PIPPA MIDDLETON, NO. 1 MOST VOTED STAR 2011
Pippa Middleton has been voted the no.1 star of 2011.
No one online had heat quite like Pippa this year.
Congratulations UK!
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Aotearoa New Zealand, Polynesia Asia-Pacific. 23.12.11~
SERENA WILLIAMS 2nd MOST VOTED STAR 2011
Trailblazing Serena Williams is a tennis star that can bridge the world of sport and entertainment.
It was her temper tantrum (McEnroy American stylez) that got her fined, combined with American music awards show appearances -as well as creative use of her twitter account – that has ensured Serena’s top ranking sports star this year.
Serena Williams, a Unicef Ambassador is our 2nd most voted star of 2011.
Serena’s latest news headline is: Serena Williams all set for Brisbane International.
Her latest tweet is: “Mexican vegan pizza I made from scratch…Meat is nut based.” – http://instagr.am/p/anTGT/. Lol!
Williams humorous moniker is: living, loving, working to help you.
Maintaining a website is an education all of its own. You learn that some of the biggest stars are unexpectedly surprising.
Congratulations honey. No.2.
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Aotearoa New Zealand, Polynesia Asia-Pacific. 23.12.11~
PETRA ECCLESTONE 3rd MOST VOTED STAR 2011
Petra Ecclestone‘s announcement that she was engaged to James Stunt catapulted the daughter of Bernie Ecclestone into the 3rd top spot of 2011. Buying Tori Spelling‘s parents $85 million mansion so she could live in Los Angeles and enjoy the California sun, while being more… well… herself, cemented her fame.Ecclestone is the 4th most voted star of 2011. Petra’s latest press via the UK’s Daily Mail is: Get to know: Petra Ecclestone poses and is interviewed by Flaunt Magazine in which she states ‘people will get to know the real her’.
The billionaire heiress told Flaunt magazine: ‘With time, people will get to know the real me and realize that I’m not going to parties and falling out of my dress and getting drunk and all that.’
I know very little about this girl. So far, she’s a riot. No.3.
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Aotearoa New Zealand, Polynesia Asia-Pacific. 22.12.11~
KIM KARDASHIAN 4th MOST VOTED STAR 2011
[Photo caption - View the Gallery of Kim Kardashian's trip to Haiti to meet with Maria Bello]
Kim Kardashian is the 4th most voted star of 2011. Perhaps too much has been written of Kim already. However, if there’s one thing I respect about Kim Kardashian is the product she moves on her shoe dazzle website, with the help of her co-empire merch builder, Robert Shapiro, the Los Angeles power lawyer.
She may look ditzy in tabloid headlines some days, but there is no denying Kim is one savvy American kid. Her star X-Factor lies in the fact that Kim’s PR strategies exemplify the art of Armenian family teamwork. Far from perfect, yet this is her gift to her beloved America as a star and reality TV star artist.
She’s No. 4.
Congratulations.
The latest Kim Kardashian associated headline that was published in New Zealand is: Kim Kardashian’s ex booed on basketball court. Anyone within her zone is soon made a star of sorts by the tabloids.
[Visit Khloe’s blog for more pics from Kendall’s party!]
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Aotearoa New Zealand, Polynesia Asia-Pacific. 22.12.11~
THE NEW ZEALAND ALL BLACKS RUGBY FOOTBALL TEAM, 6th MOST VOTEDS STARS 2011
The New Zealand All Blacks rugby football team and current World Cup Champions are the 6th most voted stars of 2011.
Their tough battle and disciplined game plan under pressure was on display this year in a grueling final against France, where an 8-7 win meant victory.
More specifically, the Spirit of teamwork via Hollywood is what you all liked the best in voting these lads, no 6 this year.
Congratulations!
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Aotearoa New Zealand, Polynesia Asia-Pacific. 20.12.11~
ANDERSON COOPER, 7th MOST VOTED STAR 2011
Anderson Cooper, news anchor, producer, daytime talk show host at CNN, blogger of the 360 wordpress blog has been voted our 7th top star of 2011.
