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Thread: Celebrities studying martial arts?

  1. #346
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    Ted Ligety

    I've been thinking about splitting this thread off into a 'Celebrities studying Tai Chi' thread, just because our Tai Chi sub-forum could use a little luv.

    Ted Ligety Masters the Tai Chi Ski
    Return of Euro X?! Japanese ski gameshow! Pole flip times infinity!
    May 01, 2015By Kade Krichko

    Winter X headed back to Europe?
    According to an article on ESPN.com, the European Winter X Games could be resurrected as early as this coming winter, moving from Tignes, France to Oslo, Norway. Oslo City Council declared a majority vote Thursday in favor of hosting the event in 2016, but before an official agreement can be reached, ESPN and Norway TV leader TV2 must come to terms. Still, this is positive progress in bringing the freeskiing’s biggest event back across the pond.

    Ted Ligety owes his race style to…Tai Chi?
    So if it isn’t the darndest thing, but Ted Ligety may owe some of his World Cup success to a Tai Chi guru from Michigan. According to a self-produced video by said guru, a Mr. Tommy Kirchoff helped teach Ted Ligety his unique GS form during a US Team-sponsored Tai Chi session back in 2003. I know it’s probably longer than most our attention spans are willing to handle, but I promise seeing this guy’s rational through to fruition is worth the Internet time. Tai Chi World Cup inception!

    Newest double in freeskiing
    Who said it’s skiers that need to be doing the flips? This is the new double, and it’s pretty neat.

    Zermatt bans Saint Bernard selfies
    Switzerland’s legendary mountain resort announced this week that taking selfies with the area’s iconic mountain dogs will no longer be tolerated, officially banning the practice. After receiving pressure from animal rights groups, Zermatt has deemed posing with the pooches as ‘animal cruelty’ and will punish all perpetrators with an immediate unfriending. Harsh.

    Would you ski the Sawtooth Sickle?
    Well that’s a tight little shot there, guy.

    Japanese ski spa prank is pretty **** good
    Nothing like the old bait and switch.
    Gene Ching
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  2. #347
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    Rebel Wilson!

    'you need music to do numchuks'

    Gene Ching
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  3. #348
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    she is awesome! Love her!
    "The true meaning of a given movement in a form is not its application, but rather the unlimited potential of the mind to provide muscular and skeletal support for that movement." Gregory Fong

  4. #349
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    In honor of women's World Cup starting next weekend!

    Introducing Meghan Klingenberg, starter for the U.S. Women's soccer team and 3rd degree black belt in taekwondo. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=F7SN2gccsQY
    Name:  maxresdefault.jpg
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    Last edited by TaichiMantis; 05-30-2015 at 03:45 PM.
    "The true meaning of a given movement in a form is not its application, but rather the unlimited potential of the mind to provide muscular and skeletal support for that movement." Gregory Fong

  5. #350
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    Melissa McCarthy

    From Diana Inosanto's blog.

    6/3/2015 10:10:48 AM
    Diana training Melissa McCarthy for her movie




    SPY, starring Melissa McCarthy opens Friday, June 5th. I trained her in the areas of Kali and I used Jeet Kune Do concepts to help her memorize her difficult fight scene--it was a 2 1/2 minute fight sequence! Not easy for someone with no martial arts training. But, I learned from my father how to tap into other people"s physical backgrounds. Thus, I knew she had a Tennis background, and through JKD concepts, I knew how to tap into this background and carry her through her fight scenes with Tennis associations. Overall, the drills from Kali helped me immensely in training Melissa, and I believe that"s why she could pick up her routine in a short amount of time. Best part of it all, her sheer desire to work hard. As for me, working with Melissa was such an honor, and I could not have had such an opportunity without stunt coordinator, J.J. Perry. In a climate like Hollywood, it is very hard for women to move up the ladder in directing, producing, stunt coordinating, etc and training the elite of Hollywood is no exception.. So, I was very lucky to have people that believed in me and saw past my gender. I am grateful to the the filmmakers of SPY, and that wonderful woman, who magically puts a smile on people"s faces, Melissa McCarthy.
    Good one above, TaichiMantis. Meghan totally trumps Melissa in my mind, even if she isn't as well known.
    Gene Ching
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  6. #351
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    Michael Brockers

