An avid dancer and ice skater, Smith, when she isnt working, loves to play on her computer, play piano or guitar and teach Abby, her black Scottish terrier, new tricks. JENNIFER JASON LEIGH (Voice of Bridget) is an actress, director and producer. Last year, she marked her directional debut with The Anniversary Party, which she co-wrote, co-directed and starred in with Alan Cumming. A critical success, the film received a citation for Excellence in Filmmaking from The National Board of Review, and Leigh was nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards for Best First Feature and Best First Screenplay. Also in 2001, she won Best Actress at the Tokyo International Film Festival for her role in The King is Alive. In 2002, Leigh stars in Sam Mendes The Road to Perdition, opposite Tom Hanks, Paul Newman and Jude Law. The drama, based on the DC Comics novel of the same name, is set in the depression and revolves around a hit man bent on avenging the murder of his wife and son. Leigh first came to prominence in 1990, winning both the New York Film Critics Circle and the Boston Society of Film Critics Awards for Best Supporting Actress for her work in Last Exit to Brooklyn and Miami Blues. In 1993, she first began working with Robert Altman in Short Cuts as the phone sex worker, and later in Kansas City, as a lovesick misguided woman trying to save her husbands life by kidnapping a politicians wife (Miranda Richardson). In 1994, Leigh played Dorothy Parker in Alan Rudolphs Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle, which Robert Altman also produced. She was named Best Actress by The National Society of Film Critics and The Chicago Film Critics and was nominated for both the Golden Globe and Independent Spirit Best Actress Awards. In 1995, Leigh produced and starred in Georgia, written by Barbara Turner and directed by Ulu Grosbard. For her role as Sadie, a desperately ambitious third-rate singer, Leigh won the New York Film Critics Circle Best Actress Award and the Montreal Film Festival Award for Best Actress, and she was also nominated for and Independent Spirit Award for Best Actress. Other films to Leighs credit include: David Cronenbergs eXistenZ opposite Jude Law, Agnieska Hollands Washington Square, opposite Albert Finney, Joel and Ethan Coens The Hudsucker Proxy, opposite Tim Robbins, Taylor Hackfords Dolores Clairborne, opposite Kathy Bates, Barbet Schroeders Single White Female, Lily Zanucks Rush, opposite Jason Patric, A Thousand Acres, with Jessica Lange and Michelle Pfeiffer, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Sister, Sister, Backdraft, Crooked Hearts, Eyes of a Stranger, Wrong is Right, Easy Money, Grandview U.S.A., Flesh and Blood, Mens Club, The Hitcher, Undercover, Heart of Midnight and Christopher Guests The Big Picture. Currently, she is staring on Broadway in David Auburns Pulitzer Prize winning play Proof. Her additional theatre credits include two plays directed by Marshall Mason, William Inges Picnic at Los Angeles Ahmanson Theater and Sunshine at New Yorks Circle Repertory Theater as well as the Broadway production of Cabaret directed by Sam Mendes and co-starring Alan Cumming. Leigh has been honored with numerous retrospectives including the prestigious American Cinematheque, Telluride Film Festival and the American Museum of the Moving Image in New York. On June 6th 2002, The Film Society of Lincoln Center will present her with the 2002 Young Friends of Film Honors, an annual tribute to an outstanding film artist whose work is especially enjoyed and admired by todays young filmgoers. CHRISTOPHER LLOYD (Voice of the City Coroner) began his career in theatre, appearing in over two hundred plays including many on Broadway, regional and summer stock productions. For his title role in Kaspar, he took home an Obie and Drama Desk award, and most recently, he appeared in a New York production of Waiting for Godot. Lloyd began his film career in the 1975 five-time Oscarâ winner One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest. Three years later, he followed with the role of Jim Ignatowski on the hit TV series Taxi, for which he won two Emmys. He then garnered a third Emmy for a guest appearance on Disneys Road to Avonlea. Appearing in over ninety film and television productions, Lloyds impressive filmography includes the Back to the Future trilogy, Things to do in Denver When Youre Dead, Eight Men Out, Addams Family Values, The Pagemaster, Adventures of Buckaroo, Banzai, Track 29, Clue, The Dream Team, Star Trek III, Goin South, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, My Favorite Martian, and Twenty Bucks, for which he won an Independent Spirit Award. Currently Lloyd can be seen in HBOs teleplay adaptation of Margaret Edsons play Wit, directed by Mike Nichols and starring Emma Thompson. He also has two movies scheduled for release in 2002 as well as an ongoing role in PBS Cyberchase. Veteran actor PAUL SORVINO (Voice of Scheck) recently starred, in the CBS Drama Thats Life, opposite Ellen Burstyn, and completed two films: Plan B with Diane Keaton and Perfume with Jeff Goldblum, Omar Epps, Rita Wilson and Peter Gallagher. Sorvino made his directorial debut with That