He saw me on YouTube and contacted my family and now I'm signed!" 

His manager Scooter Braun flew Justin from his hometown Ontario, Canada to Atlanta, Georgia for a meeting with Usher. "I sang for him and his people and he really wanted to sign me then and there but I still had a meeting with Justin Timberlake who also wanted to sign me. It turned out Usher's deal was way better. He had L.A. Reid backing him up and Scooter had a lot of really good connections in Atlanta," he traced back his memory. 

In October of 2008, Justin was officially signed to Island Records and began working on his debut album "My World". Powerhouse producers like Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and The-Dream lent their helping hands on the effort. He also got Usher as his collaborator on one of the songs.

"My World" was released across United States on November 17. The album was preceded with four hit singles "One Time", "One Less Lonely Girl", "Love Me" and "Favorite Girl", all of which cracked Top 15 of Canadian Singles chart and reached Top 40 of Billboard Hot 100. This achievement made him the only artist in Billboard history who has four singles from a debut album charting in the Top 40 of the Hot 100 before the album's release. 

Justin toured with Taylor Swift as her supporting act on two of her U.K. stops for "Fearless" tour. He also embarked on five headlining concerts in Canada. Moreover, he appeared in several hit U.S. TV shows, naming some were "Good Morning America", "The Ellen DeGeneres Show,

DeGeneres "The George Lopez Tonight Show" and "Chelsea Lately Show". 

In the following year, Bieber dropped "My World 2.0" which boasted big hits like "Baby", "Eenie Meenie" and "Somebody to Love". Later in 2011, Bieber released the concert documentary "Never Say Never". The movie, which eventually earned more than $73 million at the box office, also had guest appearances by Kanye West, Miley Cyrus and Bieber's musical mentor Usher. That same year, Bieber released a holiday album called "Under the Mistletoe" which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 upon its arrival in November.

Around the same time, he started working on his third album which was eventually revealed to be titled "Believe". Its first single "Boyfriend" was released in early 2012 and became his biggest hit at that time as it reached No. 2 on Billboard Hot 100. Its parent album came out in June that year and was followed by a massive tour as well as another concert film titled "Justin Bieber's Believe".

While enjoying his success as a teen superstar, he began getting involved in a number of troubles. After being sued by a woman claiming he's the father of her baby, Bieber was accused of spitting on his neighbor in addition to threatening him in March 2013. Two months later, members of Bieber's neighborhood in Calabasas, California complained that he's driving too fast in a residential area. 

In January 2014, Bieber's home in California was searched after he was accused of egging a neighbor's house. Days later, he was arrested for suspicion of drag racing and driving under the influence. After a breathalyzer test showed that he wasn't sober, he was taken into custody where he stayed until he posted bail, which was set at $2,500.

In addition to his bad behavior, Bieber often made headlines for his on-again, off-again relationship with Selena Gomez. The pair, who broke up in late 2012 after dating for two years, were frequently spotted together, sparking rumors that they rekindled their relationship.

In 2015, Bieber returned to the music scene when he appeared on Jack U a.k.a. Diplo and Skrillex's "Where Are U Now". The song was a hit, reaching the top 10 of Billboard Hot 100. Later in the year, he previewed his fourth album with "What Do You Mean" which went on to be his biggest hit to date, surpassing 2012's "Boyfriend". It debuted at No. 1 on Hot 100,

becoming only the 23rd song in the chart's history to do so. It also shattered Spotify's record which was set by One Direction a few weeks earlier.

Bieber's new album, which he's said will feature songs inspired by ex-girlfriend Gomez, will hit the stores on November 13

Justin Bieber has become exceptionally gifted at making people annoyed with him over the last few years. His latest controversial venture has been to totally disrespect (whether intentionally or not) the memory of recently deceased musical legend Prince, who stands as one of the greatest entertainment innovators of all time.

While celebrities and fans were sending out heartfelt tributes and messages to the 'Purple Rain' singer, Bieber took the chance to remind everyone that there are still other legends alive and well in the world. Unfortunately, he appeared to be referring to himself.

Trivia:

Discovered by Scooter Braun, who is also his manager.

Usher Raymond signed him to Island Def Jam Records, and beat out Justin Timberlake's hopes of signing the young singer.

Taught himself four instruments including the piano, guitar, drums. He hopes to learn the violin.

Can moonwalk.

The Dream produced and wrote his songs Baby and One Time.

His single "Baby" debuted at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Moved to Atlanta, Georgia to pursue his music career. Now lives in Hollywood California.

Born in St. Joseph's Hospital in London, Ontario, Canada, the very same hospital Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling were born in, however Justin was raised in Stratford, Ontario, Canada . He lived in the same area as Brendan Meyer, Seth Sieunarine, Kolton Stewart and Shawn Roberts.

The craziest gift from a fan that he received was a rubber golf club.

Bought a Macbook Pro with his own money - one of his biggest purchases.

Likes the TV show Smallville (2001).

Started out by posting youtube videos in 2007.

His debut album was "My World".

His mom, Pattie Mallette, traveled with him all the time.

His first time in an airplane was flying to Atlanta to meet his future manager Scott 'Scooter' Braun.

Met Céline Dion at a New York Knicks basketball game. She approached him and said my son loves your songs.

Plays guitar at many of his concerts.

Has performed with Rihanna at the Super Bowl Weekend concert in Miami.

Likes to play hockey and basketball.

Recorded a few songs with fellow singer Sean Kingston.

Recorded "We Are The World" for Haiti. He got the opening verse, which was previously sung by Lionel Richie.

Dad, Jeremy Bieber, still lives in Canada.

Wrote the song "Down To Earth" about his parents' seperation.

The executive producer of his first record, "My World", was L.A. L.A. Reid.

Is good friends with Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, and Chris Brown.

His father's name is Jeremy Bieber, and his mother's name is Pattie Mallette.

Plays the left-handed guitar.

Has a younger half-sister, Jazmyn (born 2008) and a younger half-brother, Jaxon (born 2009).

When he was child his church held a benefit to buy him a drum kit and 6 months of lessons.

Performed with Chris Brown at a concert in Sydney, while the two were separately touring Australia. They performed Brown's song "Look At Me Now" together (2011).

Featured in the song "Next 2 You" with Chris Brown, a song on Chris Brown's 2011 album F.A.M.E.

Has performed for President Barack Obama twice.

Likes to give back and help charities.

Big fan of Michael Jackson.

Was Google's most-searched person in 2011.

As of August 2015, he had amassed 66 million Twitter followers and 72 million Facebook fans.

Was In a relationship with Selena Gomez (December 5, 2010-October 31, 2012).

Ranked number 1 on the VH1 list 100 Greatest Kid Stars (2012).

Justin's paternal great-grandfather was of German descent, and Justin's father's other ancestry is English, Scottish, and Irish. Justin's patrilineal line can be traced back to Philippe Bieber, who was born, c. 1788, in Zilling, Moselle, Lorraine. Justin's mother is from a French-Canadian family, and also has remote Swiss-French and Scottish roots (from several centuries back).

On his 2010 My World 2.0 World Tour [August 2010]

On his Believe Tour around the world

Ranked #10 on Glamour's list of "50 Sexiest Men" in 2013, moving up from his appearance as number 49 in 2012.

His pet monkey was confiscated at Munich airport when he couldn't produce the vaccination and import papers required for bringing a monkey into Germany.

In January 2014, Justin was arrested for a DUI. He has admitted he was smoking marijuana at the time of his arrest.

Personal Quotes (12)

I'm crazy, I'm nuts. Just the way my brain works. I'm not normal. I think differently. My mind is always racing.

[never plans on becoming an American citizen] You guys are evil. Canada's the best country in the world. We go to the doctor and we don't need to worry about paying him, but here, your whole life, you're broke because of medical bills. My bodyguard's baby was premature, and now he has to pay for it. In Canada, if your baby's premature, he stays in the hospital as long as he needs to, and then you go home.

