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Anthony Michael Hall Biography |
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Michael Anthony Thomas Charles Hall (born April 14, 1968), known professionally as Anthony Michael Hall, is an United States actor, producer and film director who achieved stardom in several successful teen-oriented films of the 1980s. Hall began his career in commercials and onstage as a child, and made his screen debut in 1980. The films that shaped his early career were those with director-screenwriter John Hughes (film director), beginning with the popular 1984 in film coming of age comedy Sixteen Candles. His next films for Hughes were teen classics The Breakfast Club and Weird Science (film), both in 1985 in film. His performances as lovable geeks in these three films connected his name and face with the stereotype for an entire generation. Hall took on different kinds of roles to avoid becoming Typecasting (acting) as his "geek" persona, joining the cast of Saturday Night Live (1985-1986) and in films such as Johnny Be Good (1988), Edward Scissorhands (1990) and Six Degrees of Separation (film) (1993). After a series of minor roles in the 1990s, his performance as Microsoft’s Bill Gates in the Emmy-nominated 1999 in television film Pirates of Silicon Valley put him back into the spotlight. He is now starring in the popular USA Network series The Dead Zone (TV series), which has aired since 2002 in television. The show remains one of the highest-rated series on basic cable. and career Personal Anthony Michael Hall was born in West Roxbury, Massachusetts, a neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts. He is the only child of blues-jazz singer Mercedes Hall’s first marriage. She divorced Hall's father, Larry, an auto-body-shop owner, when their son was six months old. When Hall was three, he and his mother relocated to the West Coast where she found work as a featured singer. After a year and a half, they returned to the East, eventually moving to New York City, where Hall grew up. Hall is of Ireland and Italy heritageHall stated he is of Irish and Italian ancestry on The Late Late Show (CBS TV series), June 12, 2006. Video Retrieved on October 16, 2006 and was raised Roman Catholic Church. He has one half-sister, Mary Chestaro, from his mothers second marriage to Thomas Chestaro, a show business manager. His half-sister is pursuing a career as a singer under the name of Mary C. Hall uses the name Michael, rather than Anthony or Anthony Michael. He transposed his first and middle names when he entered show business because of the membership of another actor named Michael Hall in the Screen Actors Guild. Hall attended St. Hugh's School New York before moving on to Manhattan's Professional Children's School. Hall began his acting career at the age of eight and continued throughout high school, opting not to attend college. "I did not go to college," he said, "but I'm an avid reader in the ongoing process of educating myself." Through the 80s, Hall’s mother managed his career, eventually relinquishing that role to her second husband. Hall is committed to aiding at-risk youth through his literacy program, The Anthony Michael Hall Literacy Club, in association with Chapman University. The club provides an opportunity for the students to improve their literacy skills by exploring genre not typically used to enhance literacy, such as films, music and lyrics, scripts, and novels with audio. Following family tradition, Hall is pursuing his other passion, music. He is the lead singer and songwriter for his band, Hall of Mirrors, formed in 1998. The band released an album, Welcome to the Hall of Mirrors, through Hall's own RAM Records label in 1999, with collaborations from former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke and Prince (musician)’s former keyboard player Tommy Barbarella. Hall briefly dated actress Molly Ringwald after they co-starred in The Breakfast Club together. He has also dated Canada model Sandra Guerard March 2002 May 2006. When not filming The Dead Zone in Vancouver, Canada; he resides in Los Angeles, California. In August 1994 Anthony briefly dated the Sister of Sharon Stone, Kelly Stone. In September 1999 he briefly dated actress Alison Hughes. On and Off in 1990 - February 2002 he dated actress Teresa De Saint. From June to September 2006 he dated actress, Corinne Saffell. Hall is now dating acress Elisabeth Rohm. 1980s Hall started his career in commercials when he was seven years old. He was the Honeycomb Kid and appeared in several commercials for toys and Bounty (chocolate bar). His stage debut was in 1977 when he was cast as the young Steve Allen (comedian) in Allen's semi-autobiographical play The Wake. He went on to appear in the Lincoln Center Festival's production of St. Joan of the Microphone, and in a play with Woody Allen. In 1980 in film, he made his screen debut in the Emmy-winning TV movie The Gold Bug, in which he played the young Edgar Allan Poe, but it was not until the 1982 in film Kenny Rogers film Six Pack (film) that he gained real notice. The following year, Hall landed the role of Rusty Griswold, Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo's son, in National Lampoon's Vacation, catching the attention of the film's screenwriter John Hughes (film director), who was about to make the jump