Anderson’s family links laid a good foundation of his current New York socialite celebrity and are listed as follows: Anderson Hays Cooper is the younger son of the writer Wyatt Emory Cooper and the artist, designer, writer, and heiress Gloria Vanderbilt. He is a great-great-great-grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt of the prominent Vanderbilt shipping and railroad fortune.He is also a descendant, through his mother, of Brevet Major General Hugh Judson Kilpatrick who was with Union General William T. Sherman in his March through Georgia.
Anderson is also an author. He began his media career as a baby when he was photographed for Harper’s Bazaar. He is Horiwood.Com’s top ranked journalist star of 2011.
What I appreciate about Anderson is that his best work is in being a friend. It’s a secret in Hollywood that Anderson provides the best support to American celebrities going through scandals. You just pack up, leave Hollywood and head to Anderson’s place in New York. When Cooper is not on the news, he’s often rebuilding many a leading American’s life. He’s non-judgmental and wise. He’s a bit of a life coach guru. Plus he writes books and also breaks the news as well as maintaining a really good blog.
Congratulations to Cooper’s many fans who got Anderson to no.7 this year. :)
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Aotearoa New Zealand, Polynesia Asia-Pacific. 19.12.11~
TWILIGHT SAGA 3 – TAYLOR LAUTNER, KRISTEN STEWART AND ROBERT PATTINSON, 8th MOST VOTED STARS 2011
[Photograph Andrew Cooper, Summit Entertainment via UK Telegraph]
According to Forbes Best Actors for The Buck List of 2011, Kristen Stewart is ranked no 1, because “for every $1 Stewart is paid, her films earn an average $55.83.” Her famous co-star Robert Pattinson is ranked no.3 as “for every $1 Pattinson is paid, his films earn an average $39.43.” Finally, Stewart’s 2nd famous costar, young Taylor Lautner doesn’t fare too badly either as a box office earner with teen markets.
The last 12 months I’ve been very light on blogging about “Twilight Saga” stories.
However, collectively you voted Stewart, Pattinson and Lautner, the 8th most voted stars of 2011.
For creating jobs for a new generation to step into, isn’t a visionary person like Stephenie Meyer just genius?!
Taylor Lautner is rumored to be signed to Goliath (2013) to costar with Dwayne Johnson.
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Aotearoa New Zealand, Polynesia, Asia-Pacific. 12.12.11~
DEMI MOORE AND ASHTON KUTCHER, 9th MOST VOTED STARS 2011
Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher‘s Hollywood split after six years of marriage in the spotlight, landed both entertainers as the 9th most voted stars of 2011. The anti-ageism advocates gifted Holllywood the picture that love crosses all divides and is ageless.
It was their twitter romance tweets that cemented Demi and Ashton’s popularity this year with Kutcher being heavily invested in new IT company start ups.
As a once star couple, they perhaps proved that entertainment is all moving more-and-more online.
[Photo courtesy of PopCrunch]
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Aotearoa New Zealand, Polynesia Asia-Pacific. 12.12.11~
DWAYNE “THE ROCK” JOHNSON, 10th MOST VOTED STAR 2011
Dwayne Douglas Johnson also known as The Rock, is an American actor and professional wrestler who is signed to the WWE, appearing on the Raw brand. He is often credited as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Dwayne is the 10th mosted voted star for 2011.
As a Hollywood actor of the action genre, Dwayne’s upcoming movies include:
The Fast and the Furious 6 (announced)
Luke Hobbs
He’s a busy lad!
[Photo via TheHunkies]
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Aotearoa New Zealand, Polynesia Asia-Pacific. 11.12.11~
BEYONCE, 11th MOST VOTED STAR 2011
She’s a dancing athlete, who happens to sing okay and who doubles as a pint-sized supermodel from Texas.
Yes, Beyonce Knowles is the 11th most voted star of 2011.
Go Houston!
She’s fantastic in concert (as in video clip above). Her work as a music video portrait artist of the USA has been a staple of US entertainment for the last ten years or so (as in clip below).
