Who is Justin Bieber?

Who is Justin Bieber? The entertainment world knows him as a Canadian pop/R&B singer. His performances on YouTube were seen by Scooter Braun, who later became his manager. Braun arranged for him to meet with Usher in Atlanta, Georgia, and Bieber was soon signed to Raymond Braun Media Group (RBMG), a joint venture between Braun and Usher, and then to a recording contract with Island Records offered by L.A. Reid.
His debut single, "One Time", was released worldwide during 2009, and charted within the top 30 in over ten countries. It was followed by his debut release, My World on November 17, 2009, which was certified platinum in the United States, which at the time gave Bieber the highest debut by a new artist in the year, and made Bieber the first artist to have seven songs from a debut album chart on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. His first full studio release, My World 2.0 was released on March 23, 2010, debuting at number one and within the top ten of several countries. It was preceded by the international hit song, "Baby".

Early life

Bieber was born on March 1, 1994 in Stratford, Ontario. Bieber's mother, Pattie Mallette, was 18 years old when she became pregnant with her son. Bieber was raised as an only child by Mallette, who worked low-paying office jobs, though Bieber maintains contact with his father. As he grew, Bieber taught himself to play the piano, drums, guitar, and trumpet. In late 2007, when he was twelve, Bieber sang Ne-Yo's "So Sick" for a local singing competition in Stratford and placed second. Mallette posted a video of the performance on YouTube for their family and friends to see. She continued to upload videos of Bieber singing covers of various R&B songs, and Bieber's popularity on the site grew.
While searching for videos of a different singer, Scooter Braun, a former marketing executive of So So Def, clicked on one of Bieber's videos by accident. Impressed, Braun tracked down the theater Bieber was performing in, located Bieber's school, and finally contacted Mallette. Mallette was reluctant; she remembered praying, "God, I gave him to you. You could send me a Christian man, a Christian label!" However, after praying with her church elders and receiving their encouragement, she permitted Braun to fly Bieber, then 13, to Atlanta, Georgia to record demo tapes. A week after arriving, Bieber sang for R&B singer/songwriter Usher, who arranged an audition with Antonio L.A. Reid at Island Def Jam Music Group, who in turn signed him to Island Records in October 2008. Justin Timberlake was reportedly in the running to sign Bieber, but he eventually signed with Usher. Bieber and his mother then moved to Atlanta, also the home of Usher and Braun, to base his career.

Career

Bieber's first single, "One Time", was released to radio while Bieber was still recording his debut album. The song reached number 12 on the Canadian Hot 100 during its first week of release in July 2009, and later peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. During fall 2009 it had success in international markets. The song was certified Platinum in Canada and the U.S. and Gold in Australia and New Zealand. Bieber's first album My World, was released on November 17, 2009. Three consecutive singles, "One Less Lonely Girl", "Love Me", and "Favorite Girl", were released exclusively on the iTunes store and charted within the top forty of the Billboard Hot 100. "One Less Lonely Girl" was later also released to radio and peaked within the top fifteen in Canada and the U.S., being certified Gold in the latter. My World was eventually certified Platinum in the U.S. and Canada and Silver in the UK. To promote the album, Bieber performed in several live shows such as mtvU's VMA 09 Tour, European program The Dome, YTV's The Next Star and The Today Show, The Wendy Williams Show, Lopez Tonight, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, It's On with Alexa Chung, Good Morning America, Chelsea Lately, and BET's 106 & Park with Rihanna. Bieber also guest starred in an episode of True Jackson, VP in late 2009.Bieber performed Stevie Wonder's "Someday at Christmas" for U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama at the White House for Christmas in Washington, which was broadcast on December 20, 2009 on USA television broadcaster TNT. Bieber was also one of the performers at Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest on December 31, 2009. Bieber was a presenter at the 52nd Grammy Awards on January 31, 2010. He was invited to be a vocalist for the remake of We Are The World for its 25th anniversary to benefit Haiti after the earthquake. Bieber sings the opening line, which was sung by Lionel Richie in the original version. On March 12, 2010, a version of K'naan's "Wavin' Flag" recorded by a collective of Canadian musicians known as Young Artists for Haiti was released. Bieber is featured in the song, performing the closing lines.
"Baby", the lead single from the second half of his debut album, which features Ludacris, was released in January 2010 and became his biggest hit thus far, charting at number five in the U.S. and reaching the top ten in seven other countries. Two digital singles, "Never Let You Go", and "U Smile" were top thirty hits on the U.S. Hot 100, and top twenty hits in Canada According to review aggregator Metacritic, the album has received "generally favorable reviews". It debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, making Bieber the youngest solo male act to top the chart since Stevie Wonder in 1963. My World 2.0 also debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart, Irish Albums Chart, and Australian Albums Chart, and the New Zealand Albums Chart and reached the top ten of fifteen other countries. To promote the album, Bieber appeared on several live programs including The View, the 2010 Kids Choice Awards, Nightline, The Late Show with David Letterman, The Dome and 106 and Park. On April 10, 2010, Bieber was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live.
Bieber will begin recording his next album in the summer of 2010 in New York City. British singer and songwriter Taio Cruz has confirmed he is writing on Bieber's next project.
Bieber's voice is now deeper than it was when he recorded his albums because of puberty. The singer discussing his vocals remarked, "It cracks. Like every teenage boy, I'm dealing with it and I have the best vocal coach in the world. [...] Some of the notes I hit on "Baby" I can't hit anymore. We have to lower the key when I sing live."

