Date of Birth: 18 September 1973

Mini Biography:

Andreas Guenther was born in 1973 in Graz, Austria. He grew up in Constance and attended the Waldorf school in Ueberlingen. After his graduation in 1995 he moved to Munich, where he earned his living as a bartender and had a job at a parcel service, before he started to work as a driver and a set production assistant for a film production company. From there it was only a small step to his first role in a short film (“Zwischen den Wegen” by Mathias Frik). In the same year he played his first leading role in the short film Martin – Das erste Mal (1998) by Markus Herling, and acted in Sönke Wortmann’s Charleys Tante (1996) (TV).From 1997 to 2000 Andreas took private acting lessons and attended several workshops. In 1999 he made his cinema debut in Stefan Ruzowitzky’s Anatomie (2000), and played the lead in the made-for-TV thriller _Jenny Berlin – Tod am Meer (2000) (TV)_ , directed by Johannes Fabrick, the same year. In 2001 Andreas moved to Berlin. Since then he has acted in numerous television films and movies, e.g. Gott ist tot (2003) opposite Götz George and the international co-production Baltic Storm (2003) directed by Reuben Leder, starring Greta Scacchi, Jürgen Prochnow and Donald Sutherland. One of his new movies, Schöner Leben (2006) by Markus Herling, will have its world premiere at the Berlinale 2006. In FC Venus (2006) by Ute Wieland, which are in German cinemas in April 2006, Andreas is starring as the attractive kindergarten teacher Jurij Zille. He is one of the new guard of German actors. 2006

Birth Name: Yilmaz Pütün

Mini Biography:

Güney and his work were almost entirely unknown outside of his Turkish homeland until his 1981 escape from imprisonment in Turkey and his “discovery” the following year at the Cannes Film Festival for his autobiographical screenplay for Yol (1982), the festival’s grand prize winner. Born in 1937 in a village near the southern city of Adana, Güney studied law and economics at the universities in Ankara and Istanbul, but by the age of 21 he found himself actively involved in filmmaking. As Yesilcam, the Turkish studio system, grew in strength, a handful of directors, including Atif Yilmaz, began to use the cinema as a means of addressing the problems of the people. Only state-sanctioned melodramas, war films and play adaptations had previously played in Turkish theaters, but these new filmmakers began to fill the screens with more artistic, personal and relevant pictures of Turkish life. The most popular name to emerge from the Young Turkish Cinema was that of Yilmaz Güney. Güney was a gruff-looking young actor who earned the monicker “Cirkin Kral,” or “the Ugly King.” After apprenticing as a screenwriter for and assistant to Atif Yilmaz, Güney soon began appearing in as many as 20 films a year and became Turkey’s most popular actor. More than a screen idol, Güney was a Turk who believed in the Turkish people and their way of life, as well as being personally committed to social change. Although the early 1960s brought some political reform to Turkey, Güney was imprisoned in 1961 for 18 months for publishing a “communist” novel. The country’s political situation and Güney’s relationship with the authorities only became more tense in the ensuing years. Not content with his star status atop the Turkish film industry, Güney began directing his own pictures in 1965 and, by 1968, had formed his own production company, Güney Filmcilik. Over the next few years, the titles of his films mirrored the feelings of the Turkish people: Umut (1970); Agit (1972); _Acý (1971)_; Umutsuzlar (1971). After 1972, however, Güney would spend most of his life in prison. Arrested for harboring anarchist students, Güney was jailed during preproduction on Zavallilar (1975) (completed in 1975), and before completing Endise (1974), which was finished in 1974 by Güney’s assistant, Serif Gören. This was a cherished role that Gören would repeat over the next dozen years, directing several scripts that Güney wrote laboriously while behind bars. Released from prison in 1974 as part of a general amnesty, Güney was re-arrested that same year for shooting a judge. During this stretch of incarceration, his most successful screenplays were Sürü (1979) and Düsman (1979), both directed by Zeki Ökten. After escaping from prison in 1981 and fleeing to France, Güney was greeted at the Cannes Film Festival with a Palme d’Or for Yol (1982), again directed by Gören. It was not until 1983 that Güney resumed directing, telling a brutal tale of imprisoned children in his final film, Duvar (1983), made in France with the cooperation of the French government. At that point, Güney’s name was unspeakable in his homeland; eleven of the films he directed or appeared in were confiscated and reportedly burned to ashes; even so much as writing about Güney was forbidden. Despite the great international success of YOL and DUVAR, Güney was ultimately a Turkish director for the Turkish people; his final separation from his home audience must have been even more painful to endure than his years of imprisonment.

