Stars

Pee Dee Academy welcomes back hoop stars in annual alumni game

Pee Dee Academy welcomes back hoop stars in annual alumni game
MULLINS — Every year, as the high school basketball season comes to an end, tears are shed. Some of sorrow, some of joy and some with feelings that they have just finished something they can never have back.
Read more on Marion Star & Mullins Enterprise

save the date
March 18 — The 29th Annual Chester County Antiques Show, a benefit for the Chester County Historical Society (CCHS), is returning for another year to the Westtown School. Beginning with a Preview Party on Friday, March 18 (5 p.m. early admission — $ 200; 6 p.m. regular admission — $ 130), guests will be able to enjoy cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and a light buffet, while viewing the displays of …
Read more on Daily Local News

Scanlan started her education at home
The North Platte Telegraph The Scanlan family’s experience with home schooling may be one of the country’s most prominent examples of its potential. Miss America 2011 Teresa Scanlan and her five siblings were home schooled – Teresa from kindergarten until the 10th grade.
Read more on North Platte Telegraph

Tags: Academy, alumni, Annual, Back, Game, hoop, Stars, Welcomes

Saturday, March 12th, 2011 Scholarship For Mothers No Comments

Reach For The Stars With Strength Training For Girls Basketball

Strength training for girls basketball follows the same principles as training for boys. Sport specific training is about developing the agility and endurance needed for a particular activity to increase competitiveness.

In basketball, there are specific moves that the body must be prepared to handle with ease to avoid injury. Basketball has been a girls sport for a long time, but now strength training for girls basketball takes into consideration the special requirements of still developing young women.

Girls want to reach for the stars with their shots, but they also want to land in such a way that they don’t injure their joints.

Strength Training For Girls Basketball – Twinkle, Twinkle …

Little girls learn the cute song about twinkling stars while dancing on their toes. It is hard to imagine those same dainty little girls making jump shots, the sound of pounding feet on the court.

Those same pounding feet are sending shock waves through the body, traveling through young joints and pulling on tendons and ligaments. The truth is that game can be safe for females, but only with strength training for girls basketball. Strength training will:

Increase flexibility and agility

Result in overall physical fitness

Develop sport specific skills

Increase speed

Increase pivotal turning

Develop endurance

Create strong core muscles

Balance exercise and nutrition

Unlike adults, girls are still maturing. Their bones and soft tissue need additional protection. There is not much worse than watching a young girl injure herself, knowing with your foresight that the injury could haunt her the rest of her life. Taking protection now with proper athletic training can make all the difference. Strength training for girls basketball focuses on developing the right skills and protecting young bodies.

Strength Training for Girls Basketball – Black Holes

When a star burns out, it leaves something called a black hole. Black holes are still somewhat of a mystery, but the point is that stars can burn out early and when they do damage is left in their wake.

Basketball is a high speed, nonstop sport that puts strain on all the body’s joints. The sport makes injuries called anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries common. These types of injuries result from the bad landings on jumps and twisting moves. An ACL injury means that the knee has been damaged and will most likely require surgery.

Girls are much more likely to incur this type of injury than boys due to muscular-skeletal differences. The ACL injury risk is increased when there has not been proper fitness training. Strength training for girls reduces the chances for this common injury by targeting moves that increase flexibility and resistance to injuries.

Strengthens hamstring muscles

Strengthens ankles

Teaches proper landings

Improves balance

Young girls with still growing bones can develop an irritation of the tibia where a tendon is attached also. Strength training helps develop strong bodies better able to absorb the impact of basketball activities. Strength training for girls basketball also focuses on developing muscles that protect the neck, shoulders and wrists.

Strength Training For Girls Basketball – Glittering Success

Your young basketball star can enjoy the thrill of competitive athletics safely and confidently with strength training for girls basketball. Injuries caused while bodies are still developing can have long-term consequences, including the development of arthritis at points of injuries. To learn more about training for girls, visit http://hop.clickbank.net/hop.cgi?meltthefat/vjump. Strength training for girls basketball can help insure injury-free glittering success.

About the Author

Lynn VanDyke is an elite personal trainer focused on achieving maximum results for her clients. Learn more about Lynn and receive tons of fitness, health and nutrition information at her website.

Tags: Basketball, Girls, Reach, Stars, Strength, Training

Friday, October 29th, 2010 Grants No Comments

Olympics: Government Too Busy Peddling Schemes to Support Future Stars

If there is a god of sport – and at this stage in the British medal procession who can seriously doubt that there is? – then please let him have me wake up tomorrow morning as the owner of a bicycle shop.

High-grade carbon-fiber frame? Sorry sir, we are sold out. Aerodynamic bodysuit? Alas, someone came in five minutes ago and bought the last dozen. The talent, dedication and competitive will of Victoria Pendleton? Madam, there are some things money can’t buy.

The point is that we are all cyclists now, or at least we will be until we get a puncture 15 miles from home only to discover we forgot to pack a spare inner tube, or until the nights start drawing in, or until Sunday afternoons parked in front of the telly watching another dreary Premier League match become a more attractive proposition than Sunday afternoons peddling on the A956 as mud is sprayed in your face by a passing SUV.

