Wikipedia - User contributions [en]

He Thinks He'll Keep Her

2006-10-01T16:43:00Z

71.201.198.12:

'''"He Thinks He'll Keep Her"''' was a [[1992]] song written by [[Mary Chapin Carpenter]] and Don Schlitz, which provided the singer-songwriter her first number one U.S. country single.

First appearing as a cut on her album ''[[Come On, Come On]]'', the song was partially a spoof of a [[1970s]] [[Geritol]] commercial (in which a man points to his wife's many accomplishments and attributes, and then concludes with "My wife...I think I'll keep her"). [[http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:IayxO0BE7e8J:www.wackyuses.com/wf_geritol.html+geritol+%22mary+chapin+carpenter%22&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=6]] In Carpenter's song, describing the many duties and demands of a seeming perfect wife, the phrase is first seems to be intended to echo the sentiments of the Geritol spot, but when the woman leaves her husband during the third verse of the song, it become apparent that Carpenter intended the phrase to be taken literally ("he ''thinks'' he'll keep her").

The song was nominated for a [[Grammy]], and was accompanied by a live perforance [[music video]] where Carpenter was accompanied by [[Emmylou Harris]], [[Kathy Mattea]], [[Patty Loveless]], [[Trisha Yearwood]], [[Suzy Bogguss]] and [[Pam Tillis]]. (None of these singers appeared on the actual recording of the song.)

[[Category:Country songs]]

WWE European Championship

2006-09-17T05:38:53Z

71.201.198.12: /* History */

[[Image:WWEeurobelt.jpg|thumb|300px|The WWE European Championship belt]]
The '''WWE European Championship''' is an inactive [[Championship (professional wrestling)|title]] competed for in [[World Wrestling Entertainment]]. Despite its name, only two holders of the WWF/WWE version of European Championship were actually [[Europe|European]]: the [[Davey Boy Smith|British Bulldog]] and [[William Regal]].

== History ==
The title was first seen in 1963, a few months after the company's birth when it was known as the World Wide Wrestling Federation. It was a fictitious title, awarded to newcomer [[Hans Mortier]] (of German origin) in order to elevate his status and get him [[Over (professional wrestling)|over]]. The title was rarely defended, and finally abandoned in early 1964. This version of the European Championship is not recognized in the title history of the belt.

The next time the belt came into existence was in order to create more belts for wrestlers to compete for. The European Championship was placed below the coveted [[WWE Intercontinental Championship]], and therefore seen as a "stepping stone" towards the IC title and beyond. Many people saw it as WWE's version of the [[WCW World Television Title]], though unlike that belt, the European title was competed for during house shows, and not typically featured in matches with time limits. Four wrestlers have won both the European and [[WCW World Television Championship|WCW Television]] championships: [[William Regal]] (as "Lord Steven Regal" in WCW), [[Diamond Dallas Page]], [[Perry Saturn]], and [[Chris Jericho]]. Three people would hold the European and [[WWE Intercontinental Championship|Intercontinental]] Championships at the same time. The first person was [[A.C. Connor|D'Lo Brown]], [[Jeff Jarrett]] followed, and then [[Kurt Angle]]. It was believed that WWE would use the title to make their European tours more special.

[[Image:HBK-European.jpg|150px|thumb|right|Shawn Michaels as WWF European Champion]]
The WWF European Championship, as it was then known, emerged in [[1997]] when the [[British Bulldog]] became the first Champion after winning a tournament that ended in [[Germany]]. [[Shawn Michaels]]'s winning the belt made him the first [[Grand Slam Champion]] in the WWE. Michaels is the only wrestler to have held both the World title and the European title at the same time.

After winning the European title, both [[D'Lo Brown]] and [[Al Snow]], were billed from different parts of Europe each week while champion. During Snow's reign, he and "Head" dressed up as various ethnic stereotypes corresponding to the European location they were billed from, though not always in a politically or geographically correct manner.

The belt was retired briefly in April [[1999]] by then current champion, [[Shane McMahon]]. Shane McMahon reintroduced the belt only two months later and gave it to [[Dennis Knight|Mideon]].

The WWE European Championship, as it was next known, was retired in a ladder match on [[July 22]], [[2002]] when Rob Van Dam put his [[WWE Intercontinental Championship]] on the line, along with [[Jeff Hardy]]'s European Championship. By winning that match, Rob Van Dam merged the two titles together, and continued to hold the Intercontinental Title.

==Statistics==
{| cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 border=1 style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; font-size:90%; background-color: #f7f8ff;"
|'''Record:'''
|'''Record holder:'''
|'''Record number:'''
|'''Notes:'''
|----
|Most reigns
|[[Accie Connor|D'Lo Brown]] & [[Darren Matthews|William Regal]]
|Four
|Brown originally took this record after winning the title for a 3rd time from [[Dennis Knight|Mideon]] on [[July 25]], [[1999]]. His 4th title win came on [[September 26]] of that year, by defeating [[Mark Henry]]. Regal tied the record on [[May 6]], [[2002]], after beating [[Spike Dudley]].
|----
|Longest reign
|[[Davey Boy Smith|The British Bulldog]]
|206 days
|The Bulldog became the inaugural European champ after beating [[Owen Hart]] in the tournament finals on [[February 26]], [[1997]]. He held the title until [[September 20]], [[1997]], when he lost it to [[Shawn Michaels]].
|----
|Shortest reign
|[[Rob Van Dam]]
|ca. 1 second
|Van Dam beat [[Jeff Hardy]] on [[July 22]], [[2002]], in a ladder match, to unify the European and [[WWE Intercontinental Championship|Intercontinental]] championships. This technically means that Van Dam's reign as champion ended as soon as he won the title. If discounted, [[Jeff Jarrett]] and [[Chris Jericho]] would share the record, both of which were champions for only 1 day.
|----
|Oldest champion
|[[Dallas Page|Diamond Dallas Page]]
|45 years
|DDP won the title from [[Christian Cage|Christian]] on [[January 29]], 2002. He would lose the title to [[William Regal]] on [[March 19]], 2002.
|----
|Youngest champion
|[[Jeff Hardy]]
|24 years
|Won from William Regal on July 8, 2002 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, 53 days before Hardy's 25th birthday.
|----
|Heaviest champion
|[[Mark Henry]]
|400 lbs
|Henry was awarded the belt by Jeff Jarrett on [[August 23]], 1999, for helping Jarrett beat D'Lo Brown for the Intercontinental and European titles. He lost the title to Brown on September 26 of that year.
|----
|Shortest and lightest champion
|[[Matt Hyson|Spike Dudley]]
|5 ft 7 in; 135 lbs
|Dudley won the title from William Regal on [[April 8]], 2002. He lost it back to Regal on [[May 6]] of that year.
|----
|Tallest champion
|[[Andrew "Test" Martin|Test]] & [[John Layfield|Bradshaw]]
|6 ft 6 in
|Test beat William Regal on [[January 22]], [[2001]] for the title, and lost it to Eddie Guerrero on [[April 1]] of that year. Bradshaw beat [[Gregory Helms|The Hurricane]] on [[October 22]], 2001, and lost it to Christian 8 days later.
|}

== See also ==
*[[List of WWE European Champions]]
*[[List of WWE European Championship reigns by length]]

==External links==
*[http://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/euro/ WWE European Title History]

[[Category:World Wrestling Entertainment championships]]

[[es:WWE Campeonato Europeo]]
[[it:WWE European Championship]]
[[pt:WWE European Championship]]

Naval Air Station North Island

2006-09-16T03:37:07Z

71.201.198.12: /* External links */

{{Infobox Military Structure
|name= Naval Air Station North Island
|location= [[Coronado, California]]
|image= [[Image:CabrilloView.jpg|275px]]
|caption= View of the North Island Airfield from the [[Cabrillo National Monument]]
|type= Naval base
|built= 1917
|materials=
|used= 1917 - present
|controlledby= [[United States Navy]]
|garrison= Naval Air Force, Pacific Fleet Carrier Group One Carrier Group Seven Cruiser Destroyer Group One
|commanders=
|battles=
}}

'''Naval Air Station North Island''' ('''NAS North Island''' or '''NASNI'''), located at the north end of the [[Silver Strand]] in [[San Diego Bay]], is the home port of several [[aircraft carrier]]s of the [[United States Navy]]. It is part of the largest aerospace-industrial complex in the [[United States Navy]], the 57,000-acre (230 km²) [[Naval Base Coronado]] in [[San Diego County, California|San Diego County]], [[California]].

The commanding officer of NAS North Island is also the Commanding Officer, Naval Base Coronado. As such, he commands or administers [[Naval Amphibious Base Coronado]], [[Outlying Field Imperial Beach]], Navy Radio Receiving Facility, Mountain Training Facility LaPosta, Warner Springs Training Area and [[Naval Air Landing Facility San Clemente Island]]. NASNI, with only its commands in the metropolitan San Diego Area, brackets the city of [[Coronado, California|Coronado]] from the entrance to San Diego Bay to the [[U.S.-Mexico border|Mexican border]]. North Island itself is host to 23 [[squadron]]s and 80 additional tenant commands and activities, one of which, the Naval Aviation Depot, is the largest aerospace employer in San Diego.