I want to be a young dad. By 25 or 26 I want to see myself, like, married or start looking for a family.

All our decisions are based on long-term decisions. We use Michael [Jackson] as a template. The things he did for his career - a lot of the times it's was good, some of the times it was bad - but he was successful from being young to being old. That's what I want to get to. I don't want to grow up and lose my young fans, singing inappropriate music.

My voice always wanted to do runs, vocal acrobatics. Rather than make music that everyone else is making, with the same four-on-the-floor beat, I have a chance to change music. There's only a certain amount if people that can do that.

I believe in God and stuff. I believe He's given me this platform for a reason, to help change people's lives. That's why, in each of my shows, I try to give a positive message.

[observation, 2015] I turned a lot of people off over the past few years, but I know I can still turn out good music and turn everything all around. I've lost some of my best qualities. For that I'm sorry. I'm looking forward to being someone who you guys can all look at and be proud of.

I'm a pretty lucky guy.

Music was never something that I was going to do for a living. At 13 you're not even thinking of that, you know. I was just playing for fun and uploading videos on YouTube because I wanted to show my family.

I was always that kid who just did whatever. And my mom always supported that. So I always looked up to Michael Jackson because he was never afraid to just be himself, never tried to be anything that he wasn't.

I'm just trying to get the best sound and have it be consistent and make sense with what I'm going through in my life right now.

You don't need to go to church to be a Christian. If you go to Taco Bell, that doesn't make you a taco.

Justin Bieber is a Canadian pop-R&B singer. He was born on March 1, 1994 in London, Ontario and was raised in Stratford, Ontario, CANADA.

Justin Bieber’s mother, Pattie Mallette, was 18 years old when she became pregnant with her son. Mallette, who worked a series of low-paying office jobs, raised Justin Bieber as a single mother in low-income housing. However, Justin Bieber maintains contact with his father, Jeremy Bieber, who married another woman and had two children.

Justin Bieber’s paternal great-grandfather was a German immigrant to Canada.

During his childhood, Justin Bieber was interested in hockey, soccer, and chess; he often kept his musical aspirations to himself. As he grew, Bieber taught himself to play the piano, drums, guitar, and trumpet.

In early 2007, when he was 12, Justin Bieber sang Ne-Yo’s “So Sick” for a local singing competition in Stratford and placed second. Mallette posted a video of the performance on YouTube for their family and friends to see. She continued to upload videos of Bieber singing covers of various R&B songs, and Justin Bieber’s popularity on Youtube grew.

In 2008, Justin Bieber was discovered by Scooter Braun, who happened to come across Bieber’s videos on YouTube and later became his manager. Braun arranged for him to meet with Usher in Atlanta, Georgia, and Bieber was soon signed to Raymond Braun Media Group (RBMG), a joint venture between Braun and Usher, and then to a recording contract with Island Records offered by L.A. Reid.

His debut single, “One Time”, released worldwide in 2009, charted in the top 30 in over ten countries. His debut release, My World, followed on November 17, 2009, and was eventually certified platinum in the United States. Justin Bieber became the first artist to have seven songs from a debut album chart on the Billboard Hot 100.

His “My World 2.0” was released on March 23, 2010 and has since received similar success; it debuted at number one and within the top ten of several countries and was certified platinum in the United States.

A native of Stratford, Ontario, Bieber placed second in a local 2007 singing competition and began posting his performances on YouTube. The videos caught the attention of Scooter Braun, a talent agent and former So So Def marketing executive, who helped Bieber land an impromptu audition with the R&B star Usher. Impressed by what he saw, Usher -- along with Island/Def Jam chairman L.A. Reid -- quickly signed the 15-year-old Bieber to a recording contract.

Bieber released his first single, "One Time," in May 2009. Supported by a popular video that featured an appearance by Usher, "One Time" went platinum in both Canada and America, a feat that was replicated later that year with the release of My World. The disc was technically an EP, featuring only seven songs, but it reached number six on the Billboard 200 album chart and sold over a million copies. Less than a year after his debut, Bieber returned with the "second half" of My World, a ten-song release titled My World 2.0. Further demonstrating his and his management's marketing power, over 8,000 fans who pre-ordered My World 2.0 had their head shots used in a photo mosaic (formed to look like a portrait of Bieber) that was displayed on the back side of the disc's booklet. The release topped the Billboard 200. A few weeks later, a combination of My World and My World 2.0, titled My Worlds, appeared in some territories.

By the end of 2010, Bieber issued My Worlds Acoustic, a set featuring acoustic versions of nine songs off the My World discs, as well as one new song. The following February, the 3-D documentary Never Say Never was released to theaters. The seven-track Never Say Never: The Remixes, released just days after the film, maintained the flow of Bieber product, and featured appearances from the likes of Kanye West, Usher, and Miley Cyrus. Just in time for Christmas 2011 came the holiday-themed Under the Mistletoe, complete with several celebrity guest duets and an original song, "Mistletoe," for the first single, which entered the Holiday Songs chart at number two.

In 2012, Bieber returned with the proper follow-up to My World 2.0, titled Believe. With a sound based in dance and R&B, it featured production from Darkchild, Diplo, and Max Martin. Believe became his fourth number one album, paced by Top Ten hits for "Boyfriend," "As Long as You Love Me" (featuring Big Sean), and "Beauty and a Beat" (featuring Nicki Minaj). Believe Acoustic, a sequel to My Worlds Acoustic, followed in 2013. Late that year, Bieber released the first in a weekly series of singles. Nearly all of them charted, led by Top 40 showings for "All Around the World" (featuring Ludacris) and "Heartbreaker." Those songs, as well as others, were compiled for release as Journals, a digital download-only album that wasn't submitted for sales tracking, so it did not appear on the Billboard 200. Only two days later, on December 25, the documentary Justin Bieber's Believe was released to theaters but performed poorly. A collaboration with Cody Simpson, "Home to Mama," was the lone charting release in 2014, a year in which Bieber made headlines for an incident in which he was arrested, as well as for charges of vandalism, assault, and reckless driving. In 2015, a remix of "Where Are You Now" appeared on Diplo and Skrillex Present Jack Ü and reached the Top Ten of the Hot 100. Later in the year, "What Do You Mean?," a track that skillfully latched onto the tropical house subgenre -- popularized by the Felix Jaehn remix of OMI's "Cheerleader" -- topped that chart. It was Bieber's first number one U.S. single and paved the way for Purpose, his third proper studio album. It debuted at the top of the Billboard 200. ~ Matt Collar & Andy Kellman, Rovi

Bieber was raised by a single mother in Stratford, Ontario, and as a child he learned to play the drums, the piano, the guitar, and the trumpet. In 2007 he participated in a local singing competition, placing second, and his mother posted a video of his performance on the Web site YouTube for friends and family who were unable to attend. She later uploaded other homemade videos, in which Bieber sang popular rhythm-and-blues (R&B) songs and occasionally accompanied himself on acoustic guitar, and they soon attracted attention beyond their originally intended audience. Among those who saw Bieber’s videos was Scott (“Scooter”) Braun, a music promoter and talent agent, who invited the 13-year-old Bieber to record demos at a studio in Atlanta. While there, Bieber happened to encounter R&B singer Usher and arranged an informal audition with him. Impressed by Bieber’s natural confidence and vocal talent, Usher helped sign him to a recording contract in late 2008.

Bieber, Justin [Credit: Evan Agostini/AP]In May 2009 Bieber unveiled his first single, the buoyant puppy-love song “One Time,” and six months later he released the seven-track EP My World, composed mainly of glossy R&B-influenced pop. By this time his audience had dramatically expanded to include countless preadolescent girls who considered him a heartthrob, and the recording sold more than one million copies. He replicated the feat with the full-length album My World 2.0 (2010), which debuted at number one on the Billboard album chart. Its lead single, the yearningly heartfelt “Baby”—featuring a guest appearance from rapper Ludacris—reached the top five of Billboard’s singles chart, and several other tracks landed in the Top 40. The official video for “Baby” also became the first to amass more than 500 million views on YouTube. Bieber’s enormous popularity was boosted by his allegiance to social media such as Twitter and his frequent television appearances.

