Sally Field

Sally Margaret Field, (born November 6, 1946) is an American actress, singer, producer, director, and screenwriter. She is known for her TV roles such as the title role on Gidget (1965-66), her iconic role as Sister Bertrille on The Flying Nun (1967-70), and her film roles as Miranda Hillard in Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) and Mrs. Gump in Forrest Gump (1994).

Field has won two Academy Awards, for Norma Rae (1979) and Places in the Heart (1984). She has also won Emmy Awards in three different categories: the first for the 1976 Best Actress in a Miniseries or Movie for Sybil; one for the 2000 Outstanding Guest Actress for portraying Abby Lockhart's mother Maggie on ER; and the most recent for the 2007 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series award for her role as family matriarch Nora Holden Walker on ABC's Brothers & Sisters. She has also won two Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress.

Early life

Sally Field was born in Pasadena, California, the daughter of Margaret (b. May 10, 1923), an actress, and Richard Dryden Field, a U.S. Army officer who worked in sales. Her parents divorced in 1950 and her mother subsequently remarried actor and stuntman Jock Mahoney.

She attended Portola Middle School, then Birmingham High School in Van Nuys, California where she was a cheerleader. Among her classmates were infamous financier Michael Milken, fellow actress Cindy Williams (of Laverne and Shirley fame) and Michael Ovitz of CAA and Walt Disney Studios fame.

Career

Television

Field got her start on television as the boy-struck surfer girl in the mid-1960s surf culture sitcom series, Gidget. She went on to star as Sister Bertrille in The Flying Nun. In an interview included on the DVD release of The Flying Nun, she said that she would have preferred to continue playing Gidget. Sally hated being on The Flying Nun because she wasn't treated with respect. After her run on The Flying Nun, she was typecast. Later, she starred opposite John Davidson in a short-lived series called The Girl with Something Extra (1973-74).

In 1971, Field starred in Maybe I'll Come Home in the Spring with David Carradine and a soundtrack by Linda Ronstadt. She played the role of a discouraged teen runaway who returned home after a year on the road with a bearded drug-abusing hippie named "Flack" (David Carradine).

She made several guest appearances, including a recurring role on the western comedy Alias Smith and Jones, starring Pete Duel (with whom she had worked on Gidget) and Ben Murphy, and the Rod Serling's Night Gallery episode "Whisper."

Field at Expo 67.

Having played mostly comedic characters on television, Field had a difficult time being cast in dramatic roles.[citation needed] She studied with famed acting teacher Lee Strasberg, who had previously helped Marilyn Monroe go beyond the "bimbo" roles with which her career had begun.

Soon afterward, Field landed the title role in the 1976 TV film Sybil, the first of two films based on the book written by Flora Rheta Schreiber. Field's dramatic portrayal of Sybil, a young woman afflicted with multiple personality disorder, in the TV film not only garnered her an Emmy Award in 1977 but also enabled her to break through the typecasting she had experienced from her television sitcom roles.

Music

While starring on The Flying Nun, Sally tried her hand at singing. Sally Field sang on the Soundtrack for The Flying Nun in 1967 and she even sang The Flying Nun Theme Song "Who Needs Wings to Fly". The same year, she cracked the Billboard Hot 100 with one single, Felicidad.

Film

Field made her film debut in 1962 with a small part in Moon Pilot. Her first major film role was in The Way West (1967). In 1977, she co-starred with Burt Reynolds, Jackie Gleason and Jerry Reed in that year's #2 grossing film, Smokey and the Bandit.[2] In 1979, she played a union organizer in Norma Rae, a successful film that established her status as a dramatic actress. Vincent Canby, in his review of the film for the New York Times, wrote: "Norma Rae is a seriously concerned contemporary drama, illuminated by some very good performances and one, Miss Field's, that is spectacular." She won the Best Female Performance Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and the Academy Award for Best Actress.

Field did three more of Reynolds' films (The End, Hooper and Smokey and the Bandit II), none particularly an acting challenge. In 1981, Field continued to change her image, playing a foul-mouthed prostitute opposite Tommy Lee Jones in the South-set film Back Roads, which received middling reviews and grossed $11 million at the box office. She won Golden Globe nominations for the 1981 drama Absence of Malice and 1982 comedy Kiss Me Goodbye.

Then came a second Oscar for her starring role in the 1984 drama Places in the Heart. Field's gushing acceptance speech is well remembered for its earnestness. She said, "I haven't had an orthodox career, and I've wanted more than anything to have your respect. The first time I didn't feel it, but this time I feel it, and I can't deny the fact that you like me, right now, you like me!"The line ending in "...I can't deny the fact that you like me, right now, you like me!" is often misquoted as simply "You like me, you really like me!" which has subsequently been the subject of many parodies. (Field parodied the line herself in a commercial.[citation needed])

The following year, she co-starred with James Garner in the romantic comedy Murphy's Romance. In A&E's biography of Garner, she cited her on-screen kiss with Garner as the best cinematic kiss she had ever had.

Field appeared on the cover of the March 1986 issue of Playboy magazine, in which she was the interview subject. She did not appear as a pictorial subject inside the magazine, although she did wear the classic leotard and bunny-ears outfit on the cover.

For her role as the matriarch, M'Lynn, in the film version of Steel Magnolias (1989), she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. She had supporting roles in a number of other movies, including Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) in which she played Miranda Hillard, the wife of Robin Williams's character and the love interest of Pierce Brosnan's character Stuart 'Stu' Dunmyer. She followed this with the role of Forrest's mother in Forrest Gump (1994), even though she is only 10 years older than Tom Hanks, with whom she had co-starred six years earlier in Punchline.

Her other films in the 1990s included Not Without My Daughter, a controversial suspense film, and Soapdish, a comedy in which Field plays the pampered star of a television soap opera. She played Natalie Portman's mother in Where the Heart Is (2000) and appeared opposite Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (2003).

Recent roles

In November 2009, Sally appeared on an episode of The Doctors to talk about osteoporosis and her Rally With Sally Foundation (www.bonehealth.com).

On television, Field had a recurring role on ER in the 2000-01 season as Dr. Abby Lockhart's mother Maggie, who is struggling to cope with bipolar disorder, a role for which she won an Emmy Award in 2001. After her critically acclaimed stint on the show, she returned to the role in 2003 and 2006. She also starred in the very short-lived 2002 series The Court.

Field has also directed. Her first stint behind the camera was for the television film The Christmas Tree (1996). She also directed the feature film Beautiful (2000) as well as an episode of the critically-acclaimed TV mini-series From the Earth to the Moon (1998).

Field was a late addition to the ABC drama Brothers & Sisters, which debuted in September 2006. In the show's pilot, the role of matriarch Nora Walker had been played by actress Betty Buckley. However, the producers of the show decided to take the character of Nora in another direction, and Field was cast in the role. She won the 2007 Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in her role as Nora Walker. The blockbuster soap also stars familiar actresses such as Calista Flockhart and Rachel Griffiths, in the roles of Nora's adult daughters, Kitty Walker and Sarah Walker, respectively, as well as Welsh film actor Matthew Rhys tackling the very American role of Nora's son, Kevin Walker.

Field recently had a voice role as Marina del Ray, the villain in Disney's The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning, which was released in August 2008.

Currently, Field can be seen on television as the compensated spokesperson for Roche Laboratories' postmenopausal osteoporosis treatment medication, Boniva.