== Organization ==

NAS North Island also operates two other airfields in the Southern California region. One is Naval Auxiliary Landing Facility (NALF) San Clemente Island, located 70 miles northwest of [[San Diego, California|San Diego]] in the [[Channel Islands of California|Channel Islands]]. The other is Outlying Field (OLF) Imperial Beach, located in [[Imperial Beach, California|Imperial Beach]], 10 miles south of the base on the U.S.-Mexico border.

The air station resembles a small city in its operations. It has its own police and fire departments. It has large factories such as the Naval Aviation Depot, employing 3,300 civilians and its own parks, beaches, housing and recreation areas.

Its airfield has over 230 aircraft and its quay wall is [[homeport]] to two major aircraft carriers: [[USS Nimitz (CVN-68)|''Nimitz'']] (CVN-68) and [[USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76)|''Ronald Reagan'']] (CVN-76). Additionally, the base is home to the Navy's only [[Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle]]s, [[DSRV-1 Mystic|''Mystic'']] (DSRV-1) and [[DSRV-2 Avalon|''Avalon'']] (DSRV-2). The DSRV motor vessel support ships is also homeported here.

North Island is headquarters for four major military flag staffs including:
* Commander Naval Air Force, [[U.S. Pacific Fleet]], responsible for maintenance and training of all naval aircraft and aircraft carriers in the Pacific Fleet,
* Commanders Carrier Group One and Seven and
* Commander Cruiser Destroyer Group One.
With all the ships in port, the population of the station is nearly 35,000 active duty, selected reserve military and civilian personnel.

== History ==
[[Image:NAS_North_Island.gif|left|200px]]
North Island was commissioned a [[Naval Air Station]] in [[1917]], called '''Naval Air Station, San Diego''' until [[1955]]. On [[August 15]], [[1963]], the station was granted official recognition as the "Birthplace of [[Naval aviation|Naval Aviation]]" by resolution of the [[U.S. House Committee on Armed Services|House Armed Services Committee]].

The Navy's first aviator, Lieutenant [[Theodore G. Ellyson|Theodore Ellyson]], and many of his colleagues were trained at North Island starting as early as [[1911]]. This was just eight years after [[Orville and Wilbur Wright]] flew the first manned aircraft at [[Kitty Hawk, North Carolina]]. At that time, North Island was an uninhabited sand flat. It had been used in the late [[19th century]] for horseback riding and hunting by guests of [[John D. Spreckels|J. D. Spreckles]]' resort hotel, the now-famous [[Hotel del Coronado]].

North Island derived its name from the original geography. In the nineteenth century, it was referred to as North Coronado Island. In [[1886]], North and South Coronado Islands were purchased by a developer to become a residential resort. South Coronado became famous as the city of Coronado, but fortunately for the Navy, North Coronado was never developed. Instead, [[Glenn Curtiss]] opened a flying school and held a lease to the property until the beginning of [[World War I]]. In 1917, [[United States Congress|Congress]] appropriated the land and two airfields were commissioned on its sandy flats. The Navy started with a tent-covered city known as "Camp Trouble". As its name suggests, things did not always go well in the early days. The Navy shared the island with the [[U.S. Army Signal Corps|Army Signal Corps]]' [[Rockwell Field]] until [[1937]], when the Army left and the Navy expanded its operations to cover the whole island. In [[1914]], then-unknown aircraft builder, [[Glenn L. Martin|Glenn Martin]], took off and demonstrated his pusher aircraft over the island with a flight that included the first [[parachute]] jump in the San Diego area. The jump was made by a ninety-pound civilian woman named [[Tiny Broadwick]]. Other aviation milestones originating at North Island included the first [[seaplane]] flight in [[1911]], the first [[mid-air refueling]] and the first non-stop transcontinental flight, both in [[1923]]. One of history's most famous aviation feats was the flight of [[Charles A. Lindbergh]] from [[New York City|New York]] to [[Paris]] in May [[1927]]. That flight originated at North Island on [[May 9]], 1927, when Lindbergh began the first leg of his journey. Forefathers of today's "[[Blue Angels]]", the three-plane "Sea Hawks" from [[VF-6B]], the "Felix the Cat" squadron, were thrilling audiences with flight demonstrations as early as [[1928]]. They demonstrated the training skills of Navy [[Fighter aircraft|fighter]] and [[bomber]] pilots and on many occasions, flew their aircraft in formation with the wings tethered together.

The list of American military pilots trained at North Island reads like the Who's Who of aviation; however, America was not the only country interested in aviation early in the twentieth century. Six years before the Naval Air Station was commissioned, Glenn Curtiss, the famed aviation pioneer and later aircraft manufacturer, trained the first group of Japanese aviators at his flying school on the Island. Among them was a LT C. Yamada would later become infamous as the head of Japan's Naval aviation in World War II.

Even the base's first commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander [[Earl Winfield Spencer, Jr.|Earl W. Spencer, Jr.]], USN, added a degree of celebrity to North Island. His wife was [[Wallis, Duchess of Windsor|Wallis Warfield]], a prominent socialite who was to remarry twice and finally become Wallis Warfield Spencer Simpson Windsor, the late [[Duchess of Windsor]], for whom King [[Edward VIII of the United Kingdom|Edward VIII]] gave up his throne in [[1936]].

During [[World War II]] North Island was the major continental U.S. base supporting the operating forces in the [[Pacific Theater of Operations|Pacific]]. Those forces included over a dozen [[aircraft carrier]]s, the [[United States Coast Guard|Coast Guard]], [[United States Army|Army]], [[United States Marine Corps|Marines]] and [[Seabees]]. The city of Coronado became home to most of the aircraft factory workers and dependents of the mammoth base which was operating around the clock. Major [[United Service Organizations|USO]] entertainment shows and bond drives were held weekly at the Ship's Service auditorium which was later replaced by the 2,100 seat Lowry Theater. Big band singers and movie stars were stationed here or on ships home ported here during the war years including [[Douglas Fairbanks Jr.]] Future television cowboy star of the [[1950s]] and [[1960s]], [[Guy Madison]], who starred as [[Wild Bill Hickok]], was still Seaman Bob Mosely, a lifeguard at the NAS crews' pool. Stars like the [[Marx Brothers]] and [[Bob Hope]] appeared regularly at USO shows at the auditorium.

==Tenant Commands==
[[Image:Super Scorpio C-5 Loading.jpg|thumb|230px|right|A [[C-5 Galaxy]] is loaded with people and equipment from the [[Deep Submergence Unit]], [[Naval Base Coronado]]. The C-5 is bringing two [[Super Scorpio]] robotic rescue vehicles to [[Russia]] to assist in the rescue of ''[[AS-28]]'', a miniature submarine of the [[Russian Navy]].]]

*Commander, Carrier Strike Group Three (CCSG-3)
*Commander, Carrier Strike Group Seven (CCSG-7)
*Commander, Cruiser Destroyer Group One (COMCARDESGRU-1)
*Commander Destroyer Group Seven (COMDESRON-7)
*Commander, Destroyer Squadron Twenty-one
*Commander, Naval Air Forces, Pacific Fleet (COMNAVAIRPAC)
*Construction Battalion Unit 405 (CBU 405)
*Deep Submergence Unit (DSU)
*Defense Enterprise Computing Center Det San Diego
*DSU Det Mystic (DSRV 1)
*DSU Diving System Support Detachment
*DSU Unmanned Vehicle Detachment
*Fleet Aviation Specialized Operational Training Group Pacific
*Fleet Imaging Center Pacific, San Diego
*Naval Air Depot (NADEP)
*Naval Communications and Telecommunications Station
*Naval Leader Training Unit, Coronado
*Naval Pacific Meterology and Oceanography Center
*Naval Special Clearance Team One
*Naval Security Group Activity, San Diego

==Ships==
* [[USS Nimitz (CVN-68)|USS ''Nimitz'']] (CVN-68)
* [[USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76)|USS ''Ronald Reagan'']] (CVN-76)

== Squadrons ==

*'''Commander, Helicopter Antisubmarine Wing Pacific (COMHSWINGPAC)'''
*'''Commander, Helciopter Antisubmarine Light Wing Pacific (COMHSLWINGPAC)'''
*'''Commander, Helicopter Tactical Wing (COMHELTAWINGPAC)'''
*'''Commander, Helicopter Wing Reserve (COMHELWINGRES)'''
*'''Commander, Patrol Wings Det NASNI (COMPATWINGSPAC)'''
*Helicopter Combat Support Suadron Three (HC-3)
*Helicopter Combat Support Suadron Five (HC-5)
*Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron Two One (HSC-21)
*Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron Two (HS-2)
*Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron Four (HS-4)
*Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron Six (HS-6)
*Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron Eight (HS-8)
*Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron Ten (HS-10)
*Helicopter Antisubamine Squadron Light Four One (HSL-41)
*Helicopter Antisubmaine Squadron Light Four Three (HSL-43)
*Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron Light Four Five (HSL-45)
*Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron Light Four Seven (HSL-47)
*Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron Light Four Nine (HSL-49)
*Fleet Logistics Support Squadron Three Zero (VRC-30)
*Sea Control Squadron Three Three (VS-33)
*Sea Control Squadron Four One (VS-41)
*Mobile Security Squadron THREE (MSS-3)

==See also==
* [[List of United States Navy air stations]]
* [[Naval Air Station]]

==External links==
* [http://www.nasni.navy.mil/ Naval Base Coronado]
{{Mapit-US-hoodscale|32.7|-117.2}}

[[Category:United States Navy air stations|North Island]]
[[Category:Naval Aviation|North Island]]
[[Category:San Diego County, California|North Island]]

The A-Team

2006-09-10T02:23:05Z

71.201.198.12: /* Trivia */

:''This article is about the TV show "The A-Team". For information about The A-team, the United States Army military unit, see [[The A-team (military)]].''

