World Characters

Malcolm X May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965), born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (Arabic: الحاجّ مالك الشباز‎), was an African-American Muslim minister and human rights activist. To his admirers, he was a courageous advocate for the rights of blacks, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its crimes against black Americans. Detractors accused him of preaching racism, black supremacy, and violence. He has been called one of the greatest and most influential African Americans in history.

Malcolm X's father died—killed by white supremacists, it was rumored—when he was young, and at least one of his uncles was lynched. When he was 13, his mother was placed in a mental hospital, and he was placed in a series of foster homes. In 1946, at age 20, he went to prison for breaking and entering.

In prison, Malcolm X became a member of the Nation of Islam; after his parole in 1952, he quickly rose to become one of its leaders. For a dozen years, Malcolm X was the public face of the controversial group, but disillusionment with Nation of Islam head Elijah Muhammad led him to leave the Nation in March 1964. After a period of travel in Africa and the Middle East, he returned to the United States, where he founded Muslim Mosque, Inc. and the Organization of Afro-American Unity. In February 1965, less than a year after leaving the Nation of Islam, he was assassinated by three members of the group.

Malcolm X's expressed beliefs changed substantially over time. As a spokesman for the Nation of Islam he taught black supremacy and advocated separation of black and white Americans—in contrast to the civil rights movement's emphasis on integration. After breaking with the Nation of Islam in 1964—saying of his association with it, "I did many things as a [Black] Muslim that I'm sorry for now. I was a zombie then ... pointed in a certain direction and told to march"—and becoming a Sunni Muslim, he disavowed racism and expressed willingness to work with civil rights leaders, he continued to emphasize Pan-Africanism, black self-determination, and self-defense.

Jennifer Connelly grew up in Brooklyn Heights, just across the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan, except for the four years her family spent in Woodstock, New York. Back in Brooklyn Heights, she attended St. Ann's school. Her father was in the garment industry, and a close friend of the family was an advertising executive...

Born: Jennifer Lynn Connelly

December 12, 1970 in Catskill Mountains, New York, USA

Graduated from South High School in Minneapolis, Minnesota in June of 1996, then attended SUNY Purchase in New York. By April of 1997, he was offered the role of Michael Fitzgerald in the short-lived American television series Cracker: Mind Over Murder. Josh started off doing small plays and national commercials.

Trivia : Has two older brothers and a younger sister.

Born : Jesse Gordon Spencer

February 12, 1979 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Jesse McCartney is an American actor, singer and songwriter who started his career at 7 years old on the NY stage performing in Community Theatre. As a child, he appeared in the leading roles of the Broadway musicals; The King and I (9 yrs) and A Christmas Carol (11 yrs) with Roger Daltrey. From the ages of 11 to 13.

Born: Jesse Abraham Arthur McCartney

April 9, 1987 in New York City, New York, USA

Jensen Ross Ackles (born March 1, 1978) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in television as Eric Brady in Days of our Lives, which earned him several Daytime Emmy Award nominations, as well as Alec/X5-494 in Dark Angel and Jason Teague in Smallville. Ackles currently stars as Dean Winchester..

James Paul Marsden, or better known as just James Marsden, was born on September 18, 1973, in Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA. His father, a distinguished Professor of Animal Sciences & Industry at Kansas State University and his mother, a nutritionist, divorced when he was just nine years old. James grew up with his four other siblings, sisters, Jennifer and Elizabeth, and brothers, Jeff and Robert.

Born in the northern Polish town of Bialystok, Izabella Scorupco moved to Sweden with her mother as a young child. She studied drama and music and, at 17, was discovered by a Swedish film director who cast her in the movie Ingen kan älska som vi, which made her a local teenage idol. She then became a successful model in Sweden and throughout Europe, where she made good use of her fluency in four languages.

Hayden Leslie Panettiere was born on 21st August 1989 in Palisades, New York to Lesley Vogel and Skip Panettiere, along with younger brother Jansen Panettiere. Her mom got her started in the business by doing commercials when she was just 11 months old. Then, at only 4 1/2, she was cast on the soap opera One Life to Live.

Hayden Christensen was born on April, 19, 1981 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The young Canadian actor started his career at the age of 13 starring in several television dramas. His biggest break was a starring role on the Fox Family Network's Higher Ground. On the series, Hayden shows off his acting talent as a teen who was sexually molested by his stepmother..

Trivia: Sister-in-law of Stephanie Pratt. See more trivia 

Born: September 15, 1986 in Crested Butte, Colorado, USA

Heather was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and raised by her strictly Catholic father, who worked for the FBI, and mother, a former school teacher and author. She and her sister, Aimee Graham, were forced to relocate often, as a result of their father's occupation, and Heather became increasingly shy.

Emmanuelle Chriqui was born in Montreal, Quebec, to Moroccan Jewish immigrants. Her family moved to Toronto when she was 2 years old. At the age of 10, Chriqui appeared in a McDonald's commercial. She moved to Vancouver, guest-starring in series such as Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Forever Knight, Once a Thief and PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal..

Evan Rachel Wood was born on September 7, 1987, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Her father is Ira David Wood III, and her mother is Sara Wood. She has two older brothers: Dana Wood, a musician, and Ira David Wood IV. Evan and her brothers sometimes performed at Theatre In The Park in Raleigh, North Carolina, where her father is the executive director and founder of the theatre.

Eva Green was born Eva Gaëlle Green on July 5, 1980, in Paris, France. She has a non-identical twin sister. Her father, named Walter Green, is a Swedish dentist who once appeared in the 1966 film Au Hasard Balthazar. Her mother, named Marlène Jobert, is an Algerian-born (during the time Algeria was part of France) French actress who retired from acting and became a writer of children's books.

