Go Shorty It's Your Birthday

It's the week of my birthday so I figured I'd share with you some of the people who are fortunate to share this week and month with me (as far as birthdays go). In fact I'm dedicating the rest of the week to my June born celebs. So stay tuned for more. To get us started here are a few.

Selma Blair (American Actress)

Selma Blair Beitner was born on June 23, 1972 in Southfield, Michigan

Lindsay Wagner (American Actress)

Lindsay Jean Wagner was born on June 22, 1949 in Los Angeles, California.

Marilyn Monroe (American singer, actress, model, Hollywood icon and sex symbol)

Norma Jean (Mortenson) Baker was born on June 1, 1926 in Los Angeles, California.

Alanis Morisette (Canadian-born singer-songwriter, record producer and actress)

Alanis Nadine Morissette was born on June 1, 1974 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Duffy (Welsh singer-songwriter)

Aimee Anne Duffy was born on June 23, 1984 and raised in Nefyn on the Llŷn Peninsula in North Wales.

Susan Hayward (American Actress)
Edythe Marrenner was born on June 30, 1917 in Brooklyn, New York.

Carly Simon (American singer-songwriter and musician)

Carly Elisabeth Simon was born on June 25, 1945 and was raised in Bronx, New York.

Cyndi Lauper (American singer-songwriter and theater actress)

Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper was born on June 22, 1953 in Brooklyn, New York.

Meryl Streep (American actress)

Mary Louise Streep was born on June 22, 1949 in Summit, New Jersey.

Gina Gershon (American actress)

Gina L. Gershon was born on June 10, 1962 in Los Angeles, California.

KT Tunstall (Scottish singer and songwriter)

Kate Tunstall was born on June 23, 1975 in Edinburg, Scotland.

Emmanuelle Vaugier (Canadian actress) - [Do take a deep breath, brace yourself, then click to enlarge for the full goodess of Ms. Vaugier]

Emmanuelle Vuagier was born on June 23, 1976 in Vancouver, British Columbia

Timeless Thursday: Meryl Streep

I won't even attempt to write anything from myself in this blog for if I do, the entire blog would read something like this: She's magnificent, beautiful, gorgeous, smart, wise beyond words, super intelligent, sexy, hot, sophisticated, classy and then I'd pretty much dig into the thesaurus to find words of the same meaning so as not to appear to be repeating myself (although technically I would be).


Seriously my admiration for Meryl Streep is such that every adjective that exist that means great would not do justice to her. As a result I'll just let the facts speak for themselves then let you come to your own conclusion of jush how great this woman is.


Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep was born in New Jersey on June 22, 1949. She has won two Academy Awards and is the mother of four. Louisa Jacobson Gummer (1979), Grace Jane Gummer (1986), Mary Willa Gummer [Mamie] (1983), and Henry Gummer (1979).


She is:
Known for being a perfectionist when preparing for roles.
Known for her ability to master almost any accent.


Has named her favourite actresses working today as Cate Blanchett, Emily Blunt, Dame Helen Mirren and Nicole Kidman.


Accomplishments:
Received her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. [16 September 1998]
Was a cheerleader and homecoming queen in high school.
Was named an Officer of the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. [2000]


You know your "some kinda special" when you've got a day named after you. May 27, 2004 was proclaimed "Meryl Streep Day" by Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields. [May 2004]


Was nominated 14 times for the Academy Award, eleven times as Best Actress and three times as Best Supporting Actress, winning twice (Best Supporting Actress for Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) and 'Best Actress' for Sophie's Choice (1982).


Early in her career, Streep received a letter from Bette Davis, whom most critics and cinema historians rank as the greatest American movie actress ever. Davis told Streep that she felt that she was her successor as the premier American actress.

Her 10 nominations in the top acting category is equaled by Bette Davis (ten Best Actress nominations) and surpassed by the legendary Katharine Hepburn with 12 Best Actress nods. A record ironically eclipsed by Streep (whom Hepburn disliked) --the actress anointed Davis' successor--with her own 13th nod for Adaptation (2002).


Her performance as "Sophie Zawistowska" in Sophie's Choice (1982) is ranked #3 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).

Her performance as "Karen Silkwood" in Silkwood (1983) is ranked #71 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).

Holds the record as the female actor with the most Golden Globe wins, with six wins. Jack


Currently holds the record for most Oscar nominations for acting (14 total), including both actors and actresses.


Her accumulation of 12 Oscar nominations (2 wins) was accomplished over a period of only 21 years, with an additional 2 nominations by 2007 (11 leads/3 support).


Holds the record for most Golden Globe nominations for acting, actresses only (19 total).
She was inducted in the 2007 New Jersey Hall of Fame for her services to arts and entertainment.


2007 - Ranked #6 on EW's The 50 Smartest People in Hollywood.


Nominated for a 2008 Grammy Award for "The One and Only Shrek" (Best Spoken Word Album For Children).


Personal quotes:
You can't get spoiled if you do your own ironing.


I don't want to spit in the eye of good fortune, but it was weird. I felt like I'd butted in line in front of Lucille Ball, Audrey Hepburn, Katharine Hepburn. Hello? How did this happen? I was only the sixth woman to receive it, but they found 26 men to give it to. I thought that was embarrassing. [on her Lifetime Achievement Award from the AFI]


"There are some days when even I think I'm overrated, but not today." (When accepting Emmy for _"Angels in America" (2003) (mini).


Sometimes under-preparation is very good, because it instills fear and fear is galvanizing. It makes you break out of yourself. If you're prepared, then you think you're ready, and if you think you're ready, then you're not ready.


It's a lesson I learned in drama school: the teacher asks, how do you be the queen? And everybody says, 'Oh it's about posture and authority.' And they said, no, it's about how the air in the room shifts when you walk in. And that's everyone else's work.

Part of Emmy acceptance speech for _"Angels in America" (2003) (mini)_: "Glenn [Close] is my friend so I know she'll forgive me, Helen Mirren is an acting god, and no one has put a better performance on film than Judy Davis in "The Judy Garland Story". The only one in the group is Emma Thompson, who will hold a grudge for the rest of her life. But who cares?"


For lots more quotes from this awesome woman you can check out www.imdb.com and
http://www.netglimse.com/celebs/pages/meryl_streep/index.shtml

So what do you think now?

Whenever Meryl is on the screen I'm totallying riveted to it. She gets so deep into the character that you forget it's a role she's playing. That character becomes real to you. Not very many actors can do that. Streep takes you on a personal journey with each character that she takes on and I admire her for it.