    Rams' Brockers takes up martial arts this offseason
    FOX Sports

    JUN 15, 2015 7:18p ET
    Aug 8, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; St. Louis Rams defensive tackle Michael Brockers (90) on the sideline in the second half against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
    Rick Osentoski / USA TODAY Sports


    St. Louis Rams defensive tackle Michael Brockers took up martil arts this offseason to try to improve his football skills.

    St. Louis Rams defensive tackle Michael Brockers tries something new each offseason to try to continue to improve. Two seasons ago, he hired a personal chef to make sure he showed up to camp lighter and quicker. This offseason, Brockers has taken up martial arts.

    “In life, I think every day you have to learn something,” Brockers said, via St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “If you’re not learning, you’re not living. So definitely for the most part, I try to ‘up’ my game. There’s never a time where I feel like I know it all.”

    Brockers thought martial arts was a good idea because it will help him with his hands on the football field.

    “It’s about getting that man’s hands off you, especially playing defensive tackle and nose guard,” Brockers said. “It’s all about physicality, and not trying to let them get their hands on you and grab you and stuff like that.”

    Brockers is taught martial arts by Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame defensive tackle Randy White. Brockers knows there is no one better to learn from than a Hall of Famer.

    “It’s been a slow process,” Brockers said. “He’s been doing this stuff all his life, for all his career. So learning from him I’m starting to get like the steps down. I’m trying to implement it a little bit in my game, trying to use it for 2015.”

    White admires Brockers' work ethic and believes he will be successful on the field because he is always trying to learn and improve off the field.

    “He wants to be the best he can possibly be,” White said. “And when you’ve got a guy that’s got that attitude, and he’s got the ability he has, he’s gonna be successful.”
    Wish this report was a little more specific about what kind of martial arts....
    Gene Ching
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  7. #352
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    Kristen Stewart

    There's a vid and a gallery if you follow the link.

    Kristen Stewart forgets all about Robert Pattinson by finding love with a woman - and her mum is made up
    22:04, 13 JUNE 2015
    BY SHARON FEINSTEIN
    The Twilight star's mum, Jules, said: "“I’ve met Kristen’s new girlfriend, I like her. What’s not to accept? She’s a lovely girl”

    Twilight actress Kristen Stewart has found new love – with her personal assistant Alicia Cargile.

    The star’s mum Jules Stewart has given her blessing to the relationship, which comes two years after Kristen, 25, split from long-term love Robert Pattinson, 29.

    Jules, 55, told the Sunday Mirror she has met Alicia and that the couple are very happy together.

    She added: “What’s not to be accepting about her now having a girlfriend? She’s happy.

    “She’s my daughter, I’m just her mom so she knows I would accept her choices.

    “I’ve met Kristen’s new girlfriend, I like her. What’s not to accept? She’s a lovely girl.”


    Barcroft
    New love: Kristen is happy with Alicia Cargile (l), says her mum Jules

    Jules, who also has a Hollywood career as a script supervisor, added: “I feel like people need to be free to love whoever they want. I accept my daughter loves women and men. It’s OK to be who you are in my world. We all choose our friends so we should be free to choose our lovers.

    “People are good to do whatever they like as long as they’re not hurting people or breaking the law.

    “I have gay friends, family members, I’m accepting of people, we are all free to choose who we want to love.”

    Martial arts nut Kristen’s relationship with Twilight co-star R-Patz ended after she was seen kissing married Rupert Sanders, 44, who directed her in Snow White and the Huntsman.

    Since then she has kept her love life under wraps.