Image

According to Jan Hoffman of The New York Times, part of Bieber's appeal stems from his YouTube channel. In contrast to singers whose careers were launched by high profile franchises like American Idol or the Disney Channel, "Justin, his fans passionately believe, is homemade. Long before he released his EP, “My World,” in mid-November, the YouTube videos attracted millions of views." Braun recognized the appeal. Prior to flying him to Atlanta, Braun wanted to "build him up more on YouTube first" and had Bieber record more home videos for the channel. "I said: ‘Justin, sing like there’s no one in the room. But let’s not use expensive cameras.’ We’ll give it to kids, let them do the work, so that they feel like it’s theirs," recalled Braun. Bieber continues to upload videos to the same channel and has opened a Twitter account, from which he interacts with fans regularly. The accounts also serve marketing purposes; for example, Bieber's music video for "One Time" only began selling quickly after it was uploaded to YouTube.
Usher comments that while he and Bieber were both signed at the same age, "I had the chance to ramp up my success, where this has happened to Bieber abruptly." As a result, Usher, Braun, Bieber's bodyguard, Kenny, and other adults surrounding Bieber constantly coach him on handling fame and his public image. After signing Bieber, Usher appointed one of his former assistants, Ryan Good, to be Bieber's road manager and stylist. Good, nicknamed Bieber's "swagger coach", helped develop Bieber's public image. Good created a "streetwise look" for the singer which consisted of baseball caps, hoodies, dog chains and flashy sneakers. Amy Kaufman of The Los Angeles Times comments, "Though a product of a middle-class suburban upbringing in Stratford, Ontario, Bieber's manner of dress and speech ("Wassup man, how you doin'?" or "It's like, you know, whateva' ") suggest he's mimicking his favorite rappers."
Bieber is often featured in teen magazines such as Tiger Beat, and has been labeled a "teen hearthrob".

Crowd control problems

Bieber's popularity has caused safety concerns. While promoting My World, Bieber was scheduled to appear at Long Island's Roosevelt Field Mall, but the performance had to be cancelled. Over 3,000 screaming fans showed up for the appearance. The event got out of control, and over 35 units from the Nassau County and Garden City police departments had to be called in. Several fans received minor injuries. The police arrested an Island Records senior vice-president, James A. Roppo, reportedly for hindering the police's crowd control efforts by not sending a timely message on Twitter as instructed by the police. James Roppo pleaded not guilty to all charges. On March 24, 2010 Bieber's manager, Scooter Braun, was arrested on one count of second-degree reckless endangerment and one count of second-degree criminal nuisance related to the incident. Braun pleaded not guilty to both charges and was later released.
On April 26, 2010, a scheduled promotional performance was cancelled by Australian police after several girls were injured in a crowd crush. Bieber was scheduled to sing three songs for the Channel Seven program, Sunrise. An estimated 4,000 pre-teen girls showed up at 3:00am and stormed past safety barricades. In addition to those injured, dozens were treated for hyperventilation. In a Twitter message after the incident, Bieber said: "I want to make this clear... I don't cancel.” Bieber's tweet continued, stating: “I woke up this morning to the police canceling the show for safety reasons. I’m very happy about the welcome and the love from around the world, but I want everyone to still remember my fans safety comes first. At the end of the day I want you all to enjoy the music."
Arriving at Auckland airport in New Zealand later that day, RadioLIVE New Zealand reported on airport security's efforts to keep Bieber out of trouble. He later tweeted that somebody stole his hat and "knocked down [his] mama." The teenage girl who stole the hat then uploaded a video to the Internet, outlining the demands of her extortion attempt. The next day, she returned the hat amid speculation of possible criminal charges.