Political advocacy

During her 2007 acceptance speech for her 2006-07 Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, Field made an anti-war statement: "If the mothers ruled the world, there would be no goddamn wars in the first place!"  Though the crowd present at the Emmy Awards heard it, viewers watching the telecast in the United States only heard "if mothers ruled the world there would be no ... ," due to the censoring of the rest of the statement (in Canada, her remark was not bleeped). All so-called "live" awards ceremonies are shown with as much as a 10-second delay to allow for the censoring of profanity and the same controversial statements that Field made, because in the recent past awards winners on any host of shows have used acceptance speeches as a platform for political tirades. While Field's was mild by comparison to many others, the decision to censor it and her statement itself created considerable controversy. In the 2008 presidential election, she supported Hillary Clinton in her bid for the Democratic Party nomination.

[edit]Personal life

Field married Steven Craig in 1968. The couple had two sons, Peter Craig, a novelist, and Eli, an actor and director. They divorced in 1975. Sally Field was romantically involved with Burt Reynolds for many years, during which time they co-starred in several movies, including Smokey and the Bandit, Smokey and the Bandit II, and The End. In 1984, she married film producer Alan Greisman. They had one son, Sam. Field and Greisman divorced in 1993.

On October 29, 1988, she and her family survived a crash after their charter plane lost power on takeoff. They all survived, but suffered minor injuries.

Field suffers from osteoporosis.

]Filmography

Film

Year Film Role Notes

1967 The Way West Mercy McBee

1976 Stay Hungry Mary Tate Farnsworth

1977 Smokey and the Bandit Carrie / 'Frog' Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy

Heroes Carol Bell

1978 The End Mary Ellen

Hooper Gwen Doyle

1979 Norma Rae Norma Rae Academy Award for Best Actress

Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama

Best Actress Award - Cannes Film Festival

Beyond the Poseidon Adventure Celeste Whitman

1980 Smokey and the Bandit II Carrie / 'Frog'

1981 Back Roads Amy Post

Absence of Malice Megan Carter Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama

1982 Kiss Me Goodbye Kay Villano Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy

1984 Places in the Heart Edna Spalding Academy Award for Best Actress

Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama

1985 Murphy's Romance Emma Moriarty Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy

1987 Surrender Daisy Morgan

1988 Punchline Lilah Krytsick

1989 Steel Magnolias M'Lynn Eatenton Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama

1991 Not Without My Daughter Betty Mahmoody

Soapdish Celeste Talbert / Maggie

1993 Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey Sassy voice

Mrs. Doubtfire Miranda Hillard

1994 A Century of Cinema Herself documentary

Forrest Gump Mrs. Gump Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role - Motion Picture

1996 Eye for an Eye Karen McCann

Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco Sassy voice

2000 Where the Heart Is Mama Lil

2001 Say It Isn't So Valdine Wingfield

2003 Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde Rep. Victoria Rudd

Going Through Splat: The Life and Work of Stewart Stern Herself documentary

2006 Two Weeks Anita Bergman

2008 The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning Marina Del Ray (voice-over; animated)

2011 Lincoln (film) Mary Todd Lincoln pre-production

[edit]Television

Year Production Role Notes

1965–66 Gidget Frances Elizabeth "Gidget" Lawrence 32 episodes

1966–67 Hey, Landlord Bonnie Banner 4 episodes

1967–70 The Flying Nun Elsie Ethrington "Sister Bertrille" 82 episodes

1971 Maybe I'll Come Home in the Spring Denise "Dennie" Miller

Hitched Roselle Bridgeman

Marriage: Year One Jane Duden

1972 Home for the Holidays Christine Morgan

1973–74 The Girl with Something Extra Sally Burton 22 episodes

1976 Bridger Jennifer Melford

Sybil Sybil Dorsett Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Miniseries or a Movie

1977 Merry Christmas, George Bailey Mrs. Bailey/Narrator

1995 A Woman of Independent Means Bess Alcott Steed Garner TV mini-series

Nominated — Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Miniseries or a Movie

Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Miniseries or Television Film

Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Female Actor - Miniseries or Television Film

1998 From the Earth to the Moon Trudy Cooper miniseries

1999 A Cooler Climate[8] Iris Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Miniseries or a Movie[9]

Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Female Actor - Miniseries or Television Film[8]

2000 David Copperfield Aunt Betsey Trotwood Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Female Actor - Miniseries or Television Film

2000–06 ER Maggie Wyczenski Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress - Drama Series (2001)

Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress - Drama Series (2003)

Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series (2000)

Recurring role

2002 The Court Justice Kate Nolan Cancelled after 6 episodes

2005 Conviction

2006– Brothers & Sisters Nora Walker Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Drama Series (Nominated — 2008, 2009, Won — 2007)

Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Television Series Drama (2007, 2008)

Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series

(Nominated — 2008, Won — 2009)

85+ episodes

Discography

Singles

"Felicidad" (Billboard #94) / "Find Yourself A Rainbow" -- Colgems 1008 (1967)

"Golden Days" / "You're A Grand Old Flag" -- Colgems 1014 (1968)

"Gonna Build A Mountain" / "Months Of The Year" -- Colgems 1030 (1968)

Albums

"The Flying Nun" -- Colgems COM-106 (Mono)/COS-106 (Stereo) (1967)

(source:wikipedia)

Bernard Giraudeau

Bernard Giraudeau (born June 18, 1947) is a French actor, film director, scriptwriter, producer and writer.

Life

Giraudeau was born in La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime. In 1963 he enlisted in the French navy as a trainee engineer, qualifying as the first in his class a year later. He served on the helicopter carrier Jeanne d'Arc in 1964-1965 and 1965-1966, and subsequently on the frigate Duquesne and the aircraft carrier Clemenceau before leaving the navy to try his luck as an actor.
He was married to actor and author Anny Duperey, with whom he has two children; one of them, Sara Giraudeau has achieved success as an actor.
Giraudeau first appeared on film in Deux hommes dans la ville (1978), and his first film as director was in 1987, though he has continued to work as an actor. As a writer, he has written the text of books of photography as well as publishing children's stories (Contes d'Humahuaca, 2002) and several novels. He is also the reader on the French audio books of the Harry Potter series.
In 2000 he suffered a cancer which led to the removal of his left kidney, with a subsequent metastasis in 2005 affecting his lungs. He has said that the cancer led him to re-evaluate his life and understand himself better. He now devotes some of his time to the support of cancer victims through the Institut Curie and the Institut Gustave-Roussy in Paris.



