Michaël Youn

Michaël Youn (born December 2, 1973 in Suresnes, Hauts-de-Seine as Michaël Benayoun) is a French actor, singer, comedian, and TV and radio personality.

Biography

After his education as an announcer and theater actor, Youn joined the Paris radio station Skyrock in 1998. There, he made sketches and further entertainment during the morning show.

The popularity and success of Michael Youens,at the most important French private broadcast station brought Youn to the attention of French TV executives. In July 2000 he was hired for the new morning show "Morning Live" shown on Métropole 6. With Vincent Desagnat and Benjamin Morgaine, Youn did the entertainment part of the show. Like their sketches and public events (e.g. foam bath in a Paris fountain, and waking random Parisians up shooting the slogan of the show at them), their parodies were particularly successful. In particular, they parodied the music scene of Jean-Michel Jarre, casting-popstars, the Grand Prix and French rappers.

The success of "Morning Live" was mainly due to Youn and his colleagues – when they left the show, it remained on the air for just one more year.

After leaving "Morning Live" in 2002, Youn, Desagnat and Morgaine have focused on their music parodies: The three sailors “Piotr”, “Olaff” and “Dvorjak” from the Eastern European “Slowakistan”, the Bratisla Boys, appeared on the Western music market with their song "Stach Stach". The act became a big success and was number one on the French charts for ten weeks. On a 2004 list of the all-time best selling CDs in France, "Stach Stach" was listed number 30. The success even spread beyond the French border and reached Switzerland, where it was 2nd on the official charts. On July 7 2002, the project was stopped by its makers. They claimed that the Bratisla Boys had vanished on the Dead Sea without a trace.

In 2002, the film "La Beuze“, written by Youn and Desagnat, was released. Youn played the character of Alphonse, the "unknown son" of James Brown, who tries to start his own career – by creating a new (fictional) style called "Frunkp" (a mixture of Funk and Rap). The song "Le Frunkp" was published as a CD-single and Michaël Youn (under the name of Alphonse Brown) had another hit. This time, he even reached #1 in Swiss charts.

Youn had a comedy-tour, called Pluskapoil in 2003/04 (its sequel followed in 2005) and has acted in films. New music projects followed: Les Conards (The Imbeciles) with Comme des Connards, a cover version of My Sharona by The Knack, as well as a song for the movie Iznogoud (both were in the French Top 20). He had small roles in rather big films, and was part of Les 11 commandements in 2004 (A French film done in the style of MTV’s Jackass, together with Desagnat and Morgaine).

In 2005, Youn was Iznogoud in the film version of the comic „Iznogoud“ (also known as Isnogud). In 2006 he had the main role in the film comedy Incontrôlable. Those two films were not very successful, critics and viewers finding them only so-so. Both films starred Desagnat and Morgaine, but only in small roles.

In 2009, he will be directing his first movie "Fatal Bazooka" in which he will also star.

Fatal BaFzooka

Towards the end of 2006 they picked up a parody from their old Morning-Live times: the hardcore rappers Fatal Bazooka ("Lethal Bazooka"), in which they played two rappers called “Profanation Fonky“ and “La Marmotte Infernale” who wore balaclavas. Using a hardcore style of rap, they rapped Fous ta cagoule ("Put on your balaclava"). It reached #1 on the French charts.

The CD-single is "Fous ta cagoule" of 2006. The song parodies multiple French rappers, in particular slammer Grand Corps Malade and Booba. The video clip was made by Nicolas Benamou.

His first single of 2007, "Mauvaise foi nocturne"' with Pascal Obispo parodied Confessions nocturnes by Diam's and Vitaa (mentioned in "Parle à ma main" as well) also went to #1 in France.

Fatal Bazooka released a full LP titled T'as vu ? in the last week of May 2007 selling over 300,000 copies in France and scored another N1 single (Christmas 2007 number one) with "Parle à ma main" ("Talk to my hand") featuring Yelle released at the end of 2007. This time they attacked another phenomenon of French society : the "lolitas" and their antics.

The album was released through Jam Block entertainment/Warner Music France.

Discography

Singles

"Stach Stach" (as Bratisla Boys)

FR: 1 – 20.04.2002 – 38 Wo.

BE: 3 - 20.04.2002 - 19 Wo.

CH: 2 – 06.06.2002 – 17 Wo.

"Le frunkp" (as Alphonse Brown)

FR: 1 – 11.01.2003 – 25 Wo.

BE: 1 - 08.02.2003 - 22 Wo.

CH: 1 – 16.02.2003 – 24 Wo.

"Comme des Conards" (as Les Conards)

FR: 3 – 18.01.2004 – 24 Wo.

BE: 3 - 07.02.2004 - 19 Wo.

CH: 11 – 15.02.2004 – 18 Wo.

"Iznogoud" (as Iznogoud)

FR: 12 – 30.01.2005 – 15 Wo.

