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Jessica Biel

 
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Jessica Biel

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Jessica Biel rose to fame as the wholesome preacher's daughter on the WB television show 7th Heaven, then gained greater notoriety for trying to get herself kicked off the show via a risqué photo spread in the men's magazine Gear. Making such statements as, "Mary Camden is dead," the 17-year-old Biel indeed got out of her contract to pursue a movie career; when that floundered, she - amusingly - found herself reconsidering her haste and returned for guest spots on the program.

Biel was born on March 3, 1982, in Ely, MN, then raised in Boulder, CO. She was first discovered at the 1994 IMTA Los Angeles Convention, which earned her a scholarship to Diane Hardin's Young Actors Space in Los Angeles. Teen print modeling followed, and in 1996, Biel began her run as Mary Camden on the Aaron Spelling-produced 7th Heaven. Shortly thereafter, she was cast as Peter Fonda's granddaughter in Victor Nunez's rich character study, Ulee's Gold (1997), and as Jonathan Taylor Thomas' love interest in I'll Be Home for Christmas (1998).

But Biel grew tired of playing a good girl on television and tried to force the producers to fire her from 7th Heaven, claiming her pristine image was a factor that kept her from landing the role that went to Thora Birch in American Beauty (1999). When the producers would not release her from her contract, she posed on the cover of the March 2000 Gear under the headline "Fallen Angel." The images inside featured her sprawled topless on a bed and against a bathroom mirror, her hands providing insufficient cover in a manner that pushed even Gear's lax standards for showing skin. The issue become one of Gear's most popular ever, with terrific resale value on Ebay, and got Biel canned from the show.

However, the controversy and exposure did not immediately improve her film career. Biel's first post-Gear role was as a bikini-wearing babe in the Freddie Prinze Jr. baseball movie Summer Catch (2001), but the film barely made a flicker at the box office after being bumped from its initial release date. Biel has since been making guest appearances in her initial Mary Camden role and has been cast in director Roger Avary's The Rules of Attraction (2002). An ill-advised shortcut down the backroads of Texas found Biel and friends pursued by one of the silver screen's most notorious maniacs in the 2003 remake The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, with supporting roles in David R. Ellis's intense pot-boiler Cellular and the vampire-slaying Wesley Snipes action fantasy Blade: Trinity serving well to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. While a blast into the clouds with Stealth provided innoffensive thrills for more forgiving movie-goers, few would stand up to defend Almost Famous director Cameron Crowe's saccharine Elizabethtown as even throwaway fun. In 2006, Biel traveled back in time to become the source of a decidedly supernatural mystery as the ill-fated love of a turn-of-the-centry Vienna magician portrayed by Edward Norton in director Neil Burger's The Illusionist.

Biel began 2007 at a low ebb, as the romantic lead in the apocalyptic sci-fi thriller NEXT. As directed by journeyman Hollywood action stalwart Lee Tamahori (XXX: State of the Union), and adapted (loosely) from the Philip K. Dick story "The Golden Man," the picture stars Nicolas Cage as Cris, an issue-ridden psychic who foresees the nuclear destruction of Los Angeles. Biel plays the seer's tender-hearted lover, who spends her free time every week at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, teaching the children of the Havasupai Indian reservation. The film bombed unequivocally at the box office, reeling in only around $14 million worldwide in its first week.

The actress next switched genres, unveiling her comic flair to audiences in the hotly-anticipated buddy comedy I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (2007). The Universal farce (released in the States in July 2007) stars Adam Sandler and Hitch's Kevin James as, respectively, Chuck Levine and Larry Valentine, the bachelors of the title - two straight macho firefighters who pose as gay marrieds to qualify for domestic partner benefits. No points for guessing that Biel plays the film's romantic lead; she's the attorney who represents the two men against the insurance company, with whom Sandler falls in love.

~ Derek Armstrong, Rovi
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Jessica Biel

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Jessica Biel

Jessica Biel
Born Jessica Claire Biel
(1982-03-03) March 3, 1982 (age 30)
Ely, Minnesota, United States
Occupation Actress, model, singer
Years active 1996–present
Partner Justin Timberlake
(2007–present; engaged)

Jessica Claire Biel (born March 3, 1982)[1] is an American actress, model, and singer. Biel is known for her television role as Mary Camden in the long-running family-drama series 7th Heaven.