Bieber, Justin [Credit: Kevin Winter—Getty Images Entertainment/Thinkstock]Later in 2010 Bieber released the album My Worlds Acoustic, featuring stripped-down versions of his songs, and published an autobiographical book, Justin Bieber: First Step 2 Forever: My Story. Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, a documentary film interspersed with 3-D concert footage, opened the following year. Bieber maintained his visibility with the albums Never Say Never: The Remixes (2011), a companion to the film, and the Christmas-themed Under the Mistletoe (2011), both of which hit number one in the United States and Canada. On the similarly successful Believe (2012) and Believe Acoustic (2013), Bieber introduced a more mature sound, with the hit single “Boyfriend” recalling the suave R&B of Justin Timberlake.

As Bieber entered adulthood, his celebrity often overshadowed his music. His romantic relationships (with Selena Gomez, among others) and his occasional skirmishes with the law brought him considerable tabloid attention. His 2015 album Purpose found an audience beyond his youthful fan base, with each of its first three singles reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Also in 2015, Bieber contributed vocals to Jack Ü’s Grammy Award-winning electro-pop hit “Where Are Ü Now.”

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James Eugene Carrey Biography

Famous as : Actor
Birth Name : James Eugene Carrey
Birth Date : January 17, 1962
Birth Place : Newmarket, Ontario, Canada
Spouse : Melissa Womer (former waitress, 28-Mar-87 - 11-Dec-95), Lauren Holly (actress, 23-Sept-96 - 29-Jul-97)
Claim to Fame : As Ace Ventura in "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" (1994)

Comedian and actor Jim Carrey was born in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, on January 17, 1962. Carrey relocated to Los Angeles to pursue comedy, eventually landing a spot on the sketch comedy show In Living Color. He went on to huge box office success in comedies, including Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and The Mask, and delivered acclaimed dramatic performances in The Truman Show and Man on the Moon. Recent films include Kick Ass 2 (2013) and Dumb and Dumber To (2014).

Early Life and Career

Actor and comedian James Eugene Carrey was born on January 17, 1962, in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada. Carrey got his start with a spot doing stand-up at a Toronto comedy club when he was just 15 years old. By 1979, he had left the factory job as a janitor he had taken in 1978 to help support his family and was making his living as the opening act for successful comics Buddy Hackett and Rodney Dangerfield.

In 1983, Carrey headed west to Hollywood where he starred in a made-for-television movie called Introducing...Janet. Carrey's appearances on TV in programs such as The Duck Factory and Jim Carrey's Unnatural Act (1991) led to a regular role on the hit comedy In Living Color.

Big Break

Carrey's big screen debut came with 1984's Finders Keepers, but he didn't find success until he played the titular role in the 1994 comedy Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. From there, Carrey's expressive face, expert mimicry skills and physical brand of comedy kept the hits coming. He followed with The Mask (1994), Dumb and Dumber (1994), Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995), Batman Forever (1995), The Cable Guy (1996) and Liar Liar (1997).

Commercial Success

Carrey took a successful dramatic turn as Truman Burbank in Peter Weir's The Truman Show (1998), for which he won a Golden Globe award for Best Actor. He teamed up with legendary director Milos Forman for the Andy Kaufman biopic Man on the Moon (1999), co-starring Courtney Love. For his dead-on portrayal of Kaufman, Carrey took home his second Golden Globe. Despite his Golden Globe success, he didn't earn a nomination for an Academy Award. Carrey has become one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood, with an reported asking price of $20 million.

In the summer of 2000, Carrey portrayed a character with two dueling personalities (both in love with the same woman) in the comedy Me, Myself and Irene. That fall, wearing pounds of green fur and makeup, he starred as the titular curmudgeon in the long-awaited big budget film version of Dr. Seuss' holiday classic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, directed by Ron Howard. In 2003, the actor starred as a man endowed with God-like powers in Bruce Almighty with Jennifer Aniston. The following year, Carrey starred opposite Kate Winslet in Charlie Kaufman's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Carrey continued to take on a variety of comedic roles, starring such films as Fun with Dick and Jane (2005), A Christmas Carol (2009) and Mr. Popper's Penguins (2011). He also enjoyed supporting parts in The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013) with Steve Carell and Kick Ass 2 (2013). In 2014, Carrey reteamed with Jeff Daniels for Dumb and Dumber To.

Personal Life

Carrey has a daughter, Jane, from his marriage to Melissa Womer (from 1987 to 1995). He was married briefly to Dumb & Dumber co-star Lauren Holly before entering a yearlong romance with his Me, Myself and Irene leading lady, Renee Zellweger. He was later involved with actress/model Jenny McCarthy.
The laughter however took a blow when Percy lost his safe job as an accountant when he was 52, plunging the family into dire financial straights. This was a huge blow for the mild mannered Percy who had given up musical dreams in favour of family security. They lost their home and when Jim was in 8th grade the family was forced to enter one of their bleakest periods, as they agreed to work as factory caretakers and cleaners, in return for secured accommodation. This meant Jim too, who struggled with working an 8 hour evening shift with schoolwork. Inevitably the A grade student began to fail and this showed in his behaviour in the community. He decided he had no option but to leave school.

Eventually the family decided the hostility between fellow factory workers and their general unhappiness was too much to bear and they moved into a VW camper van. Despite the cramped space the family was happier again and Percy and Jim began to explore Jim's comedic talents. At 15 he appeared at Toronto's Yuk Yuk's in a bright yellow suit made for him by Kathleen. He went down badly and it took time and perseverance, but soon he was performing regularly on the Toronto club circuit, whilst supporting the family.

His early routine comprised mainly of impressions and along with the positive feedback he was receiving he took the brave step of moving to Los Angeles in 1979. The Comedy Store soon had him on the bill and he found himself spotted by Rodney Dangerfield who booked Jim to be his support act, leading to Vegas gigs.
Despite these achievements Jim felt things weren't moving as quickly as he would like. Low budget movies were filtering through however. "All in Good Taste", "Rubberface", "The Sex and Violence Family Hour" and "Copper Mountain" were learning experiences for the young Jim but he was becoming more and more disillusioned with impressionism.
Then came along "The Duck Factory" in 1984 and for a while it seemed as though stardom had arrived and Jim moved his parents to LA, but Jim played a straight character in the series and it's scheduling up against "Cheers" led it to fail.

Jim knew things had to change and above all he realised he wanted to make people laugh and heading back to the comedy circuit, began to explore new material, often bombing in front of the audience but never giving up. However the money did and with no option he was forced to ask his parents to leave, Therein followed a bleak period in Jim's life. During this time he wrote himself the now legendary cheque for $10 million for services rendered, which he kept in his wallet and subsequently and poignantly placed in his fathers pocket at Percy's funeral.
Capable to accomplish the same accolade in two contrasting film genres of comedy and drama, Jim Carrey, without doubt, has scored such an excellent attainment that only few thespians can match. Not only skilled in generating people's laughs, he also consistently demonstrates convincing portrayals of the dramatic roles he enacted, proving the rare talent he possesses within which enabled him to be one of the greatest stars in Hollywood film industry. More celebrated as a comedian, he has been lauded for displaying his elastic features, slapstick performances, and zany comedies in such unique ways, so that every character he played has its own quirkiness to linger in the audience's mind. What probably goes unnoticed is that behind all of the kudos and acknowledgement he has received, the road to this point had been indeed rocky also hard to pass through, not to mention his sorrow to deal with poverty in his early life.