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Aotearoa New Zealand, Polynesia Asia-Pacific. 11.12.11~
ROBIN LI, 12th MOST VOTED STAR 2011
李彥宏 Robin Li, internet mogul of China and founder of search engine website, Baidu.Com, has been voted 12th most popular star for 2011. The only boy of five children born to factory workers in Yangquan, Shanxi, China, Li one of the 15 Asian Scientists To Watch say Asian Scientist Magazine.
Making software for the Dow Jones and the Wall Street Journal while specializing in the creation of better algorithms for search engines is how Li came to succeed with Baidu’s invention.
No, 12 this year. Kia ora and Ni hao.
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Aotearoa New Zealand, Polynesia Asia-Pacific. 11.12.11~
PARIS JACKSON, PRINCE AND BLANKET JACKSON – no.13 MOST VOTED STARS 2011
Prince, Paris, Blanket Jackson the children of the late Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, have been voted the 13th most popular stars of 2011.
American rock royalty.
They are “the world.” They are “the children.”
They move up twenty places last year from no.33 to no 13th this year.
Congratulations & Peace!
[Photo - BofMJ-JC London]
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Aotearoa New Zealand, Polynesia Asia-Pacific. 10.12.11~
WIKILEAKS NEW ZEALAND, 14th MOST SEARCHED FOR TOPIC 2011
It was the political gossip of New Zealand politicians, leaked via the USA onto an Australian’s Wikileaks site, that garnered the 14th most hits on Horiwood.Com for 2011.
Who would have thought?! But this was the case this year.
All politicians (past and present) get a shout out for the team effort. There is no denying that Kiwi politicians made the list of stars this year, according to interest from being ‘a scandalous bunch’ mainly.
[With thanks to Google Images]
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Aotearoa New Zealand, Polynesia Asia-Pacific.
OLIVIA WILDE 15th MOST VOTED STAR 2011
Olivia Wilde, The Hollywood beauty who got her start playing in the medical drama House, has been voted the 15th most popular star for 2011. The cheeky post that got Olivia there, was this this one.
In Movie star news, Hollywood tabloids and tabloid shows are spinning these headlines about Ms Wilde: Are Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis dating?, Olivia Wilde Doesn’t Like False Eyelashes, Uses Makeup Cheat Sheets. Photo by Slaven Vlasic for Getty Images North America) see more angles
Follow Olivia on French Twitter shares, here.
Olivia’s Hollywood industry actor’s bio reads: “Although born in New York, Wilde was raised in Washington D.C. and went to school there, as well as in Massachusetts, where she graduated in 2002. Her father, Andrew Cockburn, is Irish, giving her dual US and Irish nationality and facilitating her brief study at the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin, Ireland… See full bio.”
An absolute beauty. In person, Wide is much prettier. She has a magnetic allure.
Olivia Wilde’s Upcoming Movie appearances include:
Better Living Through Chemistry (pre-production)
Elizabeth Roberts
Hannah
2012 Blackbird
Liza
2011-12-04 16:00:00 [Zimbio shared Photo - Revlon's newest Global Brand Ambassador actress Olivia Wilde launches four new Revlon eye products at The Lambs Club on December 5, 2011 in New York City. December 4, 2011]
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Aotearoa New Zealand, Polynesia Asia-Pacific. 8.12.11~
JULIA GILLARD, 16th MOST VOTED STAR 2011
She came to my attention while living in Hollywood. Who was this redheaded Welsh-born girl with a thick Aussie Union lobby girl’s ocker accent? I do believe that this non-Australian born immigrant rose to the Aussie throne (a privilege that America does not, yet, allow). So, Gillard from the outset was walking on a carpet of Australian peoples good graces, afforded her. Let’s see what she’s achieved then as Australia’s wild card, so far.
A coup against her then leader, Mr Rudd, helped her become Australian Prime Minister. He was moved instantly to foreign affairs.