"Fous ta cagoule" (as Fatal Bazooka)

FR: 1 – 18.11.2006 – 26 Wo.

BE: 1 - 25.11.2006 - 37 Wo.

CH: 8 – 26.11.2006 – 26 Wo.

"Mauvaise foi nocturne (La réponse)" (as Fatal Bazooka feat. Vitoo)

FR: 1 – 04.03.2007 – 30 Wo.

BE: 1 - 03.03.2007 - 26 Wo.

CH: 5 – 11.03.2007 – 15 Wo.

"J'aime trop ton boule (Shake ton booty)" (as Fatal Bazooka)

FR: TBA - 13.05.2007

BE: 23 - 16.06.2007 - 10 Wo.

CH: 51 – 17.06.2007 – 6 Wo.

"Trankillement" (as Fatal Bazooka)

FR: TBA - 06.2007

CH: 99 – 29.07.2007 – 1 Wo.

"Parle à ma main" (as Fatal Bazooka feat. Yelle)

FR: 1 – 01.12.2007 – 19 Wo.

BE: 1 - 15.12.2007 - 22 Wo.

CH: 31 – 25.11.2007 – 17 Wo.

Albums

Anthologigi (as Bratisla Boys)

FR: 14 – 20.07.2002 – 14 Wo.

T'as Vu ? (as Fatal Bazooka)

FR: 4 - 02.06.2007 - 48 Wo.

BE: 3 - 02.06.2007 - 21 Wo.

CH: 27 – 10.06.2007 – 14 Wo.

Filmography

La Malédiction de la mamie (2000)

La Beuze (2003, leading role - Alphonse Brown)

Chouchou (2003)

Les Clefs de bagnole (2003)

Le Carton (2004)

Around the World in 80 Days (2004)

Les 11 commandements (2004, comedy, leading role)

L'un reste, l'autre part (2005)

Iznogoud (2005, title role)

Incontrôlable (2006, leading role)

Héros (2007)

Lucky Luke (2009)

Television

Caméra café (2001)

Morning Live (2000-2002)

Off Prime (2007)

(source:wikipedia)

Matt Lauer

Matthew Todd "Matt" Lauer (born December 30, 1957) is an American television journalist best known as the host of NBC's The Today Show since 1997. He was previously a news anchor in New York and a local talk-show host in Boston, Philadelphia, Providence and Richmond.He was also host of PM Magazine (or "Evening Magazine" 1980-1986) and worked for ESPN in the 1980s as a sideline reporter.In the early 1990s, Lauer hosted segments of HBO Entertainment News.

Personal life

He was born in New York City, New York, the son of Marilyn Kolmer, a boutique owner, and Jay Robert Lauer, a bicycle-company executive. Lauer is of Romanian descent, as seen on the Today Show's "Finding our Roots." His parents divorced during his youth and his father died in 1997. Lauer had become co-host of The Today Show not long before his father's death. In 1999, both Lauer and his cohost Katie Couric initially resisted participation in Today's proposed series about their family roots. The series turned out to be a hit, and Lauer was moved by what he learned about his immigrant ancestors. "My dad was Jewish. My mom is not. So I was not raised anything. I do feel a desire now to find something spiritual. Getting married and wanting to have kids has something to do with that.".
Lauer was married from 1982 until 1989 to a television producer named Nancy Alspaugh. The marriage ended in divorce. From 1989 until 1996, he dated Kristen Gesswein, a television newscaster. They were briefly engaged. In 1998, he married Annette Roque, a Dutch model known as "Jade." She appeared in one of Revlon's 1991 ads "The Most Unforgettable Women in the World Wear Revlon" along with Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover girl Daniela Pestova and supermodel Elaine Irwin, who is married to John Mellencamp. During Roque's pregnancy with their third child in 2006, she and Lauer separated. Although Roque filed for divorce in Manhattan Supreme Court on September 13, 2006, the couple subsequently reconciled.
Lauer shares a December 30 birthday with his co-anchor Meredith Viera.


Career

Lauer is a School of Media Arts and Studies (formally the School of Telecommunications) graduate of Ohio University. He attended Ivy Tech, but left six credits short of graduating in 1979. In 1997, he received his degree from Ohio University. The university awarded him his remaining credits by counting his journalism experience as "independent study" towards his degree. Lauer began his television career in 1979 as a producer of the 12 o'clock news for WOWK-TV in Huntington, West Virginia. By 1980, he had become an on-air reporter on the 6 and 11 o'clock newscasts. He then started to move around the country to further his career, hosting a number of weekly information and talk programs in Boston, Philadelphia, Providence and Richmond. He was also host of PM Magazine from 1980-1986 and worked for ESPN in the 1980s. He worked on the show "Talk of the Town" during 1988.
Lauer got his first job in the New York area when he was hired to host a three-hour live interview program, WWOR-TV's 9 Broadcast Plaza, from 1989–1991. In 1990, he was hired by the Kushner-Locke Company to host a pilot called "Day In Court," executive produced by veteran producer David Sams, who helped to launch the Oprah Winfrey Show into national syndication. The program was retitled, "Trial Watch," when it went to series, and ran on the NBC network for two seasons. Ironically, NBC chose to hire Rob Weller, as host, over Lauer when the program was picked up as a daily series. Lauer moved to WNBC-TV in 1992 where he became co-anchor, alongside Jane Hanson, of the early weekday news show Today in New York. After a year, he also filled the role of Live at Five co-anchor with Sue Simmons. He held that job until 1996.