The youngest child of four children in the family of some French Canadian roots, Jim was born as James Eugene Carrey on January 17, 1962 in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada to Percy and Kathleen Carrey. His interest in entertaining people has been apparent since he was still a kid, starting from his desire to comfort his mother who at that time was afflicted with hypochondria, an extreme depression of mind or spirits often centered on imaginary physical ailments. "She laid in bed and took a lot of pain pills," he recalled. "I used to go in there and do impressions of praying mantises, and weird things, and whatever. I'd bounce off the walls and throw myself down the stairs to make her feel better." Later extended the funny performance to his classmates at Aldershot School in Burlington, he even obtained the teacher's permission to regularly carry out a stand-up comedy in class few minutes before the end of school day.

Jim's life made a significant turn by the time he entered the 9th grade when Percy lost his job as an accountant, forcing the family to sell their house and relocate to the eastern part of Toronto where all of them conducted the work of either security guard or janitor at Titan Wheels factory in Scarborough. Continued his study at the town's Agincourt Collegiate Institute while also worked in the factory for eight hours every day after school, Jim, who intended to support his family's life, eventually left
James Eugene Carrey was born to parents Percy, an accountant, and Kathleen, a housewife. The youngest of four children, Jim was an extroverted child who performed his early comedy routines for his parents and family.

At the age of 10, Jim mailed his resume to the Carol Burnett Show, and, at junior high school, his teachers quelled his boisterous behaviour by giving him a few minutes at the end of the day to do stand-up routines for his classmates.

Percy lost his job as an accountant when Jim was 14 and the family fell on hard times. They were forced to move to the Toronto suburb of Scarborough, with Percy taking on the job of janitor in the Titan Wheels Factory which had a house on site. Carrey, formerly a good student, took to working eight-hour shifts after school and his grades suffered. The family eventually gave away the factory work and moved into a VW campervan parked on a relative’s lawn.

Jim made his comedy debut at age 15 at Toronto’s Yuk Yuk’s club, wearing a yellow suit his mother had made for him. Unfortunately, he bombed badly. Undeterred, Carrey persisted and was soon playing comedy clubs in Toronto regularly. He eventually dropped out of school at 16 to pursue his dream of becoming a full-time comedian.

In 1979, Jim moved to Los Angeles to pursue his career. Gaining a regular gig at The Comedy Store, he caught the eye of veteran comic Rodney Dangerfield who signed him as his opening act for a season. Carrey began pursuing television and film work, auditioning for the likes of 'Saturday Night Live' and 'D.C. Cab'. In 1984, Carrey gained his first lead role in the short-lived series 'The Duck Factory', playing a young cartoonist. The show was pitted against comedy favourite 'Cheers' and consequently only lasted four months. Carrey persisted with the silver-screen though and scored roles in the film 'Once Bitten' with Lauren Hutton in 1985 and a supporting role in 'Peggy Sue Got Married' in 1986. That year, the struggling actor met Melissa Wormer, an aspiring actress who was working as a waitress at The Comedy Store. The pair fell in love and married in 1987, having a daughter, Jane Erin Carrey, later that year.
Carrey’s real breakthrough came in 1994 when he was given his first starring role in in 'Ace Ventura: Pet Detective'. Playing a swaggering goof-ball detective who specialised in pet mysteries, Carrey connected with audiences around the world. The critics were not so kind, nominating Carrey for a 1995 Raspberry Award for Worst New Star, but the film caught on and grossed over $70 million at the box office.

Carrey followed this up with another two commercial successes in 'The Mask', where he played a mild-mannered clerk transformed into an extravagant cartoonish superhero when he puts on a magical mask, and 'Dumb and Dumber' where he and Jeff Daniels played idiotic brothers who find a suitcase full of money. The films grossed $120 million and $127 million, respectively, and firmly established Carrey as a star.

1995 saw the Carrey juggernaut continue with the blockbuster 'Batman Forever', where he played The Riddler, before he reprised his Ace Ventura role in the sequel, 'When Nature Calls'. Sadly, Carrey’s marriage to Wormer broke up that year in a particularly messy divorce. Carrey soon took up with 'Dumb and Dumber' co-star Lauren Holly. Holly and Carrey tied the knot the following year but the marriage lasted less than a year amid allegations of infidelity.

Carrey pocketed $20 million for his next film which, surprisingly, was his first disappointment. 1996’s 'The Cable Guy', directed by Ben Stiller and co-starring Matthew Broderick, was a dark comedy that saw only mediocre returns at the box office.

He bounced back in 1997 though, with a return to his trademark light comedy in 'Liar Liar', which grossed over $180 million. In 1998, Carrey showed a new side of his acting, starring in the semi-serious 'The Truman Show', about a man whose life is, unbeknownst to him, a gigantic television show. The film won several Oscars and Carrey won a Golden Globe for his performance. Another semi-serious role was to follow with Carrey starring in the Andy Kaufmann biopic 'Man on the Moon', which earned him another Golden Globe.
2001 saw Carrey in the poor-performing drama 'The Majestic', but 2003 was another return to form, with 'Bruce Almighty' portraying Carrey as a man given God’s powers. The film, which co-starred Friends actress Jennifer Aniston, was another massive success, grossing over $200 million at the box office.

In 2004, still trying to make his mark as a serious actor, Carrey took a role in the critically-lauded art-house film 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'. Written by acclaimed screenwriter Charlie Kaufmann and directed by the innovative Michael Gondry, Carrey starred opposite Kate Winslet as a man pursued through his memories as they are erased. The film earned an Oscar for Kaufmann and a nomination for Winslet, but Carrey was again overlooked by the Academy. The same year, Carrey appeared in the children’s film 'Lemony Snicket’s A Series Of Unfortunate Events', playing the villain, the murderous Uncle Olaf.

2005 saw a remake of the 1977 Jane Fonda and George Segal movie, 'Fun With Dick And Jane', with Carrey starring opposite Tea Leoni. He continued his dalliance with dramatic roles in the psychological thriller 'The Number 23' in 2007. The film once again returned less-than-impressive figures for a Carrey drama, grossing only $35 million.

In December 2005, he began dating actress and model Jenny McCarthy, but they separated in 2010.

Jim's latest roles include 'The Incredible Burt Wonderstone' (2013), 'Kick-Ass 2' (2013) and 'Dumb And Dumber To' (2014).

Carrey’s appeal seems to be inexhaustible and, with his star power and his pull at the box office, Jim Carrey looks set to be a fixture on the Hollywood stage for many years to come.
After the black comedy The Cable Guy (1996)—which fared poorly at the box office—Carrey scored a hit with Liar Liar (1997). In that film he played a fast-talking lawyer forced—by a magic spell invoked by his young son’s birthday wish—to tell the truth for one day. Carrey received Golden Globes for his work in The Truman Show (1998), a tale of a man who discovers that his apparently ordinary life is really a popular television show, and Man on the Moon (1999), in which he portrayed the comedian Andy Kaufman. In 2000 he appeared in the film adaptation of Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas. After receiving mixed reviews for The Majestic (2001) and Bruce Almighty (2003), Carrey earned critical acclaim for his performance as a man who decides to have his memories of a former girlfriend erased in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004). He subsequently starred in such films as Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004), the mystery-thriller The Number 23 (2007), and Yes Man (2008).
Aiming to find larger chance in U.S., Jim headed for Los Angeles in 1979 and managed to impress American people through his shows at The Comedy Store, including Rodney Dangerfield who shortly thereafter signed him to be the opening act of his tour. With this early success, he began to venture into screen production which first conducted through an appearance in a 48-minutes Canadian TV-movie entitled "Introducing... Janet" a.k.a. "Rubberface" (1983), followed by the release of two other film features, "Copper Mountain" a.k.a. "Club Med" and "All In Good Taste" in the same year. A hope to encounter his breakthrough in his next two roles quickly vanished when the airing of his comedy series "The Duck Factory" (1984) was cancelled by NBC after 13 episodes while his 1985 movie project, "Once Bitten", in which he acquired a major role, did not result as expected.