The garages and garden sheds of Britain are the graveyard of sporting fads, with abandoned golf clubs piled on rusting bikes and tennis rackets entangled in the laces of trainers bought in the first flush of marathon mania. Such is the fate of modern mass enthusiasm. There is no shame – only a financial penalty – attached to having believed that sporting stardom was only a £300 impulse buy away. Bruce Springsteen might argue otherwise, but some people really weren’t born to run. Or play golf. Or tennis. Or cycle.

Let those unlucky people follow their passions elsewhere, to the library or the nearest multiplex cinema. We wish them well and hope they will forgive us if, in these days of Olympic euphoria, we concentrate our thoughts on those whose interest in sport has been roused by the magnificent performances of British athletes in Beijing.

How do we encourage this interest, harness it and transform it into a permanent feature of our national life? This, as you might fashionably ask, is the 16-gold medal question.

Needless to say there are as many answers as there political hacks and slick-haired PR types wandering around Beijing at the taxpayers’ expense, claiming credit for the achievements of others. It would require a unique gullibility to be taken in by such people, especially when we have access to the wisdom of those athletes who have created the current euphoria.

How do we encourage cycling in this country in the hope that we produce the next Chris Hoy? Easy, we don’t close the Edinburgh council velodrome where the next Chris Hoy might develop his talent. “I wouldn’t be standing here with any medals round my neck if the Meadowbank velodrome hadn’t existed,” the Scotsman said after picking up his third gold of the Games. “Why not built more facilities rather than knocking them down? It’s about getting kids on bikes and into sport.”

That is but one example of the accountancy-driven myopia that might yet stifle hopes of capitalizing on British success in Beijing, but it is by no means the most glaring. No, that distinction belongs to our own government, which refuses to guarantee an additional £100m in athletes’ funding in the lead-up to London 2012.

In the latest get-me-through-the-next-press-conference announcement, the culture minister Andy Burnham unveiled a scheme yesterday called Medal Hopes in which the private sector is to be encouraged to come up with the £100m. Fair enough, you might think, until you read on to discover the government has spent the past two years encouraging the private sector to come up with £100m, an effort that has failed to raise a penny. Nor is it likely to, given the current economic climate and competition for sponsorship money as 2012 approaches. To suggest otherwise, as Burnham did yesterday, is to strain credulity to the limit. To then insist, as he did, that the government is committed to having the “strongest team in London” beggars belief.

There is only one way the government can show its commitment to British athletes and a strong British team in 2012 and that is by guaranteeing the £100m. They should do so before Sunday’s closing ceremony in Beijing – for the next Chris Hoy, and for bike shop owners up and down the land.

Beijing embraces Olympic spirit, but not the foreign spectators that come with it

The walk to the National Stadium is a wonderful experience, especially at night, when the warm breeze caresses the skin, spectators are excitedly making their way to their seats clutching precious tickets and the buildings dotted about the Olympic Park – most notably the stadium itself and the “Water Cube” (aka the National Aquatic Center) – light up the sky like visiting spaceships.

China is proud of the 2008 Games and rightly so. They have been superbly organized, the volunteers have shown, ahem, Olympian politeness and many of the events have been breathtaking, not least in the athletics stadium.

Yet, if I can bastardize a phrase patented by the former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch, these are not “the best Games ever” for the simple reason they have been staged for the greater glory of China and not for the greater good of sport.

Look around on that walk towards the National Stadium and you will see very few foreign visitors, apart from the occasional group of sponsors’ guests being led to their seats by a guide, or a gaggle of English ticket touts trying to rip off the locals. The best Olympics have been those that have embraced internationalism, but the Chinese government’s suspicion of foreigners has meant the rest of the world has largely been excluded. This is a pity for the Games but most especially for the hosts, who have denied themselves the chance to show the world what a fascinating country this is.

You’re free to protest but…

There will be a lot of talk in the coming days about how the 2008 Games have advanced freedoms in China. Believe none of it.

There are people better placed than me to give chapter and verse on the indignities of living in a totalitarian state, although it might serve a useful purpose to draw your attention to a report by the official government news agency that said the Beijing authorities had received 77 requests to demonstrate since August 1.

“Seventy-four applications have been withdrawn so far, because the problems those applicants contended for were properly addressed by relevant authorities or departments through consultations,” the news agency explained. “Two other applications have been suspended because their procedures were incomplete. In one of such cases, for example, the applicant applied to take children to the demonstration, which is against China’s law, and the one remaining application has been vetoed by the public security authority, as it is in violation of China’s law on demonstrations and protests.”

Gold-medal sportsmanship

The Australian swimmer Grant Hackett returned home with the silver medal he won in the men’s 1500m. Less impressively, he also went as my favorite athlete of these Games.

Hackett, who was going for his third successive gold in the event, was denied victory by Oussama Mellouli – a Tunisian swimmer who was only in Beijing courtesy of a controversial decision to cut his two-year ban for a doping offense to 18 months.

Many Australians were incensed but not Hackett, who was offered multiple opportunities to criticize the gold medalist. “His past is his past. You know, he was a better competitor on the blocks,” he said. “There’s no bitterness at all, it is the way it is and that’s life.”

Tags: Busy, Future, Government, Olympics, Peddling, Schemes, Stars, Support

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010 Grants No Comments

Stars Flock to the Jp Mcmanus Pro-am

As kryptonite is to Superman, and Superman is to the bad guys of the comic world, so the pro-am tournament is to professional golfers – six exhausting hours trapped on the course with three amateurs who, if the pro is lucky, will just about be able to get the ball airborne. There can be no greater agony in the game, except a four-putt on the final green to lose a major championship, although it is a close-run thing.