    REUTERS
    Catalyst: Kristen split with Robert Pattinson after she was snapped kissing Rupert Sanders

    Meanwhile Pattinson is now said to be engaged to singer FKA twigs, 27 – and it was claimed this week he
    will even invite Kristen to his wedding.

    Jules said of Kristen’s new love: “They were a great couple, but she’s 25 years old and I’d like to see her have a lot more life experience before she chooses someone to settle down with.

    “I’m very sad that Kristen and Robert didn’t have a chance to be alone together, they had to have the whole world with them and all the public stuff ruined everything, life became overwhelming.

    “But Kristen has learnt to handle her emotions and deal with her problems through the martial arts.”

    Kristen has previously talked of her increasingly close relationship with Alicia as speculation grew.


    Getty
    Romance: Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart were together for a number of years

    Asked about it by US chat show host Conan O’Brien in April, she said: “There’s so much isolation and protection that has to happen. So then you end up, kind of like, hiring a buddy, a confidante, like, somebody to organise your schedule, but in addition to that, like kind of like, live with you essentially.

    “So yeah, it’s definitely more complicated than, ‘Go buy me tampons because I’m embarrassed to do it myself’.”

    It certainly sounds easier than dating one of the world’s biggest teen idols.

    R-Patz’s new love FKA twigs recently told of the abuse hurled at her since she began dating the British actor.

    The singer-songwriter said messages sent to her online have even included racist slurs – but she claimed the relationship is worth putting up with the online onslaught.


    Close bond: Kristen Stewart and her mum Jules

    She said: “It’s really hard - I can’t begin to explain how awful it is.

    “It makes you want to just stop everything sometimes. It makes you want to smash your face into the mirror.

    “It’s relentless. There’s no amount of songs I can sing or dances I can dance that will prove to them I’m not a monkey.

    “But I’m so happy. I didn’t see my life going this way at all, but it’s worth it.”

    Kristen is currently working on several film projects, including one with Woody Allen, while Robert is starting work on epic adventure The Lost City of Z, based on the life of British explorer Percy Fawcett.

    Yet despite Kristen’s wealth and success, mum Jules admitted she still worries about her daughter’s career.

    Jules, who directed the 2012 film K-11, tackling sex discrimination, and is currently involved in an art installation in support of The Wolf Charity, said: “I think it’s great that Kristen has so much money because you worry about how your children are going to survive.

    “Kristen is a multi-millionairess but I always worry. I knew she’d be successful – and it makes me giggle just how successful she is.

    “No one ever thought she’d be off the charts like this. We all knew she was unique and had ‘it’, she’s always been very intelligent, intuitive and observant so she’s the perfect actress.”

    And she denied claims Kristen is “miserable and angry”, insisting: “She’s not unhappy at all. She’s thrilled to death that she’s working, she’s still friends with her ex-boyfriend and she’s moving forward.

    “There is nothing I can do about her relationships – in the end you just hope she’s happy.”

    Twlight star Kristen was raised by wolves


    Getty
    Raised by wolves: Kristen's mum says she kept the animals as pets

    Kristen Stewart was raised with wolves.

    Mum Jules kept them as pets when Kristen was a child and still has four now.

    She says Kristen visits them often at her ranch in Santa Monica, California – where they have the run of the house.

    Jules, a patron of charity wolfconnection.org, said: “I live up in the mountain with my mutts. I moved there for them, it’s a getaway.

    “Kristen loves the wolves. She grew up with them, the animals are family to her.”

    Jules first fell for the animals when she was 17 and given a wolf cub by her zoo keeper boyfriend.

    She said: “There were no rules about owning wild animals. I got a little white wolf cub for my birthday, had him till he was 15.”

    She then adopted four more later in life. She said: “They chew my shoes and open the fridge and help themselves. They start howling and jumping around when they see me.