{{infobox television |
| show_name = The A-Team
| image = [[Image:Ateam.jpg]]
| caption = The A-Team. Clockwise from top: [[Dwight Schultz]], [[Mr. T]], [[George Peppard]], [[Dirk Benedict]].
| format = [[Action film|Action]]/[[Adventure]]
| runtime = 45 minutes per episode
| creator = [[Frank Lupo]] [[Stephen J. Cannell]]
| starring = [[George Peppard]] [[Dirk Benedict]] [[Dwight Schultz]] [[Mr. T]] et al.
| country = [[United States]]
| network = [[NBC]]
| first_aired = [[January 23]] [[1983]]
| last_aired = [[March 8]] [[1987]]
| num_episodes = [[List of The A-Team Episodes|98]]
| imdb_id = 0084967
|}}
'''''The A-Team''''' is an [[United States|American]] [[Action film|action]] [[adventure]] [[television series]] about a fictional group of ex-[[United States Army Special Forces]] who are on the run from the military while working as [[Mercenary|soldiers of fortune]]. Despite being thought of as mercenaries, the A-Team almost always acted on the side of the good guys, helping the oppressed. The show ran for five seasons on the [[NBC]] television network, from [[January 23]] [[1983]], to [[December 30]] [[1986]] (with one additional, previously unbroadcast episode popping up on [[March 8]] [[1987]]), with a total of 98 episodes. It has achieved [[cult television|cult status]] through heavy US [[Television syndication|syndication]] and enjoyed a brief revival in the 1990s when re-runs were shown in the [[United Kingdom]]. [[As of 2006]] the show is in syndication on [[Sleuth (TV channel)|Sleuth]] & [[TV Land]]. Also currently each season is shown in progression in a recurring cycle on the [[United Kingdom|UK]] satellite channel ''[[UKTV Gold]]'', with an episode shown daily.

== Story ==

''The A-Team'' was one of a wide variety of successful television shows from prolific television producer [[Stephen J. Cannell]]. Cannell is known for having a particular skill at capitalizing on momentary cultural trends, such as the [[machine gun]]s, [[cartoonish]] [[violence]], and joyful [[militarism]] of this series, which are now recognizable as trademarks of popular entertainment in the 1980s. Cannell had been producing shows for [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] in the early 1980s, but was fired by the network for not producing a hit for them. His next project would be ''The A-Team''. The show became emblematic of this kind of "fit-for-TV warfare" due to its depiction of high-octane [[combat]] scenes, with lethal weapons, wherein the participants are never killed or seriously injured.

A typical episode starts with the A-Team being hired by a down-trodden or terrorized client. The 'official' way of doing this was for the client to contact one of Hannibal's many comic aliases that were used to ensure that their clients were not working for the military. Just as frequently the A-Team would be on the road and stumble across someone who needed their help. Often the A-Team would return the fee to their most needy clients or find some other way to pay their expenses.

Stock sequences involved the A-Team being captured and then escaping, an explosion or crash causing a vehicle driven by the antagonists to barrel onto its roof, the US military turning up, having to break Murdock out of hospital, or B.A. refusing to get on a plane. The team would almost always engage in a fist fight with the episode's antagonists during the first half of the program (during which there would usually be a camera shot of B.A. throwing one of the bad guys over his head and onto a car hood, pile of carboard boxes, or other such surface). The A-Team would win rather easily, but would allow their enemies to escape, despite being able to subdue them and accomplish their mission there and then. Also, in nearly every episode the bad guys would capture or lay siege to the A-Team, who would, without fail, find themselves trapped in a barn/garage/warehouse etc. containing [[Oxy-fuel welding and cutting|acetylene torches]], sets of mechanical tools, an [[internal combustion engine]] of some sort and other materials which they would use to build a contraption to finally escape and subdue their enemy.

The black and grey [[GMC Truck|GMC]] van used by the A-Team, with its characteristic red stripe, black and red tire rims, and rooftop spoiler, has become an enduring [[pop-culture|pop culture]] icon. One of the original six vans used for the show is displayed in the [[Cars of the Stars Motor Museum]] in [[Keswick, Cumbria|Keswick]], northern [[England]]. Another sits on the [[Universal Studios]] back lot with flat tires and faded paint and is available for tourists to photograph.

As a result of falling ratings during the fourth season, during the show's final season in 1986 - 1987, the format was changed in a bid to win back viewers. After years on the run from the authorities, the A-Team are finally apprehended by the military. They are given a choice between returning to prison and being executed, or being assigned to a government agency run by General Hunt Stockwell and performing secret missions. They choose to work with Stockwell.

Each episode of the first season began with this [[voiceover]] introduction:
:''Ten years ago, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a [[military court]] for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from a [[maximum security]] [[stockade]] to the [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]] underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as [[mercenary|soldiers of fortune]]. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire... The A-Team.''
Seasons 2-4 substituted "In 1972" for "Ten years ago". The intro was dropped for the final season.

According to Cannell, the show was canceled because it was becoming too expensive to produce.

=== The "[[Miscarriage of justice|crime they didn't commit]]" ===
During the [[Vietnam War]], the A-Team's [[commanding officer]], Colonel Morrison, gave them orders to rob the Bank of [[Hanoi]] to help bring the war to an end. They succeeded in their mission, but on returning to their base four days after the end of the war, they found their C.O. murdered by the [[National Front for the Liberation of Vietnam|Viet Cong]] and his headquarters burnt to the ground. Therefore no proof existed that the A-Team were acting under orders, and they were sent to prison by a military court.

== Cast ==
=== Main characters ===
* [[George Peppard]] ''as'' '''Lt. Col. John "Hannibal" Smith''' — The leader of the A-Team, Hannibal was distinguished by his cigar-smoking, black leather gloves, disguises, and [[catch phrase]], "I love it when a plan comes together". He was a master tactician (although his plans rarely turned out as they were supposed to) and seemed to have a plan for getting the team out of any situation they got into. Thriving on adventure and the adrenaline rush of life-threatening situations (or being "on the jazz", as B.A. called it), he seemed to genuinely enjoy every challenge they met. A master of disguise, he also worked as an actor, playing monsters in low-budget horror movies.
* [[Dirk Benedict]] ''as'' '''Lt. Templeton "Faceman" Peck''', (often referred to simply as "'''Face'''") — Suave, smooth-talking, and hugely successful with women, "Face" (so called for his clean-cut good looks) served as the team's [[Confidence trick|con man]] and scrounger, able to get his hands on just about anything they needed. Effectively second in command behind Hannibal (although technically Murdock had a higher rank), he was the one who arranged for supplies, equipment, and sensitive information using numerous scams and hustles. Not much for hand-to-hand combat, he was forever complaining about the inevitable fighting that would ensue. Face also handled the team's money. As revealed in several episodes, Peck is an orphan. In Season two there is an episode that also tells some more of his backstory: he fell in love in college only to have the woman become a nun. Ironically, in the episode "The Bells of St. Mary", it's revealed that Peck played football in a parochial school run by a nun. [[Tim Dunigan]] played this role in the [[pilot episode]]. In some Spanish speaking countries, his nickname is "Fas", coming from ''Fascinador'' (fascinater) or (more probably) "Faz" meaning "face". In Spain, however, his nickname was simply "Fenix" ("Phoenix"), trading the good-looks motivation for "coolness" and easy subtitution in dubbing. In Italy he was called "Sberla" ("Slap").
* [[Mr. T]] ''as'' '''Sgt. Bosco Albert "B.A." Baracus''' — A rough-and-tough fighter, his character is basically that of the public persona of Mr. T himself. He was known for his trademark [[Mohawk hairstyle|mohawk]] hairstyle and his gold jewelry. He was highly-skilled mechanic and had an amazing talent for making impressive machinery out of just about any ordinary parts that they had available to them. When asked what the "B.A." stood for, the standard reply was "Bad Attitude" (it is said he used to enjoy beating up senior officers in Vietnam). B.A.'s childhood nickname was "Scooter", which he detested. In some Spanish speaking countries, he was known as "Mario Baracus"; in Spain, as "M.A.", for "Mala Actitud", the exact translation of the original; in Italy his monicker was rendered as P.E. for 'Pessimo Elemento' (roughly assimilable to 'Bad News'), and in France he was referred to as Barracuda. Despite his reputed attitude, he is a nice guy at heart. He had a special fondness for children, occasionally working at a [[day care]] center teaching sports to the kids. A [[Teetotalism|teetotaler]], Baracus never touches alcohol, preferring [[milk]] instead. He was most upset by Murdock and frequently addressed him with the phrase "You crazy, fool!" He suffers an intense [[aviophobia|fear of flying]], especially when the plane in question is flown by Murdock. This difficulty was often overcome by other members of the team drugging him or knocking him unconscious so he could be transported without objection. However, in one episode, he was on a plane pretending to be a maintenance technician with Murdock when the plane suddenly took off with him on it. He immediately went into a catatonic state while Murdock tried to revive him.
* [[Dwight Schultz]] ''as'' '''Capt. H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock''' — The best chopper pilot of the Vietnam War, Murdock is either mentally unstable or exceptionally good at pretending to be. Although he was their pilot on the Hanoi bank raid, he was technically not part of the A-Team and so never tried by the military. Though interned at a [[psychiatric hospital]], he routinely escaped to accompany the A-Team. The symptoms of his "insanity" varied from episode to episode, but included self-identification with fictional characters, hallucinations, belief in the "intelligence" of inanimate objects, and others; he frequently referred to his invisible dog, "Billy". He was discharged permanently in the fifth season. Interestingly, unlike B.A., the initials H.M. were never explained in terms of what Murdock's actual first and middle name were, and the nickname "Howlin' Mad" were simply attributed to them (although the "H" is said to stand for "Hector" and the "M" is never explained in the series. It is also rumoured that his name comes from World War II [[United_States_Marine_Corps|Marine Corps]] [[Holland_Smith|General Holland M. Smith]], aka "Howlin' Mad", a nickname given by his troops). It was revealed in the first season that Murdock and B.A. are the same [[blood type]], AB-, and B.A. received a transfusion from Murdock, who was sprung from hospital for just that, in the episode "Black Day at Bad Rock" and was again referenced in the second season finale "Curtain Call" (in reality, someone with AB- blood can receive ''any'' Rh- blood type). In one episode in the third season, B.A. said that Murdock went insane after his plane crashed. Murdock often has extensive knowledge of various subjects and keeps up on current events, showing a genius level aptitude. He speaks several languages including Spanish, Vietnamese and Mandarin Chinese. "What can I say? One day I had a gonzo headache and before it went away I could read and speak Chinese. And it was a bad afternoon, too, lemme tell you." 2nd Season 'The Maltese Cow.' He also seems capable of a photographic memory. Murdock is a talented actor and is capable of mimicking the voices of famous individuals. He often accompanies Face in his scams, and was able to impersonate a foreign genius easily.

