Vin Diesel was born Mark Sinclair in Alameda County, California, along with his fraternal twin brother, Paul Vincent. He was raised by his astrologer/psychologist mother, Delora Sherleen (Sinclair), and adoptive father, Irving H. Vincent, an acting instructor and theater manager, in an artist's housing project in New York City's Greenwich Village. He never knew his biological father. His mother is white (with English, German, Scottish, and Irish ancestry), and his adoptive father is African-American; referring to his biological father's background, Diesel has said that he himself is "definitely a person of colour".
His first break in acting happened by chance, when at the age of seven he and his friends broke into a theatre to vandalize it. A woman stopped them and offered them each a script and $20, on the condition that they would attend everyday after school. From there, Vin's fledgling career progressed from the New York repertory company run by his father, to the Off-Off-Broadway circuit. At age seventeen and already sporting a well-honed physique, he became a bouncer at some of New York's hippest clubs to earn himself some extra cash. It was at this time that he changed his name to Vin Diesel.
Following high school, Vin enrolled as an English major at Hunter College, but dropped out after three years to go to Hollywood to further his acting career. Being an experienced theatre actor did not make any impression in Hollywood and after a year of struggling to make his mark, he returned to New York. His mother then gave him a book called "Feature Films at used Car Prices" by Rick Schmidt. The book showed him that he could take control of his career and make his own movies. He wrote a short film based on his own experiences as an actor, called Multi-Facial (1995), which was shot in less than three days at a cost of $3,000. Multi-Facial (1995) was eventually accepted for the 1995 Cannes Film Festival where it got a tumultuous reception.
Afterwards, Vin returned to Los Angeles and raised almost $50,000 through telemarketing to fund the making of his first feature, Strays (1997). Six months after shooting, the film was accepted for the 1997 Sundance Film Festival, and although it received a good reception, it did not sell as well as hoped. Yet again Vin returned disappointed to New York only to receive a dream phone call. Steven Spielberg was impressed by Multi-Facial (1995) and wanted to meet Vin, leading him to be cast in Salvar al soldado Ryan (1998). Multi-Facial (1995) earned Vin more work, when the director of El gigante de hierro (1999) saw it and decided to cast Vin in the title role. From there, Vin's career has steadily grown, with him securing his first lead role as Richard B. Riddick in the sci-fi film Pitch Black (2000). The role has earned him a legion of devoted fans and the public recognition he deserves.
Since then, he has headlined a series of blockbusters, often but not only centered on fast-driving motor vehicles: The fast and the furious: A todo gas (2001), xXx (2002), Un canguro superduro (2005), Fast & Furious: Aún más rápido (2009), Fast & Furious 5 (2011), Fast & Furious 6 (2013), and Fast & Furious 7 (2015). He also voiced Groot in Guardianes de la galaxia (2014) and starred in the lower-budgeted courtroom drama Declaradme culpable (2006), the latter di
| Paul Walker | |
|---|---|
Walker in March 2009 at the Fast & Furious premiere in London's Leicester Square
| |
| Born | Paul William Walker IV September 12, 1973 Glendale, California |
| Died | November 30, 2013 (aged 40) Santa Clarita, California |
| Cause of death | Injuries sustained from single-vehicle collision |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California |
| Education | Village Christian School |
| Occupation | Actor[1][2] |
| Years active | 1984–2013 |
| Net worth |  $25 million (2014)[1][2] |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) [3] |
| Children | Meadow Walker (b. 1998) |
| Relatives | Cody Walker (brother) |
Paul William Walker IV[5] (September 12, 1973[6] – November 30, 2013) was an American actor. Walker began his career guest-starring in several television shows such as The Young and the Restless and Touched by an Angel. Walker gained prominence with breakout roles in coming of age and teen films such as She's All That and Varsity Blues. In 2001, Walker gained international fame for his portrayal of Brian O'Conner in the street racing action film The Fast and the Furious, and would reprise the role in five of the next six installments but died in the middle of the filming of Furious 7. He also starred in films such as Eight Below, Timeline, Into the Blue, Joy Ride and Running Scared.
