Nick Lachey

Nicholas Scott Lachey is an American pop music singer and actor born on the 9th of November 1973 in the border of Kentucky and Virginia in Harlan, Kentucky to Cate Fopma-Leimbach and John Lachey. Along with his brother Drew Lachey, he has a step sister, Josie, a half brother, Issac, and two adopted siblings, Zac and Kaitlin. Nick and his brother Drew attended the School for Creative and Performing Arts, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He then pursued acting at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. After a year, Nick transferred to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio where he studied Sports Medicine and become a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. It was during summer break when he got an invitation from a fellow Ohioan Jeff Timmons to audition in Hollywood and form a boy band that eventually becomes 98 degrees. Completing the group is Nick’s high school pal Justin Jeffre and younger brother Drew.
As one-fourth of the vocal group sensation 98º, Nick has enjoyed multi-platinum sales and sold-out world tours. The group bags a Top 20 hit with "Invisible Man" off their self-titled debut album. By the end of 1998, boy band mania is in full swing! Their album 98 Degrees and Rising spawns the Top 10 hit "Because of You."
Nick Lachey became even more popular when he starred in the reality TV show Newlyweds with his then-wife and a fellow pop star Jessica Simpson. It was premiered on MTV in August of 2003 to a huge amount of viewers and recognition. The outrageous quotes, hilarious lifestyle, and mega-spending of the young couple made Newlyweds a phenomenon. Aside from Newlyweds, Nick has appeared in films: Bewitched and The Hard Easy, both in 2005.

James William Van Der Beek Jr.

James William Van Der Beek Jr. best known as Dawson Leery in Dawson’s Creek in 1998, is an American television, film and stage actor. He was born on March 8, 1977, in Cheshire, Connecticut, USA to father Jim Van Der Beek, a cellular-phone company executive and mother Melinda Van Der Beek, a gymnastics studio owner and former Broadway dancer. James was a football player during his childhood, but due to injury, he had to stop from playing for a year. During this period, James’ interest landed into acting and was cast in the role of Danny Zuko in his school production of “Grease”. He was then engaged in local theatre before he made his professional acting debut in the off-Broadway production of “Finding the Sun”.
In 1995 James made his feature film debut in the teen film "Angus" portraying the role of Rick Sanford. After a year, he was given a very small supporting role in a romance drama “I Love You, I Love You Not”. His big break came in 1998 when he auditioned and won the lead role in the teen TV series “Dawson’s Creek”. The TV series was a smash hit worldwide and his on and off air chemistry with Katie Holmes was part of the reason of its success. James’ popularity quickly soared high and continues to do more projects and TV appearances even after the series. To name a few of his films: “Varsity Blues”(1999), “Texas Rangers”(2001), “The Rules of Attraction”(2002),” Sex, Power, Love & Politics”(2006), “Eye of the Beast”(2007), “Football Wives”(2007), and “Taken In Broad Dayligth”(2009).

Taylor Daniel Lautner

Another young man added to the list of famous martial arts movie actors in Hollywood is Taylor Daniel Lautner. Taylor was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on February 11, 1992 to parents, Deborah who works for a software development company and Daniel an airline pilot. He and his younger sister Makena, were then raised in Hudsonville, Michigan and are of Dutch, French, and German descent, but also claim some Native American ancestry, which offers a connection to the character he plays on the Twilight series.
Taylor started studying martial arts at the age of six. Skills acquired have gotten him into top and ranked as number one in the world for NASKA’s Black Belt Open Forms, Musical Weapons, Traditional Weapons and Traditional Forms. Hence, at the age of 12, he won the Junior World Championship. Lautner once showed off his martial art skills on an episode of “America's Most Talented Kids”.
Taylor Lautner undoubtedly become one of the most famous, talented, and successful young Hollywood actors. His first TV appearance was on 2001 in the film “Shadow Fury”. Thereafter, he appeared in television series like “The Bernie Mac Show”, “My Wife & the Kids”, “Summerland” before landing his breakthrough role in 2005 at the age of 13 as shark boy in the film “The Adventure of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D” which he utilized martial arts skills. The same year, Taylor also appeared in the film “Cheaper by the Dozen 2” portraying the role of Eliot Murtaugh.
Not long enough, Taylor finds himself playing an iconic and challenging role of a werewolf hunk Jacob Black in the record breaking blockbuster hit series “Twilight” by Stephenie Meyer . He continued to branch out into other roles and films such as the star studded romantic comedy “Valentine’s Day” and the action-packed thriller “Abduction”.