    “The neighbours are OK – but friends usually don’t come to my house.”
    Maybe I should have posted this in Successful-Street-Applications instead.
    Gene Ching
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  8. #353
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    Blake Lively

    Blake Lively 'uses kung fu' to achieve red carpet look
    Last Updated: Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - 16:55



    London: Actress Blake Lively turns to "kung fu" to achieve her flawless red carpet look. The 27-year-old actress is impeccably dressed when promoting her movies but according to husband Ryan Reynolds, there's always lots of behind-the-scenes drama involved, reported Femalefirst.

    "I see a totally destroyed closet, bedroom and kitchen. I don't even know how shoes got in the freezer... There's kung fu involved. It's really intense," Reynolds said. Meanwhile, Lively claimed recently that she got more "respect" when she had brown hair.

    The blonde star, who darkened her locks to star in "The Green Lantern" in 2011, argued people treated her differently depending on the colour of her hair.

    PTI

    First Published: Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - 16:55
    I don't think this is to be taken literally, but I'm hopeful. Indian celeb news is weird.
    Gene Ching
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  9. #354
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    Jesse Eisenberg

    Lansing Martial Artist Trains Hollywood Star
    Posted: Thu 6:57 PM, Aug 20, 2015
    By: Kirk Montgomery - Email

    [IMG]http://media.graytvinc.com/images/353*282/TK2.JPG[/IMG]

    Local Martial Artist Trains Actor

    Lansing - "American Ultra" opens in Theatre's Friday. It stars Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart , as two hard core operatives who are suddenly "Activated" into duty. The role called for heavy Martial Arts training.

    While Eisenberg, was in Grand Rapids last year shooting another film, his team reached out to Kent Nelson, trainer and owner of KSK Martial Arts in Lansing. "He said he looked all around Michigan and there are a lot of different places that do Martial Arts, places that are even closer to were they were at, but we were specifically the kind of place they wanted which was kinda cool" says Nelsen, who has been involved in Martial Arts for 30 years.

    Kent says Jesse was an excellent student, and even contacted him for more private lessons when Eisenberg returned to East Lansing to film "Batman V Superman".
    Reminds me of Abduction but played for laughs (which would have helped Abduction).
    Gene Ching
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  10. #355
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    Chris Brown

    Chris Brown Is Only Singer to Be in Prison With No. 1 Record at Same Time: 25 Things You Don't Know About Me
    CELEBRITY NEWS AUG. 27, 2015 AT 8:36AM BY US WEEKLY STAFF


    Credit: Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images
    The Grammy Award winning singer Chris Brown, who’s currently on his One Hell of a Nite Tour through Sept. 19, shared 25 surprising and some admirable facts about himself with Us Weekly.

    1. I am a neat freak.

    2. I listen to Sango and Hippie Sabotage on Pandora.

    3. I’m the only singer who has been incarcerated and had a No. 1 record at the same time.

    4. I’ve trained in martial arts and boxing.

    5. I own 14 Burger Kings.

    6. I paint monsters that are mirror images of people’s negative views of me.

    7. I was 13 when I got my first tattoo.

    8. I don’t bite my tongue.

    9. I freestyle all my songs.

    10. I love to paint murals, and then I donate most of the profits to charity.

    11. I recently went to church for the first time in 15 years and loved it.

    12. I am a huge comic book fan.

    13. I direct or codirect and edit all my videos.

    14. I bought my mom a $1 million dollar house when I was 15 years old.

    15. I don’t eat beef or pork.

    16. I talk to a pastor twice a week.

    17. When I was 6, I witnessed a relative attempt to commit suicide.

    18. I’m a man of many emotions.

    19. My first car was a Lamborghini.

    20. I smile a lot because this world doesn’t allow for people to cry.

    21. After creating my clothing line, I made $4 million in the first year.

    22. I love dancing with my daughter [Royalty, 15 months].

    23. I love to help choose my daughter’s outfits.

    24. Success or money never changed who I am as a person.

    25. I think the best thing God created was a woman.
    There's a Rihanna comment to be made here somewhere....
    Gene Ching
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  11. #356
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    Ed Skrein

    True or just marketing for his new film? I know how addictive Krov can be...