Filmography as film actor

1973 - Deux Hommes dans la ville, directed by José Giovanni - Frédéric Cazeneuve
1975 - Le Gitan, directed by José Giovanni - Mareuil
1976 - Bilitis, directed by David Hamilton - Lucas
1977 - Moi, fleur bleue - Isidore
1977 - Et la tendresse ? Bordel ! - Luc
1979 - Le Toubib, directed by Pierre Granier-Deferre - François
1980 - La Boum - Éric Thompson
1981 - Viens chez moi, j'habite chez une copine, directed by Patrice Leconte - Daniel
1981 - Croque la vie, directed by Jean-Charles Tacchella - Alain
1981 : Passione d'amore, directed by Ettore Scola - Capitaine Giorgio Bacchetti
1982 : Le Grand Pardon, directed by Alexandre Arcady
1983 : Le Ruffian, directed by José Giovanni - Gérard
1983 : Papy fait de la résistance, directed by Jean-Marie Poiré
1984 - Rue barbare - Chet
1984 - L'Année des méduses, directed by Christopher Frank - Romain Kalides
1985 - Les Spécialistes, directed by Patrice Leconte - Paul Brandon
1985 - Bras de fer, directed by Gérard Vergez - Delancourt
1986 - Les Longs Manteaux - Murat
1986 - Poussière d'ange - Inspector Simon Blount
1990 - La Reine blanche, directed by Jean-Loup Hubert - Yvon
1992 - Après l'amour, directed by Diane Kurys - David
1992 - Drôles d'oiseaux, directed by Peter Kassovitz - Constant Van Loo
1993 - Une nouvelle vie, directed by Olivier Assayas - Constantin
1994 - Elles ne pensent qu'à ça..., directed by Charlotte Dubreuil
1994 - Le Fils préféré, directed by Nicole Garcia - Francis
1996 - Ridicule, directed by Patrice Leconte - Abbé de Vilecourt
1997 - Marquise, directed by Véra Belmont - Molière
1997 - Marthe, directed by Jean-Loup Hubert - The Colonel
1998 - TGV, directed by Moussa Touré - Roger
1998 - Le Double de ma moitié, directed by Yves Amoureux - Thierry Montino
1999 - Gouttes d'eau sur pierres brûlantes, directed by François Ozon - Léopold
1999 - Une affaire de goût, directed by Bernard Rapp - Frédéric Delamont
2002 - La Petite Lili, directed by Claude Miller - Brice
2002 - Ce jour là - Emil
2003 - Je suis un assassin - Brice Kantor
2003 - Les Marins perdus - Diamantis
2004 - Chok-Dee - Jean


Filmography as Director

1988 - La Face de l'ogre (film TV) 1991 - L'Autre (film, 1991), d'après le roman d'Andrée Chédid 1992 - Un été glacé (film TV) 1996 - Les Caprices d'un fleuve


Documentaries
The travels of Bernard Giraudeau 1992 - La Transamazonienne 1999 - Un ami chilien 1999 - Chili Norte - Chili Sure 2003 - Esquisses philippines


Bibliography

1992 : Transamazonienne, Editions Odyssée, photos Pierre-Jean Rey ISBN 2909478017
1996 : Les Caprices d'un fleuve, Editions Mille et Une Nuits, ISBN 9782842050559
2001 : Le Marin à l'ancre, Editions Métailié ISBN 284424389X
2002 : Les Contes d'Humahuaca, Editions Métailié / Seuil jeunesse ISBN 2020567369
2003 : Ailleurs, commentaire sur les peintures d'Olivier Suire Verley, Editions PC ISBN 2912683254
2004 : Les Hommes à terre, Editions Métailié ISBN 2864245825
2007 : Les Dames de nage, Editions Métailié ISBN 2864246147
2007 : "Le Retour du quartier-maître", in Nos mers et nos océans, ouvrage collectif des Écrivains de Marine, Éditions des Équateurs, p. 75-106
Source:wikipedia

Leona Lewis

Leona Louise Lewis, (born 3 April 1985) is a British pop and R&B singer–songwriter. Lewis rose to fame in 2006 as the winner of the third series of the British television series The X Factor.
Lewis has become a multi-platinum selling artist and three time Grammy Award nominee. She was proclaimed 'Top New Artist' by Billboard magazine in 2008. Lewis has released two albums to date, Spirit and Echo, in 2007 and 2009 respectively. Spirit became the fastest-selling debut album and the biggest seller of 2007 in both the United Kingdom and Ireland, and made Lewis the first British solo artist to top the Billboard 200 with a debut album. It has sold over 6.5 million copies worldwide.
Lewis's debut single "A Moment Like This" became the fastest selling UK single after being downloaded over 50,000 times within thirty minutes of its release. Her second single, "Bleeding Love", reached number one positions in over thirty singles charts around the world. In November 2008 she set a record in the UK for the fastest selling download-only release with her cover version of the Snow Patrol song "Run" which sold 69,244 copies in two days. In November 2009, the first set of dates for her 2010 debut world tour were announced.


Early life

Lewis was born in the London Borough of Islington, to Aural Josiah "Joe" Lewis of Afro-Guyanese descent and Maria Lewis of Welsh descent. Her parents enrolled her at the Sylvia Young Theatre School, and from there she attended the Italia Conti Academy and the BRIT School, where she learned to play instruments such as the guitar and piano, and began to write her own songs in the hope of becoming a singer-songwriter,writing her first full-length song at the age of 12. She initially trained in opera, but went on to singing jazz and blues, eventually leading to popular music, citing Minnie Riperton, Eva Cassidy and Stevie Wonder as her main influences. After leaving the BRIT School at 17,she took a number of jobs to fund studio time, recording a demo album called Twilight. The album, comprised almost exclusively of her own compositions, was recorded under Spiral Music, a production company based in Fulham. "I tried to secure a record deal by doing things my own way. I worked very hard but I never managed to land a contract", said Lewis. Other demos were recorded under licence from UEG Entertainment, later included on an album called Best Kept Secret. However, none of Lewis's demos were released and she considered taking a hiatus from her music career to attend university until her boyfriend persuaded her to enter The X Factor which subsequently severed her connections with UEG.




Music career

2006: The X Factor
The X Factor (UK series 3)


Lewis at the London premiere for Flushed Away, November 2006.
Lewis auditioned for the third series of The X Factor in 2006, singing "Over the Rainbow". She was mentored by Simon Cowell and was announced the winner on 16 December 2006, winning a £1 million recording contract.
Her debut single, a cover of Kelly Clarkson's "A Moment Like This", was released on CD on 20 December 2006, and was available as a digital download from midnight on 17 December. It broke a world record after it was downloaded 50,000 times in thirty minutes. On 24 December, "A Moment Like This" was crowned the 2006 UK Christmas number-one single, having sold 571,253 copies, outselling the rest of the Top 40's sales combined.The single became the most downloaded song in 2006; it stayed at number one for four weeks and stayed at the top spot in the Irish Singles Chart for six weeks.