=== Supporting characters ===
* [[Melinda Culea]] ''as'' '''Amy Amanda "Triple A" Allen''' — Amy was an intrepid [[news reporter]] who joined the team in its pilot episode. She was written out of the show in the middle of the second season, as a result of a conflict between Culea and the production team. It's also said that the fact that George Peppard didn't like her didn't help matters. It was said she found out about her firing when she was given a script and found out she had no lines. She played a vital role in the early episodes, but was written out when Culea wanted to become an increasingly dominant figure in action scenes. Her character was reportedly 'on foreign correspondent duty' in [[Jakarta]].
* [[Marla Heasley]] ''as'' '''Tawnia Baker''' — Tawnia (misspelled as 'Tanya' in the episode The Battle Of Bel-Air) was a short-lived replacement for Amy during late 1983 - early 1984. She was also a reporter and helped the A-team out a couple of times; although she never fully incorporated herself into the team as Amy had done. She left early in the third season because she got married (with a little help from the A-Team).
* [[William Lucking]] ''as'' '''Colonel Lynch''' — Commander of [[Fort Bragg]], which housed the stockade from which the team escaped. The Colonel pursued them throughout the first season. (He was mentioned to still be in pursuit of the team at the start of the second season, though was never actually seen). He also made a surprise return to make one last effort at catching the team in the third season episode 'Showdown!'.
* [[Lance LeGault]] ''as'' '''Colonel Roderick Decker''' — The second Colonel who tried to catch the team, he was picked for the job because of his unorthadox warfare techniques (it was revealed that in [[Vietnam War|Vietnam]], he was known for blowing up [[National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam|Viet Cong]] hospitals). Decker was much more ruthless than Lynch, but also always gets outsmarted.
* [[Charles Napier (actor)|Charles Napier]] ''as'' '''Colonel Briggs''' — The third Colonel who tried to catch the team but only appeared in one early Season 3 episode('Fire') before Colonel Decker returned. Lance LeGault may well have been busy working on ''[[Magnum, P.I.]]'', in which he had a reoccurring role as Colonel Buck Greene, and was unavailable for the episode. The fact that Briggs looks and acts very similar to Decker would suggest that he was used simply as a stand in.
* [[Jack Ging]] ''as'' '''General Harlan "Bull" Fullbright''' - Another General who also tried to catch the team, except that when he was traveling with the team to [[Vietnam]] in the Season 4 finale, the character himself was killed (see Onscreen Violence listing below).
* [[Robert Vaughn]] ''as'' '''General Hunt Stockwell''' — The A-Team's boss during the final season. He [[blackmail]]ed the team into working top-secret government missions in return for their eventual pardon.
* [[Eddie Velez]] ''as'' '''Frankie "Dishpan" Santana''' — [[Puerto Ricans|Puerto Rican]] [[special effects]] expert who helps the A-Team during the final season. He was blackmailed into joining the team by Gen. Stockwell after he and Murdock helped the team escape the firing squad.

Famous guest stars included [[Boy George]], [[Michael Ironside]], [[Dean Stockwell]], [[Yaphet Kotto]], [[Dennis Haysbert]], [[Hulk Hogan]], [[Xander Berkeley]], [[Andrew Robinson]], [[Markie Post]], [[Marc Alaimo]], [[Lance Henriksen]], [[Tia Carrere]], [[Kurtwood Smith]], [[Ed Lauter]], [[Sam J. Jones]], [[June Chadwick]], [[Brion James]], [[Tracy Reed]], [[William Perry (football)|William Perry]], [[Rick James]], [[Isaac Hayes]], [[Sid Haig]], [[Pat Sajak]], [[Red West]], [[Dennis Franz]], [[David McCallum]] and [[Claudia Christian]].

== On-screen violence ==
The violence presented in the A-Team is highly sanitized. People do not bleed or bruise when hit (though they might develop a limp or require a sling). The A-Team does not kill people. The results of violence were only ever presented when it was required for the script. For instance, when Murdock needed to have a black eye to legitimize the effects of a staged plane crash Peck punched him in the face to facilitate this.

In almost every car crash there was a short take showing the occupants of the vehicle climbing out of the mangled/burning wreck (even in helicopter crashes), although by late in the fourth season, some of these takes were dropped. In takes where there was no footage of the survivors scrambling to safety, a [[voiceover]] was sometimes employed. For instance, in the episode "The Rabbit Who Ate Las Vegas", a Mafia car flips over and lands on its roof during a chase. The car lands in such a way that any occupants would have been instantly crushed, but a rather obvious [[Dubbing (filmmaking)|loop-in]] is used of the driver asking "Hey, Cliff, are you okay?" and the passenger replying "Yeah, I'm okay" in a rather unflustered manner. This is similar to another 1980s television show, [[G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero]], in which lasers were used instead of bullets and all personnel escaped from downed planes or destroyed boats.

Contrary to popular belief, however, the show did feature at least seven possible on-screen deaths, although only four are definitive, with one other being from a dream sequence and the remainder left ambiguous:
# In Season 1's "The Rabbit Who Ate Las Vegas", [[gangster]] Gianni Christian is thrown from a [[high-rise]] hotel window into the swimming pool below (although clearly this is open to debate, particularly since Faceman himself was similarly thrown from a highrise window into a swimming pool in Tawnia Baker's introduction epsiode).
# In Season 1's "Beast From the Belly of a Boeing", the main villain is sucked out of an aircraft to fall to his death when a bullet causes the plane to depressurize (although he was wearing a parachute[http://www.tv.com/the-a-team/the-beast-from-the-belly-of-a-boeing/episode/6428/summary.html], and therefore like above is open to debate).
# In Season 1's "Pros and Cons", an inmate was shot and killed by a corrupt Warden.
# In Season 3's "Skins", a park ranger is ambushed and shot, later to have his sister call the A-Team.
# In the Season 4 finale "The Sound of Thunder", General Fullbright is shot and killed. Fullbright's assailant is immediately killed thereafter when the shack he was hiding inside erupted in flames (Hannibal had fired his gun at gas barrels outside the shack).
# In Season 5, the A-Team escape their prison cells and have a gun battle with the [[military police|MPs]] guarding them. One is clearly seen to be struck and killed—but the scene is revealed to be a [[dream sequence]].
# In Season 5 Episode # 91 "The Say U.N.C.L.E. Affair" General Stockwell is shown in a gunfight with an old intelligence comrade ([[David McCallum]]) who crashes his truck. It is ambigious as to whether he is killed or escapes.

The majority of the above examples do not directly involve the A-Team members themselves and instead are acts that are conducted by villains.

== Professional wrestling tie-in ==
Because this was NBC's most popular show at the time, [[Vince McMahon]] worked a deal to co-promote his [[World Wrestling Entertainment|World Wrestling Federation]] ("WWF") by allowing [[Hulk Hogan]] to make appearances on the show. It also co-promoted ''[[Wrestlemania I|Wrestlemania]]'', in which Hogan made an appearance and Mr. T was featured in a wrestling match. This show, along with ''The Rock n' Wrestling Connection'', was a major reason why the WWF was able to go national and later become the dominant [[professional wrestling]] entity{{fact}}.