NBC News


Lauer with President Vladimir Putin prior to the 32nd G8 summit in Saint Petersburg.
Lauer's broad on-camera presence provided him with many opportunities with NBC's national news organization while working for WNBC in New York. Lauer filled in as the newsreader on The Today Show for Margaret Larson when needed from 1992 to 1993. This "audition" period allowed him to join The Today Show full-time in January 1994 as news anchor, while still co-anchoring Today in New York and Live at Five.
Lauer stepped in for Scott Simon, Mike Schneider and Jack Ford as the co-host of Weekend Today, and for Ann Curry as anchor of the former NBC News program NBC News at Sunrise from 1992 to 1997. He had also filled in for Tom Brokaw on NBC Nightly News. As the Today Show news anchor, he also pinch-hit for Bryant Gumbel on the Today Show before being named the official co-anchor on January 6, 1997, after Gumbel stepped down. In April 2006, Lauer announced that he intends to stay with Today until 2011.
In addition to his duties on the Today Show, Lauer has also hosted programming on the Discovery Channel and MSNBC.


Career highlights
Beginning in 1998, Lauer has embarked on a once-yearly five-day globe-spanning adventure called "Where in the World is Matt Lauer?" on the Today Show. It was named after the PBS game show Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? from which it borrowed the theme song. This segment has sent Lauer to the far reaches of the Earth where he has reported on the importance of each location. In recent years, he has broadcast from locations including Bhutan, Easter Island, the Panama Canal, Iran, Hong Kong, Croatia, and the Great Wall of China. For 2009 NBC announced this popular segment would not be airing because of the country's economy.
On some occasions, interviews conducted by Lauer have escalated into tense exchanges. In a June 2005 interview, Tom Cruise started an argument with Lauer about psychiatry and postpartum depression and called Lauer "glib". In December 2008, three and a half years later, Cruise said that he regrets the exchange, and even playfully arm-wrestled Matt Lauer in the same studio where the confrontation took place.
In a June 2006 interview with Ann Coulter, Coulter responded to Lauer's questioning her criticism of September 11, 2001, widows and said, "You're getting testy with me." On December 30, 2009 during an on-set Birthday Party for him, Lauer introduced "Barney Miller" and "Fish" TV star Abe Vigoda who was standing behind the cameras. Lauer then warmly invited Abe to come over and sit on the couch where Lauer announced that Abe Vigoda was his favorite guest of all times on the "Today" show. The two then discussed Matt's Birthday and Abe's long career.
In November 2006, Lauer and his daughter Romy hosted the Sesame Street direct-to-DVD Sesame Beginnings: Exploring Together.
Lauer hosted The Greatest American on the Discovery Channel, which used Internet and telephone voting by viewers to select the winner. Lauer was critical of his own program since it tended to favor well-known figures over others who had less influence in pop culture. Since 1998, he has co-hosted NBC's live coverage of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Lauer guest-starred as himself on a live episode of Will & Grace in early 2006. (Former co-anchor Katie Couric had guest-starred as herself on an episode of the same NBC sitcom a few years earlier.)
On June 19, 2007, he interviewed Prince Henry and Prince William of Wales.
Lauer served as the 2009 Class Day speaker at Harvard University's undergraduate commencement ceremonies on June 3, 2009.
Matt Lauer appears as himself in the Land of the Lost movie, appearing in the beginning when Rick Marshall (Will Ferrell) appears on his show and single-handedly ruins his career. Lauer appears again at the end of the film, when Rick shows up with his new book Matt Lauer Can Suck It. Both scenes ended in violent physical confrontation between the two, with the staff trying to break them up. The first confrontation was caused by Marshall and the second by Lauer after Marshall gloats how his new book's title was legally acceptable.
Lauer has also co-hosted the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games. He has broadcast with Bob Costas the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Summer and 2010 Winter Olympics, carrying what his former co-host Katie Couric had done since the 2000 Summer Olympics.

Career timeline
1989–1991: 9 Broadcast Plaza host[
September 1992–September 1994: Today in New York co-anchor
August 1993–September 1996:early evening newscast News Channel 4/Live at Five co-anchor
June 13, 1994–January 3, 1997: Today news anchor
January 6, 1997–present: Today co-anchor
Source:wikipedia