    The Transporter Refuelled's Ed Skrein: I'm addicted to martial arts
    By Steve Holden
    Newsbeat reporter


    Ed Skrein

    British actor Ed Skrein, star of The Transporter Refuelled, has revealed his three new obsessions.

    The actor says he's addicted to three martial arts - Kali, Muay Thai and Krov Maga.

    He's learned the skills for recent film roles, including his part as the villain in X-Men spin-off Deadpool.

    "I'm addicted," he told Newsbeat. "I didn't have a background in martial arts so I had to work hard to work out that craft.

    "I'm very respectful and realise I'm not going to be able to do things meant for 10 or 20 years of training, after just a month or so.

    "But since the movies finished filming I've continued to train my martial arts."


    Ed Skrein

    Skrein plays Frank Martin in the fourth instalment of the Transporter franchise, titled The Transporter Refuelled.

    He takes over the character made famous by Jason Statham but doesn't see it as a reboot.

    "I like to keep this romantic, sacred ideal when I'm shooting that it's not a film, it's not a franchise," he said.

    "I don't like to watch the monitors. I treat each scene as emotionally honest as I can."


    The Deadpool cast appeared at this year's Comic Con

    Next up is Deadpool, the X-Men spin-off featuring Ryan Reynolds, in which Skrein plays the mutant villain Ajax.

    The trailer was one of the highlights of Comic Con, with the footage (complete with a swearing anti-hero) getting such a good reaction that it was repeated straight away.

    "It was made. We felt like rock stars. We were just so buzzing and it was electric backstage."

    "Everything is made through the eyes of the creator.

    "The director Tim Miller is irreverent and Ryan Reynolds (who plays Deadpool himself) is a comedic genius."


    Ed Skrein

    Another upcoming role is alongside Nicholas Hoult in Kill Your Friends.

    He was previously the original Daario Naharis in Game of Thrones, appearing in the third series before another actor was brought in for the later seasons.

    But what you may not know is he also used to be a musician and rapper but admits those days are behind him.

    "It's a long time since I wrote anything. I can't even remember how to do it.

    "If you're on set, my trailer is always the loudest. I blare out two step garage, Fela Kuti or Wu-Tang Clan at 5am.

    I'm a huge music fan and it's inside me but I've not written anything for four years. It was a beautiful time though."
    Gene Ching
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    Olga Fonda

    ‘Agent X’ beauty Fonda learned ballet, martial arts for acting career


    Olga Fonda stars on “Agent X” on TNT. (Dorit Thies)
    By Eric Althoff - The Washington Times - Thursday, November 19, 2015
    Olga Fonda came to the U.S. from Russia when she was just 14. From humble beginnings the Russian-American model and actress has enjoyed a steady career of modeling and acting. Miss Fonda can now be seen on “Agent X,” which premiered this month on TNT.

    “I fell in love with the pilot. It was well written, [had a] great storyline, strong characters and [was] witty,” Miss Fonda, who plays Olga Petrovka on the series, said in a statement provided to The Washington Times. She said she was drawn to Petrovka due to her being a “strong, fearless” woman that allowed her to engage in plenty of exciting stunts.

    Growing up in the town of Uktha, Russia, Miss Fonda — who was born Olga Tchakova — initially pursued a dancing career.

    “I was very shy, but when I performed I felt like I was in my own little world. I became more confident,” she said of learning dance in a country with such a long heritage of the artform. “Dancing taught me discipline and to feel comfortable in my own skin.”

    Little wonder that dance led her directly to martial arts as a way to explore the way the body can move — an approach also taken by Belgian action star Jean-Claude Van Damme.

    “I began to study martial arts because it was a great form of exercise, and I knew it would help my acting career,” Miss Fonda said. “Martial arts reminded me of dancing. It has helped me learn fight sequences quicker.”