Discography

Albums

Tours

Opening act

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2009 True Jackson, VP Himself Guest star
My Date With...
2010 Silent Library
School Gyrls Cameo
Saturday Night Live Guest star/performer Ep 35.18

Awards and nominations

2010, Album of the Year, My World – Nominated
2010, Pop Album of the Year, My World – Nominated
2010, New Artist of the Year – Nominated
2010, Best New Artist - Nominated
2010, International Video of the Year, by a Canadian, "One Time" - Nominated
2010, International Video of the Year, by a Canadian, "Baby" - Nominated
2010, Ur Fave Video, "Baby" - Nominated
2010, Ur Fave New Artist, "Baby" - Nominated
Favorite International Video – "One Time" - Nominated
2010, Best International Act – Won

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Who is Felicity Kendall Huffman?

Who is Felicity Kendall Huffman? The acting world knows her as Felicity Huffman, she is an American actress. She is known for her role as hectic supermom Lynette Scavo on the ABC show Desperate Housewives, which earned her an Emmy Award. A year later, her role as a trans woman in the independent film Transamerica earned her a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination, and was praised by many critics.

Huffman was born December 9, 1962 in Bedford, New York, the daughter of Grace Valle (née Ewing), an actress, and Moore Peters Huffman, a banker.[1] Her parents divorced a year after her birth, and she was raised mostly by her mother. She has six sisters,(Mariah ,Betsy, Jane, Grace, Isabel, Jessie) and a brother, (Moore Jr.). She attended The Putney School, a boarding high school in Putney, Vermont and graduated from Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. After high school she went on to New York University where she graduated in 1984 from Circle In The Square, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama.

Huffman is known for her roles in Desperate Housewives and Transamerica. On television, she starred as Dana Whitaker in the dramedy Sports Night, and has had guest starring roles on Frasier, The X-Files, The West Wing, Early Edition, and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. In 2001 she appeared in the made for TV movie Snap Decision with Mare Winningham. Huffman has appeared in films such as Raising Helen and Christmas with the Kranks. In 2003 she starred in Showtime's dramedy Out of Order.

Huffman won an Emmy for her work on Desperate Housewives (Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series), as well as two 2006 Screen Actors Guild Awards (Best Actress - Comedy Series and part of Best Ensemble - Comedy Series). Huffman's performance in the film Transamerica was praised by many critics and garnered her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress as well as nominations for the Best Actress (Screen Actors Guild) and Best Actress (Academy Awards). Huffman is now a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[2]

Huffman is also the co-author of the self-help book, A Practical Handbook for the Boyfriend.

She is the only actress (other than actor Timothy Davis-Reed) who has appeared in all three television shows created by Aaron Sorkin (Sports Night, The West Wing, and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip).

On June 23, 2008, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced Huffman and her husband William H. Macy will each receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the upcoming year.[3][4]

Felicity Huffman is planning to return to New York City and to Broadway again.[5]

Personal life

Huffman is married to actor William H. Macy, with whom she has two daughters, Sofia Grace (born August 1, 2000) and Georgia Grace (born March 14, 2002). They married on September 6, 1997. She has appeared on television, in movies, and on stage many times with her husband, such as on the TV show Sports Night and in the movie Magnolia. The couple have become the subject of a running gag on the satirical news show The Colbert Report, in which the couple (who live a quiet life outside the media spotlight) are regularly referenced as representing the greatest of today's celebrity couples in a culture obsessed with celebs. Stephen Colbert refers to the couple as "Filliam H. Muffman", a play on the current trend by media types to combine the names of major celebrity couples, in the mold of "Bennifer", "Brangelina", "Speidi", and "TomKat."

In 2005, Huffman revealed that she had suffered from both anorexia and bulimia in her late teens and twenties.[6] At the height of her bulimia she would purge up to six times a day. Her weight dropped to 98 lbs, her periods stopped, and she was too weak to go jogging. With therapy and upon meeting Macy she managed to overcome those conditions. She is still known for her self-deprecating humor and her belief that she is "not pretty."

