- Jessica Biel
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Jessica Biel 
Jessica Biel in 2007Born Jessica Claire Biel
March 3, 1982
Ely, Minnesota, U.S.Occupation Actress, model,Singer Years active 1996–present Jessica Claire Biel (born March 3, 1982)[1] is an American actress, model, and occasional singer. Biel is known for her television role as Mary Camden in the long-running family-drama series 7th Heaven. She has also appeared in several Hollywood films, including Summer Catch, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Illusionist, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, and The A-Team.
Contents
Early life
Jessica Claire Biel was born in Limassol, Cyprus. Her mother, Giannoulla (née Conroe), is a homemaker and spiritual healer. Her father, Panikkos Biel, worked for GE and was also an entrepreneur and business consultant.[2][3][4] She is of German, French, English, and Choctaw ancestry[5] and has a younger brother, Justin, born in 1985.[6][7] Biel's family moved frequently during her childhood, living in Texas, Connecticut, and Woodstock, Illinois, before finally settling in Boulder, Colorado. While growing up, Biel played soccer[8] and also trained as a gymnast.[4] From 2000 to 2002, she attended Tufts University.[9]
Early work
Biel initially trained to be a vocalist, and from age nine appeared in several musical productions in her hometown, playing lead roles in productions such as Annie, The Sound of Music, and Beauty and the Beast.[10] Biel auditioned for the a cappella choir the Tufts Amalgamates, but was not accepted.[9]
At twelve, Biel attended The International Modeling and Talent Association conference in Los Angeles where she was discovered and signed by a talent agency. She began modeling for print advertisements, and appeared in commercials for products such as Dulux Paint and Pringles.[2]
Biel also played the character Regrettal, a lead role in a low-budget musical short titled It's a Digital World, but the film was never released.[citation needed] At fourteen, after auditioning for several television pilots, Biel was cast as Mary Camden, the oldest daughter in the family drama 7th Heaven.
Career
1997–2002
Biel on board the USS Abraham Lincoln on June 18, 2004
Biel landed her first feature film role as Peter Fonda's granddaughter in the critically acclaimed drama Ulee's Gold, released in 1997. Her performance earned her a Young Artist Award.[citation needed] In spring 1998, during a break from filming 7th Heaven, Biel starred in I'll Be Home for Christmas, playing the love interest of Jonathan Taylor Thomas.[10]
She posed semi-nude for the cover of Gear magazine. The shoot sparked considerable controversy as Biel was still under eighteen at the time. Producers of 7th Heaven were outraged, and brought legal action against Gear magazine.[10] She later stated that she regrets the Gear shoot but considers it a learning experience.[11]
In 2001, Biel played the love interest of Freddie Prinze, Jr. in the baseball-themed film Summer Catch. The next year, she starred as promiscuous college student Lara in the ensemble film The Rules of Attraction, an adaptation of the Bret Easton Ellis novel.
2003–2005
Biel was cast in her first top-billing role in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.[12] The film met with negative reviews but it was a commercial success, scoring the number-one spot in its opening week and going on to earn more than $80 million in the U.S.[12][13] In 2003, Biel began work on the third installment of the Blade film series, Blade: Trinity. Almost immediately after finishing it in 2004, she headed to Australia to shoot the action-thriller Stealth.[14]
Biel also made a cameo appearance in the 2004 film Cellular.
Biel was cast in the role of Ellen Kishmorein the romantic comedy Elizabethtown. She then played the title character in the indie film London.
2006–present
Biel at the 2005 Stealth premiereBiel's film career blossomed[citation needed] when she played a turn-of-the-century duchess in the period piece The Illusionist, co-starring Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti.
Biel played an Iraq War veteran in the 2006 film Home of the Brave, a drama about soldiers struggling to adjust back into society after facing the hardships of war.
In Next, Biel played alongside Nicolas Cage and Julianne Moore. She then played in the summer comedy, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, co-starring Adam Sandler and Kevin James.