Championship Season for Showtime. Along with directing, he also starred and wrote some of the musical score for the film. He has appeared in more than 80 films including William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet, Nixon, The Firm, Goodfellas, Dick Tracy, That Championship Season, Reds, Slow Dancing in the Big City, Oh, God!, The Brinks Job Money Talks and Bulworth. On television, Sorvino starred in the award-winning NBC series Law and Order as well as three other series: The Oldest Rookie, Well Get By, and Bert D Angelo, Superstar. He starred in such telefilms as Dummy, the Peabody award-winning drama, Tell Laura I Love Her, Perry Mason: The Case of the Wicked Wives and Dont Touch My Daughter, as well as the NBC mini-series, Chiefs and the ABC movie-of-the-week, It Couldnt Happen to a Nicer Guy. He also appeared on the PBS Great Performances 20th Anniversary Special, The Last Mile, and has hosted and written for the A&E comedy show, An Evening at the Improv. Sorvino has also appeared in many theater productions. He starred in the Broadway production of That Championship Season, which earned him a 1973 Tony Award nomination and a New York Drama Critics Award for Best Actor. He also appeared in the Broadway production of An American Millionaire and directed the Broadway play Wheelbarrow Closers. Off-Broadway, he directed, produced and starred in Marlon Brando Sat Right Here. He also starred in the Stephen Schwartz musical The Bakers Wife. In addition, Sorvino is founder and artistic director of the American Stage Company at Fairleigh Dickinson University. An accomplished tenor, Sorvino sang the role of Alfred in Die Fledermaus with the Seattle Opera Company and created a public television special, Paul Sorvino: An Evening of Song, with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra. Sorvino has had the honor of performing at New Yorks Metropolitan Opera House and has recorded three CDs, the most recent entitled Paul Sorvino Sings. The founder of the Sorvino Childrens Asthma Foundation, Sorvino regularly does operatic concerts on behalf of his organization. He is also the author of How to Become a Former Asthmatic, published by William Morrow. JAMIL SMITH (voice of Gerald, Rasta Guy) has been the voice for Gerald since the creation of the character and the Hey, Arnold! TV series in 1996. His passion for acting began when he started training in theatre at six years old, and he has worked steadily in television for the past eight years, appearing on such shows as The X Files, Touched By an Angel, Sister, Sister, Hangin With Mr. Cooper and NYPD Blue. On stage, Smith has had numerous roles including the distinctive honor of playing the part of Sojourner Truths son in the Cal State Northridge production of Aint I a Woman, as well as the part of Scrooge in the Hollywood Playhouse production of A Soulful Christmas. Nominated for two NAACP Theatre Awards for Best Supporting Actor for his role of Mr. Magie in Anny Mae and Asbury and his portrayal of Jeremy in Power Over Weapons, Smith was recognized as a 1977 California Arts Scholar in Theatre. He has also appeared in a number of theatrical productions in Los Angeles where he is an active member of the Theatre Rascals production company. When hes not working, Smith enjoys playing almost any sport including basketball, football, baseball and track. DAN CASTELLANETA (voice of Grandpa/ Nick) has done voiceover work for countless animated features and television series, and he has received two Emmys for his voiceover work as Homer, Krusty, Grandpa and others on the irreverent animated series, The Simpsons. On the big screen, Castellaneta most recently did the voice of Mullins in Return to Never Land, and his additional animated feature work includes numerous Aladdin films, Recess: Schools Out, Rugrats in Paris: The Movie, Joseph: King of Dreams, Olive, the Other Reindeer and All Dogs Go to Heaven 2. In front of the camera, Castellaneta has appeared in a variety of films including The Client, Forget Paris, Love Affair, The War of the Roses, Nothing in Common, My Giant, The Settlement and Neil Simons teleplay Laughter on the 23rd Floor. On the small screen, Castellaneta has co-starred on the Emmy-winning Tracey Ullman Show with Tracey Ullman and Julie Kavner, as well as on Sibs with Marsha Mason. In addition, he has appeared on such popular series as Murphy Brown, Grace Under Fire, NYPD Blue, Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond and Mad About You. A Chicago native, Castellaneta has performed on stage with the famed improvisational comedy troupe The Second City. In Los Angeles, he won a Dramalogue Award for his performance in Tom & Jerry, and he created the role of Harvey Pekar, the undergroud cartoonist, in the long-running hit production of American Splendor at Theater/Theater in Hollywood. Castellaneta made his New York stage debut in The Alchemist, and has performed his one-man show Where Did Vincent Van Gogh? in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, The Edinburgh Festival Theatre in Scotland and on the Aspen HBO Comedy Festival in Colorado. Release Date: 20th December 02 Distributor: UIP Cert: U Running Time: 1 Hour 16 minutes www.uip.co.uk |