She is a huge fan of Tina Turner and her dream was to be a back-up singer, so when Huffman was on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Oprah surprised her with a visit from Tina Turner where the two got to sing together. Huffman also sang back-up vocals for her friend Rebecca Pidgeon's cover version of Auld Lang Syne/Bring It On Home To Me in 1995.

Filmography

Year Film Role Notes
1988 Things Change The Wheel of Fortune Girl
1990 Reversal of Fortune Minnie, Dershowitz's Student Staff
1991 Golden Years Terry Spann TV Series
1993 The X-Files Dr. Nancy Da Silva "Ice"
1995 Hackers Prosecuting Attorney
1997 Law & Order Hillary Colson "Working Mom"
The Spanish Prisoner Pat McCune
1998 - 2000 Sports Night Dana Whitaker TV Series; Series Regular
1999 A Slight Case of Murder Kit Wannamaker
Magnolia Cynthia
2001 The Heart Department Dr. Liza Peck
The West Wing Ann Stark "The Leadership Breakfast"
Snap Decision Carrie Dixon
2002 Path to War Lady Bird Johnson
2003 Out of Order Lorna Colm Mini-series
Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film
Frasier Julia Wilcox 8 episodes
House Hunting Sheila
2004 The D.A. Charlotte Ellis 3 Episodes
Raising Helen Lindsay Davis
Reversible Errors Judge Gillian Sullivan
Christmas with the Kranks Merry
2004 - Present Desperate Housewives Lynette Scavo Series regular
2005 Transamerica Sabrina 'Bree' Osbourne Bangkok International Film Festival Award for Best Actress
Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama
Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress
Independent Spirit Award for Best Lead Female
National Board of Review Award for Best Actress
Palm Springs International Film Festival Award for Best Breakthrough Performance
Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress
Satellite Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama
Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress
Tribeca Film Festival Award for Best Actress
Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress
Nominated — Academy Award for Best Actress
Nominated — Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress
Nominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress
Nominated — Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress
Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Nominated — Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress
2006 Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip Herself "Pilot"
2007 Georgia Rule Lilly Wilcox with Jane Fonda and Lindsay Lohan.
2008 Phoebe in Wonderland Hillary Lichten
2009 Come Back to Sorrento

2010 The Politician's Wife

Other awards and nominations



Golden Globe Awards

Emmy Awards

OBIE Award

  • 1994-95: Won for her performance as Donny in David Mamet's "Cryptogram"

Screen Actors Guild Awards

  • 2000: Nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series -- Sports Night
  • 2005: Won for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series -- Desperate Housewives
  • 2006: Won for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series -- Desperate Housewives
  • 2006: Won for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series -- Desperate Housewives
  • 2007: Nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series -- Desperate Housewives
  • 2007: Nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series -- Desperate Housewives

Other honors

  • 2009: In June 2008 it was announced that Felicity Huffman would receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Although announced in June 2008, she is among the list of 2009 recipients. The date and time for the unveiling of her star and ceremony has not yet been announced but is expected in 2009.


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Who is John Woo Yu-Sen?

Who is John Woo Yu-Sen? The entertain ment world knows him as John Woo. He( is a Chinese film director and producer from Hong Kong. Recognized for his stylized films of highly choreographed action sequences, Mexican standoffs, and use of slow-motion,Woo has directed several notable Hong Kong action films, among them, A Better Tomorrow, Hard Boiled ,and The Killer. His Hollywood films include Windtalkers, Hard Target, Broken Arrow, Face/Off, and Mission: Impossible 2. He also created the comic series Seven Brothers, published by Virgin Comics. Woo was described by Dave Kehr in The Observer in 2002 as "arguably the most influential director making movies today". Woo cites his three favorite films as David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia, Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai and Melville's Le Samouraï

Early life

Woo was born 1 May 1946 amidst the chaos of the Chinese Civil War in 1946. The Christian Woo family, faced with persecution during Mao Zedong's early anti-bourgeois-Nationalist purges after the communist takeover of China, fled to Hong Kong when he was five. His father was rendered unable to work by tuberculosis.[4][5] Impoverished, the Woo family lived in the slums at Shek Kip Mei. Woo went to Concordia Lutheran School and received Christian education. His Christian background shows influences in his films. The family was rendered homeless by the big Shek Kip Mei fire of 1953.[5] Charitable donations from disaster relief efforts enabled the family to relocate, however, violent crime had by then become commonplace in Hong Kong housing projects.