Her red hair I liked. A little bit Nicole Kidman and Christina Hendricks of Mad Men colorful. Since Julia’s come on board, we don’t see much of Nicole, and Nicole doesn’t make our top 50 list of stars this year either, as she did last year. Julia’s taken her spot. Good for her.
Ms. Gillard also had the nerve to travel to New Zealand on political business with the CEO of WestPac bank at her side being photographed in Parnell. What did a private bank have to do with Australia-NZ politics and an official business visit, I wondered?
Aren’t private banks and The State separate? You don’t want to mix business with personal portfolios pleasure, ever. Quite frankly, it’s the guillotine next, via France, if you do. But at least this picture she gave New Zealand on her arrival in Parnell was honest.
Then came the Wikileaks scandal, where Julia dovetailed with Wikileaks CEO Julian Assange news. “I didn’t know about it” was her repeated cry (quite possibly true, Gillard may not have)–yet this one incident propelled Gillard into a global spotlight. When you think of Wikileaks overall, “political gossip” (an extremely French artform as been observed in recent months) was the weapon via the USA, that did help shake things up a bit with all the revolutions that followed in the Arab world. Just saying! Needless to say, to clear away the cobwebs concerning all world leaders and the views that some countries held of others – did help Hillary Clinton’s job as non-Australian US Secretary of State no end. Clinton could then start afresh with all of the skeletons blasted out in the open. Of course, Julian’s wikileaks scandals had nothing to do with either Hillary or Julia. An American military personnel was responsible for that.
Then the Obama invite to Washington helped Julia out of sight as well. America suddenly started to think Australia beyond Nicole, Russell, Tom and Hugh Jackman. It was a new horizon of lusty-eyed exotic South Pacific beaches for the American people via Gillard’s presence in Washington where she received a standing ovation. And of course, opening Australia’s mining industry up, has ensured she’s everyone’s favorite Australian outside of Australia. It’s ironic that Gillard found herself in a uranium squabble between India and China and had to answer to the Australian people about issues of supply and demand fairness. “It’s not fair, if China gets it all, and India doesn’t.”
In that she is quite correct.
My sister likes Julia a lot. When I asked her why, she says “It’s good to see a confident woman leading.” Can’t argue with that! Although a survey of Australian men insists Julia’s chemistry with them is not entirely their cup of tea. Poor Julia, you just can’t win at home, although she’s a global star abroad.
I thought she rocked when she turned up in Christchurch to hear Hayley Westernra sing for the quake shattered city. She showed Trans-Tasman compassion by attending.
One thing I do question Gillard about, is allowing US troops into Darwin. Until America reduces it’s average oil consumption per person out of any other people group in the world, is this really wise? (That was my attempt at a bad joke, to help sustain the South Pacific longer!) The excuse given by the Obama administration for wanting US marines based in Darwin is “to block China’s influence in the South Pacific.” That is a totally xenophobic answer from the USA. A pitiful excuse. And we do not do xenophobia lightly in New Zealand. Our cheese export industry (to name just one example) was greatly helped by early Chinese migrants in New Zealand (long before Julia’s parents left Wales for Australia’s red soil) so none of us were buying that lame excuse from Obama, at all!
Early Chinese migrants gifted New Zealand a great contribution on their arrival. So, we have to stick up for them. For early Chinese migrants to Australia, Gillard perhaps should too.To quote Abe Lincoln, we believe “all men are created equal,” including the Chinese, even in NZ.
For Obama to forget Lincoln’s legacy to the American people (with a “blocking China” quip) goes against his founding father’s wisdom, the very legacy of why Obama even came to be afforded opportunity to lead (one of my most favorite memories of the US, was being there to see this happen a few years back). So, again that was not cool in the South Pacific to see Mr Obama say this via Australia. Keep those blind-side attitudes in America, please. In picking a ‘common enemy’ in order to justify keynesia economies ‘growth’ models using war as a tool – why must the Chinese be vicitimized.
However, Gillard still thought this was an okay reason to allow this to happen – with the excuse given. An appearance at Will and Kate’s wedding also introduced Gillard to the Lloyd’s of London fans of the UK. That always gets you noticed in Wall Street as well amongst The Fed clan.