In late 2007, Biel signed on to play a stripper in Powder Blue, alongside Forest Whitaker (who also produced the film), Ray Liotta and Patrick Swayze.
At the start of 2008, Biel shot Easy Virtue, an adaptation of the play by Noël Coward. Like the play, the film is set in the 1920s and Biel plays young widow Larita, who impulsively marries John Whittaker in France and must face her disapproving in-laws on returning to England. The film premiered in September 2008 at the Toronto International Film Festival.[15] Critics praised Biel for her performance, with Todd McCarthy of Variety saying Biel "more than kept up" with veterans Kristin Scott Thomas and Colin Firth and praising her "sparkling" performance.[16][17] The Hollywood Reporter described her performance as "an irresistible force of nature — a kind, witty, supremely intelligent and beautiful woman who ... is capable of rejoinders that thoroughly undercut her opponent's withering criticism."[18][dead link] Biel also performed two songs on the film's soundtrack, "Mad About the Boy" and "When the Going Gets Tough".
In 2009, Biel lent her voice to the animated science fiction film Planet 51.
In April 2008, Biel began working on the political satire Nailed, with Jake Gyllenhaal. The film centers around a woman who accidentally gets a nail lodged in her head, then travels to Washington D.C. to fight for better health care.
Biel performed the role of "Sarah Brown" with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a fully staged concert production of Guys and Dolls during the 2009 season at the Hollywood Bowl.[19][20] On the last night, she received a rousing standing ovation from 17,000 people.[4] She subsequently landed a part in Lincoln Center Theater's two-week-long workshop of the musical version of the Pedro Almodóvar classic Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, along with Salma Hayek.[4]
Charity work
On July 18, 2006, Biel participated in a charity auction to raise medical funds for Colorado teen Molly Bloom, who was injured in a limousine accident.[21] John Schiffner of Fergus Falls, Minnesota successfully bid $30,000 to have lunch with Biel. "I promise I'm a cheap date," Biel quipped. Biel and Schiffner lunched at The Palm restaurant in Denver, Colorado[22] on August 18, 2006.[23]
In early 2007, Jessica co-founded the Make the Difference Network[24] with her father and another business partner, Kent McBride.
In 2010, Biel climbed to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro with members of the United Nation Foundation to raise awareness of the global water crisis.[25] That same year, Biel's humanitarian and charity work (as well as her popularity with young people) earned her a nomination for a Do Something Award.[26]
Honors
Awards
- 1998: Young Artist Award — Best Performance in a Feature Film – Supporting Young Actress in Ulee's Gold
- 2005: ShoWest Award Female Star of Tomorrow — 2005 ShoWest Convention
- 2007: Rising-Star Award — Palm Springs International Film Festival 2007 Gala Awards
Rankings
- Ranked No.99 in Stuff magazine's "102 Sexiest Women In The World" (2002).