It would seem that 2004, the year of her 18th birthday, will be remembered as pivotal for Emmy Rossum due to her appearance in two very different films, The Day After Tomorrow and The Phantom of the Opera. Emmy's performance in the latter film gained her a Golden Globe nomination, and should assure that she will be a memorable presence in many films to come...

Emily Blunt is a British actress best known for her roles in The Young Victoria and The Devil Wears Prada. She was born on February 23, 1983, in Roehampton, South West London, England, the second of four children in the family of a teacher mother and barrister father. She received a rigorous education at Ibstock Place School.

Emilie was born on 27th December 1981, and grew up in Mount Eliza, Victoria, Australia. When she was 15, she was accepted at the highly selective Australian Ballet School in Melbourne. However, after only a year, she dropped out and undertook acting courses. Her first starring role was on the fantasy drama.Emilie was born on 27th December 1981, and grew up in Mount Eliza, Victoria, Australia. When she was 15, she was accepted at the highly selective Australian Ballet School in Melbourne. However, after only a year, she dropped out and undertook acting courses. Her first starring role was on the fantasy drama.

Ellen Philpotts-Page was born on February 21, 1987, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Page wanted to start acting at an early age and attended the Neptune Theater School. She began her career at the age of 10 on the award-winning television series Pit Pony, for which she received a Gemini nomination and a Young Artist Awards nomination..

Ellen Pompeo made her major studio screen debut in Brad Silberling's Moonlight Mile, starring alongside Susan Sarandon, Dustin Hoffman and Jake Gyllenhaal. She received outstanding reviews for her portrayal of an outspoken young woman carrying a silent burden that's breaking her heart. A native of Boston.

Elijah Jordan Wood was born on January 28, 1981, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to Warren and Debbie Wood. He has an older brother Zack and a younger sister Hannah Wood. At an early age Elijah showed a knack for entertaining and wowing audiences, and his mother decided to take him to Los Angeles for an Annual International Modeling and Talent Association convention.

Eliza Dushku was discovered at the end of a five-month search throughout the United States for the perfect girl to play the lead role of Alice opposite Juliette Lewis in the film That Night. Since then, she has been in several films and has worked with actors such as Robert De Niro, Ellen Barkin.

Elisha was born in Canada and grew up in Montreal, Quebec. Her father is an automotive design engineer and her mother a homemaker. She has a younger brother and sister. As a child, Elisha was a foot model for children's clothing. She attended Centennial Regional High School and graduated in 2000. She was interested in acting and her first appeared on the television show Are You Afraid of the Dark? in 1996.

Deepika Padukone,born 5 January 1986 in Mangalore, Karnataka, is an Indian model & Actress. She is the daughter of former badminton Champion Prakash Padukone. Her mother tongue is Konkani. Deepika has a younger sister named Anisha. She has been modeling appearances in print and television advertising campaigns for Liril..

David was born in Buffalo, New York and grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the young age of seven he decide to be an actor, which eventually led him to study cinema and photography at Ithaca College in New York. After graduating from college, David moved to Los Angeles in order to pursue a career in the movies..

Hannah Dakota Fanning was born on the 23rd of February 1994, in Conyers, Georgia, USA. Before her debut into the cinematic world, Dakota did her own acting around her house. She was very active for her age, and often put a blanket under her shirt and pretended to be having a baby, using her younger sister..

Born in New York but raised in California, Devon is no stranger to the lifestyles of the rich and famous. Her father is former Olympic wrestler and Benihana Steakhouse magnate Rocky Aoki, and her mother is Pamela Hilburger, a jewelry designer. Devon is of Japanese, German, and English ancestry. She started modeling when she was 13

Precocious, outspoken child-teen starlet of the 1990s, Christina Ricci was born in 1980 in Santa Monica, California, the youngest of four children of a lawyer father and realtor mother. She made her screen debut at the age of 9 in Mermaids, in which she worked with Cher. Her breakthrough adult role was in The Ice Storm..

New York native, Chad Michael Murray, has showcased his brooding good looks and acting talents on television sets and silver screens for over a decade. He has been a teen heartthrob on pop culture classics with roles on Dawson's Creek, Gilmore Girls and One Tree Hill, and his film credits include Freaky Friday.

Diane Kruger was born Diane Heidkrüger in Algermissen, near Hildesheim, Germany. She studied ballet with the Royal Ballet in London before an injury ended her career. She returned to Germany and became a top fashion model. She later pursued acting and relocated to Paris at the suggestion of filmmaker Luc Besson ( The Fifth Element)..

New Yorker Claire Danes is the youngest daughter of Carla, a day-care provider and artist and Christopher, a computer consultant and photographer. She has an older brother named Asa. She was educated at Dalton School, New York, The New York City Lab School for Collaborative Studies, The Professional Performing Arts School and Lycée Français de Los Angeles..

Striking Irish actor Cillian Murphy is the oldest child of teacher parents. He has three younger siblings. Murphy was educated at Presentation Brothers College, Cork. He went on to study law at University College Cork, but dropped out after about a year. During this time Murphy also pursued an interest in music..

Perhaps it was being born in Atlanta, Georgia and raised in Edison, New Jersey that bestowed Brittany Murphy with the adaptability that had allowed her to conquer a fairly prodigious amount of projects. Brittany first honed her acting skills in regional theater at the age of 9. By age 13, she had signed on with a manager and began appearing in television commercials..

/Born in California as Camilla Belle Routh, her mother, Cristina, is Brazilian, and her father, Jack, is American. Her mother is a fashion designer and her father owns a construction company. He is building Belle her first home. Camilla is an only child. She was named after a character played by Renata Sorrah in her mother's favorite Brazilian soap opera Cavalo de Aço.