In New Zealand, I have footage of Gillard on this website saying “I represent the origins of the Celtic peoples in the world.” I wanted her to say something stronger about representing the interests of Indigenous Australians and providing some form of redress with all of Australia’s mineral resources acquisition, however so far, Gillard is still firmly rooted in Wales in her thinking, and is still working on that one. That is long overdue in Australia.
She raises really good Maori sports stars in Australian sporting academies. Thanks for that!
You voted Ms. Gillard No. 16 this year. Wow! Although Gillard is not my Prime Minister and New Zealand is proudly a separate country to Australia with our own Indigenous Culture and wider culture we love and are proud of here…
Congratulations. :)
Stinging criticism aside (to even take time to provide, is energy spent and does show you care) do I personally like Julia Gillard? Yes I do. There’s something special about Julia. People are only as good as the information they are supplied. So far, as a newbie leader of Australia, I admire many cases she’s taken the information provided her and divided facts and outcomes ahead, to try her best to be seen to be fair. She has not had an easy ride so far and I think with Julia that good things lie ahead.
[Photograph - Not The WestPac photo - Julia Gillard greets Tamati Patuwai - Photo Zimbio. Photgrapher ]
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Aotearoa New Zealand, Polynesia Asia-Pacific. 8.12.11~
MEGAN FOX 18th MOST VOTED STAR 2011
She’s beautiful, was raised in a Christian school before she hit the Hollywood traps – and no one’s really interested in her acting. Any appearance from Megan in a normal setting, is far more surreal than any Hollywood movie. She’s a paparazzi tabloid-industry driver.
Step-mom Megan Fox has transformed her way to Hollywood action actress and wife in the short time of three years.
A phenomenon in her own right, I won’t go on and on about, you voted Megan Fox your 18th most voted star of 2011. The lovely Megan’s next movie is The Dictator. Apt.
In spite of the odd outrageous quip she throw’s the presses way, Megan is very shy and humble. Her ability to share the Angelina Jolie phenomenon, Hollywood star template with Olivia Wilde makes Megan a big American star. Give it up for hard working ladies of the grueling action movie genre. And..
Go California Gurls!
[Photo courtesy of Celebrity Net]
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Aotearoa New Zealand, Polynesia Asia-Pacific. 7.12.11~
SONNY BILL WILLIAMS 19th MOST VOTED STAR 2011
He wears Samoan tatau, like The Rock of Hollywood (and sports star Jerome Kaino), yet it’s Sonny Bill Williams ability to span three sports (rugby league, rugby football and charity boxing) that has enabled this lad to be voted the 19th most voted star of 2011.
Having a six pack set of killer abs also helps get the ladies vote. In New Zealand and Australia and the Pacific Islands… Sonny Bill is the pin up lad of 2011.
Congrats bro!
His next move on the star chess board is a boxing bout. Go here to read up.
[Photo via Stuff.Co.NZ]
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Aotearoa New Zealand, Polynesia Asia-Pacific. 7.12.11~
HOLLYWOOD BOX OFFICE HEARTTHROBS – RYAN REYNOLDS, RYAN GOSLING AND BRADLEY COOPER – 20th MOST VOTED STARS 2011
[Photo caption Lip-locking: Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds were seen smooching on a bench as they enjoyed a romantic getaway in Utah].Reynolds did better than Gosling and Cooper combined.The Hollywood heartthrob actor is a staple of the American star system of entertainment. Congratulations to these lads fans for getting them into our top 20 for 2011.
[Photo caption: Did Bradley Cooper Just Concede the Sexiest Man Alive Title to ...E Online: Cooper says, "There was such a backlash to when they announced it, and Ryan Gosling—who I love, and I just did a movie with him, he's the greatest."... Photogs: Slaven Vlasic for Film Magic and Michael Tran for WireImage].
Despite what People.Com say, Ryan is more popular this year than Cooper. he’s just a better actor and artist. But nice try Brad! Reynolds split with ScarJo has propelled him into a new stratosphere this year as an action film franchise heavyweight.