- Ranked No.98 on VH1's "100 Hottest Hotties".(2003)
- Esquire magazine named her the "Sexiest Woman Alive" in a 2005 six-part series, with each month revealing a different body part and clue to the woman's identity.[2]
- Ranked No.1 in Stuff magazine's "100 Sexiest Women" (2007).[27]
- Ranked as No.5 on Maxim's Hot 100 for 2007[28] and No.11 on Maxim's Top 100 for 2009.[29]
- Ranked No.7 by AskMen.com readers in the list "Top 99 Women 2008."[10]
- Ranked No.4 by FHM US magazine in their 2009 list of "100 Sexiest Women".[7]
- Actress Jennifer Garner praised her saying "there's an earthiness and a strength to it" that brings her beauty to another level.[4]
Filmography
Year Title Role Notes 1996–
20067th Heaven Mary Camden Young Artist Award (Best Leading Actress) – 1998
Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actress 2002, 20031997 Ulee's Gold Casey Jackson Young Artist Award for Best Supporting Actress 1998 I'll Be Home for Christmas Allie 2001 Summer Catch Tenley Parrish 2002 The Rules of Attraction Lara Holleran 2003 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Erin Hardesty Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance
Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Actress2004 It's a Digital World Regrettal (voice) 2004 Cellular Chloe 2004 Blade: Trinity Abigail Whistler 2005 Stealth Lieutenant Kara Wade 2005 Elizabethtown Ellen Kishmore 2005 London London 2005 Family Guy Brooke (Voice) Episode: "Brian the Bachelor" 2006 The Illusionist Duchess Sophie von Teschen Newport Beach Film Festival Best Achievement Award 2006 Home of the Brave Vanessa Price 2007 Next Liz Cooper Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress 2007 I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry Alex McDonough 2008 Hole in the Paper Sky Karen Watkins Short film, also executive producer 2008 Easy Virtue Larita Whittaker 2009 Planet 51 Neera (voice) 2009 Powder Blue Rose-Johnny 2010 Valentine's Day Kara Monahan Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Hissy Fit 2010 The A-Team Capt. Charisa Sosa 2011 The Tall Man Julia Denning 2011 New Year's Eve Tess 2012 Playing the Field Stacie 2012 Total Recall Melina 2012 The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea Cindy Produced by her production company, Iron Ocean Films. References
- ^ Armstrong, Derek (2008). "Jessica Biel — Biography". Allrovi. MSN. Archived from the original on July 24, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080724221342/http://movies.msn.com/celebrities/celebrity-biography/jessica-biel/. Retrieved September 4, 2008.
- ^ a b c A.J. Jacobs (October 31, 2005). "Jessica Biel Is the Sexiest Woman Alive". Esquire (Hearst Communications) 144 (5). http://www.esquire.com/women/sexiest-woman-alive-2005/ESQ0207SEXIEST.
- ^ Kappes, Serena (July 27, 2005). "Celeb Spotlight: Jessica Biel – Stealth, Jessica Biel". People. Time Inc.. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,1087159,00.html. Retrieved April 17, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e Jonathan Van Meter; Mario Testino (Photographer) (February 2010). "The Real Biel". Variety. Condé Nast Publications. http://www.vogue.com/magazine/article/the-real-biel/.
- ^ "Jessica Biel: The Real Biel" Vogue
- ^ "Jessica Biel: Actress – Most Beautiful, Jessica Biel". People (Time Inc.) 51 (17). May 10, 1999. http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20128164,00.html. Retrieved June 2010.
- ^ a b "Jessica Biel Number 4 – Jessica Biel". FHM US. Emap Consumer Media. 2009. http://www.fhmonline.com/Site/customPage/DefaultPlain.aspx?ID=40660. "The Minnesota-born hardbody has put her French and Choctaw-Indian descent to good use: when the call goes out for an ethnically ambiguous siren, Biel is likely to get the gig."
- ^ James Brady (July 10, 2005). "In Step With: Jessica Biel". Parade Magazine. http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/2005/edition_07-10-2005/in_step_with_0.
- ^ a b "NBC's Strange (And Compelling) A Cappella Show". December 15, 2009. http://www.gq.com/blogs/the-q/2009/12/nbcs-strange-and-compelling-a-cappella-show.html.
- ^ a b c d "Jessica Biel Photos, Gossip, Bio & Reviews — AskMen.com". AskMen.com. News Corporation. http://www.askmen.com/celebs/women/actress_60/83_jessica_biel.html. Retrieved July 25, 2010.
- ^ "Jessica Biel regrets nude photoshoot". RTÉ. October 30, 2008. http://www.rte.ie/ten/2008/1030/bielj.html. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
- ^ a b Adam Stein (June 2007). "The Summer of Jessica Biel". GQ: 2. http://www.gq.com/women/photos/200706/jessica-biel-movie-illusionist?currentPage=2. "And then, in February, she grabbed the tabloid brass ring for reportedly nabbing the world’s most eligible bachelor, Justin Timberlake. The couple announced in March of 2011 when they officially split, following a brief ski trip to Telluride, Colorado."