2007–2009: Spirit and international breakthrough
Spirit (Leona Lewis album)
Wikinews has related news: British pop star Leona Lewis breaks US Billboard records
In February 2007, Lewis signed a £5 million ($9.7 million) five-album contract in the United States with Clive Davis's record label, J Records, and showcased for several American music executives. A press release was sent out revealing that Cowell and Davis would work together in a first-of-its-kind partnership on both the song and producer selection for Lewis's debut album, entitled Spirit.Lewis recorded tracks for the album in London, Miami, Los Angeles, New York City, and Atlanta, where she worked with several songwriters and record producers including Dallas Austin, Walter Afanasieff, Salaam Remi, Steve Mac, Stargateand Ne-Yo. It was released in November 2007 and entered both the Irish Albums Chart and the UK Albums Chart at number one, becoming the fastest-selling debut album in both countries, and the United Kingdom's fourth fastest selling album of all time. It was released in several other nations in January 2008, and went to number one in New Zealand, Australia, Austria, Germany, South Africa and Switzerland.Two further tracks were recorded in 2008 for the US release of the album: "Forgive Me", produced by Akon, and "Misses Glass", produced by Madd Scientist. It was released in the United States in April 2008 and entered the Billboard 200 at number one, making Lewis the first British artist to reach number one with a debut album. A special edition of Spirit was re-released in November 2008 in Europe, including the songs "Forgive Me", "Misses Glass" and a cover of the Snow Patrol song "Run". The album again went to number one in the UK Albums Chart. To date the album has sold over 6.5 million copies worldwide and has a 9× platinum certification in the UK.
Lewis's second single, "Bleeding Love", produced by Ryan Tedder and written by Tedder and Jesse McCartney, was released in October 2007 in the UK, where it sold 218,805 copies in its first week, giving it the biggest first-week sales of 2007 to date. It entered the UK Singles Chart at number one, where it stayed for seven weeks, and in the Irish Singles Chart it remained at number one for eight weeks. It reached number one in the singles charts of New Zealand, Australia, France, Germany, Norway, Switzerland, Belgium, The Netherlands, Austria, Canada and the United States. "Bleeding Love" won The Record of the Year in December 2007. In February 2008, "Bleeding Love" entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 85 and then went on to peak at number one for four non-consecutive weeks. The song became the first track by a UK female to reach number one since Kim Wilde's "You Keep Me Hangin' On" in 1987. Lewis's third single, a double A-side featuring "Better in Time" and "Footprints in the Sand", was released in the United Kingdom in March 2008, in aid of Sport Relief, and she visited South Africa for the charity. The single reached a peak of number two in the UK singles chart selling over 40,000 copies in its first week of physical release. "Better in Time" was released as Lewis's second single in the US, where it peaked at number 11 in the Billboard Hot 100. "Forgive Me" was released as Lewis's fifth single in November 2008; it reached number five in the UK. "Run" was released as a download-only single in the UK, reaching number one, and becoming the UK's fastest-selling download-only single with 69,244 copies sold in two days. Lewis's last single from Spirit, "I Will Be", was released in January 2009, only in North America; it peaked at number 66 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In August 2008, she performed "Whole Lotta Love" with guitarist Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin at the 2008 Summer Olympics closing ceremony in Beijing, representing the handover to London as the host of the 2012 Summer Olympics. In September 2008, she joined several female singers to perform a single for the anti-cancer campaign Stand Up to Cancer. The single, titled "Just Stand Up!", was performed live during the one-hour telethon that aired on all major US television networks. Lewis received three nominations for the 51st Grammy Awards in December 2008. "Bleeding Love" was nominated for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Spirit was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album. She was nominated for four BRIT Awards, in the categories British Female Solo Artist, British Breakthrough Act, British Album for Spirit, and British Single for "Bleeding Love", but despite being the favourite to win the most awards, she received none. She won two awards at the 2008 MOBO Awards: Best Album for Spirit and Best Video for "Bleeding Love". In December 2008 Lewis was named 'Top New Artist' by Billboard magazine.





2009–present: Echo and world tour
Echo (Leona Lewis album) and The Labyrinth (tour)

Leona Lewis performing in 2009.
Lewis's second album, Echo, was given a worldwide release in November 2009. Production took place throughout 2009, including work with Ryan Tedder, Justin Timberlake,[52] Max Martin, Arnthor Birgisson, Kevin Rudolf, and John Shanks.It was recorded in Los Angeles and took nine months to produce. Lewis described the album as "more guitar-driven" compared to Spirit.One of the albums's songs, "My Hands", appears as the theme song to Final Fantasy XIII's North American and European release. Lewis performed her first full UK show at the Hackney Empire in London on 2 November 2009, performing songs from Spirit and Echo. Echo reached number one in the UK Albums Chart and the top ten of Austria, Ireland and Switzerland.
Despite previous attempts from Lewis's lawyers to ban the release of Best Kept Secret by UEG Music, claiming that the singer had not given her consent, the album was released in January 2009 when the label insisted it owned the rights to the music and Lewis would receive a 50% share of the album's profits. However, a television advert for the album was banned by the Advertising Standards Authority, who said in a statement: "We considered that the claim 'Leona Lewis's new album' misleadingly implied it was the singer's latest recording rather than a new CD of tracks recorded some years ago." The album was released to iTunes in standard and deluxe editions, and two EPs, "Private Party" and "Dip Down"/"Joy", were released in September 2009.
The first single released from Echo was "Happy", which was written by Lewis, Tedder and Evan Bogart and produced by Tedder  The single was released on 15 September 2009, peaking at number two in the UK, and reaching the top ten in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Japan and Switzerland.Lewis also recorded the theme song for the 2009 science fiction film Avatar, directed by James Cameron. The song, "I See You (Theme from Avatar)", was written by James Horner and Simon Franglen. It was nominated for Best Original Song at the 67th Golden Globe Awards. In January 2010, Lewis provided vocals on a cover of "Everybody Hurts", released to help raise money for victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. The second single from Echo, "I Got You", was released in February 2010. In April 2010, she featured on a duet with Italian singer Biagio Antonacci, called "Inaspettata (Unexpected)", from his album Inaspettata.
Lewis plans to start her first world tour, titled The Labyrinth supporting Spirit and Echo in May 2010, which is reported to be lasting 14 months. It is said that Lewis has hired choreographer Travis Payne for the tour, which is reported to have a Labyrinth theme. Her label have apparently said that money is no object. Lewis will tour North America from July to August 2010 supporting Christina Aguilera on her Bionic Tour. In an interview named "Under the skin of Leona Lewis" with 4music, Lewis stated that she will be working on her third album after the tour.
Other activities

In October 2008, The Times reported that Lewis had turned down a $1 million deal with Mohamed Al Fayed to open a Harrods sale. Lewis commented in the press that she turned down the deal on the grounds that Harrods is the only UK department store which continues to stock clothing made from animal fur. She told The Big Issue, "I got a lot of flak for that. There were people who said I should have done it and given the money to charity, but that would have been such a contradiction." She announced in October 2008 that she was in the "bargaining period" of launching her own ethical line of accessories through Topshop,] and that she is in the late stages of releasing her own perfume for Europe.
Lewis signed a book deal in January 2009 to release an illustrated autobiography in October 2009. The book, entitled Dreams, contains mostly pictures taken by photographer Dean Freeman.
In 2010 she joined Cotton's Fabric of Our Lives campaign, recording a song and appearing in a television advert.