As a young boy, Woo had wanted to be a Christian minister. He later found a passion for movies influenced by the French New Wave especially Jean-Pierre Melville. Woo has said he was shy and had difficulty speaking, but found making movies a way to explore his feelings and thinking and would "use movies as a language".

The local movie theater would prove a haven of retreat. Woo found respite in musical films, such as The Wizard of Oz and American Westerns. He has stated the final scene of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid made a particular impression on him in his youth: the device of two comrades, each of whom fire pistols from each hand, is a recurrent spectacle later found in his own work.

Woo married Annie Woo Ngau Chun-lung in 1976 and has had three children. He has lived in the United States since 1993.


Hong Kong career

An emigrant in 1993, the director experienced difficulty in cultural adjustment while contracted with Universal Studios to direct Jean-Claude Van Damme in Hard Target. Characteristic of other foreign national film directors confronted with the Hollywood environment, Mr. Woo was unaccustomed to pervasive management concerns, such as limitations on violence and completion schedules. When initial cuts failed to yield an "R" rated film, the studio assumed control of the project and edited footage to produce a cut "suitable for American audiences". A "rough cut" of the film, supposedly the original unrated version, is still circulated among his admirers.

A three year hiatus saw Mr. Woo next direct John Travolta and Christian Slater in Broken Arrow. A frenetic chase-themed film, the director once again found himself hampered by studio management and editorial concerns. Despite a larger budget than his previous Hard Target, the final feature lacked the trademark Woo style. Public reception saw modest financial success.

Reluctant to pursue projects which would necessarily entail front-office controls, the director cautiously rejected the script for Face/Off several times until it was rewritten to suit him. (The futuristic setting was changed to a contemporary one.) Paramount Pictures also offered the director significantly more freedom to exercise his specialty: emotional characterization and elaborate action. A complex story of adversaries—each of whom surgically alters their identity—law enforcement agent John Travolta and terrorist Nicolas Cage play a cat-and-mouse game, trapped in each other's outward appearance.

Face/Off opened in 1997 to critical acclaim and strong attendance. Grosses in the United States exceeded $100 million. As a result, John Woo is generally regarded as the first Asian director to find a mainstream commercial base. In 2003, Mr. Woo directed a television pilot entitled The Robinsons: Lost in Space for The WB Television Network, based on the 1960s television series Lost in Space. The pilot was not purchased, although bootleg copies have been made available by fans.

John Woo has made three additional films in Hollywood: Mission: Impossible II, Windtalkers and Paycheck. Mission: Impossible II was the highest-grossing film of 2000, but received mixed reviews. Windtalkers and Paycheck fared poorly at the box office and were summarily dismissed by critics.

Recently, John Woo directed and produced a videogame called Stranglehold for games consoles and PC. It is a sequel to his 1992 film, Hard Boiled. He also produced the 2007 anime movie, Appleseed: Ex Machina, the sequel to Shinji Aramaki's 2004 film Appleseed.

Return to China

In 2008, Woo returned to Asian cinema with the completion of the epic war film Red Cliff, based on an historical battle from Records of Three Kingdoms. Produced on a grand scale, it is his first film in China since he emigrated from Hong Kong to the United States in 1993. Part 1 of the film was released throughout Asia in July, 2008, to generally favorable reviews and strong attendance. Part 2 was released in China in January, 2009.

Future film projects

His future film on Mighty Mouse will either be animated or live-action with CGI. He will also direct a remake of Papillon. There are persistent rumors that Woo will direct a film version of the videogame Metroid. He had optioned the rights at one point, but the option has long since expired.

Woo's next projects are The Divide, a western concerning the friendship between two workers, one Chinese, the other Irish, on the transcontinental railroad, while The Devil's Soldier is a biopic on Frederick Townsend Ward, an American brought to China in the mid 19th century by the Emperor to suppress rebellion. Rendezvous in Black will be an adaptation of the drama/thriller novel of the same name, and Psi-Ops is a science fiction thriller about a telepathic agent, a remake of Blind Spot.

In 2009, he will direct Ninja Gold, collaborating with video-game creator Warren Spector. He is also involved in numerous projects in a producing capacity.