- ^ The Texas Chainsaw Massacre at Box Office Mojo
- ^ TC Candler (January 25, 2006). "Jessica Biel. A Revealing Interview". Archived from the original on February 18, 2006. http://web.archive.org/web/20060218222402/http://www.independentcritics.com/columns/tc-jessicabiel.htm. "I went home for one day, unpacked, repacked and went to Australia."
- ^ "TIFF'08 – Easy Virtue". Tiff08.ca. http://tiff08.ca/filmsandschedules/films/easyvirtue. Retrieved September 5, 2008.[dead link]
- ^ Child, Ben (November 10, 2008). "You review: Easy Virtue". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2008/nov/10/1.
- ^ Todd McCarthy (September 10, 2008). "Easy Virtue Movie Review From The Toronto Film Festival". Variety. http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117938305.html. "For several years it has been clear that Biel is one of the great, beautiful babes of her generation. But if her abilities as a spirited, sharp-witted comedienne with a smart sense of timing had not frequently been demonstrated, it's only because she had seldom been asked to display them."
- ^ "An old play rediscovered and refurbished in a splendid new production". Hollywood Reporter. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/film/reviews/article_display.jsp?rid=11657. Retrieved September 9, 2008.
- ^ "Los Angeles Philharmonic Association Announces Hollywood Bowl 2009 Summer Season". Hollywood Bowl. Los Angeles Philharmonic. March 16, 2009. http://www.hollywoodbowl.com/press/press_release/index.cfm?id=2374.
- ^ "Biel, Bakula, Mahoney, Mitchell, Page and Williamson to Star in Hollywood Bowl's Guys and Dolls". Playbill. http://www.playbill.com/news/article/127360.html. Retrieved April 17, 2010.
- ^ Associated Press (July 15, 2006). "Date With Jessica Biel to Be Auctioned Off". News Corporation. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,203822,00.html.
- ^ "Jessica Biel Comes To Denver For $30,000 Date". CBS Denver. August 18, 2006. http://cbs4denver.com/local/Molly.Bloom.Jessica.2.551679.html?detectflash=false.
- ^ Peterson, Todd (July 20, 2006). "Jessica Biel Date Raises Money for Teen". People (Time Inc.). http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,1216877,00.html. "The fundraiser, dubbed "Mollypalooza," generated a total of $38,000 for Bloom's medical expenses."
- ^ "MTDN Home". mtdn.com. May 3, 2010. http://www.mtdn.com/. Retrieved June 13, 2010.
- ^ Joanne Fowler (January 13, 2010). "Jessica Biel Weeps at Mt. Kilimanjaro Summit". People. Time Inc.. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20336678_20726119,00.html.
- ^ "Nominee Profile: Jessica Biel". Do Something. VH1. June 1, 2010. http://www.dosomething.org/blog/celebsgonegood/nominee-profile-jessica-biel. Retrieved July 15, 2010.
- ^ "Biel Beats Johansson in Sexy Women Poll". Hollywood.com. April 3, 2007. Archived from the original on May 9, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070509050554/http://www.hollywood.com/news/Biel_Beats_Johansson_in_Sexy_Women_Poll/3677035. Retrieved June 13, 2010. "Both actresses were romantically linked to Justin Timberlake during the beginning of 2007"
- ^ "2007 Hot 100 Photos – No.5 Jessica Biel". Maxim. Dennis Publishing. http://www.maximonline.com/Girls/Jessicabiel/slideshow/1129/47.aspx?src=GM7070:MD.
- ^ "2009 Hot 100". Maxim. Dennis Publishing. http://www.maxim.com/girls/hot-100/79081/2009-hot-100-100-91.html#90.
External links
- Jessica Biel at the Internet Movie Database
- Jessica Biel at AllRovi
- Jessica Biel at People.com
- James Brady (February 15, 2005). "10th Season Pick-Up Earns "7th Heaven" A Place In Television History". Time Warner. http://www.timewarner.com/corp/newsroom/pr/0,20812,1028153,00.html.
Categories:- Actors from Colorado
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