Disappointed but not devastated, Jim then took part in Julien Temple's sci-fi comedy, "Earth Girls Are Easy" (1989), to star alongside Geena Davis, Jeff Goldblum, and Damon Wayans who not only became his good friend afterwards, but also suggested his brother Keenen Ivory Wayans to include him in their sketch comedy show, "In Living Color" (1990-1994). Portraying various characters, most notable the psychotic Fire Marshall Bill, Jim successfully garnered attention from TV audience through his wacky comical expressions along with outrageous acts, subsequently led him to have his own show time comedy special, "Jim Carrey's Unnatural Act" in 1991 and the lead role in Tom Shadyac's "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" (1994). Much to his delight, the picture turned out to be a box-office hit with a great domestic income of over 72 million U.S. dollar, therefore propelled him to wide exposure besides brought him to receive more propitious film offers in Hollywood.

Throughout the rest 1994 up to the year 1995, Jim, with his manic antics, fantastically led his movies to commercial success as seen in "The Mask" (1994), "Dumb & Dumber" (1994), "Batman Forever" (1995), and "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls" (1995) which all scored above $108 million. Granted various prestigious honors,
He played the lead in the 1994 comedy film The Mask, which was the big screen debut for future Hollywood star Cameron Diaz.

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Drake Biography

Famous as : Rapper, actor

Birth Name : Aubrey Drake Graham

Birth Date : October 24, 1986

Birth Place : Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Spouse : -

Claim to Fame : Single Best i ever Had (2009)

Born in Toronto on October 24th, 1986, Drake is the son of Sandi and Dennis Graham, a drummer who worked with Jerry Lee Lewis. His father is African American, a native of Memphis, Tennessee and his mother is Jewish Canadian. Drake’s interest in performing began at an early age. From summers spent with his dad in Memphis, he gained an appreciation and understanding for music that would later influence the sound he would create in years to come.

Drake was a cross-platform cultural phenomenon in the 2010s. The songwriter, producer, rapper, and singer sustained a high-level commercial presence shortly after he turned to rapping in 2006, whether on his own chart-topping releases or through a long string of guest appearances on hits by the likes of Lil Wayne, Rihanna, and A$AP Rocky. Each one of the former child actor's first three albums, as well as a 2015 mixtape that followed them, topped the album charts in his native Canada and in the U.S. Though he caroused with his most hedonistic contemporaries, Drake was frequently praised for his sensitive, introspective approach to rap and R&B.
Known initially for his role as Jimmy Brooks on Degrassi: The Next Generation, the Toronto, Ontario-born Aubrey Drake Graham stepped out as a rapper and singer with pop appeal in 2006, when he initiated a series of mixtapes. A year later, despite being unsigned, he scored major exposure when his cocky and laid-back track "Replacement Girl," featuring Trey Songz, was featured on BET's 106 & Park program as its "Joint of the Day." He raised his profile throughout the next several months by popping up on countless mixtapes and remixes, and as rumors swirled about contract offers from labels, he gradually became one of the most talked-about artists in the industry. It did not hurt that he had support from the likes of Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Lil Wayne.
By the end of June 2009, "Best I Ever Had," a promotional single, had climbed to number two on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. After a fierce bidding war, Drake signed with Universal Motown in late summer and released an EP (So Far Gone) made up of songs from his popular So Far Gone mixtape. It peaked at number six on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and won a 2010 Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year. Thank Me Later, a full-length featuring collaborations with the Kings of Leon, the-Dream, Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Lil Wayne, was issued through Young Money the following year. It debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Still, the artist felt his debut was rushed, so its 2011 follow-up arrived with the title Take Care, referencing the increased time and effort put into the album's creation. Receiving critical acclaim, Grammy Awards, and the number one slot on the U.S. Billboard 200, Take Care cemented Drake's place as one of Canada's biggest exports.
In 2012, while on tour, Drake announced that he had started work on what would be his third studio album. Nothing Was the Same was released in September of 2013. The album spawned many singles, topped charts around the world, was shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize, and was nominated for a Best Rap Album Grammy. Soon after the album's release he hit the road on an extended tour, taking time off for collabos and a few singles, included the Grammy-nominated "0 to 100/The Catch Up." His next release was planned as a free mixtape before Cash Money decided they would rather charge for it. The decidedly downbeat If You're Reading This It's Too Late was released in early 2015 and debuted at number one, while all 17 of its songs entered the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. In late summer he dropped a trio of new tracks on his Soundcloud page, one of them, the Timmy Thomas-sampling "Hotline Bling," became a hit single and something of a cultural phenomenon. Later that year, Drake hit the studio with Future for a six-day session that yielded the mixtape What a Time to be Alive. The records' release in September brought him his second number one debuting album of the year. ~ Andy Kellman, Rovi
Since first being recognized for his role on the highly-successful television series Degrassi: The Next Generation, and going on the road with rap star Lil Wayne after hearing Drake’s music in the summer of 2008, Drake has asserted himself as a trailblazer in the creative world. Drake released his mixtape So Far Gone in 2009 and his massive influence in the hip-hop and contemporary music space has commanded the market since, with no end in sight. Drake now holds the record for the most number one hits on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Chart.

As The New York Times Jon Caramanica writes, “So it’s gone with Drake, hip-hop’s current center of gravity, his success a reminder of so many of the victories hip-hop has won in the last couple of decades: the right to be decadent, sure, but also the right to reimagine any style of music, the right to be emotionally complicated, the right to be unusual. He confounds expectations. He raps about soft things, sings about hard things. Thanks to his versatility, he is the glue that binds together all of urban radio.”

Drake has catapulted into stardom not only as an artist, but as a cultural maven with October’s Very Own. Sharing the story of the thriving music scene in Toronto, Drake has built out OVO from a small-scale blog about his crew to an all-encompassing lifestyle brand, including his clothing company, his record label OVOSOUND and his annual OVOFEST.

Drake has reached great heights in recent years and he continues to create and dominate the global market. As Drake says, “It’s about the experience. If the city isn’t talking about it five, six, seven days later, or if people don’t remember it for years to come, then I haven’t done my job…I’m going to find out what comes after this, but there’s definitely another evolution of Drake.”
Early Life

Drake, the world's only black Jewish-Canadian rap star, was born Aubrey Drake Graham on October 24, 1986, in Toronto, Canada. Drake grew up with music in his blood. His father, Dennis Graham, was a drummer for legendary rock star Jerry Lee Lewis, and Drake says that his mother, Sandi Graham, also hails from a "very musical" family. Drake comes from an eclectic and unique racial and religious background. His father is an African-American Catholic and his mother is a white Canadian Jew. Speaking about his personal identity, Drake says, "At the end of the day, I consider myself a black man because I'm more immersed in black culture than any other. Being Jewish is kind of a cool twist. It makes me unique."

Drake's parents divorced when he was 5 years old, and he was raised by his mother in Forest Hill, an affluent and predominantly Jewish Toronto neighborhood. He had a Bar Mitzvah at age 13 and observed the Jewish High Holy Days with his mother. "My mom has always made Hanukkah fun," Drake recalls. "When I was younger, she gave cool gifts and she'd make latkes." Despite his Jewish upbringing, Drake says he felt isolated at Forest Hill Collegiate Institute, his virtually all-white high school. Drake remembers, "Nobody understood what it was like to be black and Jewish." However, he also adds, "being different from everyone else just made me a lot stronger."
'Degrassi' Star

It was one of Drake's classmates at Forest Hill who gave him his start in the entertainment industry. "There was a kid in my class whose father was an agent," Drake would later explain, adding, "His dad would say, 'If there's anyone in the class that makes you laugh, have them audition for me.' After the audition he became my agent."

Shortly afterward, in 2001, Drake landed a role on the Canadian teen drama series Degrassi: The Next Generation. The show follows the dramatic lives of a group of teenagers at Degrassi High School, and Drake played the part of Jimmy Brooks, sometimes dubbed "Wheelchair Jimmy," a basketball star who becomes permanently wheelchair bound when he is shot by a classmate.