    In addition to “Agent X,” Miss Fonda has also appeared in “The Vampire Diaries” and “Little Fockers.” While enjoying Hollywood success, Miss Fonda says that she remains somewhat pigeonholed due to her accent and look — being somewhat nudged to Eastern European roles.

    However, she is grateful for the work.

    “It’s a very tough business with a lot of competition. Everybody is always looking for more work,” she said. “When you see something that you feel you are right for, you push for it.”

    “Agent X,” which stars Sharon Stone and Jeff Hephner, airs Sunday at 9 p.m. While she enjoys playing a spy, Miss Fonda says there is another type of role she would truly enjoy playing in the future.

    “I would love to play a superhero,” the actress enthuses. “I sometimes walk around thinking, if I were a superhero, what would my superpower be?

    “I would also like to be in a romance movie or a biopic. It would be nice to portray a real-life hero.”
    I wonder what style she practiced.

    Anyone watch Agent X yet? Any good? I like female spy stories. It's a ninjette thing.
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    John Cusack

    Well, we knew about John Cusack but this is his first entry here. Nice to hear he's kept up his practice. Grosse Pointe Blank was an excellent film.

    What do Brian Wilson, a martial artist and an activist priest have in common? John Cusack


    John Cusack played diverse roles in “Love & Mercy,” “Dragon Blade” and “Chi-Raq.” (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)
    Michael Ordoña
    John Cusack's 2015 output might seem surprising … until you look closer to see the pieces of him that belong in the portraits he's done of an emotionally troubled musical legend, a Roman soldier in a martial-arts adventure and a firebrand Catholic priest.

    He played Beach Boy Brian Wilson in his post-retreat-from-society days in "Love & Mercy." Some questioned his casting because of the lack of a physical resemblance — but if you recall Cusack's adaptation of "High Fidelity," his deep knowledge and appreciation of pop music history made him a harmonious choice.

    "In 'High Fidelity,' the only thing the three snobs [who work in the movie's collectible-vinyl record store] would agree on was that 'Pet Sounds' was in everybody's Top Five. I think anybody who thought of themselves as someone who understood music or the importance of rock 'n' roll knew about Brian Wilson," says the actor, whose feeling and centered performance make him an awards contender.

    Buzzmeter: Oscars 2016
    Buzzmeter: Oscars 2016
    "When you go back and listen to the 'Smile Sessions,' you can hear him saying, 'Third cello, one inch off the mike. Second trombone....' Hearing it and miking it in a room and capturing it. It's extraordinary. It's hard to underestimate his power as a creative force."

    Then there was "Dragon Blade," the Jackie Chan actioner Cusack describes as "a crazy, big, epic sword-and-sandal thing. Roman and Chinese DNA were discovered long before they thought Rome had ventured that far, so they created a story around that, along the Silk Road."

    John Cusack in a martial-arts movie?

    Well, yes.

    "I've been doing martial arts for 30 years," says the actor, who notably fought in "Grosse Pointe Blank" with his longtime sensei, Benny Urquidez. "Dragon Blade," he says, "was more swords, but still, if you're a martial artist, you have to go to the Gobi desert to do a big fight scene with Jackie Chan."

    And then there's the new Spike Lee "Lysistrata" adaptation, "Chi-Raq," in which Lee transplants the ancient Greek play's notion of a sex strike to force peace to the violence-torn streets of modern Chicago. Cusack's character, a priest named Mike Corridan, is based on Father Michael Pfleger, a real-life cleric who has been fighting the good fight there for decades.

    "I'd known him in Chicago because he's a big-time activist," says Cusack, who always seems aware of the social context of his roles. "He's been doing incredible stuff," says the actor who blew out his voice during a house-on-fire sermon scene.


    Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times

    "Everything we did in our sermon was taken from [Pfleger]. That's his voice. That's his church, that's his place. His congregation. Most of the women there who had lost their children, they're the ones putting their pictures up of their children at the end of the movie. Over 2,200 people have been shot there this year, 2,200. More than 400 homicides."

    In "Chi-Raq," Cusack brought the fire. In "Dragon Blade," it was the steel. And in "Love & Mercy," he had a whole musical kaleidoscope turning in the head of someone who had come to keep almost everything inside. Wilson's plight had been mythologized as the classic rock 'n' roll burnout.

    "One of the reasons [Brian] wanted us to do the film was to tell the truth about mental illness," says Cusack. "He was schizo-affective, which meant he had auditory hallucinations. He was absolutely abused, misdiagnosed. I think he really wants the movie to help people … take some of the shame away from having a condition. I think he wanted to correct his legacy."

    Costar Elizabeth Banks, herself a contender for her nuanced portrayal of Melinda Ledbetter, the woman the fractured Wilson would come to marry and heal with, said Cusack is "very committed. He still loves character and delving in and trying to disappear. I think he's beautiful."

    Cusack says most of what he gleaned from the rock legend came from "just being around him," seeing "how he was around people, how he navigated the world.

    "Brian, you don't know if he's kind of in his own world because he can't get out of it or he's tired of everyone needing the 'Brian Wilson moment' and it's easier just to stay in his own world. So he's a bit of Cheshire cat that way.

    "He just doesn't lie. Don Henley came and said, 'Could you please sign this record, it meant so much to me?' 'OK, OK. "Dear Don, thanks for all the great music" ' and he crossed out 'great' and wrote, 'good,'" says Cusack, laughing. "Don Henley, like, framed it.

    "It was an incredible act of courage just to put his life back together. He's such a wild combination of incredibly fragile and really, really tough."
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  14. #359
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,946

    Simon Le Bon

    O.K. not really. He'd 'love to be a kung fu master like Bruce Lee'. Yeah, right, wouldn't we all? At least he did it for a decade.

    'I'd love to be a kung fu master like Bruce Lee': Simon Le Bon gives his definitive answers to our most probing questions
    By ROB MCGIBBON FOR THE DAILY MAIL
    PUBLISHED: 17:31 EST, 4 December 2015 | UPDATED: 17:31 EST, 4 December 2015

    We ask a celebrity a set of devilishly probing questions – and only accept THE definitive answer. This week: Duran Duran singer Simon Le Bon


    Simon Le Bon is in this week's hot seat for the definite article

    The prized possession you value above all others... I'm not that materialistic but I adore my Riva speedboat. I bought her in 1984 and she's my only 'rock star' indulgence. I love the pleasure she gives others.

    The biggest regret you wish you could amend... I wish I'd shown more gratitude to my old choirmaster Michael Turvey and the Pinner Parish Church choir when I wrote the sleeve notes to an album they made in the 80s. I sang in that choir as a kid and it did so much for me.

    The temptation you wish you could resist... Throwing myself into supporting the England rugby team and Man Utd. I'd avoid a lot of disappointment if I held back a bit.


    Simon Le Bon loves Anita Ekberg in La Dolce Vita

    The book that holds an everlasting resonance... The Hobbit. My teacher Miss Bateman read it to my class when I was nine and it took my breath away.

    The priority activity if you were the Invisible Man for a day... I'd listen to a bunch of five-year-olds talking. It would be so entertaining.

    The pet hate that makes your hackles rise... I can't stand bullies at work, or in relationships, who force people to do things they don't want to do. I'm not violent but bullies make me so angry I want to punch them.

    The person who has influenced you most... My mum Ann. She was an opera singer and I'm eternally grateful to her for making music part of my life. She put a radio in my bedroom when I was tiny and I used to sleep to classical music. She's 80 now and lives in a house at the end of our garden in London.

    The film you can watch time and time again... La Dolce Vita. Anita Ekberg is so beautiful, she's like an ice cream with cherries on top!

