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Sarah Shahi Wallpapers and Biography

Posted in Celebrities on Feb 5th, 2008 | 1 comment

Aahoo Jahansouz Shahi, also known as Sarah Shahi (born January 10, 1980, in Euless, Texas, U.S.), is an American actress, model of Iranian and Spanish descent. former NFL Cheerleader and a great-great-granddaughter of the 19th century Persian Shah Fat′h Ali Shah Qajar by Begom Khanom (daughter of Hossein Qoli Khan Afshar, niece of Begom Khanom, daughter of Emam Qoli Khan Afshar), through their son Jahansouz Shah. Shahi was named #90 on the Maxim magazine “Hot 100 of 2005″ list; she moved up to #66 in 2006.

Sarah Shahi was born in Euless, Texas, to a Iranian father and Spanish mother, Abbas and Mahmonir Jahansouz Shahi. She attended Trinity High School and Dallas’ Southern Methodist University, majoring in English and Opera . Shahi started her career as a beauty queen during her teen years. She won the Miss Fort Worth USA pageant in 1997. She joined the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders 1999-2000 squad and appeared on the cover of their 2000 calendar.

While working as an extra on the set of Dr. T and the Women, she met director Robert Altman, who encouraged her to move to Hollywood. Sarah then moved to Los Angeles. Once in L.A., she got various recurrent roles in several famous series, such as Alias, where she played Jenny, and Dawson’s Creek, where she was Sadia Shaw. Shahi was also the first ghost in Supernatural, the CW paranormal drama series.

She is best known for her role as the Mexican-American DJ Carmen de la Pica Morales in the Showtime drama television series The L Word, which she joined in its second season. Sarah did not renew her contract with the L Word for a fourth season, and consequently her character was written out.

She also appeared in HBO’s The Sopranos, in the Season 6b episode “Kennedy and Heidi,” as Sonya Aragon, a stripper and college student who spends a weekend with Tony after a death in his family.

Sarah speaks English, Persian, and some Spanish, and has a Brown belt in Karate. Sarah’s currently starring as one of the leads alongside Damian Lewis in the new hit show Life which started airing in the U.S. in late September.

Although uncredited by most sources, Sarah also appeared in Jackie Chan movie Rush Hour 3 as one of the girls being handcuffed for motoring offence by Chris Tucker.

Shahi is in a relationship with actor Steve Howey, who starred as Van in the CW show Reba. Her acting coach is Bill Howey, Steve’s father.

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Katharine Mcphee Photos and Biography

Posted in Celebrities on Feb 5th, 2008 | Comments Off

Though Taylor Hicks’ quirky soulfulness made him 2006’s American Idol, runner-up Katharine McPhee’s classic good looks and voice and affinity for traditional pop made her a strong contender throughout the season. In fact, she was one of the first semifinalists to make it to the final 12. A native of Sherman Oaks, CA, McPhee began singing at age two.

Katharine Hope McPhee (born March 25, 1984) is an American pop and R&B singer, model who was the runner-up to Taylor Hicks on the fifth season of American Idol in 2006.

Her mother, Patricia McPhee, is an established singer in her own right, performing and recording as Peisha McPhee. She helped Katharine develop as a vocalist and gave her more formal training than many American Idol hopefuls receive. Though McPhee sang and acted throughout her childhood and high-school years, she began taking singing more seriously in college, attending Boston Conservatory as a musical theater major.

After three semesters, however, she left for Los Angeles to audition for film and television work. McPhee scored roles in the film Crazy, a musical about Hank Garland, and an MTV series, You Are Here, which didn’t make it to the air. She also appeared in productions of Annie Get Your Gun and The Ghost and Mrs. Muir before auditioning for American Idol in 2005.

McPhee was persuaded by Nick Cokas and her parents to try out for American Idol. She auditioned in San Francisco, and sang “God Bless the Child”, originally performed by Billie Holiday. Paula Abdul said that McPhee was “absolutely beautiful”, Randy Jackson hailed her audition as potentially the best so far that season, and Simon Cowell complimented her for being “current” and her audition being “absolutely fantastic”.