Drake starred on Degrassi for seven years (2001-09), earning a 2002 Young Artist Award for best ensemble in a TV series, among other honors. The show quickly developed a devoted cult following—"There are very few subtle Degrassi fans," Drake has said—propelling Drake to celebrity status in Canada, even while he remained relatively anonymous in the United States.

Hip-Hop Fame:
While still staring on Degrassi, Drake began attempting his transition into the world of hip-hop. He released his first mixtape, Room for Improvement, in 2006, achieving modest sales around approximately 6,000 copies. He followed that with the 2007 release of another mixtape, Comeback Season. Comeback Season included Drake's first hit single and music video, "Replacement Girl," which was featured as the New Joint of the Day on BET's popular hip-hop television show 106 & Park.

In 2008, the producers of Degrassi overhauled the cast, eliminating Drake's character. Without his steady source of income, and not yet making significant money as a rapper, Drake was on the verge of looking for a day job. "I was coming to terms with the fact that ... I might have to work at a restaurant or something just to keep things going," he remembers. But early in 2008, Drake received an unexpected call from rap star Lil Wayne, who asked Drake to board a flight to Houston that night to join his tour.

Since that phone call, Drake has enjoyed a rapid ascent to the top of the music world. After touring and recording with Lil Wayne, Drake released his third mixtape, So Far Gone, in February 2009. It featured the infectiously catchy single "Best I Ever Had," which peaked at No. 2 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart. Since then, Drake's barrage of catchy, R&B-infused hip-hop songs have dominated radio airwaves. His most popular singles at this time included "Every Girl," "Forever" and "Money to Blow."

By mid-2009, Drake had inked a record deal with Lil Wayne's Young Money Entertainment.

Chart-Topping Success

On June 15, 2010, Drake released his first full studio album, Thank Me Later, which debuted at No. 1 on both American and Canadian album charts and has since been certified platinum. Drake's new persona as the cocksure prince of hip-hop ("Last name ever, first name greatest," he brags on one track) seems to clash with his middle-class Jewish upbringing and former career as a teenage soap-opera star.

Nevertheless, Drake attempts to fuse these seemingly incongruous stages of his life into one persona. On the December 2009 cover of Vibe magazine, Drake sports a diamond-crusted Chai, a hip-hop style shout out to his Jewish roots. And in his song "The Presentation," he raps, "Who's Drake? Where's Wheelchair Jimmy at?"

In November 2011, Drake released his second studio album, Take Care, which included songs like "Headlines," "Make Me Proud," "The Motto" and "Take Care." The album met with wide acclaim, winning the 2013 Grammy Award for best rap album, among several other honors.

Infamous Feud

Despite his big successes on the music charts, Drake has hit a few rough patches in his personal life. In recent years, he and fellow entertainer Chris Brown have become rivals over singer Rihanna. The pair's bitter feud erupted in violence during the summer of 2012 at a New York nightclub. Several people were injured as a result of Drake and Brown's fight.

While no one has been criminally charged for the incident, both Drake and Brown have found themselves facing legal consequences for their actions. Professional basketball player Tony Parker, a male model and two women—all hurt in the brawl—are among those who have filed suit against the performers. In addition, Drake and Brown began legal proceedings against each other in court in early 2013 over who is responsible for starting the grisly clash.

Around this time, Drake settled another legal matter out of court. He reached an agreement with former girlfriend Ericka Lee over her contributions to the song "Marvin's Room." Lee had sued Drake in 2012 seeking credit for co-writing the track.
Recent Projects

Personal obstacles never seem to sidetrack Drake for long. He released a new single, "Started from the Bottom," in early 2013. The song, from his critically-acclaimed 2013 album Nothing was the Same, reflects his personal struggle for fame and success. "I just wanted to make it known that I did work really hard to get here and it wasn't just a fluke and it wasn't easy by any means," he explained to MTV News.

As his rap career moves forward, Drake hopes that his unconventional rise to hip-hop fame will continue to prove an asset, not a hindrance. "This whole thing is unusual at this point," he says, "so we're just rolling with the fairytale vibe."
1. Drake rose to fame as a Canadian TV star
Drake joined the cast of Degrassi: The Next Generation in 2001, when he was only 15 years old. He played Jimmy Brooks, a basketball star who had to use a wheelchair after being shot.

2. His real name is Aubrey Graham
Believe it or not, but Drake is only his middle name. Aubrey Graham is the given name of Drake, something we think may not have made him the sexy, mysterious celebrity he is today.

3. He has appeared in children’s programs, including Ice Age: Continental Drift
Drake is not only still acting, he is doing some voice acting as well. He appeared in Ice Age: Continental Drift in 2012, as Ethan, the young mammoth.

4. He is Canadian
Drake was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1986 (and even played hockey as a child).

5. He was raised Jewish
Drake’s mother is a Jewish Canadian, and he attended a Jewish Day School and even had a bar mitzvah.

6. He started his rap career through a series of mixtapes
Drake began making mixtapes in 2006, and started gaining national attention. He was featured on BET and was supported by rappers Kanye West, Jay-Z and Lil Wayne. He was finally signed to Universal Motown in 2009.

7. He has written songs for artists such as Alicia Keys and Jamie Foxx
Drake has won numerous awards for his songwriting abilities. He wrote "Un-Thinkable" for Alicia Keys and co-wrote "Fall For Your Type" for Jamie Foxx.

8. He has a crush on Nicki Minaj
Drake admitted back in 2010 that Minaj was his inspiration for "Un-Thinkable." He told MTV in 2010 about his crush.

"I've always really, actually, really had a crush on her, always really loved her, and she's always just looked at me as, like, her little brother," he said.
1. Drake rose to fame as a Canadian TV star
Drake joined the cast of Degrassi: The Next Generation in 2001, when he was only 15 years old. He played Jimmy Brooks, a basketball star who had to use a wheelchair after being shot.

2. His real name is Aubrey Graham
Believe it or not, but Drake is only his middle name. Aubrey Graham is the given name of Drake, something we think may not have made him the sexy, mysterious celebrity he is today.

3. He has appeared in children’s programs, including Ice Age: Continental Drift
Drake is not only still acting, he is doing some voice acting as well. He appeared in Ice Age: Continental Drift in 2012, as Ethan, the young mammoth.

4. He is Canadian
Drake was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1986 (and even played hockey as a child).

5. He was raised Jewish
Drake’s mother is a Jewish Canadian, and he attended a Jewish Day School and even had a bar mitzvah.

6. He started his rap career through a series of mixtapes
Drake began making mixtapes in 2006, and started gaining national attention. He was featured on BET and was supported by rappers Kanye West, Jay-Z and Lil Wayne. He was finally signed to Universal Motown in 2009.

7. He has written songs for artists such as Alicia Keys and Jamie Foxx
Drake has won numerous awards for his songwriting abilities. He wrote "Un-Thinkable" for Alicia Keys and co-wrote "Fall For Your Type" for Jamie Foxx.

8. He has a crush on Nicki Minaj
Drake admitted back in 2010 that Minaj was his inspiration for "Un-Thinkable." He told MTV in 2010 about his crush.

"I've always really, actually, really had a crush on her, always really loved her, and she's always just looked at me as, like, her little brother," he said.

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Keanu Charles Reeves Biography

Famous as : Actor
Birth Name : Keanu Charles Reeves
Birth Date : September 02, 1964
Birth Place : Beirut, Lebanon
Spouse : -
Claim to Fame : As Ted Logan in "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" (1989)

Keanu Reeves was born on September 2, 1964, in Beirut, Lebanon, and was raised in Toronto, Canada. He first gained attention for his performance in River's Edge, while the comedy Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and its sequel, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, brought him major recognition. Reeves has developed an eclectic film roster that includes the action flick Speed and the sci-fi blockbusters The Matrix and its sequels, as well as more art-house fare like My Own Private Idaho and The Private Lives of Pippa Lee. Reeves made his directorial debut in 2013 with Man of Tai Chi.