to directing. "For Hall to upstage Chevy, I thought, was a remarkable accomplishment for a 13-year-old kid," said Hughes. The film was a significant box office hit in 1983 in film, grossing over US$61 million in the United States. After Vacation, Hall moved on to other projects and declined to reprise his role in the 1985 sequel. Hall's breakout role came a year later. In 1984 in film, he was cast as Farmer Ted, the scrawny, braces-wearing geek who pursued Molly Ringwald in John Hughes (film director)' directing debut Sixteen Candles. To play the character, Hall avoided the cliches of geekness. "I didn't play him with 100 pens sticking out of his pocket," he said. "I just went in there and played it like a real kid. The geek is just a typical freshman." Hall landed a spot on the promotional materials, along with co-star Ringwald. Reviews of the film were positive for Hall and his co-stars, and one for People Weekly even claimed that Hall’s performance "pilfered the film" from Ringwald. Despite moderate success at the box office, the film became an instant classic and made overnight stars of both Ringwald and Hall. Hall starred in two 1985 in film teen classics, both written and directed by John Hughes. He was cast as Brian Johnson, "the brain," in the quintessential teen film The Breakfast Club, co-starring with Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, and Molly Ringwald. The film follows five high school students who have to spend one Saturday in detention, as each begins to see the others apart from their respective stereotypes. Film critic Janet Maslin praised Hall saying the 16-year-old boy was, along with Ringwald, "the movie's standout performer." Later that year, Hall portrayed Gary Wallace, another likable misfit, in Weird Science (film). The film focuses on two nerdish teenagers who, unable to find girls on their own, use a computer to design the perfect woman. Critic Sheila Benson from the Los Angeles Times said "Hall was the role model supreme" for the character, but she also acknowledged that "he was outgrowing the role" and "didn’t need to hold the patent on the bratty bright kid." Weird Science was a moderate success at the box office but was generally well-received for a teen comedy. Those roles established him as the 80s "nerd-of-choice," as well as a member in good standing of Hollywood's Brat Pack. Hall, who portrayed John Hughes' alter egos in Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Weird Science, credits the director for putting him on the map and giving him those opportunities as a child. "I had the time of my life," he said. "I'd consider working with Hughes again any day of the week." Hall joined cast of Saturday Night Live during its 1985-86 season at the age of 17. He was, and remains, the youngest cast member in the show's history - "and probably one of the least funny," Hall said in 2000. His recurring characters on the show were 'Craig Sundberg, Idiot Savant', a super-intelligent, talented teenager despite his vacant expression and stilted speech, suggesting that he could be mentally retarded; and 'Fed Jones', one half of the drugged-out hustling pitchmen known as The Jones Brothers (the other Jones Brother was played by short-lived feature player Damon Wayans). "It was far more competitive and aggressive environment than I thought it would be," said Hall about his SNL experience. "My year there, I didn't have any breakout characters and I didn't really do the things I dreamed I would do, but I still learned a lot, and I value that. I grew up like many people a huge fan of the show and all of its stars. I'll always be proud of the fact that I was a part of its history." Art Garfunkel, Edd Byrnes, Bobby Kennedy and Daryl Hall were among his celebrity impersonations. Hall turned down roles written for him by John Hughes in Ferris Bueller's Day Off (Cameron Frye) and Pretty in Pink (Phil "Duckie" Dale), both in 1986 in film, so he would not be typecast. Instead, he starred in the 1986 film Out of Bounds, Hall’s unsuccessful first excursion into the thriller and action genre. The film was a critical and financial disappointment, totalling only US$5 million. Critic Roger Ebert described Out of Bounds as "an explosion at the cliche factory," and Caryn James from the New York Times claimed that not even "Hall, who made nerds seem lovable in John Hughes' Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club, could do much to reconcile the opposites in the film." Hall was offered the starring role in the 1987 in film film Full Metal Jacket in a conversation with Stanley Kubrick, but after an eight-month negotiation a financial agreement could not be reached. "It was a difficult decision, because in that eight-month period, I read everything I could about the guy, and I was really fascinated by him," Hall said when asked about the film. "I wanted to be a part of that film, but it didn't work out. But all sorts of stories circulated, like I got on set and I was fired, or I was pissed at him for shooting too long. It's all not true." His next film would be 1988 in film's Johnny Be Good, working with fellow Saturday Night Live cast member Robert Downey Jr. and Uma Thurman, this time as a high school American football star. The film was a critical failure and some critics panned Hall's performance, claiming that he, the movies' reigning geek, was miscast for