McPhee listed Whitney Houston and Brian McKnight as her favorite artists in the American Idol interview of the top 24 semi-finalists. During the week preceding the top three show, she was a runner-up in the Kennel Club Finals. McPhee visited her former high school for her hometown celebration. Antonio Villaraigosa visited Notre Dame High School and proclaimed McPhee’s visit as “Katharine McPhee Day.”

McPhee’s run on American Idol led to the popular use of the term “McPheever”, coined by Ralph Garman of Los Angeles radio station KROQ’s morning show Kevin and Bean. She also referred to her fans as the “Kat Pack” and “McPhans”.

McPhee was congratulated by Congressman Brad Sherman of Sherman Oaks, the 27th district of California, who raised a flag in her honor at the United States Capitol on the day of the finale show. McPhee was credited with performing KT Tunstall’s “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” during the Idol final run.

During the Idol Finale, McPhee duetted with Meat Loaf. They performed It’s All Coming Back To Me Now, which Loaf would go on to record with Rocker Chick’ Marion Raven, whose voice has been compared to Katharine’s.

During the competition, McPhee roomed with fellow contestant Kellie Pickler, and when Pickler was eliminated, she roomed with Paris Bennett.

Once McPhee made the final 12, her performances of songs such as “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “Come Rain or Come Shine,” and “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” made her one of the favorites of American Idol judges and viewers. After the American Idol season ended, McPhee was signed by show creator Simon Fuller’s 19 Recordings Limited label and released her first single, Somewhere Over the Rainbow/My Destiny; it became the second best-selling single of 2006.

That summer, after bouts with bronchitis and laryngitis, she joined the rest of the finalists and Hicks on the American Idols LIVE! tour and also toured with Andrea Bocelli, who appeared on American Idol as a guest judge. McPhee began recording her self-titled debut album in the fall, working with collaborators such as Timbaland’s production partner, Nate “Danja Hand” Hills, Chad Hugo of the Neptunes, and songwriter Kara DioGuardi. “Over It,” which was written by the songwriting team of Billy Steinberg, Josh Alexander, and Ruth-Anne Cunningham, arrived a few weeks before Katharine McPhee was released in early 2007.

On June 6, 2006, Sony BMG and 19 Entertainment announced that McPhee had signed to American Idol series creator Simon Fuller’s 19 Recordings Limited and Sony BMG’s RCA Records.

McPhee’s debut single, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow/My Destiny” was released on June 27, 2006 by RCA Records. “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and “My Destiny” peaked at #60.

Thirty-two weeks after its release, Somewhere Over the Rainbow/My Destiny had climbed to #4 on the Billboard Hot Singles Sales charts. It was 2nd highest best-selling single of 2006 after Taylor Hicks’s “Do I Make You Proud?”. After 58 weeks, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow/My Destiny” continues to chart, #47, on Billboard Hot Singles Sales chart, the week of Sept 1, 2007.

McPhee toured with Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, and performed duets, “Somos Novios” and “The Prayer” in three of his concerts during his tour in the United States from June 9 through June 11, 2006. She and Bocelli also performed and recorded duets, “Somos Novios” on the JC Penney Jam album and “Can’t Help Falling in Love” on Bocelli’s Under the Desert Sky album.

In June 2006, McPhee revealed to People magazine that she previously suffered from bulimia. After a period of about five years, she began treatment after qualifying for American Idol. During her run on American Idol, she lost 30 lbs.

McPhee missed the start of the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2006, due to severe bronchitis and laryngitis. McPhee commented on her illness in a public interview, saying “I just have to sing easily so I can get through the tour… I bruised [my vocal cords] because I was doing so much coughing”.

McPhee eventually joined the tour on July 28, in Washington, D.C. just in time for all ten finalists to visit the White House to meet President George W. Bush. The day prior to returning to the Idol’s tour, McPhee was a guest co-host on The View.

On July 21, 2006, Broadway World announced that McPhee is co-producing Michael Albanese’s play Red Herring along with Robert Hawk, Angelina Bruno, and Jeff Kasal. McPhee was quoted in the promo as describing a desire to become involved in theatre, stating that although “audiences know me best from American Idol… my passion has always been theatre.” The play will be a part of the 10th Annual New York International Fringe Festival.