In addition to Hogan, the show also featured professional wrestlers [[Toru Tanaka|Professor Toru Tanaka]], [[Ricky Steamboat|Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat]], [[The Dynamite Kid]], [[Bobby Heenan|Bobby "The Brain" Heenan]], [[Gene Okerlund|"Mean" Gene Okerlund]], [[David Smith (wrestler)|Davey-Boy Smith]], [[John Minton (wrestler)|Big John Studd]], and [[Greg Valentine|Greg "The Hammer" Valentine]]. Later, wrestler [[John Cena]] would [[parody]] the show for his [[music video]], "Bad Bad Man".

== Trivia ==
* Though B.A. is afraid of flying, the dress uniform he wears during his court martial contains a Master Parachutist pin. This might suggest he was simply afraid of flying when Murdock was piloting, but the series does not always support that theory.
* Actor [[James Coburn]] was considered for the role of Hannibal Smith.
* In the opening credits, Face reacts to an actor dressed in a metallic [[Cylon (Battlestar Galactica)|Cylon centurion]] costume. Dirk Benedict had starred years earlier in the [[science fiction]] television series, ''[[Battlestar Galactica (original series)|Battlestar Galactica]]''. His character, Starbuck, fought against Cylons.
* A '[[lost episode]]', "Without Reservations", aired for the first time during re-runs in March 1987. This episode was meant to air before the final episode "The Grey Team", which is reflected by the fact that in "Without Reservations" Murdock's T-shirt says "Almost Fini" while in "The Grey Team" it says "Fini". Apparently, the axe fell on series more suddenly than expected, leaving the episode too short to be broadcast. To make it long enough to be shown, scenes from the first season episode "Holiday In The Hills" were recycled to make up the pre-opening credits section of the story.
* In early episodes the team used [[M16]] rifles, in later episodes they used [[Mini-14]] variants, called [[AC-556]]'s
* In one episode, it is revealed that Face's real name is not Templeton Peck. The complete list of his assumed names is, in chronological order: Richard Bancroft (birth name), Alvin Brennar, Al Brennan, Al Peck, Holmes Morrison, Morrison Holmes, and finally Templeton Arthur Peck.
* In "Pros and Cons", Face pretends to be the author of a novel, Dr. Dwight Pepper. The photo on the back of the book (supposedly the actual Dr. Dwight Pepper) is a photo of Stephen J. Cannell, the producer of the series. The name is also taken from Dwight Schultz (Murdock) and George Peppard (Hannibal).
* There was some talk about an A-Team reunion, a [[TV movie]] where the team would receive a full pardon. After George Peppard died, the idea was dropped.
* According to the Internet Movie Database, an A-Team movie has been announced, apparently due to be released in 2006.
* [[Tia Carrere]] guest starred in one episode at the end of season four, and was intended to join the principal cast of the show in its fifth season. Her character was a Vietnamese war orphan now living in the United States, and she would have provided a continuing tie to the team's inception during the war. There has been some fan speculation that her character would eventually have been revealed to have been Hannibal's illegitimate daughter, but there seems to have been no discussion about this among the producers. However, Tia was under a prior contract to ''[[General Hospital]]'' at the time, and was unable to join the cast of The A-Team. Her character was abruptly dropped as a result.
* An ''A-Team'' [[computer and video games|video game]] was to be released for the [[Atari 2600]], but was cancelled. [http://www.atariage.com/software_page.html?SoftwareID=2268]
* There was a published ''A-Team'' video game from Zafiro Software Division for the [[ZX Spectrum]][http://www.worldofspectrum.org/infoseek.cgi?regexp=^A%2dTeam%2c+The$&pub=^Zafiro+Software+Division$] and [[Amstrad CPC]][http://www.cpczone.net/index.php?game=73].
* In the Italian dubbed version, Baracus' initials are "P. E.", for "Pessimo Elemento" ("Awful element"). They were chosen because of dubbing reasons (phonetically, the Italian "e" is pronounced like the English "a", therefore the lip movements are similar) and in order to have something of an equivalent to "Bad Attitude".
* In the French dubbed version, B.A. Baracus is called "Barracuda".
* In the Spanish dubbed version, B.A. Baracus is named M. A. Barracus, the "M. A." for "Mala Actitud" ("Bad Attitude).
* In the Mexican (Latin American) dubbed version B.A. is called "Mario Baracus" and Face is called "Fas", short for "fascinador" (this is a very appealing guy)
* In the Japanese dubbed version, B.A. Baracus is called "Kongu" as in "[[King Kong]]" and Murdock "Kureijii Monkii", for English "Crazy Monkey".
* In the [[United Kingdom]], an ''A-Team'' [[comic strip]] appeared for several years in the 1980s as part of the children's television magazine and [[comic]] ''Look-In'', to tie in with the British run of the series.

== Cultural effect ==

* As well as having huge ratings and being especially popular amongst children, there was countless [[merchandise]] available, including action figures of the characters, as well as their famous van and car. A cola flavored [[ice pop|popsicle]] in the shape of Mr. T was also on the market at the show's height. [[Marvel Comics]] even produced a three issue ''A-Team'' [[comic book]] series.
* British comedian [[Benny Hill]] did a parody, "The ''B'' Team", in [[The Benny Hill Show|his TV show]], playing both Hannibal Smith and B.A. Baracus. Face was played by [[Carl Wayne]].
* In [[2002 NFL season|2002]], promos for ''[[The NFL on FOX]]'' featured commentators [[Joe Buck]] as Hannibal, [[Cris Collinsworth]] as Face, and [[Troy Aikman]] as B.A. Baracus. [[Fox Broadcasting Company|FOX]] was trying to drive home the point that Buck, Collinsworth, and Aikman were the new #1 announcing team (or "[[B-team|A-team]]") for their [[National Football League|NFL]] telecasts.
* In an early episode of the animated series ''[[Sealab 2021]]'', Captain Murphy hosts a [[pirate radio]] show using the name "Howlin' Mad" Murphy.
* The ''[[Family Guy]]'' episode "[[Brian Goes Back to College]]" uses the A-Team as a subplot to the show. Peter, Cleveland, Quagmire, and Joe enter a costume contest as the A-Team. With Peter as Hannibal, Cleveland as B. A. Baracus, Quagmire as Face, and Joe as Murdock, the group wins the contest and decide to become the "new" A-Team. The episode contains many other ''A-Team'' references such as the credits and the team van, as well as a re-working of the show's theme song.
* [[John Cena]] performs a music video based on the show of his hit single, "Bad, Bad Man". He plays the role of Hannibal, with [[You Can't See Me|Tha Trademarc]] as Murdock, and [[Bumpy Knuckles]] as B.A. Baracus.
* Cult webcomic ''[[Sluggy Freelance]]'' features a quartet of pirate aliens, "The Gray Team", named after the A-Team members, as major secondary characters in one of its longest-running arcs, Oceans Unmoving. It is still unknown if they chose those names or they were given to them. It is also notable that one alien, named B.A., parodies the real B.A.'s [[catch phrase]] after a gunfight, saying "I pitted the fools!"
* The popular [[2004 in film|2004]] feature film ''[[Napoleon Dynamite]]'' features the show's theme song during a [[montage]] sequence showing Napoleon and Pedro hanging [[Flyer (pamphlet)|flyers]] for the school election.
* The ''[[Robot Chicken]]'' episode "Nightmare Generator" contains a parody of ''The A-Team''.
* The last episode of Season 3 of ''[[Bo' Selecta!]]'' also has Avid Marion dressed as Mr. T.
* The second episode of the British comedy series ''[[Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere]]'' features a homage of the A-Team customizing their vehicle, complete with the proper music from the show, and even BA's distinctive walk, parodied by [[Peter Kay]]. Throughout the series, a nodding Mr. T doll is seen on the dash of their vehicle.
* An advertisement for [[118 118 (UK)|118 118]] has an ''A-Team'' homage featuring young boy with a mohawk haircut saying "Crazy fool" like B.A. Baracus.
* The show's famous [[theme music]] was used in a [[United Kingdom]] commercial for the video game ''[[Sonic Heroes]]''.
* "[[JCB (song)|JCB Song]]" by [[Nizlopi]] contains a reference to ''The A-Team'', with lyrics in the second verse. The video by Monkeehub to accompany the song also contains a cartoon drawing of the A-Team's van following the JCB.
* The A-Team are mentioned often in the movie ''[[Ali G Indahouse]]''. It is clear that Ali believes them to be real people and during a break-in, he assigns each of his "crew" names, with himself being B.A. Baracus.
* Numerous references to ''The A-Team'' are made in the British TV sitcom, ''[[Spaced]]'' during the first and second series of the show.
* The British comedy ''[[Little Britain]]'' had a sketch featuring [[Matt Lucas]] dressed up as B.A. Baracus working out in a gym. When someone tells him he looks like BA from the A-Team, he seemingly has no idea who he resembles. He is later seen driving away in a copy of the A-Team van.
* In the ''[[South Park]]'' episode "[[Ike's Wee Wee]]", South Park elementary councelor Mr. Mackey loses his job, travels to [[India]], and ends up being captured by the A-team and taken to [[rehab]].
* In the video game ''[[Blast Corps]]'', the A-team van is featured as a hidden vehicle. When the player honks the horn one can hear: "Outta my way".
* On their [[2000 in music|2000]] album ''[[Deviant (album)|Deviant]]'', British metal band [[Pitchshifter (band)|Pitchshifter]] included the song "As Seen On TV", featuring spoken vocals from [[Jello Biafra]]. The song, an indictment of the perceived acceptability of violence in modern media, contains the line "No-one loses on TV". Singer JS Clayden has said that this line refers to the fact that no one is ever killed by the A-Team despite the group's frequent use of [[automatic weapons]] {{citation needed}}.
* Hannibal's catchprase "I love it when a plan comes together!" has been used numerous times in various TV shows (ranging from ''[[The Daily Show]]'' to ''[[MythBusters]]'') and movies.
* The [[anime]] shows ''[[Full Metal Panic]]'' and ''[[Fumoffu|FMP:Fumoffu]]'' both utilize the ''A-Team'' theme in their soundtracks, particularly the previews for the next episode.
* There is a rap group called 'The A-Team', with 'Acey the Faceman' and 'A.B. Baracus'. The album also called 'The A-Team' contains many references to the show.
* In the [[United Kingdom]], an ''A-Team'' [[comic strip]] appeared for several years in the 1980s as part of the children's television magazine and [[comic]] ''Look-In'', to tie in with the British run of the series.
* In an episode of the a [[The Chipmunks]] guest starring Mr. T. He helps to train Alvin, Simon and Theodore and they become The C-Team.