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Aotearoa New Zealand, Polynesia Asia-Pacific. 7.12.11~
MILEY CYRUS 22nd MOST VOTED STAR 2011
There’s always gonna be another mountain… keep the faith–Miley Cyrus
I met her when she was 15, just before she became a mega, mega star-teen. I said to her, “What I like about you is that you are 1) both humble and talented; and 2) that you love God.”
She said, “let’s get Sharky’s pizza.”
I said, “okay.”
Gotta love Smilers! 2nd generation Hollywood star and the Queen of American teens. You voted Miley Cyrus our 22nd most voted star for 2011.
Go kid! ;)
[BTW: I'd love to see The Climb performed in the Maori language. That would be inspirational].
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Aotearoa New Zealand, Polynesia Asia-Pacific. 5.12.11~
RACHEL HUNTER 23rd MOST VOTED STAR 2011
She is the equivalent version of our Angelina Jolie home grown celebrity talent. A teen model sensation, turned supermodel, turned rock star wife, mother, then came the divorce, she became a reality TV star and now a humanitarian ambassador as well as doubling as a hockey ‘mom.’
When I last saw her, I said: “Your spirit is so refreshing, I admire the way you’ve managed to stay sweet.”
She said: “Thank you.”
Rachel Hunter is our 23rd most voted star of 2011.
Here in New Zealand, we love her! As Petra Bagust noted recently, “she married well.” More importantly though, the nation married her. We’ve followed her entire career – the giddy highs and the heartbreaking lows. To us though, Rachel represents the most fun of a Kiwi summer. She’s both glamorous and also the ‘girl’ next door.
[Photo caption - Christchurch, New ZealandMAY 22: Sonny Bill Williams poses with Rachel Hunter (R) and her daughter Rene Hunter,19 during the Rise Up Christchurch telethon appeal event at CBS Canterbury Arena on May 22, 2011 in Christchurch, New Zealand].
~DayLife.Com. Posted by Horiwood.Com, Aotearoa New Zealand, Polynesia Asia-Pacific. 5.12.11~
IAN SOMERHALDER AND NINA DOBREV, 24th MOST VOTED STARS 2011
A vampire = any nation who uses more oil, coal, fossil fuels than other nations.
Vampiring kids futures (economically) has been the major trend youth have seen emerge in the world in the last three years the way global economies are being crunched and ‘restructured.’
The IMF are established to supposedly shed insights on this economic genocide of youth’s dreams and future, as I write.On the block, clearly is Iran’s economic wealth, at this time of writing with strict economic sanctions being placed on this nation – whose crime is doing what many other nations are doing. Buying uranium and developing nuclear weapons programs – to protect Iran’s energy reserves.
Anyway, in such times where many youth have had a future whipped out from underneath their feet (in comparison to how their parents grew up knowing the world to be), the phenomenon of teenagers playing vampires or twenty-somethings starring in Hollywood vampire themes has really taken off.
Vampire youth movies (like pirate films too) are a way for youth to “fight back” at that horrible youth discrimination feeling going on across many political and economic platforms.
It’s with pleasure to announce then – that clocking in as our 25th most voted stars of 2011 are Ian Somerhalder and Nina Dobrev, the two break out stars of the hit Vampire Diaries TV series.
Their popularity on Horiwood.Com comes at a time in what Kiwi media veteran Paul Holmes describes as an era where leaders “must almost skip a generation, in order to be relevant.”
This one for the Young Hollywood kids then. :)
Big Ups from NZ! Regularly get your defibulator checked if you wear one, while creating vampire media texts… and as always – stay sweet. And… try not to eat New Zealand children’s future too much, by being too heavy on US roads and the gas pedal.
[Photo courtesy of FanPop]
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Aotearoa New Zealand, Polynesia Asia-Pacific. 5.12.11~
CLIFF CURTIS 25th MOST VOTED STAR 2011
In the center of our top 50 most voted stars this year is Mr Cliff Curtis.