    The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again... A biker jacket that was nicked when I was playing with Iggy Pop in New York in 1987. I'd left it with a fan, who vanished. She knows who she is and I'd like it back – with the £500 that was in the pocket!

    The piece of wisdom that you would pass on to a child... Don't be frightened. When you're nervous it's only adrenaline you're feeling, and it's preparing you to do something extraordinary.

    The figure from history for whom you'd most like to buy a pie and a pint... Mahatma Gandhi. I'd like to know how he found the strength to go on hunger strike and to keep fighting for what he believed in.

    The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity... I'm really into history, particularly the Dark Ages and the 100 Years War. It's all such a mystery.

    The unending quest that drives you on... Making music. It's still a thrill.

    The poem that touches your soul... Singh Song by Daljit Nagra, about a young Indian man working in his father's corner shop, is so original in the way it talks about love.


    In his fantasy 24 hours Simon would drink a Dark 'n' Stormy on Palm Island

    The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase... I haven't a clue, but don't care because I'm not bothered by what people think about me!

    The event that altered the course of your life and character... Auditioning for Duran Duran in 1980 when I was studying drama at Birmingham University. The lads needed a lead singer and we just clicked. That day changed my life.

    The song that means most to you... Come Undone. It's cheesy to choose one of mine, but I wrote it for Yasmin [his wife, model Yasmin Le Bon] on her 28th birthday in 1992 and it means a lot to me because it just says, 'I love you darling'.

    The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions... I'd begin the day floating over the rings of Saturn while eating porridge followed by scrambled eggs with fried tomatoes.
    I'd then go for a swim at the Grand Hotel Quisisana on Capri, followed by a big Italian lunch overlooking the sea with Yasmin and our girls – Amber, 26, Saffron, 24, and Tallulah, 21. I'd have a few glasses of Alteni di Brassica white wine, then I'd go sailing around the Cyclades islands in Greece.

    I'd squeeze in a bit of skiing in New Zealand before having a Dark 'n' Stormy rum ****tail at sunset on Palm Island in the Grenadines. I'd end the day dining with the girls at the Faviken Magasinet restaurant in Sweden. I'd order whatever the chef recommended with a bottle of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tache red wine.

    The happiest moment you will cherish forever... The band getting the MTV VMA Lifetime Achievement Award in New York in 2003. It meant so much.

    The saddest time that shook your world... When Yasmin's mum Patricia died in 2001 from cancer aged just 60. To see the family so sad was awful.

    The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you... To be a kung fu master like Bruce Lee. I did it for ten years and got pretty good, but I never got the six-pack. It was only ever a one-pack!

    The philosophy that underpins your life... Never complain, never explain – and always mix your drinks!

    The order of service at your funeral... I want a huge choir to sing Fauré's Requiem, followed by the song 2000 Blacks Got To Be Free by Fela Anikulapo Kuti & Roy Ayers. The drama queen in me wants my body pushed out in a boat on a Norwegian fjord then set alight – Viking-style!

    The way you want to be remembered... For making music that brought happiness to people.

    The Plug... Duran Duran's UK tour continues until 12 December and their new album Paper Gods is on Warner Music. Visit duranduran.com.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  15. #360
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    CA, USA
    Posts
    4,900
    Joe Jackson (Michael Jackson's dad) was a student of my CLF Sifu, Frank Primicias, for a short while way back in the 'Jackson 5' days, when Sifu had his school in L.A. Sifu told me that Joe Jackson was NOT a good student. Among other things, every time Joe came to class, Sifu had to tell him to remove all his jewelry. And each time he'd act like he'd forgotten he can't wear jewelry during training, when in fact he was just showing off. He had to leave all the jewelry in a basket(?) or something during class, and he wore a lot of it.

    Sifu mentioned this to me only once, many years ago when I was at his house, and footage from a Michael Jackson concert was showing on the TV.
    Last edited by Jimbo; 12-08-2015 at 06:51 PM.

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