In May 2008, Woo announced that his next movie will be 1949, an epic love story based on true events and that spans the end of World War II and Chinese Civil War to the founding of the People's Republic of China. The announcement was made at Cannes Film Festival where Woo was in to promote Red Cliff. The shooting of 1949 will take place in China and Taiwan, with production set to begin by the end of 2008, theatrical release planned in December 2009. The film is to star South Korean actress Song Hye-kyo and Taiwanese actor Chang Chen, and was written by the scriptwriter of Ang Lee's Lust, Caution, Hui-Ling Wang. However, in early April 2009, John Woo's 1949 is cancelled due to script right issues. Also reports indicate that Woo may be working on another World War II film, this time about the American Volunteer Group, or the Flying Tigers. The movie is tentatively titled "Flying Tiger Heroes" and Woo is reported as saying it will feature "The most spectacular aerial battle scenes ever seen in Chinese cinema." Whether this means that John Woo will not be directing the rumored Romeo and Juliet war film, or it's been put on the backburner. Woo has stated that Flying Tiger Heroes will be an "extremely important production" and will "emphasize US-Chinese friendship and the contributions of the Flying Tigers and the Yunnan people during the war of resistance." [6]

Woo discovered then–television actor Chow Yun-Fat to star in A Better Tomorrow, not anticipating the level of stardom the actor would achieve. Woo said of Yun-Fat in a 1999 interview with Robert K. Elder, "This guy was so elegant and also had great charisma. He reminded me of Alain Delon, and Steve McQueen, Ken Takakura—all my great idols, all in him. And I thought, while we are shooting, I just felt, 'He’s a great actor; he will be popular.' But I didn’t know he’d be that popular, you know?"
  • Woo was quoted in the June 2000 edition of Premiere magazine:
I love doves. I am a Christian. Doves represent the purity of love, beauty. They're spiritual. Also the dove is a messenger between people and God... When I shot The Killer, these two men, the killer and the cop, they work in different ways, but their souls are pure, because they do the right thing. In the church scene, I wanted to bring them together. I wanted to use a metaphor of the heart. I came up with doves—they're white. When the men die, I cut to the dove flying—it's the soul, rescued and safe and also pure of heart. So the dove became one of my habits: I used it in Hard Boiled, Face/Off, and in Mission: Impossible II.
  • Woo likes the look of the Beretta 92F/FS pistol and had featured it in many of his movies. He stated in an interview that it "is a great character" and added that "it's so strong and elegant." He also mentioned that other pistols looked dumb to him.

By others



  • In reply to a studio executive who said "I suppose Woo can direct action scenes," Quentin Tarantino has been quoted as saying "Sure, and I suppose Michelangelo can paint ceilings!"
  • When Jean-Claude Van Damme was trying to get Woo for Hard Target, he described him as "the Martin Scorsese of Asia".