Personal life

Lewis lives in Hackney with her boyfriend Lou Al-Chamaa, an electrician, whom she has known since she was approximately ten years old. She has a tattoo of Hebrew letters on her left wrist, symbolising her relationship with Al-Chamaa. A vegetarian since she was 12, Lewis won PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian along with Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis in 2008, and again in 2009 with actor Scott Maslen. She also was named PETA's Person Of The Year for 2008. Lewis is a supporter of the World Society for the Protection of Animals.
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Leona Lewis assaulted at book signing in London, England
Man charged with assaulting British singer Leona Lewis
At a book signing for Dreams on 14 October 2009 at the Piccadilly branch of Waterstone's book store in central London, Lewis received a punch to the head from Peter Kowalczyk, a 29-year-old man from south London. Eyewitnesses say Lewis ran out with her hand covering her face, whilst security wrestled the attacker, who was reportedly laughing, to the floor. The police were called immediately to the scene and Kowalczyk was arrested. Lewis suffered bruising and was taken to a private doctor as a precaution. She cancelled a scheduled appearance on the BBC's The One Show and a two-day promotional trip to Germany. She later released a statement, saying "Thank you so much for your support, it is truly overwhelming. Yesterday was a horrible shock and left me extremely hurt and upset. I'm very sorry to those I wasn't able to meet at the signing. Thank you again for all of the lovely messages. Love you all."Kowalczyk was subsequently sectioned under the Mental Health Act. He was charged with common assault, for which he was due to appear before City of Westminster magistrates on 26 October 2009. The case was adjourned as Kowalczyk was "not fit to attend court". It was reported that he had a history of mental health problems and may have attacked Lewis due to jealousy, as he had attempted to enter The X Factor but was rejected by producers.[96] On 14 December 2009, Kowalczyk admitted common assault and was ordered to remain in hospital for an indeterminate period.
Discography

Leona Lewis discography
Studio albums
Spirit (2007)
Echo (2009)
Tours

2010: The Labyrinth
Source:wikipedia

Danniella Westbrook

Danniella Westbrook (born 5 November 1973) is an English actress and television presenter. She is known for being the original actress to play Samantha Mitchell in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders from 1990–93, 1995–96, 1999–2000 and 2009–10. Away from EastEnders she has presented various shows, and was also a contestant on ITV's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in 2003.Westbrook returned to filming for EastEnders as Sam Mitchell in June 2009 and left when the character was sent to prison in January 2010. She competed in the 2010 series of Dancing on Ice with US Pairs Skater Matthew Gonzalez and finished fourth in the competition.
Westbrook struggled with a much publicised cocaine addiction throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, which caused the complete erosion of her nasal septum/colonna. She sought treatment and no longer uses drugs. She is married with two children, and released her autobiography, The Other Side of Nowhere, in 2006.

Early life

Westbrook was born in Walthamstow, East London, but grew up in Loughton, Essex. Her father Andy was a cab driver, later a carpet contractor, while her mother, Sue, was a shop assistant. Her parents were also successful property developers. Westbrook has two brothers, the eldest, Justin — her father's son from a prior marriage — and a younger brother, Jay, who is 8 years her junior. She has commented "I came from a very loving family - you know, 2.4 children with a Volvo".
As a child, she had a keen interest in horse riding, but she has said that she has always had aspirations to be famous. She started off modeling at the age of seven and then progressed to acting. She joined the Sylvia Young Theatre School when she was eight, attending Saturday classes. Throughout the early stages of her career, Westbrook attended a local state primary school, but she was bullied because of her television appearances, and after one bully cut off her hair, Westbrook's parents removed her from the school. She was sent to a local private school, until, at the age of 12, her parents allowed her to attend Sylvia Young Theatre School as a full-time student, where Denise Van Outen, Dani Behr and her future EastEnders co-star, Nicola Stapleton, were among her contemporaries.




Career

Early career
Westbrook started off modeling at the age of seven for the supermarket Asda. She went on to launch Next's children's fashionware, became the face of highstreet store "Tammy Girl", took part in a Weetabix campaign and featured in commercials for Opel cars and Coca Cola. Later she did modeling alongside her younger brother Jay. She progressed into acting, appearing as a child thief in Melvyn Bragg's London Programme and the West End production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.She appeared in a video for the band Queen and had a minor role in Grange Hill. At the age of eleven she appeared as an extra in BBC's EastEnders, roller skating across the soap's setting of Albert Square. At the time her local paper published her picture with the punchline "who knows, one day she may be the show's star!".



EastEnders
At the age of 16, Westbrook was put forward for a much bigger role in EastEnders, Sam Mitchell (the younger sister of Phil and Grant). Her audition was successful and she made her first appearance on the soap opera in 1990.Despite featuring in some prominent storylines, Westbrook decided to leave the soap in 1993 to take another role. In 1995, the producers at EastEnders asked her back to the soap a second time. However, Westbrook was regularly using cocaine and it began to affect her work. Due to her off-screen antics and her poor and tardy attendance on set, the producers of EastEnders terminated her contract and she was written out of the soap again in 1996.
In 1999, EastEnders' producers decided to reintroduce the character of Sam Mitchell. Although they initially considered recasting the role to another actress, and despite all her past problems, they decided to give Danniella another chance and she was asked back for a third time. During her time away, Daniella's excessive use of cocaine had completely eroded away her nasal septum. In order to hide this from the audience, Danniella was only filmed in ways that would keep her septum hidden from view.However, Daniella's drug taking continued and in 2000, she was asked to leave EastEnders for a third time. After her departure, the character of Sam Mitchell was recast and played by Kim Medcalf from 2002–2005. After Kim Medcalf quit in 2005, a tabloid rumour suggested that Danniella would be reprising the role in her place, the rumour was, however, denied by the BBC. In March 2009, it was reported by The Sun that EastEnders bosses were considering in writing the character of Sam Mitchell back into EastEnders, and that Daniella Westbrook would be playing her, despite Kim Medcalf being the latest actress to play her. A source said "[Danniella] was the original Sam and the chemistry with Sid Owen as Ricky was exciting stuff. If she returns it will be the talk of soapland for months."
On 7 April, 2009, it was announced Sam Mitchell was returning to EastEnders and that Daniella would be playing her again, taking over from Kim Medcalf, and playing the role she played throughout the 1990s. She will return later in 2009. The news that Westbrook was returning to the role was then confirmed by both the BBC and EastEnders Executive Producer Diederick Santer later that same day, on the official website. In May, Danniella admitted that her addicitions stopped her from returning to EastEnders sooner, as she did not want to risk her recovery. She returned to filming in June. She returned to screens on 4 September 2009 and departed once again in January 2010. Diederick Santer said he hoped Danniella would return to the show in the future.
[edit]Other work
A week after her initial exit from EastEnders, in 1993, Westbrook landed the part of Dawn in ITV's Frank Stubbs Promotes, which had a second series in 1994. She also played a part in Dave Stewart's directional film debut, Entertaining Mr. Simpson. The film was shown at various film festivals around the world, including Cannes.
In 2003, Westbrook was a contestant in the British ITV reality series I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!. Despite being a popular candidate for winning, she found the environment traumatic, saying that she missed her children and wasn't psychologically prepared for the hardship of jungle life. She quit the show before being voted off.
Westbrook was offered the role of Natalie Buxton in the ITV prison series Bad Girls, but she declined because of her nose rebuilding operation . Dannielle Brent went on to play Natalie Buxton. Westbrook also turned down a small role in Footballers Wives and the role of money grabber Suzie Samson in Crossroads. Emma Noble went on to portray Suzie Samson
Westbrook — who has openly had several breast enhancements— co-presented Cosmetic Surgery Live alongside Vanessa Feltz. Danniella has also presented a series of fitness DVDs. She has appeared in the reality series I'm Famous and Frightened! and Most Haunted, as well as the television comedy sketch show Bo' Selecta. In addition, she presented Derek Acorah's Ghost Towns with Derek Acorah on LIVINGtv.
Westbrook has featured in several documentaries, including an interview with British journalist Martin Bashir for the Tonight with Trevor McDonald show and Danniella Westbrook: My Nose and Me for Channel 4. In April 2006, Danniella released an autobiography entitled The Other Side of Nowhere, which gives a depiction of her struggles with cocaine.
Danniella competed in the fifth series of Dancing on Ice and was partnered by newcomer professional Matthew Gonzalez in 2010. She was the only competitor to top the leaderboard above Hayley Tamaddon in Week 10 and scored the second highest score for a prop week performance in Dancing on Ice history with 27.5 that same week, with a chair as her prop. She was eliminated from the show in the semi-finals and came fourth overall.