All of which makes events taking place at the Adare Manor club near Limerick later today very unusual. There, along with 162 amateurs, many of the world’s best players will tee it up for a two-day event which threatens to ruin the pro-am’s reputation as the professional’s version of Hades, the JP McManus Pro-Am.

The event’s name comes from its host, the Irish businessman JP McManus. And so does its pull. Whisper it in the presence of those organising the Scottish Open, this week’s “official” European Tour event, but the field at Adare Manor is arguably better than that assembled at Loch Lomond. Padraig Harrington, Michael Campbell, Ernie Els, Davis Love, Luke Donald, Fred Couples, Mark O’Meara, Darren Clarke and Laura Davies form an impressive list of names for any tournament. Add that of Tiger Woods, who stepped on to his private plane after he finished playing in the Western Open in Chicago last night and headed to Ireland’s west coast, and a tournament becomes a significant event on the calendar.

But, if Woods, Campbell, Harrington and company make the pilgrimage to Limerick for something other than the pleasure of playing 36 holes with high-handicap golfers, then the question is what?

It is certainly not to prepare for the links challenge of the Open at St Andrews, starting on Thursday week. It cannot be for the money either. No appearance fees are offered and the prize fund, while more than respectable at €1m, is loose change for the golfing millionaires taking part. “I’m very friendly with JP. He’s a good friend of golf and has helped a lot of professionals down the years,” says Harrington, when asked about his participation. “He doesn’t ask for much in return.”

Campbell, the new US Open champion, is enthused enough at the mention of McManus’s name to launch into a lengthy anecdote about their first meeting. It was 1993, in the clubhouse at a tournament in France, and the New Zealander offered to buy the Irishman a glass of milk (his favourite drink, apparently) before discovering he had left his wallet back at the hotel. “JP said, ‘Don’t worry, it’s taken care of,’” he recalls. “He was so friendly and I had no idea who he was. Then I found out who he was and for me to have such humble beginnings with JP, I respect that. I treated him like a normal person and he did the same. All the players respect him. He’s a great man. Any time he needs me, or my services, I am there for him.”

Tiger Woods is no less effusive, or accommodating when it comes to helping a man whom he first met in 1998 while visiting Ireland to prepare for the Open. They have since become close friends and frequent golfing partners.

It was no coincidence that, when Woods married last year, the service was staged at the Sandy Lane hotel in Barbados, which is co-owned by the Irishman. “We come together for JP and for him only,” the world’s No1 player said recently to an Irish journalist during a one-to-one interview, granted with the specific purpose of publicising his friend’s tournament.

In which case, Woods can be counted as an integral part of an enormously successful enterprise. The last time the event was staged, in 2000, an estimated €20m was raised. Almost one-tenth of that total money was the winning bid for a round of golf with Tiger and his friend Mark O’Meara. (Joe Lewis, a billionaire financier, paid €1.78m for the privilege.)

That sum will be exceeded this year, not least because guests at the post-event dinner on Tuesday will have the chance to bid for luxury cars, luxury holidays and a stallion “nomination” to Giant’s Causeway, which sired Footstepsinthesand, winner of this year’s 2,000 Guineas.

It is assumed this latter prize has been donated by John Magnier, McManus’s business partner and fellow member of the group of enormously wealthy Irish businessmen nicknamed the “Coolmore Mafia”. Legendary in horse-racing circles, McManus and Magnier are better known to the wider public as the former part-owners of Manchester United who fell out with Sir Alex Ferguson over the ownership of Rock Of Gibraltar.

That dispute explains why Ferguson, who played in the 2000 event, will be absent today, although the tournament will not be short of “celebrity” players. As well as many of McManus’s friends from the world of racing the football world will be represented by Michael Owen and Gary Lineker.

But, if the focus of the day’s attention is Woods and the other big names, organisers have been anxious to stress the tournament is open to the ordinary golfer. For the last few months local charities across Ireland have staged qualifying events as part of the fund-raising effort. Nine thousand people entered.

“It is an open, so it is quite possible that any golfer who paid €20 to enter one of the qualifiers could be tee-ing it up with Tiger Woods on Monday morning,” McManus said last week.

Woods must be hugely excited at such a prospect. Then again, the chances are he might not be.

Stellar line-up

Europe’s Ryder Cup players

Peter Baker, Thomas Bjorn, Paul Broadhurst, Paul Casey, Darren Clarke, Andrew Coltart, Eamonn Darcy, Luke Donald, Padraig Harrington, Paul McGinley, Miguel Angel Jiménez, Sandy Lyle, Colin Montgomerie, Christy O’Connor jnr, José María Olazábal, Jesper Parnevik, Ian Poulter, Jarmo Sandelin, Sam Torrance, Jean van de Velde, Philip Walton, Lee Westwood, Ian Woosnam

US Ryder Cup players

John Cook, Fred Couples, Fred Funk, Lee Janzen, Tom Lehman Davis Love lll, Mark O’Meara, Tiger Woods

Other major winners

Rich Beem, Michael Campbell, Ben Curtis, Ernie Els

Celebrities

Michael Owen, Gary Lineker, Jodie Kidd, Alan Hansen, Martin O’Neill, Tony McCoy, Mick Fitzgerald, John Magnier, John Francome, Eddie Jordan, Keith Wood

Tags: Flock, Mcmanus, Proam, Stars

Friday, May 14th, 2010 Grants No Comments

Stars Back Fight to Get the Uk Fit

Stars back fight to get the UK fiterver campaign calling on the government to reinvest some of the £5 billion a year profit it makes from sport back into improving facilities and boosting participation.