Contents

Early life

Jessica Claire Biel was born in Ely, Minnesota. Her mother, Kimberly (née Conroe), is a homemaker and spiritual healer. Her father, Jonathan Biel, worked for GE and was also an entrepreneur and business consultant.[2][3][4] She is of German, French, English, and Choctaw ancestry[5] and has a younger brother, Justin, born in 1985.[6][7] Biel's family moved frequently during her childhood, living in Texas, Connecticut, and Woodstock, Illinois, before finally settling in Boulder, Colorado. While growing up, Biel played soccer[8] and also trained as a gymnast.[4] From 2000 to 2002, she attended Tufts University.[9]

Early work

Biel initially trained to be a vocalist. At age nine, she appeared in several musical productions in her hometown, playing lead roles in productions such as Annie, The Sound of Music, and Beauty and the Beast.[10] Biel auditioned for the a cappella choir the Tufts Amalgamates, but was not accepted.[9]

At twelve, Biel attended The International Modeling and Talent Association conference in Los Angeles where she was discovered and signed by a talent agency. She began modeling for print advertisements, and appeared in commercials for products such as Dulux Paint and Pringles.[2]

Biel also played the character Regrettal, a lead role in a low-budget musical short titled It's a Digital World. At fourteen, after auditioning for several television pilots, Biel was cast as Mary Camden, the second oldest child in the family drama 7th Heaven.

Career

1997–2002

Biel on board the USS Abraham Lincoln on June 18, 2004

Biel landed her first feature film role as Peter Fonda's granddaughter in the critically acclaimed drama Ulee's Gold, released in 1997. Her performance earned her a Young Artist Award.[citation needed] In spring 1998, during a break from filming 7th Heaven, she starred in I'll Be Home for Christmas, playing the love interest of Jonathan Taylor Thomas.[10]

When she posed topless in the March 2000 issue of Gear magazine, Biel sparked considerable controversy, as she was still under 18 at the time of the shoot. Producers of 7th Heaven were outraged, and brought legal action against Gear.[10] She later stated that she regrets the Gear shoot but considers it a learning experience.[11]

In 2001, Biel played the love interest of Freddie Prinze, Jr. in the baseball-themed film Summer Catch. The next year, she starred as promiscuous college student Lara in the ensemble film The Rules of Attraction, an adaptation of the Bret Easton Ellis novel.

2003–2005

Biel was cast in her first top-billing role in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.[12] The film met with negative reviews but it was a commercial success, scoring the number-one spot in its opening week and going on to earn more than $80 million in the U.S.[12][13] In 2003, Biel began work on the third installment of the Blade film series, Blade: Trinity. Almost immediately after finishing it in 2004, she headed to Australia to shoot the action-thriller Stealth.[14]

Biel also made a cameo appearance in the 2004 film Cellular.

Biel was cast in the role of Ellen Kishmore in the romantic comedy Elizabethtown. She then played the title character in the indie film London.

2006–present

Biel at the 2005 Stealth premiere

Biel's film career blossomed[citation needed] when she played a turn-of-the-century duchess in the period piece The Illusionist, co-starring Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti.

Biel played an Iraq War veteran in the 2006 film Home of the Brave, a drama about soldiers struggling to readjust to society after facing the hardships of war.

In Next, Biel played alongside Nicolas Cage and Julianne Moore. She then played in the summer comedy, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, co-starring Adam Sandler and Kevin James.

In late 2007, Biel signed on to play a stripper in Powder Blue, alongside Forest Whitaker (who also produced the film), Ray Liotta and Patrick Swayze.

Biel with Josh Lucas on the Stealth set.

At the start of 2008, Biel shot Easy Virtue, an adaptation of the play by Noël Coward. Like the play, the film is set in the 1920s and Biel plays young widow Larita, who impulsively marries John Whittaker in France and must face her disapproving in-laws on returning to England. The film premiered in September 2008 at the Toronto International Film Festival.[15] Critics praised Biel for her performance, with Todd McCarthy of Variety saying Biel "more than kept up" with veterans Kristin Scott Thomas and Colin Firth and praising her "sparkling" performance.[16][17] The Hollywood Reporter described her performance as "an irresistible force of nature — a kind, witty, supremely intelligent and beautiful woman who ... is capable of rejoinders that thoroughly undercut her opponent's withering criticism."[18] Biel also performed two songs on the film's soundtrack, "Mad About the Boy" and "When the Going Gets Tough".

In 2009, Biel lent her voice to the animated science fiction film Planet 51.

In April 2008, Biel began working on the political satire Nailed, with Jake Gyllenhaal. The film centers around a woman who accidentally gets a nail lodged in her head, then travels to Washington D.C. to fight for better health care.