Background and Early Career:

Keanu Charles Reeves was born on September 2, 1964, in Beirut, Lebanon. Of Chinese-Hawaiian heritage on his geologist father’s side, Reeves’s first name translates from Hawaiian to English as “cool breeze over the mountains.” Reeves’s mom worked in entertainment as a performer and later a costume designer. Upon his parents’ split, the youngster moved with his mother and sister to New York and then Toronto. Reeves developed an ardor for hockey, though he would eventually turn to acting, garnering TV roles and making his big-screen debut in the 1985 Canadian feature One Step Away.

'Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure'

Soon after, Reeves was featured in U.S.-oriented teen movies such as Youngblood (1986), starring Rob Lowe and Patrick Swayze, and River’s Edge (1986). More television and film roles followed before Reeves joined the ensemble cast of the scandalous period drama Dangerous Liaisons (1988), starring Glenn Close and John Malkovich. The following year marked the release of a film for which the young actor would become associated with for quite some time—Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Co-starring Alex Winter, the popular comedy followed two high school students and their time-traveling high jinks, eventually spawning a 1990 animated TV series and the 1991 movie sequel, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey.

Range of Roles

Though Reeves would often face criticism for his deadpan delivery and perceived limited range as an actor, he nonetheless took on roles in a variety of genres over the ensuing decade, doing everything from introspective art-house fare to action-packed thrillers.

My Own Private Idaho (1991), directed by Gus Van Sant and co-starring River Phoenix, chronicled the lives of two young sex workers living on the streets, while Francis Ford Coppola’s adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), co-starring Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder and Anthony Hopkins, saw Reeves embodying the calm resoluteness of character Jonathan Harker. 1994 saw the actor starring opposite Sandra Bullock in the hit action flick Speed, followed by work that included the romantic drama A Walk in the Clouds (1995) and the supernatural thriller Devil’s Advocate (1997), co-starring Al Pacino and Charlize Theron.
Keanu Charles Reeves was born on September 2, 1964 in Beirut, Lebanon to an Asian American of Chinese and Hawaiian descent geologist Samuel Nowlin Reeves and an English showgirl Patricia. Keanu is actually a very unique name, it's spelled "Key-ah-nu" which in Hawaiian means "cool breeze over the mountains." There was a move to Australia for a year where Keanu's first sister Kim was born in 1966, which soon followed by his parents dissolution. Subsequent to their marriage dissolved, Patric and Samuel went their separate ways, in which she and the two kids headed to New York City, while Samuel to Hawaii. Since that time Keanu visited his father in Hawaii on occasion until he was thirteen, the time he saw him for the very last time. And in the year of 1994 it was reported that Samuel was sentenced to ten years in prison for selling heroin at Hilo Airport in 1992. He was paroled in the mid-1996, but both father and son were no longer maintaining contact with each other.

Soon after their move to New York, Patric met and married director Paul Aaron and moved to Toronto, where both took up Canadian citizenship. Less than a year later they split up and Patric went on to marry rock promoter Robert Miller and gave birth to Keanu's second half sister, Karina, in 1976. Switched partners a few times more, Patric for one more time got divorced and married her third husband Robert Miller, a hair salon owner, whom she divorced with in 1994. Facing such verity, Keanu later on tend to describe himself as a "middle-class white boy. A bourgeois, middle-class white boy with an absent father, a strong-willed mother, and two beautiful younger sisters."

Enrolled at the Jesse Ketchum Public School in Toronto from kindergarten through the eighth grade, Keanu went on to four different high schools including De La Salle College and the Toronto School for the Performing Arts before at the end dropping out completely at age 17 to pursue his acting career. In high school he wasn't so enthusiastic about academics, rather he took a keen interest in ice hockey that he was named "The Wall" goalie by his high school hockey team. Besides becoming an avid hockey player he was also interested in drama. And he maybe a hardworker too, as during his youth he took on lots of different jobs, including sharpening
skates at an ice rink shop, landscaping, and making pasta. Yet, Keanu could in the future be a famous Hollywood film actor.

As faith would have it, Keanu soon then appeared in some stage gigs and bit parts on TV movies. After all he could favorably win a supporting role in the Rob Lowe hockey flick "Youngblood" (1986), which was filmed in Canada. Shortly after the production completed, Keanu moved to Hollywood, where he burst on critics' radar with his performance in the dark adolescent drama "River's Edge" (1986). The star eventually gained his very first popularity for the role of totally rad dude Ted Logan he played in the 1989 film "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure." Sad to relate that the role had, in many ways, influenced Keanu's following portrayal in some other different movies. In order to rub off such stigma, in the next few years he forced himself to get involved in a series of highbrow projects. Firstly played a slumming rich boy opposite River Phoenix's narcoleptic male hustler in "My Own Private Idaho" (1991), Keanu went on to play an unlucky lawyer who stumbles into the vampire's lair in "Dracula" (1992) and Shakespearean party-pooper Don Jon in "Much Ado About Nothing" (1993).

Despite the fact that his acting has frequently been ridiculed as wooden, Keanu indeed able to be a major box-office draw and several of his films have equally become extremely popular. It was in 1994 when he became a big-budget action star with the release of "Speed" (1994). This was just the beginning of the start before he would in the following years alternate in such films, as "Feeling Minnesota" (1996), "The Last Time I Committed Suicide" (1997), "Johnny Mnemonic" (1995), and "Chain Reaction" (1996). A few years after he drooped the "Speed" sequel, Keanu hit the box office with the Wachowski brothers' cyberadventure "The Matrix" (1999). Strengthen his role as Neo in that movie, he kept playing in its two sequels, "The Matrix Reloaded" and "The Matrix Revolutions", both box-office hits. That achievement has, in fact, granted this left-handed actor a Star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame, which he proudly received on January 31, 2005.

In December of 1999, amidst the people's joy in celebrating Christmas, Keanu had to face a sad occurence as his actress girlfriend Jennifer Syme gave birth to their stillborn daughter they planned to name Eva Archer Syme-Reeves.
'The Matrix'

At the close of the decade, Reeves starred in a sci-fi film that would become a genre game changer—The Matrix. Directed by Andy and Lana Wachowski, the 1999 movie followed Reeves as prophetic figure Neo, slated to lead humanity to freedom from an all-consuming simulated world. Known for its innovative fight sequences, avant-garde special effects and gorgeous fashion, The Matrix was an international hit. Two sequels were filmed together and released in 2003 to a more mixed reception, though the second installment, The Matrix Reloaded, was a bigger financial blockbuster than its predecessor.

Directorial Debut

Even with mainstream success, Reeves continued working in different genres, as seen with his roles as an abusive man in The Gift (2000), starring Cate Blanchett, a smitten doctor in Something’s Gotta Give (2003) opposite Diane Keaton, and a Brit demon hunter in Constantine (2005). Reeves returned to sci-fi as alien Klaatu in the 2008 remake of the classic The Day the Earth Stood Still, co-starring Jennifer Connelly and Jaden Smith.

The following decade saw the actor making his directorial debut with Man of Tai Chi (2013). Martial arts–based themes continued in Reeves's next feature, the widely panned 47 Ronin (2013), which was followed in 2014 by the more critically well-received John Wick, co-starring Willem Dafoe and John Leguizamo.

Off the Set

His artistic aspirations not limited to film, Reeves co-founded the band Dogstar in the early 1990s. Dogstar enjoyed modest success, releasing two albums during Reeves's decade-long run as its bass player. He later played bass for a band called Becky for about a year.

Reeves is also a longtime motorcycle enthusiast. After asking designer Gard Hollinger to create a custom-built bike for him, the two went into business together with the formation of Arch Motorcycle Company LLC in 2011.