James Cracknell, the double Olympic gold medal-winning rower, said he was surprised to learn that sport produced such large amounts of income tax, VAT and corporation tax for the Treasury.

A report commissioned by the quango Sport England found that the government receives £5.517bn in income from sport but hands out just £661 million in grants from the exchequer and the National Lottery, producing a profit of £4.856bn.

Cracknell said: ‘I didn’t know the Government made that much from sport. But if you think about the tax on Frank Lampard’s wages [an estimated £80,000-a-week for the Chelsea midfielder], it soon adds up. I was unaware there was so little public money going back in.’

Cracknell criticised ministers for undervaluing sport by not putting in enough taxpayers’ money.

A report to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport last week by Sport England chairman Lord Patrick Carter found that central government provides just £200m of the estimated £1.8bn of public funding that goes into sport in England – or just £4 a head. The rest is from local councils and the National Lottery.

‘Lottery money shouldn’t replace money the government should be putting in itself,’ Cracknell added. ‘If the Lottery wasn’t there, and the government was only funding sport to the tune of £200m, there would be an outcry.’

West Ham and England football legend Sir Trevor Brooking said: ‘I would like to see a reasonable share of that £5bn being reinvested.

‘It would cost about £2bn to bring the surfaces, changing rooms and drainage of all the 45,000 public football pitches in England up to scratch, yet at the moment only £45m a year is spent through the Football Foundation. At the current rate of investment, it will take more than my lifetime to get those facilities right.’

Brooking, a former chairman of Sport England who is now the Football Association’s director of football development, said sports organisations needed guaranteed long-term investment from government rather than pledges of only one year’s funding at a time.

He added that a new single body should deal with applications for sports funding rather than the 90 that exist at present, and called for an end to the ‘bureaucratic jungle’ faced by local sports clubs pursuing grants.

Roger Black, the Olympic silver medal-winning 400m runner, said: ‘If there’s money being made by government off the back of sport and if more of that can be got hold of by sport, that’s good.

‘My gut feeling is that sport doesn’t get the money it deserves from government, especially given the key role it has to play in improving the nation’s health, for example.

‘It’s more important to spend money on coaches than facilities, as they are the people whose energy, talent and commitment will encourage young people to take up sport. We can’t just rely on the many parents who act as volunteer coaches in sports such as rugby, athletics and football.’

The governing bodies of the four biggest sports – football, rugby, tennis and cricket – have formed an alliance to demand fairer treatment from government. They claim that ministers are increasingly expecting sport to help deliver key objectives such as improving educational attainment, reducing anti-social behaviour and reducing obesity, but providing far too little money.

Writing in today’s Observer Sport, Francis Baron, the Rugby Football Union’s chief executive, calls on ministers to reinvest £1bn of its £5bn profit from sport in order to improve the nation’s health through higher levels of physical activity.

The RFU, the FA, the England and Wales Cricket Board and the Lawn Tennis Association want changes to a tax system they say is ‘unfair and anomalous’ towards sport such as incentives to boost the building of new facilities and an exemption from corporation tax to reward their investment as not-for-profit organisations in grassroots sport, and the creation of a single body through which the many different streams of funding for sport can be accessed.

Lord Carter’s report found that sports suffers from a serious under-investment compared to other rich countries. While £36 of public money is spent on sport per head of population in England, France spends £110, Finland £84 and Australia £43. Only Germany spends less, at £30.

Tags: Back, Fight, Stars

Friday, May 14th, 2010 Grants No Comments

Female Hollywood Movie Stars

Vivacious, talented, intelligent and incredibly beautiful, our favorite female Hollywood actresses are only getting better with time! This list of hottest female Hollywood movie stars is not just about beauty, it’s about talent as well. Hollywood has witnessed many movie stars who have created a special identity for them in show biz. These ladies sure know how to reign and have won the hearts of millions with their beauty and talent. However, not all of them have always carried themselves with grace, but then, that’s all a part of a movie star’s life. Love them or hate them, we simply can’t ignore them. Here are some of the topmost and hottest female Hollywood movie stars who have enthralled audiences since ages.

Female Hollywood Movie Stars:

Jennifer Aniston:
Jennifer Aniston (11th February, 1969) is one of the hottest and most popular Hollywood actresses popularly known as Rachel Green – the character in the US television sitcom ‘Friends’. This talented Hollywood actress began her career with television. She is known for her performances in movies such as ‘Bruce Almighty’, ‘Rumor Has It’, ‘Along Came Polly’, ‘Office Space’, ‘Derailed’ etc. She was also in the news for her divorce with Brad Pitt.

Jessica Alba:
Jessica Alba (28th April 1981) is rated as one of the hottest and sexiest film and television actresses in the recent times. Known for her performances in films like ‘Honey’, ‘Fantastic Four’, ‘Sin City’, ‘Good Luck Chuck’ and also a television series, ‘Dark Angel’, this lovely lady has bagged many awards not only for her acting prowess, but also for her stunning looks! It’s not a wonder men have rated her as the number one on the list of Most Desirable Women.