the role. A review for The Washington Post claimed that the film was "crass, vulgar, and relentlessly brain-dead." 1990s Following a two-year hiatus due to his drinking problem, Hall was cast to play opposite Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder in Tim Burton's 1990 in film hit Edward Scissorhands, this time as the film's villain. Now in his twenties, he shifted to more mature roles, trying to establish himself as an adult actor. After Scissorhands, a series of low-budget films followed, including the 1992 in film comedy Into the Sun, where he starred as a visiting celebrity at a military air base. Film critic Janet Maslin wrote: "Mr. Hall, whose earlier performances (in films like National Lampoon's Vacation and Sixteen Candles) have been much goofier, remains coolly funny and graduates to subtler forms of comedy with this role." The following year, he had a supporting role as a gay man who teaches down-and-out Will Smith to dupe rich people in the critically-acclaimed film Six Degrees of Separation (film). Hall claimed that it was "the hardest role he ever had, and a very challenging one." In 1994 in film, Hall starred and directed his first feature film, a low-budget Showtime comedy named Hail Caesar (1994 film) about a would-be rock star who works in a pencil eraser factory. The film also co-starred Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Downey Jr., and Judd Nelson. In addition, he produced the soundtrack for the film with composer Herbie Tribino. The film featured songs written and performed by Hall. After a series of appearances in low-budget films and guest roles on TV series in the mid and late 1990s, he gained media attention once again in the 1999 in film Emmy-nominated Turner Network Television original movie Pirates of Silicon Valley. Hall was widely praised for his portrayal of Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates, co-starring with Noah Wyle as Apple Computer’s Steve Jobs. The film centered on the onetime rivalry between computer moguls Gates and Jobs. "I really fought for this part because I knew it would be the role of a lifetime," Hall said. "It was a thrill and a daunting challenge to play someone of his stature and brilliance." In 1999, he also starred in the TV movie A Touch of Hope, playing real-life hands-on healer Dean Kraft, a man who discovered an ability to cure with his touch after comforting the victim of an automobile accident. 2000s After making a cameo appearance as himself in the 2000 in film comedy film Happy Accidents, Hall began the decade starring in several made-for-TV films. He starred opposite Sheryl Lee as the cheating husband in the 2001 in television USA Network cable movie Hitched. That same year, he played renowned music producer Robert Lange in VH1's original movie Hysteria: The Def Leppard Story and starred in Billy Crystal’s highly-acclaimed film for HBO 61* as legendary lefty baseball pitcher Whitey Ford. Hall also had supporting roles in the mystery-drama film The Caveman's Valentine (2001), opposite Samuel L. Jackson; Freddy Got Fingered (2001), a film panned by critics, opposite Tom Green; and the action-comedy film All About the Benjamins (2002), opposite Ice Cube. Hall began his first regular series role in 2002 in television, producing and starring as Johnny Smith in USA Network’s supernatural drama The Dead Zone (TV series), a TV series adapted from Stephen King’s best-selling novel. He was cast in the show after executive producer Michael Piller saw his performance in Pirates of Silicon Valley. In the series, Hall plays a high school teacher who suffers a car accident and falls into a coma for six years. The accident triggered a side of his mind that grants him strange psychic powers that prove to be both a blessing and a curse. On June 16, 2002, the show drew the highest ratings for a premiere than any other cable series in television history. The Dead Zone premiered to strong reviews and quickly developed a loyal audience. Hall was once again widely praised for his portrayal of a character originally played by Christopher Walken in the 1983 film adaptation; such was one review from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review : "Hall's Johnny flashes the qualities - comic timing, great facial expressions - that made him a star in the 1980s movies Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club." The Dead Zone, Hall said, "has transformed my career." The show remains one of USA Network's top shows and one of the highest-rated programs on basic cable. Hall also directed an episode from season three, "The Cold Hard Truth", guest starring legendary standup comic Richard Lewis (comedian). "The Cold Hard Truth, I feel, is my best work as a director, because I had this great crew that knows me well and has been working with me," said Hall. "I also had the best script that I've had an opportunity to direct. And the episode, I have to say, hits all the points. You laugh in it, you actually cry by the end of it...it's real. It has a real emotional life to it." The show has been picked up for a sixth season to be aired in mid 2007. As of 2006, Hall is developing film and television projects to produce, direct and star in under his production company banner AMH Entertainment, in addition to his work in The Dead Zone. Most recently, Hall starred in Aftermath (film), an independent