Personal life

Addiction

Danniella famously appeared on chatshow 'The Priory' in February 2001, where she appeared to be heavily under the influence of drugs.
Westbrook's struggle with cocaine addiction has been widely documented in the British press. She has confessed that she first tried the drug at the age of 14, in a nightclub. After winning her role in EastEnders at the age of 16, Westbrook was a regular on the London club scene, and her cocaine usage escalated. By the age of 21, she was spending £400 a day on cocaine. She has commented "I was always in clubs and everyone was doing coke and it was glamorous - except obviously, it wasn't at all. I was just very young, very stupid and very easily led...I think there should be someone at EastEnders to say to young people when they come in, 'Look, your life is about to change, you're going to be invited to things, and you'll be offered drugs.' Someone who can tell them what sort of people are about, and what sort of papers, and how quickly what you've worked for all those years can be gone." It is estimated that she has spent over £250,000 on drugs, used 5g of cocaine every single day throughout her first pregnancy,and has admitted that during her lowest ebb she attempted suicide several times.
In May 2000, Westbrook was photographed at the British Soap Awards, where an image of her missing septum was given to a series of tabloid newspapers, unveiling her secret and highlighting her excessive drug abuse. Danniella was checked into rehab and six months later, she appeared on the Channel 4 show 'The Priory' with the claim that she was clean and had been free from drugs for months. However, hosts Jamie Theakston and Zoe Ball struggled to get coherent answers from Danniella, who was under the influence of drugs despite her claims of abstinence. Reflecting back on the event in 2002, Westbrook commented, "I said I was clean, but it was obvious I wasn't. I looked about 50, and my voice was shaky. I should never have been allowed on. They wanted to laugh at me, rip me apart. I despise that sort of thing, but it did me the world of good because watching it I realised, 'I'm so ill.' When it came to the crunch I thought, 'Hang on. I don't want to die.'"  Danniella re-entered rehab in order to kick her drug habit, which she has now successfully done. Westbrook has since undergone reconstructive surgery on her nose to replace her eroded septum.


Relationships and family
During the early 1990s, Westbrook notably dated the pop singer, Brian Harvey. Westbrook and Harvey's relationship ended in 1995, and Westbrook began dating Robert Fernandez, the father of her son Kai, who was born in 1996.
In 1998, Westbrook was involved in a car accident, which left her with severe facial injuries, including a dislocated eye. She was flung through the car windscreen, but survived, and after corrective surgery, sustained no long-term or major disfigurement. Fernandez was driving the car, and it has been reported that he was travelling at 85 mph.
After splitting with Fernandez, Westbrook married van driver Ben Morgan in 1998, after knowing him for just eight weeks. The couple went to live in Australia but the marriage did not last, ending in divorce nine months later.
She married again, this time millionaire businessman Kevin Jenkins on 27 December 2001 and their daughter Jody B was born the following year. After appearing on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in 2003, Westbrook admitted that she no longer wanted to be a 'celebrity', commenting "I made a pact with Kevin I would do no more TV work that would take me away from home. These days, I live an ordinary life. I work occasionally, but I also do the school run and laundry and prepare my family's dinner".
Source:wikipedia

Ronaldinho

Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (born 21 March 1980 in Porto Alegre), commonly known as Ronaldinho (Brazilian Portuguese: [ʁonaɫˈdʒĩɲu]) or Ronaldinho Gaúcho, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Milan and the Brazilian national team. He is widely regarded as one of the most gifted footballers of his generation.

Ronaldinho, Portuguese for "Little Ronaldo," is known in Brazil by the nickname "Gaúcho," in order to distinguish him from Ronaldo, who was already called "Ronaldinho" in Brazil. Ronaldo simply went by his first name upon his move to Europe, thereby allowing Ronaldinho to drop the "Gaúcho" and remain simply as Ronaldinho.

Prior to his move to Milan, he played for Paris Saint-Germain, and Barcelona, with whom he won his first Champions League in 2006. He became a Spanish citizen in January 2007.

Biography and personal life

Ronaldinho was born in the city of Porto Alegre, capital of the Rio Grande do Sul state of Brazil. His mother, Dona Miguelina de Assis, is a former salesperson who studied to become a nurse. His father, João Moreira, was a shipyard worker and footballer for local club Esporte Clube Cruzeiro (not to be confused with Cruzeiro). He suffered a fatal heart attack in the family swimming pool when Ronaldinho was eight. After Ronaldinho's older brother, Roberto, signed with Grêmio, the family moved to a home in the more affluent Guarujá section of Porto Alegre, which was a gift from Grêmio to convince Roberto to stay at the club. Roberto's career was ultimately cut short by injury.

Ronaldinho's football skills began to blossom at an early age, and he was first given the nickname Ronaldinho because he was often the youngest and the smallest player in youth club matches.He developed an interest in futsal and beach football, which later expanded to organized football. His first brush with the media came at the age of thirteen, when he scored all 23 goals in a 23–0 victory against a local team.Ronaldinho was identified as a rising star at the 1997 U-17 World Championship in Egypt, in which he scored two goals on penalty kicks.

Today, Roberto acts as Ronaldinho's manager, while his sister Deisi works as his press coordinator.[Ronaldinho became a father for the first time on 25 February 2005, after Brazilian dancer Janaína Mendes gave birth to their son, who was named João after Ronaldinho's late father.

Club career

Early career

Ronaldinho's career began with the Grêmio youth squad under head coach Liam Higgins. He made his senior side debut during the 1998 Copa Libertadores.In 2001, Arsenal expressed interest in signing Ronaldinho, but the move collapsed after he could not obtain a work permit because he was a non-EU player who had not played enough international matches. He considered playing on loan with Scottish Premier League side St. Mirren, which never happened due to his involvement in a fake passport scandal in Brazil. In 2001, Ronaldinho signed a five-year contract with French side Paris Saint-Germain in a €5.1 million transfer.

Paris Saint-Germain

Upon his arrival in Paris, Ronaldinho was given the number 21 shirt and inserted into a lineup that included fellow Brazilian Aloísio and midfielders Mikel Arteta and Jay-Jay Okocha. Ronaldinho made his league debut for the club on 4 August 2001 appearing as a substitute in a 1–1 draw with Auxerre. Ronaldinho spent the majority of the 2001 portion of the season alternated between the bench and starter's role. He scored his first goal for the club on 13 October in a 2–2 draw against Lyon converting the equalizing penalty in the 79th minute after having come on 10 minutes prior. After returning from the winter break, Ronaldinho went on a tear scoring a goal in four consecutive matches to open the new campaign. He recorded impressive goals against Monaco, Rennes, Lens and Lorient. On 16 March 2002, Ronaldinho recorded a double in PSG's 3–1 victory against relegation strugglers Troyes. He scored his final league goal of the season in the club's 2–0 win over Metz on 27 April.

Ronaldinho was also influential in the 2001–02 edition of the Coupe de la Ligue helping Paris Saint-Germain reach the semi-finals where they were eliminated by Bordeaux. In a Round of 16 match against Guingamp, Ronaldinho scored two second half goals in the game after having entered the match as a half-time substitute. Despite Ronaldinho's initial success with the club, the season was marred by controversy with Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Fernández claiming that the Brazilian was too focused on the Parisian nightlife rather than football, and complained that his holidays in Brazil never ended at the scheduled times.