Halle Berry:
This dusky American actress is not only an award winning performer but also a former fashion model and beauty queen. Halle Berry (14th August, 1966) is renowned as the first Afro-American lady to have bagged the award for the Best Actress. She starred in movies such as ‘Monster’s Ball’, ‘Jungle Fever’, ‘The Flintstones’, ‘Die Another Day’ etc. One of the highest paid actresses of Hollywood, this lovely lady continues to woo audiences with her talent and sex appeal.

Angelina Jolie:
Angelina Jolie (4th June, 1975) is one of the top female Hollywood Movie Stars who is also known world over as the most beautiful woman in the world. With many awards to her credit, such as the Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild Awards and the Academy Awards, she was more in the news due to her relationship with Brad Pitt. With Brad Pitt by her side, Angelina has adopted three children apart from her three biological children. She is known for her performance in THmovies such as, ‘George Wallace’, ‘Gia’, ‘Girl Interrupted’, ‘Lara Croft: Tomb Raider’ and ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’.

Sandra Bullock:
Known for her acting talent, this Hollywood movie star is an award-winning performer known for her hits ‘Speed’, ‘Miss Congeniality’, ‘While You Were Sleeping’ etc. Sandra (26th July, 1964) has shown her acting talent by opting for a variety of roles that displayed her skill in various departments. Her first movie appearance was seen in the sci-fi movie, ‘Demolition Man’. Her roles have always fetched her critical acclaim.

Reese Witherspoon:
This pretty lady happened to attend a casting call and instead bagged the lead role in an audition in 1990. From there on, Reese Witherspoon (22nd March, 1976) soon received many offers. In the year 1996, she was offered a role in two major films. Reese tasted success with movies such as ‘Overnight Delivery’, ‘Pleasantville’, ‘Walk the Line’, ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ and of course, the box office hit, ‘Legally Blonde’ and ‘Legally Blonde 2’. One of the highest paid female Hollywood movie stars, she has stolen the hearts of many with her pretty looks and acting talent.

Jennifer Garner:
This lovely lady began her career with small odd jobs in television. In 2002, Jennifer Garner (17th April, 1972) finally tasted success when she won an award for ‘Best Actress in a Television Series’ for the spy drama, ‘Alias’. The commercial success of the romantic comedy, ‘13 Going on 30’ further established her as an actress in Hollywood. She is also known for her roles in movies such as ‘Dude, Where’s My Car?’, ‘Catch Me If You Can’, ‘Juno’, ‘Elektra’, ‘The Kingdom’ etc.

Julia Roberts:
This pretty woman has always floored everybody with her performances and stunning looks! Julia Roberts (28th October, 1967) achieved international fame when she starred opposite Richard Gere in ‘Pretty Woman’. One of the highest paid actresses in the world; Julia was also one of the first actresses to appear on the cover page of the very glamorous magazine, ‘Vogue’. Following ‘Pretty Woman’, Julia had many hits to her credit. She demonstrated her acting skills in ‘Sleeping with the Enemy’, ‘Hook’, ‘The Pelican Brief’, ‘My Best Friends Wedding’, ‘Notting Hill’, ‘Runaway Bride’, ‘Erin Brockovich’ etc. She has received several awards and nominations for her outstanding work in her journey through Hollywood as an actress of great acting prowess.

Gwyneth Paltrow:
This American actress had her debut in 1990 on stage. Gwyneth (27th September, 1972) was noticed in the film, ‘Se7en’ which fetched her commercial success. She also appeared in many other films such as, ‘Shakespeare in Love’, ‘A Perfect Murder’, ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’, ‘Iron Man’ etc.

Meg Ryan:
Margaret, popularly known as Meg Ryan, began her career with a television commercial. Meg (19th November, 1961) then appeared in several television roles. She first achieved success when she played the role of Sally in ‘When Harry Met Sally’ with Tom Hanks. From there on, Meg achieved superstardom with movies such as ‘Sleepless in Seattle’, ‘When a Man Loves a Woman’, ‘You’ve Got Mail’, ‘Proof of Life’, ‘Kate & Leopold’ etc.

Susan Sarandon:
This Oscar winning actress is famous for her acting as well as her contribution towards social causes. Susan (4th October, 1946) began her career with several movies that went unnoticed until she was catapulted to fame when she starred in the movie, ‘Bill Durham’. She went on to establish herself as a fine actress with movies such as, ‘Atlantic City’, ‘Thelma & Louise’, ‘The Client’, ‘Dead Man Walking’, ‘Stepmom’, ‘Shall We Dance’ etc. She won an Oscar award for the movie ‘Dead Man Walking’.

Hillary Swank:
This American actress was involved in acting from an early age and was also good at sports. Hillary Swank (30th July, 1974) started with her career in Hollywood with a very teeny role in the movie, ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’. ‘Boy’s Don’t Cry’ fetched her much fame and adulation. She also achieved stupendous success with the award winning film, ‘Million Dollar Baby’. The Academy Award winning actress has surely made her mark in Hollywood!