Biel performed the role of "Sarah Brown" with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a fully staged concert production of Guys and Dolls during the 2009 season at the Hollywood Bowl.[19][20] On the last night, she received a rousing standing ovation from 17,000 people.[4] She subsequently landed a part in Lincoln Center Theater's two-week-long workshop of the musical version of the Pedro Almodóvar classic Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, along with Salma Hayek.[4]

Personal life

Relationships

Biel dated actor Adam LaVorgna, her costar in I'll Be Home For Christmas and 7th Heaven, from 1998 to 2001.[21][22] She then dated actor Chris Evans from 2001 to 2006.[23][24]

Biel began dating singer and actor Justin Timberlake in January 2007.[25][26] After four years together, the couple announced their split in March 2011.[27][28] However, by fall 2011 the couple appeared to have reunited, and in late December 2011, Timberlake proposed to Biel in the mountains of Jackson, Wyoming.[29][30][31]

Charity work

On July 18, 2006, Biel participated in a charity auction to raise medical funds for Colorado teen Molly Bloom, who was injured in a limousine accident.[32] John Schiffner of Fergus Falls, Minnesota successfully bid $30,000 to have lunch with Biel. "I promise I'm a cheap date," Biel quipped. Biel and Schiffner lunched at The Palm restaurant in Denver, Colorado[33] on August 18, 2006.[34]

In early 2007, Jessica co-founded the Make the Difference Network[35] with her father and another business partner, Kent McBride.

In 2010, Biel climbed to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro with members of the United Nation Foundation to raise awareness of the global water crisis.[36] That same year, Biel's humanitarian and charity work (as well as her popularity with young people) earned her a nomination for a Do Something Award.[37]

Honors

Awards

  • 1998: Young Artist Award — Best Performance in a Feature Film – Supporting Young Actress in Ulee's Gold
  • 2005: ShoWest Award Female Star of Tomorrow — 2005 ShoWest Convention
  • 2007: Rising-Star Award — Palm Springs International Film Festival 2007 Gala Awards

Rankings

  • Ranked No.99 in Stuff magazine's "102 Sexiest Women In The World" (2002).
  • Ranked No.98 on VH1's "100 Hottest Hotties".(2003)
  • Esquire magazine named her the "Sexiest Woman Alive" in a 2005 six-part series, with each month revealing a different body part and clue to the woman's identity.[2]
  • Ranked No.1 in Stuff magazine's "100 Sexiest Women" (2007).[38]
  • Ranked as No.5 on Maxim's Hot 100 for 2007[39] and No.11 on Maxim's Top 100 for 2009.[40]
  • Ranked No.7 by AskMen.com readers in the list "Top 99 Women 2008."[10]
  • Ranked No.4 by FHM US magazine in their 2009 list of "100 Sexiest Women".[7]


Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1996–
2006		 7th Heaven Mary Camden Young Artist Award (Best Leading Actress) – 1998
Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actress 2002, 2003
1997 Ulee's Gold Casey Jackson Young Artist Award for Best Supporting Actress
1998 I'll Be Home for Christmas Allie
2001 Summer Catch Tenley Parrish
2002 Rules of Attraction, TheThe Rules of Attraction Lara Holleran
2003 Texas Chainsaw Massacre, TheThe Texas Chainsaw Massacre Erin Hardesty Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance
Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Actress
2004 It's a Digital World[citation needed] Regrettal (voice)
2004 Cellular Chloe
2004 Blade: Trinity Abigail Whistler
2005 Stealth Lieutenant Kara Wade
2005 Elizabethtown Ellen Kishmore
2005 London London
2005 Family Guy Brooke (Voice) Episode: "Brian the Bachelor"
2006 Illusionist, TheThe Illusionist Duchess Sophie von Teschen Newport Beach Film Festival Best Achievement Award
2006 Home of the Brave Vanessa Price
2007 Next Liz Cooper Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress
2007 I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry Alex McDonough
2008 Hole in the Paper Sky[citation needed] Karen Watkins Short film, also executive producer
2008 Easy Virtue Larita Whittaker
2009 Planet 51 Neera (voice)
2009 Powder Blue Rose-Johnny
2010 Valentine's Day Kara Monahan Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Hissy Fit
2010 A-Team, TheThe A-Team Capt. Charisa Sosa
2011 New Year's Eve Tess
2011 The Tall Man Julia Denning
2012 Playing the Field Stacie
2012 Total Recall Melina