Spouse:

Fatoþ Güney (1970 – 9 September 1984) (his death) 1 child
Nebahat Çehre (1967 – ?)

Trivia:

Education: Ankara University (law); Istanbul University (economics)
Biography in: John Wakeman, editor. “World Film Directors, Volume Two, 1945-1985″. Pages 405-409. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1988.
An ethnic Kurd, Guney was Turkey’s most popular actor before he became a director. As his films got more political, he came under the scrutiny of Turkish authorities and was jailed several times for various political offenses. In the late 1970s he was convicted, in a very controversial trial, of murder and received a long prison sentence. He escaped from prison in 1981 and fled to France.

Birth Name: Federico Aristides Soto Alejo

Nickname: Golden Hands King of the Congas

Mini Biography:

The King of the Congas Tata Guines real name was Federico Aristides Soto. He was born in the early 1930′s in a poor black neighbourhood in the town of Guines, just east of Havana, and made his first bongo drums from sausage and condensed milk cans. He became a legend playing the conga, a tall and narrow drum of Congolese origin brought to Cuba by African slaves. He performed with the top names in Cuban music like Arsenio Rodriguez, Chano Pozo, Bebo Valdes and Israel “Cachao” Lopez. Tata shared the stage with some of the world’s most renowned performers during a career spanning more than six decades including Josephine Baker, Dizzy Gillespie, Maynard Ferguson, Miles Davis and Frank Sinatra. Despite Tata’s success in the United States, he returned to Cuba after Fidel Castro’s communist revolution in 1959, saying he had never been able to get used to the racial segregation in the US at the time. Tata enjoyed renewed success in 2004 when he performed on the Grammy nominated hit album, Lagrimas Negras – Black Tears after spending years away from the public eye.

Height: 5′ 9″ (1.75 m)

Mini Biography:

She was born in Nagybátony (Nógrád County, Hungary) on the 27th September 1979, in the zodiac sign Scales. She attended the class specializing in drama at the Bródy Imre Grammar School in Budapest. It was during this time that she started photo shootings. Her first job was the Agnes B. fashion-show in Paris with Letitia Casta. She worked in 24 countries as a model, among them one year in the USA, one year in Italy and a half year in France.

Trivia:

She is a Hungarian model.
Has a brother 18 years younger than her. Comes from a family of miners. Studied drama in high school. Did Kyokushin Karate for 10 years.
Her family name means Greek in Hungarian.
Has a son, Milán, with Attila Seres.
Girlfriend of choreographer Attila Seres.
She is pregnant with her 2nd child with Attila Seres. (June 2008).

Birth Name: Hermann Wilhelm Göring

Nickname: Der Dicke (The fat one)

Height: 5′ 10″ (1.78 m)

Mini Biography:

Hermann Göring was born on January 12, 1893, in Rosenheim, Bavaria, the son of a prominent judge. He entered the German Royal Military Academy at Gross Lichterfeide outside Berlin in his teens and graduated in 1911. At the beginning of World War I he saw service as an infantry lieutenant but soon transfered to the air corps. During the war he racked up 22 aerial kills, earning the coveted Blue Max and a promotion to commanding officer of Manfred von Richthofen’s “Flying Circus” in 1918 after that famous ace was killed in action. In the years following World War I Göring became one of Adolf Hitler’s most devoted followers. The former war hero was named head of Hitler’s private army, the Brownshirts, a Nazi paramilitary organization similar to the Blackshirt fascist group in Italy commanded by Benito Mussolini, in 1922. Göring took part in the unsuccessful “Beer Hall Putsch” attempt to overthrow the Bavarian state government in 1923, was wounded and spent some time in prison. In 1933, after Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany, Göring became commissioner for aviation and in 1935 commander in chief of the newly established German Air Force (the Luftwaffe). By the opening days of World War II, Göring had built the Luftwaffe into the largest air force in the world. His planes performed superbly in the “blitzkrieg” campaigns against Poland, the Low Countries, Norway and France. In recognition of his work, Göring was promoted to Reichsmarschall (a rank above field marshal) on June 19, 1940. The tall, heavyset Göring became well known for his garish, colorful uniforms and his devotion to the war aims of the Nazi party, rivaled only by Hitler’s. Göring didn’t confine his efforts on behalf of the Nazi party to purely military matters, however; he also developed much of Nazi Germany’s anti-Jewish legislation.Unfortunately for Göring, his hour of military triumph was short-lived. He seriously botched the Battle of Britain in August and September of 1940 by overestimating the Luftwaffe’s capability for long-range combat and underestimating the resolve of Britain’s Royal Air Force, which resulted in the loss of huge numbers of his aircraft in daily air raids against England, not to mention the death or capture of thousands of his most experienced bomber crews. During the invasion of the Soviet Union in June of 1941, the Luftwaffe first held the upper hand against the undertrained and underequipped Soviet Air Force. However, it wasn’t long before the tide turned, and before long the Russians were turning out thousands of fighters and bombers and inflicting serious damage on the Luftwaffe, which could ill afford such losses. Starting in 1943 Allied bombers had turned the tide of the air war against Germany, and Göring’s vaunted Luftwaffe began losing increasing numbers of planes, not to mention experienced pilots, to the US and British air forces, and Allied bombing campaigns smashed many more German aircraft on the ground in addition to destroying many aircraft factories. In April 1945, with the defeat of Germany a certainty, Göring suggested to Hitler that he make peace with the Allies before they brought total destruction to Germany. Enraged, Hitler ordered his arrest. Göring managed to escape from Nazi custody but was captured on May 2, 1945, by soldiers of the U.S. 7th Army. He was eventually tried, convicted and sentenced to death for crimes against humanity during the war crimes trials at Nuremberg late in 1945. His lawyers fought for time with appeals and requests to overturn his death sentence, but they were all denied. On October 15, 1946, just two hours before the former Reichsmarshall was to face the hangman to pay for his crimes, the 53-year-old Hermann Göring committed suicide in his jail cell by taking poison that he somehow had smuggled in with him.

Spouse:

Emmy Göring (10 April 1935 – 15 October 1946) (his death) 1 child
Carin von Rosen (2 February 1923 – 17 October 1931) (her death)

Trivia:

The highest-level Nazi official captured alive by the Allies.
Committed suicide hours before his scheduled execution.
A pilot in World War I in the squadron headed by Manfred von Richthofen, aka “The Red Baron”, Goring assumed command of the unit after von Richtofen was shot down and killed by Anglo-Canadian forces.
Supreme commander of the Luftwaffe during the Third Reich. Earned the rank of Reichmarshall.
He was the only recipient of the Grand Cross of The Iron Cross during WWII.
He was given the nickname “Fatso Göring” by Allied soldiers.
At the close of World War II, Göring’s official titles included Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe, Reich Minister of Aviation, Reichstag President, Minister President of Prussia, Commissioner of the Four Year Plan, Reich Chief Forestor, Reich Commissioner of Hunting, Gruppenfuhrer (Lieutenant General) in the Stormtroopers, and second in command (by Adolf Hitler’s declaration) in the leadership of the NSDAP (the Nazi party).
In 1944 Göring was offered an honorary commission as an SS-Oberstgruppenfuhrer (Colonel General). Göring, however, refused to accept an SS commission, since it would have meant swearing loyalty to SS chief Heinrich Himmler, who historians believe Goring despised.
Technically he was the highest ranking General Officer in the World War II German military. Upon being awarded the rank of Reichsmarshall in 1940 by Adolf Hitler, Goring became senior to Army Field Marshals and Navy Grand Admirals. In reality, though, neither Goring nor his rank were respected by the professional army commanders who were technically his subordinates, and he knew it.
Lived perhaps the most sybaritic lifestyle of any of the top Nazi leaders, having built a lavish palace known as the “Karinhall” (in tribute to his deceased first wife) where he indulged in lavish dressing gowns, large feasts and an elaborate model train set.
During the aborted Munich Beer Hall Putsch staged by the Nazis in 1923, Goring was shot by Munich police, who crushed the attempted coup. His wounds resulted in his becoming addicted to painkillers, primarily morphine, for the rest of his life.
Daughter, Edda Göring, with Emmy Göring.
Addicted to morphine throughout World War II.
During the Nuremberg Trials, he underwent psychological testing that revealed he had an IQ of 138.