Uma Thurman:
Uma Thurman (29th April, 1970) is known for a range of roles that ranges from romance, comedy, science fiction and even drama. Uma Thurman was associated with modeling since the time she was 15. Her debut in the movie industry happened in the year 1988. ‘Dangerous Liaisons’ brought Uma the much-needed attention. Apart from this movie, she also became popular with films such as ‘Pulp Fiction’, ‘Gattaca’ and the ‘Kill Bill’ series. This pretty lady also bagged the contract for endorsing the brand, ‘Louis Vuitton’.

Keira Knightley:
Talented and beautiful, this actress sure has a range of roles that have helped her to establish a strong foothold in this industry. Keira Knightley (26th March 1985) was associated with acting since her childhood days. Better known as Elizabeth Bennet in the movie, ‘Pride and Prejudice’, she also joined the list of the highest paid actresses and was also the only non-American female. Keira’s most noticeable performance happened with the release of ‘Bend it Like Beckham’. From there on, she gave the biggest hits starring in trilogies of the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’. She also starred in a role in ‘Love Actually’. Apart from this, she is also known for her role in ‘Atonement’, which also fetched her the Empire Award for Best Actress and several nominations. Her role as Elizabeth Bennet also fetched her several nominations.

Meryl Streep:
This award-winning actress is one such person who can essay any sort of role. Mary Streep, better known as Meryl Streep (22nd June, 1949) had her film debut in the year 1977 in ‘Julia’. Her second film bagged her the Academy Award nomination for the movie, ‘The Deer Hunter’. Since then, this talented Hollywood star has a wide range of roles to her credit. More recently, she is known for the perfect representation of the rather obnoxious fashion magazine editor in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’. This vivacious personality has won the Academy Awards twice, along with BAFTA awards, Emmy Awards and the Golden Globe Awards.

Cameron Diaz:
She began her career at the age of 16 in the fashion industry. She bagged assignments with fashion designers such as Calvin Klein and Levi’s. It was at the age of 21 when Cameron Diaz (30th August, 1972) landed with the lead role in ‘The Mask’. From there on, Cameron bagged more films like ‘The Last Supper’, ‘Feeling Minnesota’, ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding’, ‘There’s Something About Mary’ etc. She also became popular due to ‘Charlie’s Angels’. This actress is also one of the highest paid female stars in Hollywood. She has won the Golden Globe Award, Best Actress for ‘There’s ‘Something About Mary’ apart from many other awards and nominations for all her hit movies.

Salma Hayek:
This Mexican actress with her beautiful, dusky looks has surely established herself as a prominent Hollywood movie star. Salma Hayek (2nd September, 1966) is also known as the first Mexican national who was nominated for the category of the Best Actress for the Oscars. Her role in the movie, ‘Teresa’ catapulted her to fame as an actress in Mexico. She got her much-needed break with ‘Desperado’ in 1995. She also achieved success due to films such as ‘Wild Wild West’, ‘Fools Rush In’, ‘Frida’ etc.

Penelope Cruz:
This beautiful Spanish actress has achieved much fame due to her Spanish films as well as many American films. Penelope Cruz (28th April, 1974) was first noticed in a Spanish video clip. Her film, ‘Vanilla Sky’ got her much attention in Hollywood. She was also seen in films such as ‘Blow’ and ‘Bandidas’. This lovely actress is also the first Spanish actress to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. Apart from this, Penelope Cruz has several other prestigious nominations.

Nicole Kidman:
One of the highest paid actresses of all times, Nicole Kidman appeared in films when she was only 15 years old. The breakthrough happened in 1989 when Nicole Kidman (20th June, 1967) appeared in a movie titled, ‘Dead Calm’. ‘Days of Thunder’, ‘Batman Forever’, ‘To Die For’, ‘Eyes Wide Shut’, ‘The Hours’ and ‘Moulin Rouge!’ brought her international fame and awards as well as nominations. She was also much in the news for her relation with Hollywood hunk, Tom Cruise.

Michelle Pfeiffer:
Michelle Pfeiffer is an American actress with great talent and gorgeous looks. Michelle began her acting career with television roles. Michelle’s (29th April, 1958) first break happened in ‘Grease 2’ where she did receive much attention. She then had more hits with movies such as ‘Scarface’, ‘The Witches of Eastwick’, ‘Dangerous Liasons’, ‘The Fabulous Baker Boys’, ‘The Russia House’, ‘Frankie and Johnny’ etc. This further helped her bag awards and nominations for her portrayal of these roles. She had many more hits to her credit following these films.

Drew Barrymore:
Drew Barrymore (22nd February, 1975) is definitely one of the popular and talented movie stars of Hollywood who had her first connection with the camera when she was only eleven months old! Drew Barrymore has a list of hits to her credit. Some of her hits include ‘The Wedding Singer’, ‘Charlie’s Angels’, ‘Lucky You’, ‘50 First Dates’, ‘Never Been Kissed’ etc.

Kate Hudson:
This attractive personality has established herself as a prominent actress in Hollywood. Kate Hudson (19th April, 1979) became famous when she starred in ‘Almost Famous’. From there on, Kate had many more hits with films such as ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days’. ‘You, Me and Dupree’, ‘Fool’s Gold’ etc. ‘Almost Famous’ fetched her an Academy Award nomination.

Jennifer Lopez:
Popularly known as J.Lo, (24th July, 1969) this dusky beauty is not only an actress but is also a singer and a talented dancer as well. She began her career trying to get a break in music videos as a dancer and finally landed up as a backup dancer for Janet Jackson’s super hit song, ‘That’s the Way Love Goes’. From there, began her journey with television and films. She even bagged the ALMA Awards as an outstanding actress for her role in ‘Selena’, ‘Angel Eyes’ and ‘Out of Sight’.