crime-drama film, along with Tony Danza and Chris Penn in his last role before his death. The film, which Hall also produced, is scheduled for release in 2007 in film. In the media Hall became a regular subject of tabloid media after New York Magazine connected him with a title that would label him for decades, Brat Pack. A play on the old group known as Rat Pack, this new pack consisted on a group of young actors that became famous in the 1980s, and frequently appeared together in teen-oriented films. The term came from a 1985 cover story by David Blum (June 10, 1985, pp. 40-47), who published a sensationalist article naming him and fellow actors Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Molly Ringwald, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, and Demi Moore as The Brat Pack. In the late 80s, Hall's drinking problem made headlines. Having begun drinking in his early teens, by the time he was 18, it became a serious issue. Hall eventually quit drinking and became fully sober by 1990. "The truth is, I had my partying nights, but I never really bounced at the bottom," he stated in the early 2000s. "I never went to rehab. There have been all these stories over the years that have pissed me off. I didn't go down that far. I was able to govern myself and continue my work." He stressed also that alcohol was the only substance he abused. "I never had a problem with drugs." Hall, who used to visit Robert Downey Jr. when he was in jail for drugs charges, says that is "as far as he wants to go with experiencing the other end of the spectrum." In 1990, Hall's appearance in Scissorhands was all the more striking because of the physical changes he had been through. Audiences used to Hall as a skinny boy were presented with a new beefy image. Rumors about steroids circulated; Hall replied, "the weight gain was natural." Hall's turn in 1993’s Six Degrees of Separation managed to make news because of what did not happen onscreen, rather than what did. Hall played a gay love interest to Will Smith, who agreed to a scene where the two kissed, but then simply refused to kiss a man on camera when the day of the shoot arrived. Smith told the press that he called Denzel Washington for advice, who told him in no uncertain terms that an onscreen same-sex kiss was a bad career move. When asked about such incident during an interview, Hall said, "I didn't care. I wasn't that comfortable with it, either, and ultimately, we used a camera trick." Even though Hall is being recognized as much for The Dead Zone as for the work he did in the 1980s, it is difficult to ignore his stint as an 80s teen icon. The 2001 in film film Not Another Teen Movie pays tribute to Hall's numerous appearances in the 80s teen-oriented comedy films parodied by the movie. A brief shot of the sign over the door of a high school cafeteria reveals that the facility is named the "Anthony Michael Dining Hall." Also, in 2006, Hall was ranked # 4 in VH1's list of the "100 Greatest Teen Stars" and # 41 in "100 Greatest Kid Stars." Hall has stated that he is proud of his 80s films and that he does not try to forget his early career. "It's just such a pleasure and a joy to be a part of something that people remember," he said in 2004. "All of a sudden, by the time I was 18, I'd done all these movies that people still talk about to this day, no matter where I go. It's a real blessing, and it's something that I do not take for granted. It's certainly gotten me through, knowing that I did those early films and they have lasted in the hearts of people. You can't ask for more than that, at any age." In June 2005, The Breakfast Club was rewarded with the "Silver Bucket of Excellence Award" in honor of its twentieth anniversary at the MTV Movie Awards. MTV attempted to reunite the original cast; Sheedy, Ringwald, and Hall appeared together on stage, and Paul Gleason personally gave the award to his former castmates. Estevez could not attend because of family commitments, and Nelson appeared earlier on the red carpet but left before the on-stage reunion for reasons unknown. Hall joked that the two were "in Africa with Dave Chappelle." Hall, who realizes the 80s films carry a kind of stigma, is as flattered as if people were praising him for his current work. "I grew up in the public eye. I can't hide from that. I always embrace the work I've done before. I wouldn't be where I am now if it wasn't for those movies. I'm always baffled by actors who are like, 'I'm not going to talk about the '80s.' What? You're just forgetting that whole experience? I feel very fortunate to have been able to do those films. It gave me the tools I needed to be where I am." Selected filmography Films
{ -1986 in television -present
Category:American child actors
Category:American film actors
Category:American television actors
Category:Brat Pack actors
Category:Irish-American actors
Category:Italian-American actors
Category:Living people
Category:Murder, She Wrote actors
Category:NYPD Blue actors
Category:People from Boston
Category:People from New York City
Category:Roman Catholic entertainers
Category:Saturday Night Live cast members
Category:Tales from the Crypt actors
de:Anthony Michael Hall
fr:Anthony Michael Hall
nl:Anthony Michael Hall
ja:アンソニー・マイケル・ホール
sv:Anthony Michael Hall 
Courtesy of: http://www.wikipedia.org/ |
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