He is as comfortable walking into a packed Hollywood restaurant (being instantly recognized by everyone) as he is walking barefoot with his kids on Ohope Beach.
He’s a skilled practitioner on a blockbuster action movie set, or, wielding a taiaha in the ancient martial arts traditions of Maori mau rakau on Mokoia Island, Rotorua.
He is every inch a true star of Aotearoa, New Zealand that is globally loved.
Cliff Curtis started out from humble beginnings. He was adopted by family members as a whangai child. Many times the beach fed him and his family. Not a bad life at all, despite the many hardships he had to endure. Curtis soon grew up to become New Zealand’s ballroom dancing champion. Cliff Curtis was dancing with the stars long before many of us ever were in Aotearoa New Zealand.
An avid theater actor schooled in Poneke Wellington, Cliff became a household movie star name, playing a man who pretended to be another man’s good mate. Instead, against an alcohol-fueled backdrop of domestic violence, the character Cliff played was raping (and killing) the other man’s child. Though this got Cliff recognized worldwide, it was a role that Cliff spent 15 years trying to shake.
The movie Once Were Warriors was judged at Cannes International film festival and it made a hard-bitten Hollywood veteran film judge, like Clint Eastwood, weep. Cliff went on to play many roles in his career that can all be studied here. Any Maori actor must study Cliff Curtis, a man who excelled at playing Mid-Eastern characters from Iraqis to Israelis and Colombians to Mexicans. Cliff Curtis is so talented.
The choices of roles he’s played demonstrate Cliff’s ability to shape shift. He is now deemed to be an actor of Hollywood that will grow into a Morgan Freeman styled character actor and Hollywood legend in time. Like good wine, Cliff Curtis is a humanitarian, global warrior activist actor we look forward to seeing more from as an artist.
Cliff’s latest two roles have seen him star in Colombiana with Hollywood’s 9th highest earning box office star of 2010, Zoe Saldanas. Cliff plays Zoe’s mentor, with Zoe cast in the role of a woman who lost her parents through the drug trade, as can be seen in the film Colombiana.
Other roles include starring opposite Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) for the second time in the film Crossing Over where Cliff and Harrison are cast in a film having to solve problems of tension and conflict that can arise when tackling immigration issues.
I like Cliff because he’s always a happy hori. When you’re Maori, that’s as good as it gets.
In Hollywood, he is.
As an actor, Cliff’s ‘hero’ has never been a person in the industry. His hero is Maui – the mythological character he grew up learning about as a New Zealand school kid all those years ago. Maui, the adventurer fished up the North Island, tamed the sun and withstood the heat of jealousiesof his stronger siblings. Cliff to me, is the original Hollywood Maui.
Because of his connection with Maori and Polynesian storytelling – when you watch Cliff on screen as an artist, he always takes with him the Maui character and reinterprets this adventurer onscreen, in many forms – no matter what ethnicity of character – Hollywood has cast him in.
If you want an Oscar nomination, it’s also known in Hollywood that Cliff is one of the main contenders to star alongside. He brings an element of authenticity to any film project. He adds the depth to Hollywood film texts. Curtis is of Ngati Hauiti and Te Arawa (Maori tribal) lineage. His beautiful wife is from Myanmar. I like their family a lot. :)
Cliff is the first Maori in the world to star in a blockbuster 3D film that has excelled in Asia and Asia-Pacific territories. He is the world’s 1st Hollywood Maori King, the 25th most voted star this year. Chur!
I like Cliff because not only is he an award winning producer these days, but he can be just so darn funny. He’s straight up and most times incredibly humble. A Kiwi we are all very proud of. Go Bro!
[Photo courtesy of Star Pulse]
~Posted by Horiwood.Com, Aotearoa New Zealand, Polynesia Asia-Pacific. 3.12.11~
LADY GAGA 21st MOST VOTED STAR 2011
[Artistic commentary - Portraiture of a War-Thirsty, Fame-Addicted Entitled-Prat parading as a popular Oil-Energy Vampire by Lady Gaga and Peter Huck's photography editor].