Besides acting, Walker was the face of The Coty Prestige fragrance brand Davidoff Cool Water for Men, and starred in the National Geographic Channel series, Expedition Great White. He also founded the charity "Reach Out Worldwide" (ROWW), an organization providing relief efforts for areas affected by natural disasters. He was often praised for his off-screen charity work, and as a performer.[7]
Walker died in a single-vehicle collision on November 30, 2013, alongside friend Roger Rodas. Three films that he was involved in at the time were released posthumously: Hours (2013), Brick Mansions (2014), and Furious 7 (2015). The song "See You Again" by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth, which appeared on the Furious 7 soundtrack, is a tribute to Walker. The song was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song at the 73rd Golden Globe Awards.[8]
Synopsis
Born Marco Antonio Muniz on September 16, 1968, in New York City, Marc Anthony went on to international fame as a singer, actor, and songwriter. Getting his start as a backup singer for acts such as Menudo and the Latin Rascals, Anthony became a headliner when his style shifted to a more Spanish-based sound.
Early Career
Musician Marc Anthony was born Marco Antonio Muniz on September 16, 1968 in New York City. His parents, Guillermina and Felipe Muniz, are Puerto Rican and named their son after Marco Antonio Muniz, a Mexican singer who was popular in Puerto Rico.
Marc Anthony grew up in New York City with his sister, Yolanda Muniz. His talent was evident early on; Anthony realized that he had the singing voice, but needed to develop a stage presence to support it. This he did by singing backup as a session vocalist for freestyle and underground New York house music acts.
Marc changed his name, to avoid confusion with his namesake, and quickly became an in-demand backup singer; lending his voice to acts such as Menudo and the Latin Rascals.
First Release
His first release was a record called "Rebel," which debuted in 1988 from Bluedog Records, based in the Bronx. Marc Anthony continued perform in the New York club scene and also wrote songs, often teaming with Little Louie Vega and Todd Terry.
In 1992, Vega and Anthony played New York City's Madison Square Garden as an opening act for Tito Puente.
Soon after, Anthony changed his singing style from Freestyle and House to salsa and other Spanish music. Taking his inspiration from greats such as Puente, Ruben Blades, and Juan Gabriel, Marc Anthony released his first Spanish-language album in 1993. Titled Otra Nota, it included the salsa hit "Hasta que te conoci" (Until I Met You).
Commercial Success
He has never looked back; his albums and singles have been best-selling, with the exception of his two English-language albums, 1999s Marc Anthony and 2002s Mended. In his effort to crossover, it appears that Anthony may have turned away some of his core audience.
In 1998, Anthony appeared with Ruben Blades in Paul Simon's stage musical, The Capeman, which ran for 68 performances. Marc Anthony has also turned his prodigious talents to the big screen, appearing in movies such as 1996s Big Night and Man on Fire, released in 2004.
Personal Life
Marc Anthony married fellow Puerto Rican entertainer Jennifer Lopez on June 5, 2004. Their marriage was clandestine and little spoken-of for some time after the fact.
Anthony has a daughter, Arianna, with his former girlfriend Debbie Rosado who was a New York City police officer. Arianna was born in 1994.
Marc Anthony married former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres on May 9, 2000. Though their union was often rumored to be troubled, it produced two sons: Cristian Anthony Muniz, born February 5, 2001 and Ryan Anthony Muniz, born August 16, 2003. Less than one week after his divorce from Torres, Anthony married Jennifer Lopez.
Anthony and Lopez have dueted and performed "Escapemonos" at the 2005 Grammy Awards. Their movie, El Cantante, a biography of famed salsa singer Hector Lavoe, was released in August 2007. A year later, on February 22, 2008, the couple welcomed twins Max and Emme. Anthony and Lopez announced their split in 2011 and their divorce was made final in June 2014.