  • In the anime series, R.O.D the TV which features three girls named after real life Hong Kong action stars, "John Woo" is the name of a mysterious carrier pigeon.
  • In another anime series, FLCL, two characters can be seen watching the climactic end sequence of an action movie. Although the screen in not visible, it can be surmised that it is indeed a John Woo film, as one of the film's characters exclaims, "What are all these pigeons doing in here?" and a multitude of flapping wings heard. The screen was then broken, and a flock of white doves flew out of the TV set. Also the episode uses gun fu and frequent slow motion, as common in John Woo films. Also in the preview of the above mentioned episode (a preview of the next episode is always shown at the end of the previous, as with most anime series), the character Haruko mentions humorous things to keep in mind when seeing a John Woo film.
  • Japanese professional wrestler Suwa, of the promotions Dragon's Gate and Pro Wrestling Noah, utilizes a seated dropkick that frequently sends its victim flying back-first into the corner. As a fan of Hong Kong action cinema, he calls this move the "John Woo", as an homage to the impact of shotgun blasts on the human body in Woo's films.
  • In the video game Max Payne there are many homages and references to John Woo. For example, the black suit and tie Max is seen wearing at the beginning, as well as the dual guns and jumping and shooting in slow motion. One of the game's difficulty levels is named Hard Boiled, and John Woo's name is mentioned as a password for entering into a gangster hideout, Also a quote by the main character when he is ambushed is "I made like Chow Yun Fat".
  • In the PC game F.E.A.R., the developers admitted that they been inspired by John Woo action movies, in that they wanted the game's action sequences to play out as dramatic and elegant gunfights.
  • On The Simpsons episode "Half-Decent Proposal", Homer sternly tells Artie Ziff his terms for "selling" the billionaire a weekend with Marge: "No hand holding, kissing, or misdirected Woo...which is pretty much any John Woo movie." Ironically, this statement came in February 2002 when Woo had run off several successful Hollywood films, but in the following years Woo's American films were disappointments.
  • On the television drama ER, Jeanie Boulet bonds with Dr. Ansapugh's sick son by asking him if he liked John Woo movies. The son asked her if she meant his Hong Kong or American entries, and they began talking.
  • The Christian rock band Newsboys has a song "John Woo" which makes reference to the religious symbolism he often employs in his films.
  • "I've got more action than my man John Woo" is a lyric from the Beastie Boys song "Sure Shot" from Ill Communication.
  • In one of the versions of the PC game Unreal Tournament, when a character is killed by another wielding dual pistols, the deceased character is listed by the kill readout as having been "John Woo'd" by the victor.
  • Typing the cheat code JOHNWOO in the PC game Rise of the Triad gives the player dual pistols.
  • Picking up a second submachine gun in the PC game Shadow Warrior causes the player's avatar Lo Wang to quip "Be proud, Mr. Woo!"
  • Comedian Daniel Tosh references John Woo in a joke on both his CD True Stories I Made Up and his DVD Completely Serious. ("I want to be rich enough to release a dozen doves every time I walked into a room. Everyone would be like 'Did you see that guy come out of the bathroom? The one with doves!' 'I bet that's John Woo's kid.'")
  • In the animated TV series American Dad! episode "Homeland Insecurity", Stan describes what an argument with Francine is like and says "...and we have our little John Woo stand off..."
  • Mathcore band Botch has a song, "John Woo".
  • In "The Greatest Adventure in the History of Basic Cable", an episode of the USA Network television show Psych, Shawn Spencer comments in the middle of a Mexican standoff, "If there were doves flying around, this would be a John Woo movie."
  • In the comic book series Kick-Ass the vigilante superhero Big-Daddy quizzes his sidekick/daughter Hit-Girl on military and gun related trivia while she kills criminals. One of his questions is "What was John Woo's first English language film?"
  • In "Moving Day", a Season 2 episode of the TV series How I Met Your Mother, Ted asks Robin if she owns any movies "not directed by John Woo."
  • During the Season 1 finale of the animated television series The Venture Bros., there is an entire scene devoted to smashing as many John Woo references as humanly possible into 30 seconds.
  • In the PC game SWAT 3, the cheat code JOHNWOO makes the game run in slow motion.
  • In "Maurice Gets Caught", an episode of Adult Swim's show Robot Chicken, a scene involving a remake of Gone With The Wind has a fight scene featuring a slow-motion action sequence in which three doves fly by, referencing Woo's love of doves and slow motion.
  • In the video game Borderlands, there is a pistol with unlimited ammo called "The Dove", possibly referring to Woo's doves and gunfights.
  • Woo is referenced many times in conversations between Jean-Claude Van Damme and his captor in the film JCVD.
  • There are many references to John Woo's films in the animated series The Boondocks, in one episode we see Thugnificent showing off his statue of Chow Yun Fat in The Killer, Riley mentions John Woo in another episode and in the episode "Home Alone", when Huey and Riley are shooting at each other with BB guns, some of the shots are references to Hard Boiled, The Killer and Face/Off.

Filmography

Directed

Year Film
1973 Fist to Fist
1974 The Young Dragons
The Dragon Tamers
1975 Princess Chang Ping

1976 Hand of Death
1977 From Riches to Rags
Money Crazy

1978 Hello, Late Homecomers
Follow the Star
1979 Last Hurrah for Chivalry
1980 From Riches to Rags
1981 To Hell with the Devil
Laughing Times
1982 Plain Jane to the Rescue
1984 When You Need a Friend
1985 Run, Tiger, Run
1986 Heroes Shed No Tears
A Better Tomorrow
1987 A Better Tomorrow II
1989 Just Heroes
The Killer
1990 Bullet in the Head
1991 Once a Thief
1992 Hard Boiled
1993 Hard Target
1996 Broken Arrow
Once a Thief
1997 Face/Off
1998 Blackjack
2000 Mission: Impossible II
2001 Windtalkers
2003 Paycheck
2008 Red Cliff

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