Personal Quotes:

We have no butter… but I ask you, would you rather have butter or guns? Preparedness makes us powerful. Butter merely makes us fat.
I am what I have always been: the last Renaissance man, if I may be allowed to say so.
I joined the party because I was a revolutionary, not because of any ideological nonsense.
It is better to kill ten innocent men than let one guilty man go free.
“Of course the people don’t want war. But after all, it’s the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it’s always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it’s a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger.” – at the Nuremberg trials.
Our movement took a grip on cowardly Marxism and from it extracted the meaning of socialism. It also took from the cowardly middle-class parties their nationalism. Throwing both into the cauldron of our way of life there emerged, as clear as a crystal, the synthesis — German National Socialism.
I herewith commission you to carry out all preparations with regard to . . . a total solution of the Jewish question in those territories of Europe which are under German influence.
Shoot first and ask questions later, and don’t worry, no matter what happens, I will protect you.
Whenever I hear the word culture, I reach for my Browning!
Education is dangerous – every educated person is a future enemy.

Mini Biography:

Between 1931-39 he taught at the School for Dramatic Arts. His pedagogic activity is significant. He engaged himself in literature. One of his books is the interesting: Ha Moliere naplót írt volna (Bp., 1946). He is the unparalleled artist of the conversation style. He was characterised by excellent ability to form characters and to make parodies. He is one of the great pioneers of the Hungarian filmmaking. During the teens he shot a series of short films as director for the Hunnia Biográf company, in a style strongly influenced by the stage. He appeared in two production made in Paris in Hungarian versions, (Az orvos titka, Kacagó asszony), which in fact mark the start of Hungarian sound picture

Mini Biography:

Composer and guitarist, educated at the University of Madrid. He came to the United States in 1937 and became a US citizen in 1943. Since he was thirteen, he performed in concerts throughout Spain, North Africa, Europe, Cuba, Mexico, and Venezuela. Joining ASCAP in 1945, his popular instrumental compositions include “Granada Arabe”, “Cancion de la Primavera”, “Lamento Gitano”, “Melody of Spain”, “El Albaicin”, “Carnival in Spain”, “La Farruca”, and “Alegrias”.

Spouse:

Betty (? – October 2001) (her death)

Date of Birth: 8 October 1953

Birth Name: Raul Gomez

Nickname: Rudy

Height: 5′ 9″ (1.75 m)

Mini Biography:

Raul Gomez was born in the state of Texas, to Texas farmer Agustine Gomez Sr. and was his mother, Ofelia Gomez’s, birthday present. Has six siblings, Estella Molina, Elida Martinez, Rosemary Torres, Agie Gomez Jr., Larry Gomez, Ramiro Gomez.As a child he grew up in a little town named Hale Center, Texas, a Cotton farming community, he was riding a horse by age six and working in the summer picking cotton by age 8. The family traveled around the United States as migrant workers during the early sixties. Attending different schools in various states was the norm of the era for the Gomez family and other families which were all his cousins.In 1963 the family moved to Corpus Christi, Texas where he attended Austin Elementary and Ella Barnes Jr. High. In 1969 moved to Houston, Texas and graduated with Honors from Jefferson Davis High in 1973. Attended the University of Houston in 1974 to major in communications with semesters in Drama, understanding human behavior and journalism.His interest in film Acting and Directing began to unravel for him. And became really inspired by a local news reporter while participating in an internship program in his Senior year. Then in 1976 was an extra in a film production that went to Houston and that did it. In late 1977 he packed up his things and moved to Hollywood.In between Acting classes and touring with Mexican celebrities as a promoter, tried to keep a strong face focused in his passion with the movie industry.He says his future in the film industry will become more and more of a challenge as he strives to create projects that effect others in the industry in a positive and productive way.

Trivia:

Filmed a student Documentary in Dallas, Texas about a local singer, called the Raul Garcia Story.
Attended various Acting schools in the Los Angeles area throughout his career.
He is an active member of several Hispanic Organizations including Nosotros one of the largest created by Ricardo Montalban and his foundation Jerry Velasco President, and hosts the annual Golden Eagle Awards.
Member of NCLR creators of the Alma Awards.

Personal Quotes:

I am not a Giant Actor nor a Prince nor a King, but a humble servant.