Robert Pattinson

Robert Douglas Thomas Pattinson was born on May 13, 1986, in London, England. Among the brood of three, Robert is the youngest and the only son of Richard and Clare Pattinson. His father was a vintage car importer while his mother worked for a modelling agency. Aside from being an actor, model and producer, Pattison is an excellent musician who plays both the guitar and piano. He performs two songs on the Twilight soundtrack, “Never Think,” which he co-wrote with Sam Bradley, and “Let Me Sign.”
When Robert was 15, he started acting in amateur plays with the Barnes Theatre Company. Afterward, he took supporting roles in the made for television film Ring of the Nibelungs (2004), and in director Mira Nair’s 2004 Vanity Fair, although his scenes in the latter were deleted, and only appear on the DVD version. He got his first big break when he was cast as Cedric Diggory in both “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” and “Harry Potter and the "Order of the Phoenix”. Following his stint as Cedric Diggory, Pattinson was named 2005's "British Star of Tomorrow" by Times Online and has been dubbed "the next Jude Law" by Teen People.
The British actor is arguably the hottest new star in Hollywood as he portrayed the leading role of Edward Cullen in the film adaptations of the bestselling novels “Twilight” by Stephenie Meyer. Since then, he's gone on to be an international superstar, reprising his role in “The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)” and “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)”. In fact, he works nonstop—in between Twilight movies, he's also played starring roles in "Bel Ami" with Christina Ricci, "Remember Me" with Emilie de Ravin and "Water for Elephants" opposite Reese Witherspoon.

David Burtka

David Burtka graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena with a culinary arts degree. He has trained under chef Mario Batali at his award winning restaurant BABBO and with award winning chef and author Gina De Palma. While in New York City, he worked as a private chef and then moved on to open his own catering company, Gourmet M.D.

David is a firm believer in sustainable food – from the market to the table. He has cooked for many celebrity clients, including Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks and John Hamm, Star Trek’s Zack Quinto, Modern Family’s Jesse Tyler Ferguson, American Idol’s Kara Dioguardi, and Iron Chef’s Cat Cora. He also has been seen as a guest judge on Bravo’s TOP CHEF MASTERS. As an actor, David has been on Broadway with Bernadette Peters in GYPSY and on television in the West Wing, CSI: NY, and How I Met Your Mother. He splits his time living in New York City and Los Angeles.

Tom Ford

Born in Texas in 1962, Tom Ford has become the most influential designer of the last decade.

Tom made his move to the Big Apple as a teenager and enrolled at the NY University, in Art History, before changing to take up Architecture at Parsons School of Design in New York.

In 1986 he joined the creative staff of the famous American designer Cathy Hardwick, and two years later he became the Design Director at Perry Ellis. By 1990 Tom had moved to Milan and joined the team at Gucci, as Women’s Wear Designer. Within two years he’d climbed the corporate ladder to become Gucci’s Creative Director.

After Gucci bought a controlling stake in Yves Saint Laurent, Ford was appointed creative director. Ford says the secret of his success is his energy, and he only sleeps around three hours a night. His celebrity fans include the likes of Madonna, Bianca Jagger and Trudie Styler!

Tom caused a bit of an advertising stir with the promotion for his M7 fragrance. The campaign featured naked model Samuel de Cubber in a full-frontal pose. But as Tom says: "Perfume is worn on the skin, so why hide the body? The M7 campaign is really pure, it’s a very academic nude. I wanted to show a man who represents a natural and relaxed image of male beauty".

Tom also hit the headlines with his sensational Gucci ad, featuring a naked woman whose bikini line has been waxed into the shape of the letter `G`.

In 2004, Ford parted company with Gucci, after a disagreement over his contract, and rumour has it that his sights are set on Hollywood.

Jason Mraz

jasonmraz is a southern california wanna-be born in virginia to a brief stint in new york studying the ancient art of musical theatre. jason began playing guitar late in life, 18, at strawberry fields and on the streets of manhattan. during that period of experimentation and transformation, jason was inspired by a psychic in central park to dream the way he does today. the lesson offered to him was "to avoid the questioner and go with what you know. get experience youth, he said" and following this new rule as well as his instincts to sing he eventually made his way out west where he has spent the last two years in san diego learning from the best about sleep, peace, and poetry in song.

jason has always had a vision to see how songs could be interpreted if left only to the listener to decide. what began as "songs to sleep to", a collection of songs for an album fit to play during one's dreamlife, has now evolved into a moving wide awake exploration for jason. since his ridiculous move out west (according to his virginia native family), he has shared venues with bob dylan, paula cole, jewel, and david gray to name a few.

in 2002 jason set up camp in los angeles and partnered with percussionist toca rivera playing weekly there and still in san diego at the world famous java joe's in ocean beach. (check local listings) together they are traveling the coasts this summer and are moving to make the album jason once heard in a dream.

the following is an excerpt of an interview i never had with jason earlier this year. it is 2001, the year of the snake, jason's birth year. he is excited, optimistic, and encouragably humble.

what inspires jasonmraz?
"robots. i admire the old ones man predicted would evolve that look a lot like humans in aluminum foil costumes. it says something about how we envision the future. at least, how our forefathers saw it"

"god. understanding that there is god in everything. especially us. and god sees fit that we do and say whatever we need to to play our part in this life. knowing there is no right or wrong answer.. and stuff."