References

  1. ^ Armstrong, Derek (2008). "Jessica Biel — Biography". Allrovi. MSN. Archived from the original on July 24, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080724221342/http://movies.msn.com/celebrities/celebrity-biography/jessica-biel/. Retrieved September 4, 2008. 
  2. ^ a b c A.J. Jacobs (October 31, 2005). "Jessica Biel Is the Sexiest Woman Alive". Esquire (Hearst Communications) 144 (5). http://www.esquire.com/women/sexiest-woman-alive-2005/ESQ0207SEXIEST. 
  3. ^ Kappes, Serena (July 27, 2005). "Celeb Spotlight: Jessica Biel – Stealth, Jessica Biel". People. Time Inc.. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,1087159,00.html. Retrieved April 17, 2010. 
  4. ^ a b c d Jonathan Van Meter; Mario Testino (Photographer) (February 2010). "The Real Biel". Variety. Condé Nast Publications. http://www.vogue.com/magazine/article/the-real-biel/. 
  5. ^ "Jessica Biel: The Real Biel" Vogue
  6. ^ "Jessica Biel: Actress – Most Beautiful, Jessica Biel". People (Time Inc.) 51 (17). May 10, 1999. http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20128164,00.html. Retrieved June 2010. 
  7. ^ a b "Jessica Biel Number 4 – Jessica Biel". FHM US. Emap Consumer Media. 2009. http://www.fhmonline.com/Site/customPage/DefaultPlain.aspx?ID=40660. "The Minnesota-born hardbody has put her French and Choctaw-Indian descent to good use: when the call goes out for an ethnically ambiguous siren, Biel is likely to get the gig." 
  8. ^ James Brady (July 10, 2005). "In Step With: Jessica Biel". Parade Magazine. http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/2005/edition_07-10-2005/in_step_with_0. 
  9. ^ a b "NBC's Strange (And Compelling) A Cappella Show". December 15, 2009. http://www.gq.com/blogs/the-q/2009/12/nbcs-strange-and-compelling-a-cappella-show.html. 
  10. ^ a b c d "Jessica Biel Photos, Gossip, Bio & Reviews — AskMen.com". AskMen.com. News Corporation. http://www.askmen.com/celebs/women/actress_60/83_jessica_biel.html. Retrieved July 25, 2010. 
  11. ^ "Jessica Biel regrets nude photoshoot". RTÉ. October 30, 2008. http://www.rte.ie/ten/2008/1030/bielj.html. Retrieved June 14, 2010. 
  12. ^ a b Adam Stein (June 2007). "The Summer of Jessica Biel". GQ: 2. http://www.gq.com/women/photos/200706/jessica-biel-movie-illusionist?currentPage=2. "And then, in February, she grabbed the tabloid brass ring for reportedly nabbing the world’s most eligible bachelor, Justin Timberlake. The couple announced in March 2011 when they officially split, following a brief ski trip to Telluride, Colorado." 
  13. ^ The Texas Chainsaw Massacre at Box Office Mojo
  14. ^ TC Candler (January 25, 2006). "Jessica Biel. A Revealing Interview". Archived from the original on February 18, 2006. http://web.archive.org/web/20060218222402/http://www.independentcritics.com/columns/tc-jessicabiel.htm. "I went home for one day, unpacked, repacked and went to Australia." 
  15. ^ "TIFF'08 – Easy Virtue". Tiff08.ca. http://tiff08.ca/filmsandschedules/films/easyvirtue. Retrieved September 5, 2008. [dead link]
  16. ^ Child, Ben (November 10, 2008). "You review: Easy Virtue". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2008/nov/10/1. 
  17. ^ Todd McCarthy (September 10, 2008). "Easy Virtue Movie Review From The Toronto Film Festival". Variety. http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117938305.html. "For several years it has been clear that Biel is one of the great, beautiful babes of her generation. But if her abilities as a spirited, sharp-witted comedienne with a smart sense of timing had not frequently been demonstrated, it's only because she had seldom been asked to display them." 
  18. ^ "An old play rediscovered and refurbished in a splendid new production". Hollywood Reporter. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/film/reviews/article_display.jsp?rid=11657. Retrieved September 9, 2008. [dead link]
  19. ^ "Los Angeles Philharmonic Association Announces Hollywood Bowl 2009 Summer Season". Hollywood Bowl. Los Angeles Philharmonic. March 16, 2009. http://www.hollywoodbowl.com/press/press_release/index.cfm?id=2374. 
  20. ^ "Biel, Bakula, Mahoney, Mitchell, Page and Williamson to Star in Hollywood Bowl's Guys and Dolls". Playbill. http://www.playbill.com/news/article/127360.html. Retrieved April 17, 2010. 