Reported to be one of the more generous actors in Hollywood, Reeves helped care for his sister during her lengthy battle with leukemia, and has supported such organizations as Stand Up To Cancer and PETA.
Keanu Charles Reeves, a Canadian actor known for his nobility in the Hollywood film industry, is a humble and down to earth actor who does not shy away from sharing his success with the co-actors and the crew of his movies. The gentle actor famously gave away most of his earnings from the blockbuster trilogy ‘The Matrix’ to the special effects and costume designer team of the movie because he felt that they were the real heroes of the movie. He also gave away the opportunity to earn millions just so his production team could afford ace actors for his movies like Al Pacino for ‘The Devil’s Advocate’ and Gene Hackman for ‘The Replacement’. Reeves had an emotionally instable childhood because his father left him and his mother when he was only 3 years old and his mother went on to marry three more times after that. He travelled along with his mother to Sydney, New York and Toronto before he decided to leave for LA for good to start his acting career at the age of 15. Reeves has given many blockbuster hits like: ‘The Matrix’. The Matrix Reloded’, ‘The Matrix Revolutions’, ‘The Devil’s Advocate’, ‘Speed’, ‘Constantine’, etc. He is a recluse and tries to stay away from the media and enjoys ballroom dancing and surfing more than anything. He has faced many tragedies in his life like the birth of his still born daughter ‘Ava’, death of his longtime girlfriend Jennifer Syme and the death of his dear friend and actor River Phoenix. Recently, Reeves made his directorial debut with the movie ‘Man of Tai Chi’ in 2013.
Independent Keanu, who is reported to be very generous with his time and money, once began playing bass with the rock band Dogstar, who has now gone "into hibernation." And he currently reported playing bass in a band called "becky" with former Dogstar drummer Rob Mailhouse, guitarist Paulie Kosta and singer Rebecca Lord. Yet, in the latest interview, he has announced he's been leaving the band and his musical career for good. Keeping his 1974 motorcycle among his most prized possessions, Keanu loves horseback riding and surfing, which both inspired from his movie roles. Maintaining Canadian citizenship and passport, he is now reside in Toronto, Canada where he originally grown up.

Being able to put full concentration on his acting career, Keanu smoothly moved forward to compile a diverse film resume which included "Something's Gotta Give" (2003), "Thumbsucker" (2005), "Constantine" (2005), and "A Scanner Darkly" (2006). The same year of the latter's release also saw him reunite with "Speed" co-star Sandra Bullock in romantic drama "The Lake House" before joining the star-studded cast of "Night Watch (2008)", the second feature directorial effort of noted screenwriter David Ayer.

Personal Life & Legacy:
Trivia
In 1994, Reeves’ father was sentenced to ten years in jail for the possession of cocaine in Hawaii.
He was offered the role opposite Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino in ‘Heat’, which he turned down because of his prior engagement as Hamlet at Winnipeg’s Manitoba Theatre Centre in Canada. The role later went to Val Kilmer.
Reeves was a band mate of the band called ‘Dogstar’ and once did a summer tour with them in 1995.
For ‘The Matrix’ Reeves was selected for the role of ‘Neo’ over Leonardo DiCaprio, Will Smith and Brad Pitt.
In 2001, Reeves’ sister Kim was diagnosed with leukemia when she was only 38 and battled the disease for years.
Reeves earned 150 million US dollars for ‘The Matrix’ trilogy. It is said that he gave away most of this money to the special effects and costume design team because he felt that they were the real heroes of the movie who made it successful.
Reeves only charged a million US dollar for ‘The Devil’s Advocate’, when he could easily earn more, so that the producers could afford Al Pacino for the movie. Also for ‘The Replacements’ he took a pay cut so that Gene Hackman could be afforded for the movie.
For a very long time, Reeves lived in rented houses and hotels instead of buying his own. He bought his own house in LA in 2003.
Reeves is not a Buddhist, opposing to the popular belief, but he says that he is interested in Buddhism.
Reeves is dyslexic.
He was trained in Martial arts before the production of ‘The Matrix’ began.
He considers his sister his best friend.
His hobbies are horseback riding, ballroom dancing and surfing.
He was in the list of ’50 Most Beautiful People in the World’ of People Magazine in 1995.

In 1993, Reeves was devastated and broken down by the death of his co-star and close friend River Phoenix. The two acted together in ‘My Own Private Idaho’ in 1991. Phoenix died of drug overdose and it was rumored that both Phoenix and Reeves experimented with drugs for the role that they were playing in the movie and Phoenix started taking drugs around that time only.
In 2000, Reeves’ longtime girlfriend Jennifer Syme, a production assistant and part-time actress delivered their still baby who they called ‘Ava’. The tragedy became the cause for their break-up but both remained close friends even after that.
In 2001, just a year after the birth of their still born baby Ava, Jennifer was killed in a car accident, while she was coming back from Marilyn Manson’s party in her LA house. It was believed that she died because she was driving under the influence of drugs and prescribed medicine. This devastated Reeves and he said at one of his interviews ‘grief changes shape but it never ends’.
In 2008, it was said that Reeves was dating China Chow, a 38 year old actress and daughter of the restaurateur Michael Chow. He made a formal appearance with her during the Cannes Film Festival. Around that time, there were photos floating on the internet showing Chow swimming topless along with Reeves in France. But they broke up soon after that and Reeves was romantically connected to an actress called Parker Posey.
In 2010, Reeves gained a lot of publicity on the internet when someone posted his photograph in which he is sitting on a bench and eating alone and he looks miserable. It was posted on a 4chan forum. It became viral on the internet and was soon famous under the title of ‘Keanu is Sad’ or ‘Sad Keanu’. Reeves told The Guardian, when prompted to speak over the matter, ‘It is hopefully transformative. The kind of thing that takes you from one place to another – to look at yourself and you know, it can always be worse. I hate that sentence: of course it can always be worse!’
The offspring of a half-Chinese, half-Hawaiian geologist and an English showgirl, Keanu’s itinerant parents did not stay together long, so Keanu's childhood took himself, his mother and sisters to Australia, New York and Canada. His mother Patricia had a series of interesting partners and husbands, with connections to showbiz, and the young Keanu, not one for academia, decided acting was to be his career, and he began to find work in adverts and TV shows.

His motion picture debut was in ‘Dream To Believe’ in Canada, but his part in the 1986 TV movie ‘Under the Influence’ got him more notice. He headed for Hollywood in 1986 with $3,000, an old Volvo and his stepfather Paul Aaron's address. A few name changes followed as ‘Keanu’ was considered by his manager to be too exotic, but they were short-lived and he reverted to Keanu.

A string of TV movies followed, including ‘Act of Vengeance’, ‘Young Again’, ‘The Brotherhood of Justice’ and ‘Babes in Toyland’, all of which were released in 1986. His parts grew and then he started attracting the eye of more mainstream directors.

Director Stephen Frears was among the big hitters to collaborate with the rising star early in his career, casting him in the 1988 period drama ‘Dangerous Liaisons’, alongside Glenn Close, John Malkovich and Michelle Pfeiffer. Keanu went on to star in 1991 film ‘Point Break’ as an FBI agent, which landed him his first accolade - the MTV Movie Award for Most Desirable Male.

Gus Van Sant noticed the talented young actor and cast him in the 1991 independent film ‘My Own Private Idaho’, which also starred River Phoenix and James Russo. However, 1993 brought a new award, albeit one he may not have wanted when he was given the Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor for his role in ‘Much Ado About Nothing’.

Keanu went on to make up for this with his appearance in ‘Speed’, which really made him a household name, perhaps not so much for his acting, but the fact that it grossed nearly $300 million. More films followed, then ‘The Matrix’ in 1999 made him another massive hit, and catapulted Keanu to the highest earning actor bracket, with a salary of $20 million per film.

In 2005, Keanu, who had starred in two more commercially successful Matrix movies and other films including the high grossing fantasy/horror ‘Constantine’, was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His latest roles include parts in 'Man Of Tai Chi' (2013), which he also directed and '47 Ronin' (2013).

His personal life continues to intrigue fans, some of whom raised concern about his happiness in 2010. Despite the fame and wealth, though, Keanu shuns the limelight. He works hard and is always self-deprecating. Still living in Toronto, he prefers to surf, ballroom dance and ride horses.

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