"breakdancing. i never learned to do it when it came around the first time. but i once saw a man of 60 plus years throw down. i knew it was never too late to begin anything."

"smoking. it's religious. something about seeing your breath, breathing fire, feeling like a dragon or sinatra. i think sometimes i'll smoke myself new octaves." "..and dreams."

what about musical inspirations?
"oh those. the last few years i've submerged myself in anything i could get my hands on. there's so much out there. i love instrumentalists like AIR, or name any DJ. i'm more into dancing than understanding someone's story. if i listen to too many words at once i get my own out of order. but if i have to answer i'd tell you belle and sebastian, beck, bjork, john coltrane, miles davis, nick drake, bob dylan, michael jackson, dave matthews, greg page, toca rivera, sade, ..sir mix-a-lot to be alphabetical. that's a tough question. i could name hundreds i keep in rotation."

how do you meet toca rivera and convince him to join you?
"it wasn't hard. he was one of the first people i met when i moved to san diego. i joined he and his brother carlos olmeda and we did some touring together and a commercial for spike lee, thanks to carlos. that was an amazing experience. after awhile we all went our own way to write and make sure we didn't kill each other before the ride was over. i asked toca if he wanted to keep playing with me. i dug the groove toca laid down with his drum. he says he digs the songs and i like delicate touch on the harmonies he finds. he's like every member of the dave matthews band and boys to men rolled up in one prized wind-up teddy bear designed to beat drum. and the ladies love some toca rivera. he was once on the love connection in the eighties. grand champion i think."

any pets?
"just toca.. no, not anymore. times were tough once. we got hungry."

any loves in your life?
"just the pursuit of happiness right now. that's love to me. but whatever or whoever gets in the way i'll ask to dance usually."

how many times a day does someone like you look at his tongue in the mirror?
"twenty, at least. that's four times an hour during the five i'm awake at home working. and usually those are during the midnight hours."

so where are the rest of your hours spent?
"searching. be it hidden within the grip of l.a.'s tit, or tucked safely somewhere in my head that i lean to in my bed. i love dreams. i can't get enough of them. everyday i wake up asking myself, who came up with that? oh, you did."

like what?
"like this one dream i had. i was visiting a high school where i guess i was working for this new telephone company. i was with my partner and we were installing a new phone booth into one of the halls. before we were even done programming the thousands of numbers needed to program, there was a line through the whole school waiting to use this phone. it wasn't your average phone. you could dial up old conversations you'd had with someone years ago, like a loved one or former schoolmate. you just sat there and listened to the two of you talk. the phonebook was printed to give you letters you had written or once received that needed to be found and rediscovered. i woke up laughing and wishing i could get to one of those phones. i tried to get some investors and get the prototype rolling but it was a lot harder to do that was presented in my dream. but you see what i mean? i never would have come up with that in my state of awake."

"i think there is so much life to be lived and learned, especially when you are asleep. and the things you can do are boundless compared to this simple life. i'm sure everyone flies from time to time and it's always enough to leave an impression and create a memory of doing so. and that's what a life is really. a collection of memories."

are you into finding what's symbolic of your dreams?
"always. but according to freud i'm a pervert. i find peace of mind where i need to and complete awe in others. i think of them as movies i've seen and come up with my own interpretations. often in my music. it's how i've gotten so far i believe."

like the saying, follow your dreams.
"exactly. eventually you find the fine line between when you are awake and when you are knocked out. and then you're really collecting and creating. it's important that i try to make a life rather than a living."

you seem to be doing just that. and folks are catching on. it seems you are gaining new followers day by day who just love what you do.
"i think maybe they laugh at what i do. but as long as i can take them away from any stress for a couple of hours, i'll be anyone's clown. i love to see the world smile. and while the world's got it's mouth open grinning, i'll sing right down their throats hoping they'll find their own way of regurgitating it later spreading the sickness of simple life. like a global vomiting of wisdom, purity, and enlightenment. good things."

so what's next for jasonmraz?
"i think just that. i've had a lot of luck finding those who share my dream and wish to pursue this as a career. we're taking the steps now to advance to a more major market and turn more on lives to the madness. there are still many secrets i wish to unveil and many places in this world i wish to see and feel. i hope to just keep moving, writing, singing and sleeping until there is nothing left to be said and done. and by the looks of our current boundaries, we've only just begun."

one more question. if this were a perfect world. where would you be and what would you be doing?
"i've had this one before. i'd be right here doing this. it is a perfect world somewhat and we all have the power to be and do what we choose. there is nowhere i'd rather be and no name i'd rather call myself."

great. now if anyone asks, you never saw me and this never happened.
"i never knew you."