McPhee and her sister appeared on debut of The Dr. Keith Ablow Show on September 18, 2006 to discuss her struggles with an eating disorder, bulimia, and her childhood fear of her father. On the show, McPhee stated that she was thought to have a learning disability during her middle school years but was finally diagnosed with a vision problem.

In October 2006, McPhee dedicated a performance of Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing” during the Carousel of Hope Ball which Whitney attended.

On November 22, 2007, McPhee sang the National Anthem before a national audience in Detroit before the Thanksgiving Day NFL game between the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions.

McPhee was named one of the 100 Most Beautiful People of 2007 by People Magazine. She was voted #2 on FHM’s 100 Sexiest Women in The World of 2007. Katharine was also #47 on Maxim’s Hot 100 Women of 2007. A People Magazine report, which emerged unconfirmed in November 2007, said McPhee was engaged to marry boyfriend Nick Cokas.

On December 3, 2007, McPhee and her mother Peisha McPhee performed ‘Silent Night’ at the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in Sacramento, California. On January 3, 2008, McPhee sang the National Anthem before a national audience in Miami, FL at the FedEx Orange Bowl game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Kansas Jayhawks.

On February 2, 2008, McPhee married boyfriend Nick Cokas in a Beverly Hills Presbyterian Church with a gospel choir. There were about 300 guest in attendence. Including I Know What Boys Like costar Rumer Willis.

McPhee’s self-titled debut album sold 116,000 copies its first week, debuting at #2 on the Billboard 200 chart. The first single from the album was the Top 30 hit, “Over It”.

“Over It”’s music video hit #1 on both TRL’s and VH1’s Top 20 countdown. “Over It” debuted at #1 on the VH1 top 20 countdown, and maintained the top position for three consecutive weeks. The song’s video also hit #1 on MTV Asia’s Pop 10 Chart for 12 consecutive weeks.

“Love Story” was the second single and music video from McPhee’s album. The video hit #1 on MTV Asia and stayed there for 5 consecutive weeks. It has peaked at #5 on TRL.

“Love Story”, “Not Ur Girl”, “Open Toes”, “Neglected”, “Each Other”, and “Home” were written by BMI’s Pop Songwriter of the Year, Kara DioGuardi. During a concert tribute for Neil Sedaka at the Lincoln Center in New York City on October 26, 2007, Grammy award winning producer/songwriter, David Foster, announced that he and Katharine McPhee will be doing an album together.

As of January 11, 2008, it has been reported by Billboard.com that McPhee has parted ways with RCA Records label. Direct from a BMG spokesperson: “Katharine McPhee has moved on to support her other entertainment activities.” a rep for RCA Records confirms that McPhee is no longer on the label’s roster, adding that, “Katharine is going to record her next album on her own.” McPhee’s self-titled debut charted at a promising No. 2 in February 2007, but it never reached gold status. Katharine McPhee is looking for new ways to make money now that she’s been dropped by her record label.

A magazine insider tells the ex-“American Idol” contender has been trying to sell photos from her upcoming February marriage to Nick Cokas and was looking for the immodest sum of $60,000.

American Idol star Katharine McPhee has married actor Nick Cokas in a lavish ceremony in Los Angeles. The 23-year-old singer-turned-actress has been dating Cokas–who is 19 years her senior–for over a year after they met on the set of a theater production.

And the couple, who got engaged last year, finally wed at Beverly Hills Presbyterian Church on Saturday, according to People.com.  McPhee wore a strapless ivory Manuel Mota gown to walk down the aisle at the ceremony, which was attended by 305 guests, including fellow American Idol contestants Kellie Pickler and Mandisa.

Kim Raver Wallpapers and Photos

Posted in Celebrities on Feb 2nd, 2008 | Comments Off

Kimberly Jayne Raver (born March 15, 1969) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Kim Zambrano on the TV show Third Watch and Audrey Raines on 24.

Raver was born and raised in New York City. From the ages of six to nine, she had a regular role on the seminal children’s television series Sesame Street.