*In the series 3 episode 1 of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Ninja Quest, Rito Repulso quotes "I love it when a plan comes together." after the plan the villians made to trap the rangers works correctly.

== A-Team reunion ==
On [[18 May]] [[2006]], [[Channel 4]] in the [[UK]] attempted to reunite the surviving cast members of the A-Team for the show ''[[Bring Back...]]'' in an episode titled ''[[Bring Back...The A Team]]''. [[Justin Lee Collins]] presented the challenge, securing interviews and appearances from Dirk Benedict, Dwight Schultz, Marla Heasley, Jack Ging, series co-creator Stephen Cannell, and Mr. T. (after much searching). Collins often used very unorthodox methods, such as ambushing the actors in their homes, hotel rooms, or even while out shopping, without any prior warning and, for Mr. T, attempting to gatecrash his way into the [[Latin Grammy Awards]].

Collins eventually managed to bring together Benedict, Schultz, Heasley, Ging and Cannell, along with William Lucking, Lance LeGault, and George Peppard's son, Christian. Mr. T was unfortunately unable to make the meeting, which took place in the [[Friar's Club (Beverly Hills)]] in [[Beverly Hills]], but he did manage to appear on the show for a brief talk with Justin Lee Collins.

As a lighthearted joke for the show, a [[Medium (spirituality)|medium]] attempted to contact the deceased George Peppard via seance.

== DVD releases ==
[[Image:B00005JN80.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg|thumb|DVD Cover for Season One]]
{| class="wikitable"
!DVD Name
![[DVD region code|Region]] 1
!Region 2
!Region 4
|-
|''The A-Team'' Season One
| [[June 8]] [[2004]]
| [[September 13]] [[2004]]
| [[December 1]] [[2004]]
|-
|''The A-Team'' Season Two
| [[April 12]] [[2005]]
| [[July 4]] [[2005]]
| [[July 11]] [[2005]]
|-
|''The A-Team'' Season Three
| [[January 31]] [[2006]]
| [[May 22]] [[2006]]
| [[July 12]] [[2006]]
|-
|''The A-Team'' Season Four
| [[April 4]] [[2006]]
| [[September 18]] [[2006]]
| [[September 20]] [[2006]]
|-
| ''The A-Team'' Season Five, The final season
| [[October 10]] [[2006]]
| [[n/a]]
| [[December 6]] [[2006]]
|}

The first four seasons of ''The A-Team'' have now been released on DVD. The fifth and final is scheduled to be released in October 2006.

Note: the Region 1 releases of Season One (during the Pilot episode) and Season Three (two instances during the episode 'Beverly Hills Assault') replace music tracks with generic music, due to copyright problems. (Confirmation needed if this is the same on the Region 2 versions).

Note: On the Region 1 release of Season Four, a number of the opening trailers, previewing the upcoming episode, are missing (Again, confirmation needed if this is the same on the Region 2 versions).

== International ==
* In [[Australia]], it was originally shown on the ATV-O Network (which became the [[Ten Network]]) and now is being re-run on the pay television network [[TV1 (Australia)|TV1]].
* In [[Brazil]], the show was shown on [[SBT]], and later again on [[Rede Globo]].
* In the [[Czech Republic]], the show was shown on [[TV Prima]]
* In [[Estonia]], the show was on [[TV3]].
* In [[France]], the show was shown on [[TF1]], renamed "L'Agence tout risques".
* In [[Germany]], the show was originally aired on [[Das Erste]]. Later seasons and reruns were shown on [[RTL Television|RTL]].
* In [[Indonesia]], the show was shown on [[TVRI]], and highly popular at that time.
* In [[Italy]], the show was shown on [[Italia 1]].
* In [[Japan]], the show was shown on [[TV Asahi]] TV 10.
* In [[Lithuania]], the show was shown on [[TV3]] and [[Tango TV (Lithuania)|Tango TV]].
* In [[Malaysia]], the show was shown on [[RTM2]].
* In [[Norway]], the show was shown on TV3 and had several reruns during the 90's
* In the [[Philippines]], the show was aired over GMA-7.
* In [[Poland]], the show was shown on [[Polonia 1]] and later on [[Polsat]].
* In [[Portugal]], the show was originally shown on [[RTP 1]]. However, reruns were shown on [[TVI (Portugal)|TVI]] using the Brazilian [[Dubbing_(filmmaking)|dub]]. Nowadays the show can be seen in SIC Radical, a "radical" portuguese channel, subsidiary of the largest SIC Network.
* In [[Russia]], the show was initially shown on STS ([[Russian language|Russian]]: СТС), the entirely entertainment-oriented channel.
* In [[Saudi Arabia]], the show was shown on Saudi TV Channel 2.
* In [[South Africa]], the show was shown on [[SABC 1]].
* In [[Spain]], the show was shown on [[TVE]]. The show was renamed as "El Equipo A".
* In [[Sweden]], the show was shown on [[TV 3]].
* In the [[United Kingdom]], the show was shown on [[ITV]]. Reruns are shown on satellite channel [[UKTV Gold]].
* In [[Zimbabwe]], the show was shown on [[ZBC]] TV 1.

== External links ==
{{External links|August 2006}}
{{wikiquote}}
* {{imdb title|id=0084967|title=The A-Team}}
* [http://www.ateamshrine.co.uk/ The A-Team Shrine]
* [http://stuffo.howstuffworks.com/a-team-finding.htm/ Finding the A-Team at Howstuffworks.com], an experiment
*''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tni4h7kRb-k LOST/A-Team]'' portrays [[LOST]] as The A-Team.
* [http://www.classictvcars.com/gmc-van.php A-Team's Signature GMC van]
* [http://www.egowar.com/ateam_episode_generator.htm A-Team Episode Generator]
* [http://www.threebluestars.com/ateam/ A-Team Canon]
* [http://www.epguides.com/ATeam/ Episode list at epguides.com]
* [http://www.onthejazz.com/ A-Team Feature Film News at OnTheJazz.com]
* [http://www.retrojunk.com/details_theme/19/ A-Team theme song]
* [http://www.youtube.com/results?search=the+a-team&search_type=search_videos&search=Search A-Team Youtube directory, includes "'''Bring Back The A-Team'''"]
* [http://www.the-nth-degree.net/ Unofficial Dwight "Howling Mad Murdock" Schultz website]
* [http://www.paramountcomedy.com/comedy/watn/article.aspx?id=23 Where Are They Now: John 'Hannibal' Smith AKA George Peppard]
* [http://www.paramountcomedy.com/comedy/watn/article.aspx?id=22 Where Are They Now: Face AKA Dirk Benedict]
* [http://www.paramountcomedy.com/comedy/watn/article.aspx?id=18 Where Are They Now: BA Baracas AKA Mr T]
* [http://www.paramountcomedy.com/comedy/watn/article.aspx?id=15 Where Are They Now: Howlin' Mad Murdock AKA Dwight Schultz]
* [http://blog.mises.org/archives/005325.asp Economic and philosophical analysis of ideas presented in the series]
* A-Team cleared of all charges - http://www.theonion.com/content/node/30660
'''Other A-Team sites in different languages'''
* [http://www.ateamresource.de/ German A-Team Resource Page (German)]
* [http://www.ateamfans.nl/ A-Team Fans (Dutch)]
* [http://forodelequipoa.tk/ El Equipo A (Spanish forum)]
* [http://digilander.libero.it/nizortace/main.htm/ Nizortace: Il Sito Ufficiale (Italian)]
* [http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_A-Team Los Magníficos/ (Latin America)]

[[Category:American television series|A-Team, The]]
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The A-Team

2006-09-10T02:18:54Z

71.201.198.12: /* Main characters */

:''This article is about the TV show "The A-Team". For information about The A-team, the United States Army military unit, see [[The A-team (military)]].''