Catherine Zeta-Jones:
An attractive personality and oodles of talent; Catherine is a movie star of amazing capabilities. A British actress, Catherine Zeta-Jones (25th September, 1969) made her mark in UK and US based television films and also many movies that shot her to fame in Hollywood. Her stage career began at an early age. She was always inclined towards dancing and acting. She is held in high regard for her performances in movies such as ‘The Phantom’, ‘Entrapment’, ‘The Mask of Zorro’ and ‘Chicago’. ‘Chicago’ fetched her many awards and nominations.

Scarlette Johansson:
Scarlette has won the hearts of many with her attractive persona. This lovely lady began her acting from her childhood days. Scarlette Johansson (22nd November, 1984) was first noticed for her performance in the ‘The Horse Whisperer’. Scarlette also gained fame for her performances in ‘Lost in Translation’, ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’ and ‘Ghost World’. These movies fetched her nominations leading to award wins!

Renee Zellweger:
Renee began her career by appearing in many films. Renee Zellweger (25th April, 1969) procured a main role in the movie ‘Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre’. She further achieved fame due to her role in ‘Jerry Maguire’. She is also known for her portrayal of the character – Bridget Jones. She also starred in the lead role in the super hit film, ‘Chicago’. She has won several awards from the Academy Award, Golden Globe, SAG Award and even the BAFTA Awards.

Cate Blanchett:
This Academy Award winning actress is of Australian origin. Cate Blanchett (14th May, 1969) achieved fame when she starred in the Shekhar Kapur film, ‘Elizabeth’. From there on, she was noticed in the ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy. She has had several nominations and awards especially due to the film. ‘The Aviator’.

Kirsten Dunst:
She is not only an amazing actress; Kirsten is also a singer who gained fame as ‘Mary Jane Watson’ in the Spider-Man series. Kirsten Dunst (30th April, 1982) was also known for her performances in ‘Little Women’, ‘Marie Antoinette’ etc. She was nominated twice for her acting prowess.

Sally Field:
This American actress has many awards to her name. Sally Field (6th November, 1946) began her career with television where she generally played roles that had a comic touch. She gained fame when she played the character of Sybil on television where she was awarded the Emmy Award. From there on, began her journey with films. She has bagged two Academy Awards and Golden Globe Awards.

Jane Fonda:
With her stunning looks and perfect body, Jane Fonda (21st December, 1937) is more than just a Hollywood movie star. This beautiful American actress has also been a former fashion model and is known for exercise videos. Her first claim to fame was due to movies such as ‘Barbarella’ and ‘Cat Ballou’. She was also recently seen in ‘Monster in Law’ and ‘Georgia Rule’.

Demi Moore:
An American actress of great talent, Demi Moore (11th November, 1962) began her career with modeling. She appeared in plenty of youthful films in the 1980s, which shot her into the limelight. Films such as ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’, ‘Indecent Proposal’, ‘A Few Good Men’, ‘Ghost’ etc further helped her gain more success.

Sharon Stone:
Sharon Stone (10th March, 1958) shot to stardom with ‘Basic Instinct’. She began her career with modeling and then started off with a small role in ‘Stardust Memories’. From there on, she was seen in movies such as, ‘Action Jackson’, ‘Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold’, ‘King Soloman’s Mines’ etc. It was her appearance in ‘Total Recall’ that helped her achieve fame. ‘Basic Instinct’ and ‘Casino’ further established her as one of the hottest movie stars of Hollywood. Sharon Stone has several awards to her name, which includes Golden Globe, Emmy and Academy Awards.

Charlize Theron:
This actress was initially a fashion model. Charlize Theron (7th August, 1975) then landed up with a few minor roles in films but her career took off only when she achieved success in movies such as ‘The Devil’s Advocate’ and ‘Mighty Joe Young’. Her performance in ‘Monster’ helped her to establish herself in this industry. This bagged her an Academy Award.

Emma Thompson:
Emma Thompson (15th April, 1959) was noticed in the film, ‘The Tall Guy’. From there on, Emma moved on to gain fame for her acting abilities. Her fine performances brought her amongst the arc lights, which fetched her awards as well. Emma has won The Academy Award, Emmy Award and the Golden Globe Award.

Helen Hunt:
Helen Hunt (15th June, 1963) started off as a child actress, which gave her the experience of facing the camera. Helen appeared in a lot of TV shows and was known for her television show, ‘Mad About You’. She then had a successful journey in films with movies such as, ‘Cast Away’, ‘Twister’, ‘As Good As It Gets’ and ‘What Women Want’. She won an Academy Award for her performance in ‘As Good As It Gets’.

Kate Winslet:
Kate Winslet (5th October, 1972) is one of the most beautiful movie stars of Hollywood with oodles of talent. She was the youngest to receive two Oscar nominations at the age of 22. With a start from television, Kate shot to fame with the movie, ‘Heavenly Creatures’. Her successful career graph continued with hits such as, ‘Sense and Sensibility’, ‘Titanic’, ‘Finding Neverland’ etc. She is known for her choice of artistic films. This lovely lady has been nominated several times for the Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Emmy Awards, Grammy Awards, BAFTA Awards and has won the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Whoopi Goldberg:
This American actress was noticed in ‘Citizen: I’m Not Losing My Mind, I’m Giving It Away’. Whoopi Goldberg (13th November, 1955) also received fame and critical acclaim for her performance in ‘The Color Purple’. She is amongst the second African American ladies to win an Academy Award for acting. Whoopi has also won an Emmy Award, Tony Award and Saturn Awards.