After Sesame Street, the young actress joined Off-Off-Broadway’s first all-children’s theater. A fine arts graduate of Boston University, Raver continues to study theater in New York with teacher and mentor Wynn Handman.

She is fluent in French and German, a language that she learned as a child from her German-born mother.

Together with husband Manuel Boyer she has two sons, Luke (b. 2002) and Leo (b. 2007). Leo Kipling Boyer was born on October 9, 2007, in New York City where Raver is filming her new show, Lipstick Jungle.

Watched by millions of diehard conspiracy fans, Kim Raver gained her first big national exposure as the conflicted Audrey Raines on Fox’s “24” (2001- ), but the New York native had been performing on stage and both the big and small screen since she was a child.

Born March 15, 1969 in New York City, NY, Raver was one of two sisters born to her German mother Tina Raver. She gravitated towards performing at a very early age, earning her first credit as “Kim” during a three-year stint on “Sesame Street” (PBS, 1969- ).

Soon after, Raver began honing her craft at an off-off-Broadway theater devoted to child performers.

A fine arts graduate from Boston University in 1991, Raver’s early credits included national commercials for Visa and Jeep (the latter directed by Ridley Scott); she also landed a supporting part in the TV-movie “Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills” (1994) and had a recurring role in Darren Star’s short-lived “Central Park West” (CBS, 1995-96).

Raver’s big break and first critical raves came with her appearance in the Broadway production of “Holiday,” opposite Laura Linney and Tony Goldwyn, from 1995 through 1996. Guest roles on “Law and Order” (NBC, 1990- , “The Practice” (ABC, 1997-2004), and “Spin City” (ABC, 1996-2002) soon followed, and Raver also logged time as a cast member of the drama series “Trinity” (NBC, 1998-99) for producer John Wells.

During this period, Raver also appeared in a summer production of Warren Leight’s play “The Glimmer Brothers” with David Schwimmer and the late John Spencer, at Williamstown. Impressed with her presence, Wells also cast Raver as paramedic Kim Zambrano in his police/firefighter drama “Third Watch” (NBC, 1999-2005).

Raver stayed with the series until 2004 – during which she appeared in a cross-over episode of another Wells’ production, “ER” (NBC, 1994- ).

A pair of independent features followed her departure from “Third Watch” – Eric Schaeffer’s comedy “Mind the Gap” (2004) and a horror film, “Prisoner” – before she joined “24” in 2005. As CTU member Audrey Raines – the daughter of Secretary of Defense James Heller (William Devane) – Raver struggled with her feelings for Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) – feelings that were complicated immeasurably when he indirectly allowed her husband to die.

She also found herself pawn to villainous agents who interrogated her with sodium pentothal, implicating her in terrorist attacks, and nearly leaving her to die. Naturally, Jack’s quick thinking rescued her from this fate.

Since joining “24,” Raver completed several films for television and theatrical release, including the psychological thriller “Keep Your Distance” (2005), and a supernatural film, “Haunting Sarah” (2005) for Lifetime.

At the beginning of her adult career, Raver acted in commercials for Visa and Jeep. Her big break came with her Broadway debut in the play “Holiday” in which she co-starred with Laura Linney and Tony Goldwyn. She also appeared in the feature film City Hall with Al Pacino.

She also co-starred with John Spencer (of NBC’s The West Wing) and David Schwimmer in “The Glimmer Brothers”, a production of the Williamstown Theatre Festival, written by Warren Leight. After her time on Third Watch, she was cast as Audrey Raines in the popular television series 24, and was a series regular for two seasons.

During the Fall 2006 television season, Raver starred in the ABC television series The Nine. Although the show received outstanding pre-season ratings, it did not take off, and was therefore canceled. She reprised her role in 24’s season 6 as Audrey Raines.

Although Audrey Raines was presumed to have been killed, it was later revealed that she is still alive and was being held captive by the Chinese. The character was in a comatose state at the end of the season. It has not been confirmed whether Raver will reprise the role or not for the seventh season. Raver will star in the new television series Lipstick Jungle set to premiere on NBC in 2008.