{{infobox television |
| show_name = The A-Team
| image = [[Image:Ateam.jpg]]
| caption = The A-Team. Clockwise from top: [[Dwight Schultz]], [[Mr. T]], [[George Peppard]], [[Dirk Benedict]].
| format = [[Action film|Action]]/[[Adventure]]
| runtime = 45 minutes per episode
| creator = [[Frank Lupo]] [[Stephen J. Cannell]]
| starring = [[George Peppard]] [[Dirk Benedict]] [[Dwight Schultz]] [[Mr. T]] et al.
| country = [[United States]]
| network = [[NBC]]
| first_aired = [[January 23]] [[1983]]
| last_aired = [[March 8]] [[1987]]
| num_episodes = [[List of The A-Team Episodes|98]]
| imdb_id = 0084967
|}}
'''''The A-Team''''' is an [[United States|American]] [[Action film|action]] [[adventure]] [[television series]] about a fictional group of ex-[[United States Army Special Forces]] who are on the run from the military while working as [[Mercenary|soldiers of fortune]]. Despite being thought of as mercenaries, the A-Team almost always acted on the side of the good guys, helping the oppressed. The show ran for five seasons on the [[NBC]] television network, from [[January 23]] [[1983]], to [[December 30]] [[1986]] (with one additional, previously unbroadcast episode popping up on [[March 8]] [[1987]]), with a total of 98 episodes. It has achieved [[cult television|cult status]] through heavy US [[Television syndication|syndication]] and enjoyed a brief revival in the 1990s when re-runs were shown in the [[United Kingdom]]. [[As of 2006]] the show is in syndication on [[Sleuth (TV channel)|Sleuth]] & [[TV Land]]. Also currently each season is shown in progression in a recurring cycle on the [[United Kingdom|UK]] satellite channel ''[[UKTV Gold]]'', with an episode shown daily.

== Story ==

''The A-Team'' was one of a wide variety of successful television shows from prolific television producer [[Stephen J. Cannell]]. Cannell is known for having a particular skill at capitalizing on momentary cultural trends, such as the [[machine gun]]s, [[cartoonish]] [[violence]], and joyful [[militarism]] of this series, which are now recognizable as trademarks of popular entertainment in the 1980s. Cannell had been producing shows for [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] in the early 1980s, but was fired by the network for not producing a hit for them. His next project would be ''The A-Team''. The show became emblematic of this kind of "fit-for-TV warfare" due to its depiction of high-octane [[combat]] scenes, with lethal weapons, wherein the participants are never killed or seriously injured.

A typical episode starts with the A-Team being hired by a down-trodden or terrorized client. The 'official' way of doing this was for the client to contact one of Hannibal's many comic aliases that were used to ensure that their clients were not working for the military. Just as frequently the A-Team would be on the road and stumble across someone who needed their help. Often the A-Team would return the fee to their most needy clients or find some other way to pay their expenses.

Stock sequences involved the A-Team being captured and then escaping, an explosion or crash causing a vehicle driven by the antagonists to barrel onto its roof, the US military turning up, having to break Murdock out of hospital, or B.A. refusing to get on a plane. The team would almost always engage in a fist fight with the episode's antagonists during the first half of the program (during which there would usually be a camera shot of B.A. throwing one of the bad guys over his head and onto a car hood, pile of carboard boxes, or other such surface). The A-Team would win rather easily, but would allow their enemies to escape, despite being able to subdue them and accomplish their mission there and then. Also, in nearly every episode the bad guys would capture or lay siege to the A-Team, who would, without fail, find themselves trapped in a barn/garage/warehouse etc. containing [[Oxy-fuel welding and cutting|acetylene torches]], sets of mechanical tools, an [[internal combustion engine]] of some sort and other materials which they would use to build a contraption to finally escape and subdue their enemy.

The black and grey [[GMC Truck|GMC]] van used by the A-Team, with its characteristic red stripe, black and red tire rims, and rooftop spoiler, has become an enduring [[pop-culture|pop culture]] icon. One of the original six vans used for the show is displayed in the [[Cars of the Stars Motor Museum]] in [[Keswick, Cumbria|Keswick]], northern [[England]]. Another sits on the [[Universal Studios]] back lot with flat tires and faded paint and is available for tourists to photograph.

As a result of falling ratings during the fourth season, during the show's final season in 1986 - 1987, the format was changed in a bid to win back viewers. After years on the run from the authorities, the A-Team are finally apprehended by the military. They are given a choice between returning to prison and being executed, or being assigned to a government agency run by General Hunt Stockwell and performing secret missions. They choose to work with Stockwell.

Each episode of the first season began with this [[voiceover]] introduction:
:''Ten years ago, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a [[military court]] for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from a [[maximum security]] [[stockade]] to the [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]] underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as [[mercenary|soldiers of fortune]]. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire... The A-Team.''
Seasons 2-4 substituted "In 1972" for "Ten years ago". The intro was dropped for the final season.

According to Cannell, the show was canceled because it was becoming too expensive to produce.

=== The "[[Miscarriage of justice|crime they didn't commit]]" ===
During the [[Vietnam War]], the A-Team's [[commanding officer]], Colonel Morrison, gave them orders to rob the Bank of [[Hanoi]] to help bring the war to an end. They succeeded in their mission, but on returning to their base four days after the end of the war, they found their C.O. murdered by the [[National Front for the Liberation of Vietnam|Viet Cong]] and his headquarters burnt to the ground. Therefore no proof existed that the A-Team were acting under orders, and they were sent to prison by a military court.

== Cast ==
=== Main characters ===
* [[George Peppard]] ''as'' '''Lt. Col. John "Hannibal" Smith''' — The leader of the A-Team, Hannibal was distinguished by his cigar-smoking, black leather gloves, disguises, and [[catch phrase]], "I love it when a plan comes together". He was a master tactician (although his plans rarely turned out as they were supposed to) and seemed to have a plan for getting the team out of any situation they got into. Thriving on adventure and the adrenaline rush of life-threatening situations (or being "on the jazz", as B.A. called it), he seemed to genuinely enjoy every challenge they met. A master of disguise, he also worked as an actor, playing monsters in low-budget horror movies.
* [[Dirk Benedict]] ''as'' '''Lt. Templeton "Faceman" Peck''', (often referred to simply as "'''Face'''") — Suave, smooth-talking, and hugely successful with women, "Face" (so called for his clean-cut good looks) served as the team's [[Confidence trick|con man]] and scrounger, able to get his hands on just about anything they needed. Effectively second in command behind Hannibal (although technically Murdock had a higher rank), he was the one who arranged for supplies, equipment, and sensitive information using numerous scams and hustles. Not much for hand-to-hand combat, he was forever complaining about the inevitable fighting that would ensue. Face also handled the team's money. As revealed in several episodes, Peck is an orphan. In Season two there is an episode that also tells some more of his backstory: he fell in love in college only to have the woman become a nun. Ironically, in the episode "The Bells of St. Mary", it's revealed that Peck played football in a parochial school run by a nun. [[Tim Dunigan]] played this role in the [[pilot episode]]. In some Spanish speaking countries, his nickname is "Fas", coming from ''Fascinador'' (fascinater) or (more probably) "Faz" meaning "face". In Spain, however, his nickname was simply "Fenix" ("Phoenix"), trading the good-looks motivation for "coolness" and easy subtitution in dubbing. In Italy he was called "Sberla" ("Slap").
* [[Mr. T]] ''as'' '''Sgt. Bosco Albert "B.A." Baracus''' — A rough-and-tough fighter, his character is basically that of the public persona of Mr. T himself. He was known for his trademark [[Mohawk hairstyle|mohawk]] hairstyle and his gold jewelry. He was highly-skilled mechanic and had an amazing talent for making impressive machinery out of just about any ordinary parts that they had available to them. When asked what the "B.A." stood for, the standard reply was "Bad Attitude" (it is said he used to enjoy beating up senior officers in Vietnam). B.A.'s childhood nickname was "Scooter", which he detested. In some Spanish speaking countries, he was known as "Mario Baracus"; in Spain, as "M.A.", for "Mala Actitud", the exact translation of the original; in Italy his monicker was rendered as P.E. for 'Pessimo Elemento' (roughly assimilable to 'Bad News'), and in France he was referred to as Barracuda. Despite his reputed attitude, he is a nice guy at heart. He had a special fondness for children, occasionally working at a [[day care]] center teaching sports to the kids. A [[Teetotalism|teetotaler]], Baracus never touches alcohol, preferring [[milk]] instead. He was most upset by Murdock and frequently addressed him with the phrase "You crazy, fool!" He suffers an intense [[aviophobia|fear of flying]], especially when the plane in question is flown by Murdock. This difficulty was often overcome by other members of the team drugging him or knocking him unconscious so he could be transported without objection. However, in one episode, he was on a plane pretending to be a maintenance technician with Murdock when the plane suddenly took off with him on it. He immediately went into a catatonic state while Murdock tried to revive him.
* [[Dwight Schultz]] ''as'' '''Capt. H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock''' — The best chopper pilot of the Vietnam War, Murdock is either mentally unstable or exceptionally good at pretending to be. Although he was their pilot on the Hanoi bank raid, he was technically not part of the A-Team and so never tried by the military. Though interned at a [[psychiatric hospital]], he routinely escaped to accompany the A-Team. The symptoms of his "insanity" varied from episode to episode, but included self-identification with fictional characters, hallucinations, belief in the "intelligence" of inanimate objects, and others; he frequently referred to his invisible dog, "Billy". He was discharged permanently in the fifth season. Interestingly, unlike B.A., the initials H.M. were never explained in terms of what Murdock's actual first and middle name were, and the nickname "Howlin' Mad" were simply attributed to them (although the "H" is said to stand for "Hector" and the "M" is never explained in the series. It is also rumoured that his name comes from World War II [[United_States_Marine_Corps|Marine Corps]] [[Holland_Smith|General Holland M. Smith]], aka "Howlin' Mad", a nickname given by his troops). It was revealed in the first season that Murdock and B.A. are the same [[blood type]], AB-, and B.A. received a transfusion from Murdock, who was sprung from hospital for just that, in the episode "Black Day at Bad Rock" and was again referenced in the second season finale "Curtain Call" (in reality, someone with AB- blood can receive ''any'' Rh- blood type). In one episode in the third season, B.A. said that Murdock went insane after his plane crashed. Murdock often has extensive knowledge of various subjects and keeps up on current events, showing a genius level aptitude. He speaks several languages including Spanish, Vietnamese and Mandarin Chinese. "What can I say? One day I had a gonzo headache and before it went away I could read and speak Chinese. And it was a bad afternoon, too, lemme tell you." 2nd Season 'The Maltese Cow.' He also seems capable of a photographic memory. Murdock is a talented actor and is capable of mimicking the voices of famous individuals. He often accompanies Face in his scams, and was able to impersonate a foreign genius easily.