Her gift to the world was teaching children that some people wear a better poker face than others. She taught kids, never to believe what the guys in suits and ties say. Her pop cynicism came at the right time, before a global recession – where the wealthy were vampiring a generation of youth’s opportunities and futures at a disproportionate rate. In fact, according to Nadine Chalmers-Ross‘ news coverage recently, a new OECD report states that such economic manipulation has rendered “the highest inequality levels the world has seen for the past 30 years.”
In a way, Lady Gaga made a meal out of a creative team’s glitter guns work and lobbying for ‘gay equality’ when really she was the perfect distraction for gross inequality occurring all around her fan’s eyes. No one was paying attention. They were just watching gaga’s next crazy red carpet freak show outfit.
I used to be a really big fan of Lady Gaga. Indeed, I’ve been very generous to her marketing team in the past. As a fan of her music, I did their job, for free. Many people I knew in the USA were too. They probably still are. In fact, in the second year of blogging, Stefani Germanotta single-handedly grew Horiwood.Com by 20%. Her many photo opportunities, her outrageous comments and of course, her music produced more images and media soundbites than most other artists could compete for.
I even saw her perform live in concert in Los Angeles before she became huge. She was very humble and likable. Then big corporate money kicked in. She was seen brandishing two machine guns on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine (supporting the US, UK being the biggest weapons manufacturers in the world, with Saudis being the biggest buyers of weapons of destruction mass sales) and I instantly started to cool towards Gaga’s imaging. What about the world’s children? Was the niggly feeling I was left with in the aftermath of such media sensationalist moments. Her appearances at Apple’s HQ perhaps showed she was now a corporate puppet, who’d sold out – quite possibly even being paid by BigOil & BigPharma. The latter, as a Kiwi, I should of supporter. Our dairy farmers have advanced techonology to put milk powder (mastered technology) into pharmaceutical drugs product so pills can easily be ingested. Gaga’s drug fueled messages, got Kiwi farmers paid (eventually) in the pills chain – yet even then, I stopped being a big fan of Gagas.
Her latest round of press interviews show an almost coked-out Gaga whose quite insecure. The Brit’s have taken great pleasure in messing with Gaga’s meglomaniacal insecurities of late on BBC talk shows. Messing with her plastic meat dress, almost made Gaga have a meltdown on the Jonathan Ross show recently. Not kind, but nonetheless this turning away from Gaga slightly is on display on UK TV as seen in NZ.
Personally, I got to a point where I decided that she’s just a big oil vampire. Harsh, I know. At least she’s honest about that as these two portraits of an artist depict. She’s crying the earth’s black blood like a fossil fuels addict. Because I decided that when I saw this image (art if open to an audiences own interpretation after all), I totally discriminated against her. Or, I just chose to ignore her and help promote other artists, instead. She was too dominant, for what she did and who ‘won.’ So, I didn’t do much Lady Gaga news at all in the last 12 months. Put simply, I was completely Gaga-ed out. I’d od-ed on gaga and it was time to appreciate other artists more. (too much of a good thing!) Not her fault, but that was my conclusion I reached.
It also appears that as an audience, you also still dig her. Despite the lack of support form me, Gaga is still the artist who grows the internet. Her back catalogue of ‘outrageous headlines’ on Horiwood.Com still got your vote. Stefani Germanotta clocks in as your 21st most voted star of 2011.
Good on ‘gaga.’ Despite not being a big fan of Gaga’s anymore, just a mildly interested one, I still have to thank her for growing this blog. (more…)
December 5, 2011 | Categories: 50 Starz 2011, Addiction, Apple, Art, artist, drugs, Energy, Entertainment Celebrity News, Entertainment Distribution, Entertainment News, Environment, Equality, Greed, Hollywood Entertainment News, Inequality, IT, Lady Gaga, Marketing and Branding, Music Industry News, oil, Pharmaceutical Companies, Pop Art, Pop Cultural Commentary, Star System - The Art of American Celebrity, Stefani Germanotta | Leave A Comment »