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5 little-known Jessica Alba facts

Posted in Celebrities, News on Feb 2nd, 2008 | Comments Off

Find out what you may not know about Jessica Alba, who plays a blind musician in “The Eye.”

FACT ONE: Jessica Learned From the Very Best
Jessica Alba took her first acting class at the age of twelve, and within a year she had her first movie role in Camp Nowhere. After graduating from high school at 16, she studied acting at the Atlantic Theater Company under the Oscar-nominated husband-and-wife team of William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman.
 
FACT TWO: She’s Willing to Lend a Hand (or Shoe)
Jessica is currently appearing in a new advertising campaign for the Good Cents Initiative to raise money to provides AIDS medication for children in Africa and India. She also supports Soles4Souls, a relief organization that has collected over two million pairs of shoes for disaster victims across the globe.
 
FACT THREE: Change Is Coming for Jess and Cash
In December Jessica officially announced that she is expecting her first child with fiancé Cash Warren in the late spring/early summer. They met on the set of Fantastic Four, where he was working as the director’s assistant. She told OK Magazine that pregnancy has made her more relaxed, but, “I wake up to hiccups every single morning. Never had hiccups before.”
 
FACT FOUR: She’s Bringing the “Love” to the NHL
Next up for Jessica is The Love Guru, written by and starring Mike Myers. She plays the owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team who seeks the help of Pitka, a spiritual self-help guide, to mend the marriage of her star player and his wife. It also stars Ben Kingsley, Meagan Good and Justin Timberlake.
 
FACT FIVE: All Those in Favor Say “Eye”
Following in the footsteps of Naomi Watts and Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jessica plays the lead in a remake of a successful Asian horror movie. She took six months of violin lessons for the role of a blind musician who gains supernatural visions after a corneal transplant. Scroll down to check out the theatrical trailer.

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Top 99 Most Desirable Women of 2008

Posted in Celebrities, News on Feb 1st, 2008 | 1 comment

AskMen.com’s Top 99 Most Desirable Women is an annual list compiled by AskMen.com readers and staff, ranking the famous females deemed to be the year’s most alluring.

In casting their votes, readers are asked to look beyond sex appeal and beauty to pick women who have the characteristics they value in a potential companion, like intelligence, humor, charisma, and ambition.

The result is an annual list that acts as the definitive gauge for identifying what modern men desire most in their female companions.

This year, over 5 million votes were cast as AskMen.com readers identified the females from the worlds of music, fashion, sports, and entertainment who they felt best represented their ideal woman.

Who has joined the exclusive ranks of previous winners Laetitia Casta, Charlize Theron, Monica Bellucci, Adriana Lima, Jessica Alba, and Beyonce Knowles in being named 2008’s No. 1? Find out by making your way up through the list –

Here’s an exclusive sneak peak of some of the women voted onto the Top 99 list in 2008:

The Honorees:

Blake Lively 
Voted as the No. 99 Most Desirable Woman of 2008
2008 marks Blake Lively’s debut on the AskMen.com Top 99 list. Although she’s been acting for years in films like “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” (2005) and “Accepted” (2006), the 20-year- old California native had a breakout year in 2007 with her starring role as Serena van der Woodsen on the hit teen TV series “Gossip Girl.”

Lindsay Lohan – View her Desktop Wallpapers:
Voted as the No. 95 Most Desirable Woman of 2008
Lindsay Lohan might have done everything except star in a hit movie this year. Plummeting 45 positions to finish at No. 95, Lindsay proved to be perfect tabloid fodder in 2007 with her highly publicized antics, which included a bizarre car crash, an arrest, and a subsequent stint in rehab.

Jessica Simpson – View her Desktop Wallpapers:
Voted as the No. 47 Most Desirable Woman of 2008
Jessica Simpson is the quintessential all-American girl, and in 2007 (after calling it quits with crooner John Mayer) she made the ultimate patriotic move to date All-American quarterback Tony Romo. After Dallas’ suspiring NFC divisional playoff loss to the New York Giants, Cowboy fans tagged her with the nickname Yoko Romo. Aside from breaking her nose on the set of her upcoming 2008 film “Major Movie Star,” Jessica announced that she will be returning to her Texas roots and releasing a country album in the coming year.