  21. ^ "Jessica Biel Biography:". TV Guide. http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/jessica-biel/bio/156897. 
  22. ^ Tricia Johnson (November 27, 2000). "'Heaven Sent' As his real life girlfriend Jessica Biel trims her role, Adam LaVorgna tells EW.com about moving in with the Camdens". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc.. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,89349,00.html. 
  23. ^ Monica Herrera (2011-03-11). "Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel Break Up". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/news/justin-timberlake-and-jessica-biel-break-1005070432.story#/news/justin-timberlake-and-jessica-biel-break-1005070432.story. Retrieved 18 February 2012. 
  24. ^ Rick Fulton (2011-07-23). "Captain America star Chris Evans: I was scrawny like Steve Rogers character when I was a kid". http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-interviews/2011/07/23/captain-america-star-chris-evans-i-used-to-be-scrawny-like-steve-rogers-character-when-i-was-a-kid-86908-23291120/. Retrieved 18 February 2012. 
  25. ^ "Justin Sneaks in with Jessica Biel". TMZ.com. http://www.tmz.com/2007/05/16/justin-sneaks-in-with-jessica-biel/. Retrieved 2008-04-22. 
  26. ^ "Justin gets affectionate with his love Jessica". London: Daily Mail. 2007-05-16. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=455197&in_page_id=1773. Retrieved 2008-04-22. 
  27. ^ "Justin Timberlake & Jessica Biel 'Wanted Different". People magazine. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20473192,00.html. Retrieved 2011-03-11. 
  28. ^ "Justin Timberlake, Jessica Biel Break Up". US magazine. http://www.usmagazine.com/healthylifestyle/news/justin-timberlake-and-jessica-biel-split-2011103. Retrieved 2011-03-11. 
  29. ^ "It’s Official: Justin Timberlake And Jessica Biel Are Finally Engaged". B96 Chicago. January 4, 2012. http://b96.radio.com/2012/01/04/its-official-justin-timberlake-and-jessica-biel-are-finally-engaged/. 
  30. ^ "Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel Engaged". People. January 5, 2012. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20558288,00.html. Retrieved January 9, 2012. 
  31. ^ "Justin Timberlake's Grandma: Yes, He's Engaged to Jessica Biel!". People. January 5, 2012. http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/justin-timberlakes-grandma-yes-hes-engaged-to-jessica-biel-201251. Retrieved January 9, 2012. 
  32. ^ Associated Press (July 15, 2006). "Date With Jessica Biel to Be Auctioned Off". News Corporation. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,203822,00.html. 
  33. ^ "Jessica Biel Comes To Denver For $30,000 Date". CBS Denver. August 18, 2006. http://cbs4denver.com/local/Molly.Bloom.Jessica.2.551679.html?detectflash=false. 
  34. ^ Peterson, Todd (July 20, 2006). "Jessica Biel Date Raises Money for Teen". People (Time Inc.). http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,1216877,00.html. "The fundraiser, dubbed "Mollypalooza," generated a total of $38,000 for Bloom's medical expenses." 
  35. ^ "MTDN Home". mtdn.com. May 3, 2010. http://www.mtdn.com/. Retrieved June 13, 2010. 
  36. ^ Joanne Fowler (January 13, 2010). "Jessica Biel Weeps at Mt. Kilimanjaro Summit". People. Time Inc.. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20336678_20726119,00.html. 
  37. ^ "Nominee Profile: Jessica Biel". Do Something. VH1. June 1, 2010. http://www.dosomething.org/blog/celebsgonegood/nominee-profile-jessica-biel. Retrieved July 15, 2010. 
  38. ^ "Biel Beats Johansson in Sexy Women Poll". Hollywood.com. April 3, 2007. Archived from the original on May 9, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070509050554/http://www.hollywood.com/news/Biel_Beats_Johansson_in_Sexy_Women_Poll/3677035. Retrieved June 13, 2010. "Both actresses were romantically linked to Justin Timberlake during the beginning of 2007" 
  39. ^ "2007 Hot 100 Photos – No.5 Jessica Biel". Maxim. Dennis Publishing. http://www.maximonline.com/Girls/Jessicabiel/slideshow/1129/47.aspx?src=GM7070:MD. 
  40. ^ "2009 Hot 100". Maxim. Dennis Publishing. http://www.maxim.com/girls/hot-100/79081/2009-hot-100-100-91.html#90. 

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