Despite repeated rifts with Fernández, Ronaldinho returned to the team for the 2002–03 season with the player switching to the number 10 shirt. Though his performances in his sophomore season with the club were underwhelming compared to his first, Ronaldinho performed admirably with the club. On 26 October 2002, he scored two goals in Paris Saint-Germain's 3–1 victory over Le Classique rivals Marseille. The first goal was a dazzling and curling free kick, which curled past numerous Marseille players in the 18-yard box before sailing past goalkeeper Vedran Runje. In the return match, he broke the hearts of Marseille supporters again scoring in Paris Saint-Germain's 3–0 cruising victory at the Stade Vélodrome. Arguably Ronaldinho's most greatest performance during the season came in the Coupe de France when he scored both goals in the club's 2–0 win over Bordeaux in the semi-finals, which inserted Paris Saint-Germain into the final. After scoring his first goal in the 22nd minute, Ronaldinho capped the game in the 81st minute by cheekily, yet accurately chipping the ball at the 18-yard box over the head of goalkeeper Ulrich Ramé, despite Ramé being in a favorable position. For his performance, Ronaldinho was given a standing ovation by the Parisian supporters. Unfortunately for the club, Ronaldinho and the team failed to capture the form that got them to the final as the bowed out 2–1 to Auxerre due to a last minute goal from Jean-Alain Boumsong. Despite Ronaldinho's performances, the club finished in disappointing 11th place position. Following the season, Ronaldinho declared he wanted to leave the club after the capital club failed to qualify for any European competition.

Barcelona

Originally, Barcelona president Joan Laporta had promised to bring David Beckham to the club, but following his transfer to Real Madrid, Barcelona entered the running for Ronaldinho and outbid Manchester United for his signature in a €32,250,000 transfer. He made his team debut in a friendly against Milan at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C., scoring one goal in a 2–0 victory. After suffering from injury during the first half of the campaign, he returned and helped lead Barcelona to a second-place league finish.

Ronaldinho won his first league title in 2004–05, and was named FIFA World Player of the Year on 20 December 2004. In 2005, Ronaldinho received his second consecutive honour of FIFA World Player of the Year, beating Chelsea's Frank Lampard and fellow Barça player Samuel Eto'o. On 8 March 2005, Barcelona was eliminated from the UEFA Champions League by Chelsea in the first knockout round, with Ronaldinho scoring both goals in a 4–2 loss.

With his contract expiring in 2008, Ronaldinho was offered an extension until 2014 that would have net him £85 million over nine years,but he turned it down. In September 2005, he signed a two-year extension that contained a minimum-fee release clause that allowed him to leave should a club make an offer to Barcelona of at least £85 million for him.

Ronaldinho with Frank Rijkaard at NASA's Johnson Space Center.

By the end of the 2004–05 season, Ronaldinho had started to accumulate a host of personal awards. He won the inaugural FIFPro World Player of the Year in September 2005, in addition to being included in the 2005 FIFPro World XI, and being named the 2005 European Footballer of the Year. Also that year, Ronaldinho added to his collection a second FIFA World Player of the Year with 956 points, more than triple the amount (306) of runner-up Frank Lampard. On 19 November, Ronaldinho scored twice as Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 3–0 on the road in the first leg of El Clásico. After he sealed the match with his second goal, he received a standing ovation from the Madrid fans.

Ronaldinho taking a corner against Celta de Vigo

Ronaldinho was chosen for the UEFA Team of the Year for the third consecutive time in January 2006, and he contributed one goal in Barcelona's elimination of Benfica in the 2005–06 Champions League quarterfinals with a 2–0 home victory. After a 1–0 semifinal aggregate win over Milan, in which Ronaldinho assisted the series' only goal by Ludovic Giuly, Barcelona progressed to the Champions League final, which they won on 17 May 2006 with a 2–1 defeat of Arsenal. Two weeks earlier, Barcelona had clinched their second straight La Liga title with a 1–0 win over Celta Vigo, giving Ronaldinho his first career double. He finished the season with a career-best 26 goals in all competitions, and was named the 2005–06 Champions League Player of the Year.

On 25 November 2006, Ronaldinho scored his 50th career league goal against Villarreal, then later scored a second time with an overhead bicycle kick. He later said to reporters that the latter was a goal he had dreamed of scoring since he was a boy. He scored once and set up two others in Barcelona's 4–0 Club World Cup win over Mexico's Club América on 14 December, but Barcelona were defeated 1–0 by Brazilian club Internacional in the final.Ronaldinho was nonetheless the recipient of the Bronze Ball Award for the competition.

The next day, Ronaldinho finished third in the running for the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year, behind World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro and Zinedine Zidane.Ronaldinho was named among the UEFA Team of the Year for the third straight time in January 2007, receiving the highest number of votes with over 290,000 nominations.He was forced to miss a charity match on 13 March due to an injury he had picked up several days earlier in Barcelona's 3–3 El Clásico draw with Real Madrid.

Ronaldinho playing for Milan

He played his 200th career match for Barcelona in a league match against Osasuna on 3 February 2008. However, his 2007–08 campaign as a whole was plagued by injuries, and a muscle tear in his right leg on 3 April prematurely ended his season.[24] On 19 May, Laporta stated that Ronaldinho needed a "new challenge," claiming that he needed a new club if he were to revive his career. Manchester City owner Thaksin Shinawatra confirmed on 6 June that he was interested in acquiring him.

Ronaldinho and Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi each captained a team of international stars in an anti-racism exhibition match in Venezuela on 28 June, which ended in a 7–7 draw. Ronaldinho finished with a pair of goals and two assists in what would be his last match as a Barcelona player.

Milan

In July 2008, Ronaldinho turned down a £25.5 million offer from Manchester City[28] to join Italian Serie A giants Milan on a three-year contract thought to be worth around £5.1 million (€6.5 million) a year, for a fee in the region of £14.5 million (€18.5 million). With the number 10 already occupied by teammate Clarence Seedorf, he selected 80 as his jersey number, because 1980 was his birth year.

Ronaldinho scored his first goal for Milan in a 1–0 derby victory over rival Internazionale on 28 September 2008. His first brace was in a 3–0 win over Sampdoria on 19 October 2008. He scored a 93rd-minute match-winner against Braga in the UEFA Cup group stage on November 6.

He finished his first season at Milan with 10 goals from 32 appearances in all competitions. After a good start to the season, Ronaldinho struggled with fitness, and was often played from the bench to end a disappointing first season for Milan.

His second season did not begin on a high note, although he started nearly every match before finding himself on the bench again. After a while, Ronaldinho rediscovered his form and has been arguably Milan's best player in the season. He has changed his role from an attacking midfielder to a left winger, a more familiar role.

On 10 January 2010, Ronaldinho scored two goals against Juventus in an away match, sealing a 3–0 victory for the Rossoneri. In the following match against Siena on 17 January 2010, Ronaldinho scored his first hat-trick for Milan when he converted a spot kick, scored with a header from a corner and finished with a wonder goal from 30 yards out.