Eva Longoria – View her Desktop Wallpapers:
Voted as the No. 29 Most Desirable Woman of 2008
Eva Longoria is the reason why men don’t complain about “Desperate Housewives.” Eva sizzled as Gabrielle all year and still found time to make a cameo in “The Heartbreak Kid,” model for Bebe Sport and host the 2007 NCLR ALMA Awards. In 2008, she’ll appear in “Lower Learning,” “Over Her Dead Body,” “Foodfight!,” and “Deep in the Heart of Texas.” When told her she made AskMen.com’s list again, she said: “[It's] probably … because I married Tony Parker. So people think, ‘Cool! Sports guy!’ That is really flattering and fun. … It’s better than the alternate lists — the not-so-hot of the year!”

Kim Kardashian -
Voted as the No. 28 Most Desirable Woman of 2008
Hollywood socialite Kim Kardashian is one busy lady: She owns her very own high-end clothing boutique, stars in a reality TV show, “Keeping Up With The Kardashians,” and still finds the time to cameo in the occasional homemade porn video. But while Kim Kardashian might have a talent for batting those eyelashes at the camera, it’s her curvaceous Jessica Rabbit-like physique that drives the boys crazy.

Carrie Underwood – View her Desktop Wallpapers:
Voted as the No. 23 Most Desirable Woman of 2008
Quite possibly the most successful American Idol winner ever, Carrie Underwood was nominated for five Academy of Country Music awards in 2007 and for the “Best New Artist” Grammy — the first time an Idol winner has been nominated in that category. She also became only the 11th country music star ever to perform on “SNL.” Carrie released her second sophomore studio album, Carnival Ride, in ‘07, and continues to dominate airwaves on radio stations from coast to coast.

Halle Berry – View her Desktop Wallpapers:
Voted as the No. 21 Most Desirable Woman of 2008
2007 proved to be a busy year for this Academy Award-winning actress, model and mother-to-be; after starring in two flicks, “Perfect Stranger” and “Things We Lost in the Fire,” Halle received a coveted star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 2008 will be another busy year for Halle Berry, as she already has three films lined up.

Beyonce Knowles – View her Desktop Wallpapers:
Voted as the No. 14 Most Desirable Woman of 2008
Voted as the most Desirable Woman of 2007, Beyonce’s physical and musical attributes have already translated into a stellar career as an award-winning singer and actress. She had several hit songs in 2007, including “Beautiful Liar,” and fans everywhere now wait with bated breath for Beyonce’s third solo album, due out in 2008.

Megan Fox – View her Desktop Wallpapers:
Voted as the No. 12 Most Desirable Woman of 2008
This foxy Fox is known for having starring roles in a number of hit movies and television shows, including “Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen” (2004), the sitcom “Hope & Faith,” and her starring role in 2007’s box-office smash hit “Transformers.” Though her resume is short, there is no denying Megan Fox’s budding talent … and her incredible good looks.

Jessica Alba – View her Desktop Wallpapers:
Voted as the No. 5 Most Desirable Woman of 2008
Who doesn’t love a beautiful woman with a great sense of humor? Jessica Alba showed us her funny side in “Good Luck Chuck,” and her gorgeous side everywhere else she appeared. In 2007, she also reprised her role as Susan Storm in “Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer,” and can next be seen starring in “The Eye,” “The Love Guru,” and 2009’s “Sin City 2.” Voted No. 1 of 2006, Jessica Alba is a perennial favorite among voters.

Katherine Heigl – View her Desktop Wallpapers:
AskMen.com’s No. 1 Most Desirable Woman of 2008
Katherine Heigl has had an outstanding year. Her role on “Grey’s Anatomy” garnered her an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. She also starred in the box-office hit “Knocked Up,” was interviewed by journalist Barbara Walters as one of her “10 Most Fascinating People of 2007,” and married singer Josh Kelley. A former model, Katherine Heigl is beautiful, well-spoken, humorous, talented … the list goes on. No one belongs at the top of 2008’s Top 99 more than Katherine Heigl.

Where did your favorite place? Check out AskMen.com for the complete list of the Top 99 Most Desirable Women of 2008.

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