Sarah Jessica Parker:
Known all over for her role in the HBO television series titled, ‘Sex and the City’, Sarah is one of the successful Hollywood movie stars of the current crop. Sarah Jessica Parker (25th March, 1965) started out with roles in television and went on to establish her name firmly as a fine actress. Sarah has won four Golden Globe Awards as well as Screen Actors Guild Awards and Emmy Awards.

Katie Holmes:
Katie Holmes (18th December, 1978) began with modeling classes at the age of 14. She is known for her character of Joey Potter for the teen drama titled ‘Dawson’s Creek’. Her first major role in film happened when she bagged a role in ‘Disturbing Behavior’. Katie is more known for her roles in films such as ‘Abandon’ and ‘Batman Begins’.

Lindsay Lohan:
This American teen icon is not only an actress but has also tried her hand at modeling and singing. Lindsay Lohan (2nd July, 1986) began her career at the age of 10. She was noticed for her excellent portrayal as twins in the film, ‘The Parent Trap’. Following this, Lindsay Lohan got a breakthrough with ‘Freaky Friday’. She was further seen in movies such as ‘Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen’, ‘Mean Girls’, ‘Herbie: Fully Loaded’, ‘Just My Luck’.

Kim Basinger:
This American actress was associated with modeling from the age of 16. Kim Basinger (8th December, 1958) then moved to L.A. to pursue a career in acting. She was known as the Bond girl in the movie, ‘Never Say Never Again’. From there on she went on to bag many more roles in movies such as, ‘The Man Who Loved Women’, ‘L.A. Confidential’, ‘Batman’ etc. She has won an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award for her acting talent in the movie, ‘L.A. Confidential’.

Juliaane Moore:
This beautiful American actress worked as a waitress in her early days. Juliaane Moore (3rd December, 1960) got her breakthrough when she won a Daytime Emmy Award for ‘As the World Turns’. She then stared in many other films. She achieved media attention for her acting skills with movies such as, ‘Boogie Nights’, ‘The End of the Affair’, ‘The Forgotten’, ‘The Hours’ etc. Since then, this lady has bagged many prestigious Awards and nominations.

Courteney Cox:
This American actress is best known as Monica Geller of the television sitcom, ‘Friends’. Courteney Cox (15th June, 1964) was first spotted in a music video, ‘Dancing in the Dark’. She was known for her performance in the horror movie, ‘Scream’ and subsequently starred in all the sequels that followed. This talented lady has won several awards and also been nominated many times for her various performances.

Jodie Foster:
Alicia Foster, better known as Jodie Foster (19 November, 1962) was first noticed when she played a role of an underage prostitute in the movie, ‘Taxi Driver’. The performance even fetched her an Oscar nomination for the Best Supporting Actress. She began her career at a very early age. Although she had a successful career as a child artist, it did not hamper her career later on. She successfully carried out all her roles in her adult years with ease. She is particularly known for her performances in ‘The Accused’ and ‘The Silence of the Lambs’.

Marilyn Monroe:
This beautiful American actress was always known for her mesmerizing beauty and acting prowess. Marilyn Monroe (1st June 1926-5th August 1962) had very modest beginnings but went on to become a successful personality. She achieved success with the movie, ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’. ‘How to Marry a Millionaire’, ‘Some Like It Hot’ as well as songs such as ‘Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend’, ‘Kiss’ etc. Memories of this gorgeous lady still continue to reign even today.

Audrey Hepburn:
Beautiful looks and an amazing acting talent, this lady had all the style within her! Rated as one of the most beautiful women ever, Audrey Hepburn had difficult beginnings. Her role was rather tiny in the movie, ‘One Wild Oat’. From there on she starred in many films. She bagged the lead role opposite Gregory Peck in the ‘Roman Holiday’, which showed her talent and beauty to the world. She then starred in ‘Sabrina’, ‘War and Peace’, ‘The Unforgiven’, ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’, ‘My Fair Lady’ etc. She won the English Academy Award, Emmy Awards, Tony Award as well as the Grammy Award.

Sophia Loren:
This beautiful Italian actress has oodles of acting talent. Her beauty got her international fame as a sex symbol. Sophia Loren (20th September 1934) achieved international fame with ‘Desire Under the Elms’, ‘Heller in Pink Tights’, ‘Two Women’, ‘The Millionaires’ etc. She bagged an Academy Award for the Best Actress for the film, ‘Two Women’.

Anne Hathaway:
This pretty lady is known for her role in the Disney comedy titled, ‘The Princess Diaries’. Anne Hathaway (12th November, 1982) is more popular due to her character as a writer in the film, ‘The Devil Wears Prada’. Here, she worked with Meryl Streep, whom she greatly admires. Prior to this Anne starred in ‘Brokeback Mountain’ where she displayed another side of her acting skills.

These were some of the popular, talented and beautiful female Hollywood movie stars who have made their mark and some are still continuing with outstanding work in the world of films. Here’s hoping we get more exceptional leading ladies to this list!

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