On 16 February, Ronaldinho played his first match against Manchester United in a Champions League game. He scored early in the game to give Milan the lead. Milan ended up losing the game 3–2, with a goal from Paul Scholes and two goals from Wayne Rooney.

As of 13 April 2010, Ronaldinho is the assist leader of Serie A with a total of 13 assists. On a less positive note, Ronaldinho has so far missed three penalties in the 2009–10 season, to add to one botched kick the previous season.

International career

Ronaldinho takes a corner kick during the 2006 World Cup

Ronaldinho is one of few Brazilian players to have played at every international age level. He was part of the first Brazilian team to win the FIFA U-17 World Championship in 1997, in which his first goal was a penalty against Austria in the first group match, which Brazil won 7–0. Ronaldinho finished with two goals and was awarded the Bronze Ball award as Brazil scored a total of twenty-one goals while only conceding two.

Ronaldinho with Brazilian President Lula

1999 was a busy year for Ronaldinho in terms of international play. He took part in the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship, scoring his first goal in Brazil's last group match. In the round of sixteen, he scored two first-half goals in a 4–0 win over Croatia, and finished with three goals as Brazil were eliminated by Uruguay in the quarterfinals. On 26 June, three days before the start of the 1999 Copa América, he earned his first cap for Brazil in a 3–0 win over Latvia, and he scored one goal during Brazil's victorious Copa América campaign. One week after the conclusion of the Copa América, he was called up for the 1999 Confederations Cup, in which he scored in every match except the final, including a hat-trick in an 8–2 semifinal rout of Saudi Arabia. Ronaldinho did not score in the final, which Brazil lost 4–3 to Mexico. He won the Golden Ball award for the best player in tournament as well as the Golden Boot award for the tournament top-scorer.

In 2000, Ronaldinho participated in Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia with Brazil U-23 team. Earlier that year, Ronaldinho led Brazil to win the Pre-Olympic Tournament, scoring nine goals in seven matches. However in the Olympics, Brazil was eliminated in the quarterfinal by Cameroon, who later won the gold medal. Ronaldinho appeared four times and scored only one goal, which came in the quarterfinal defeat by Cameroon.

Ronaldinho participated in his first World Cup in 2002, as part of a formidable offensive unit with Ronaldo and Rivaldo, who were also on the 1999 Copa América winning squad. He appeared in five matches and scored two goals. The first goal came in the group stage match against China, which Brazil won 4–0. The second goal was a match-winning goal in the quarterfinal against England on 21 June. In the 50th minute, Ronaldinho took a free-kick from 35 metres, beating England goalkeeper David Seaman to give Brazil a 2–1 lead. However, seven minutes later, he was sent-off for a foul on England defender Danny Mills. He was suspended for the semifinal, but returned to Brazil's starting lineup for the 2–0 victory over Germany in the final as Brazil won the World Cup for the fifth time.

Ronaldinho against Margairaz

Ronaldinho's next international tournament was 2003 Confederations Cup. However, Ronaldinho did not manage to score any goals during the tournament as Brazil performed poorly and was eliminated in the group stage. The following year, he was left out from Brazil's 2004 Copa América squad, as coach Carlos Alberto Parreira decided to rest his stars and used a largely reserve squad.

He was the capitain of Brazil to its second Confederations Cup title in 2005, and was named Man of the Match in a 4–1 victory over archrivals Argentina in the final on 29 June. Ronaldinho scored three goals in the tournament and is tied with Cuauhtémoc Blanco as the tournament's all-time scorer with nine goals.

Ronaldinho at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Ronaldinho started in all five of Brazil's 2006 World Cup finals matches as part of a much-publicized "magic quartet" of offensive players, alongside Adriano, Ronaldo, and Kaká. However, the foursome finished with only five goals as Brazil disappointed as a whole in the tournament. Ronaldinho turned in his worst collective performance in his international career, going scoreless with only one assist, which was for Gilberto's goal in a 4–1 group stage victory over Japan. He was a non-factor as Brazil was eliminated by France 1–0 in the quarter-finals, in which Brazil had only one shot on goal for the entire match. The team was harshly criticized by Brazilian fans and media following their return home. On 3 July, two days after Brazil's elimination, vandals immolated and destroyed a 7.5-meter (23-foot) tall fiberglass and resin statue of Ronaldinho in Chapecó. The statue had been erected in 2004 to celebrate his first FIFA World Player of the Year award. That same day, Ronaldinho, joined by Adriano, returned to Barcelona and held a party at his home, which was continued into the early morning hours at a nightclub. This aggravated the hard feelings of many Brazilian fans, who believed that they were betrayed by the lack of effort from the squad.

On 24 March 2007, he scored twice in a 4–0 win over Chile, which marked his first goal since the 2005 Confederations Cup final and thus ended a scoreless streak that lasted nearly two years.He was not called up for the 2007 Copa América after asking to be excused from the tournament due to tiredness.On 18 October, he was controversially benched by Barcelona after he was late returning to Spain following Brazil's 5–0 friendly win over Ecuador. He and several Brazil players celebrated the win by partying through the night at a posh Rio de Janeiro nightclub. Ronaldinho left at 11 a.m. the next morning, allegedly in the trunk of a car in order to avoid the media.

On 7 July 2008, Ronaldinho was named to Brazil's 2008 Summer Olympics squad as one of the over-age players. Barcelona initially blocked the move because of his then-upcoming Champions League commitments with the club, but the decision was later nullified following Ronaldinho's transfer to Milan, who in turn permitted him to make the trip to Beijing. Ronaldinho scored his only two goals in a decisive 5–0 victory over New Zealand before Brazil were beaten by Argentina in the semifinal. Brazil finished with the bronze medal after defeating Belgium 3–0 in the bronze medal match.

Even though he has returned to good form, Ronaldinho was not selected for the Brazilian squad in South Africa for the 2010 World Cup despite his deep desire to do so. This has been met with much criticism of Brazilian national team head coach Dunga for taking away the classic "Joga Bonito" style of play and replacing it with a dull, counter-attacking defensive style that does not fit many of Brazil's star players such as Ronaldinho.

Career statistics

As of 26 April 2010.

Club Season League Cup Continental Total

Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists

Grêmio 1998 6 1 0 2 0 0 — 8 1 0

1999 17 6 0 3 0 0 — 20 6 0

2000 21 14 0 3 3 0 — 24 17 0

Total 44 21 0 8 3 0 0 0 0 52 24 0

Paris Saint-Germain 2001-02 28 9 8 6 2 0 6 2 2 40 13 10

2002-03 27 8 6 6 3 0 4 1 2 37 12 8

Total 55 17 11 12 5 0 10 3 4 77 25 18

Barcelona 2003-04 32 15 11 6 3 1 7 4 2 45 22 14

2004-05 35 9 14 0 0 0 7 4 4 42 13 18

2005-06 29 17 13 4 2 2 12 7 4 45 26 19

2006-07 32 21 10 6 1 3 11 3 3 49 25 16

2007-08 17 8 7 1 0 0 8 1 2 26 9 9

Total 145 70 55 17 6 6 45 19 15 207 95 76

AC Milan 2008-09 29 8 5 1 0 1 5 2 2 35 10 8

2009-10 35 10 15 0 0 0 7 3 1 42 13 16

Total 64 18 20 1 0 1 12 5 3 77 23 24

Career total 308 126 86 38 14 7 67 27 22 413 167 118

(source:wikipedia)