=== Supporting characters ===
* [[Melinda Culea]] ''as'' '''Amy Amanda "Triple A" Allen''' — Amy was an intrepid [[news reporter]] who joined the team in its pilot episode. She was written out of the show in the middle of the second season, as a result of a conflict between Culea and the production team. It's also said that the fact that George Peppard didn't like her didn't help matters. It was said she found out about her firing when she was given a script and found out she had no lines. She played a vital role in the early episodes, but was written out when Culea wanted to become an increasingly dominant figure in action scenes. Her character was reportedly 'on foreign correspondent duty' in [[Jakarta]].
* [[Marla Heasley]] ''as'' '''Tawnia Baker''' — Tawnia (misspelled as 'Tanya' in the episode The Battle Of Bel-Air) was a short-lived replacement for Amy during late 1983 - early 1984. She was also a reporter and helped the A-team out a couple of times; although she never fully incorporated herself into the team as Amy had done. She left early in the third season because she got married (with a little help from the A-Team).
* [[William Lucking]] ''as'' '''Colonel Lynch''' — Commander of [[Fort Bragg]], which housed the stockade from which the team escaped. The Colonel pursued them throughout the first season. (He was mentioned to still be in pursuit of the team at the start of the second season, though was never actually seen). He also made a surprise return to make one last effort at catching the team in the third season episode 'Showdown!'.
* [[Lance LeGault]] ''as'' '''Colonel Roderick Decker''' — The second Colonel who tried to catch the team, he was picked for the job because of his unorthadox warfare techniques (it was revealed that in [[Vietnam War|Vietnam]], he was known for blowing up [[National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam|Viet Cong]] hospitals). Decker was much more ruthless than Lynch, but also always gets outsmarted.
* [[Charles Napier (actor)|Charles Napier]] ''as'' '''Colonel Briggs''' — The third Colonel who tried to catch the team but only appeared in one early Season 3 episode('Fire') before Colonel Decker returned. Lance LeGault may well have been busy working on ''[[Magnum, P.I.]]'', in which he had a reoccurring role as Colonel Buck Greene, and was unavailable for the episode. The fact that Briggs looks and acts very similar to Decker would suggest that he was used simply as a stand in.
* [[Jack Ging]] ''as'' '''General Harlan "Bull" Fullbright''' - Another General who also tried to catch the team, except that when he was traveling with the team to [[Vietnam]] in the Season 4 finale, the character himself was killed (see Onscreen Violence listing below).
* [[Robert Vaughn]] ''as'' '''General Hunt Stockwell''' — The A-Team's boss during the final season. He [[blackmail]]ed the team into working top-secret government missions in return for their eventual pardon.
* [[Eddie Velez]] ''as'' '''Frankie "Dishpan" Santana''' — [[Puerto Ricans|Puerto Rican]] [[special effects]] expert who helps the A-Team during the final season. He was blackmailed into joining the team by Gen. Stockwell after he and Murdock helped the team escape the firing squad.

Famous guest stars included [[Boy George]], [[Michael Ironside]], [[Dean Stockwell]], [[Yaphet Kotto]], [[Dennis Haysbert]], [[Hulk Hogan]], [[Xander Berkeley]], [[Andrew Robinson]], [[Markie Post]], [[Marc Alaimo]], [[Lance Henriksen]], [[Tia Carrere]], [[Kurtwood Smith]], [[Ed Lauter]], [[Sam J. Jones]], [[June Chadwick]], [[Brion James]], [[Tracy Reed]], [[William Perry (football)|William Perry]], [[Rick James]], [[Isaac Hayes]], [[Sid Haig]], [[Pat Sajak]], [[Red West]], [[Dennis Franz]], [[David McCallum]] and [[Claudia Christian]].

== On-screen violence ==
The violence presented in the A-Team is highly sanitized. People do not bleed or bruise when hit (though they might develop a limp or require a sling). The A-Team does not kill people. The results of violence were only ever presented when it was required for the script. For instance, when Murdock needed to have a black eye to legitimize the effects of a staged plane crash Peck punched him in the face to facilitate this.

In almost every car crash there was a short take showing the occupants of the vehicle climbing out of the mangled/burning wreck (even in helicopter crashes), although by late in the fourth season, some of these takes were dropped. In takes where there was no footage of the survivors scrambling to safety, a [[voiceover]] was sometimes employed. For instance, in the episode "The Rabbit Who Ate Las Vegas", a Mafia car flips over and lands on its roof during a chase. The car lands in such a way that any occupants would have been instantly crushed, but a rather obvious [[Dubbing (filmmaking)|loop-in]] is used of the driver asking "Hey, Cliff, are you okay?" and the passenger replying "Yeah, I'm okay" in a rather unflustered manner. This is similar to another 1980s television show, [[G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero]], in which lasers were used instead of bullets and all personnel escaped from downed planes or destroyed boats.

Contrary to popular belief, however, the show did feature at least seven possible on-screen deaths, although only four are definitive, with one other being from a dream sequence and the remainder left ambiguous:
# In Season 1's "The Rabbit Who Ate Las Vegas", [[gangster]] Gianni Christian is thrown from a [[high-rise]] hotel window into the swimming pool below (although clearly this is open to debate, particularly since Faceman himself was similarly thrown from a highrise window into a swimming pool in Tawnia Baker's introduction epsiode).
# In Season 1's "Beast From the Belly of a Boeing", the main villain is sucked out of an aircraft to fall to his death when a bullet causes the plane to depressurize (although he was wearing a parachute[http://www.tv.com/the-a-team/the-beast-from-the-belly-of-a-boeing/episode/6428/summary.html], and therefore like above is open to debate).
# In Season 1's "Pros and Cons", an inmate was shot and killed by a corrupt Warden.
# In Season 3's "Skins", a park ranger is ambushed and shot, later to have his sister call the A-Team.
# In the Season 4 finale "The Sound of Thunder", General Fullbright is shot and killed. Fullbright's assailant is immediately killed thereafter when the shack he was hiding inside erupted in flames (Hannibal had fired his gun at gas barrels outside the shack).
# In Season 5, the A-Team escape their prison cells and have a gun battle with the [[military police|MPs]] guarding them. One is clearly seen to be struck and killed—but the scene is revealed to be a [[dream sequence]].
# In Season 5 Episode # 91 "The Say U.N.C.L.E. Affair" General Stockwell is shown in a gunfight with an old intelligence comrade ([[David McCallum]]) who crashes his truck. It is ambigious as to whether he is killed or escapes.

The majority of the above examples do not directly involve the A-Team members themselves and instead are acts that are conducted by villains.

== Professional wrestling tie-in ==
Because this was NBC's most popular show at the time, [[Vince McMahon]] worked a deal to co-promote his [[World Wrestling Entertainment|World Wrestling Federation]] ("WWF") by allowing [[Hulk Hogan]] to make appearances on the show. It also co-promoted ''[[Wrestlemania I|Wrestlemania]]'', in which Hogan made an appearance and Mr. T was featured in a wrestling match. This show, along with ''The Rock n' Wrestling Connection'', was a major reason why the WWF was able to go national and later become the dominant [[professional wrestling]] entity{{fact}}.

In addition to Hogan, the show also featured professional wrestlers [[Toru Tanaka|Professor Toru Tanaka]], [[Ricky Steamboat|Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat]], [[The Dynamite Kid]], [[Bobby Heenan|Bobby "The Brain" Heenan]], [[Gene Okerlund|"Mean" Gene Okerlund]], [[David Smith (wrestler)|Davey-Boy Smith]], [[John Minton (wrestler)|Big John Studd]], and [[Greg Valentine|Greg "The Hammer" Valentine]]. Later, wrestler [[John Cena]] would [[parody]] the show for his [[music video]], "Bad Bad Man".

== Trivia ==
* Though B.A. is afraid of flying, the dress uniform he wears during his court martial contains a Master Parachutist pin.
* Actor [[James Coburn]] was considered for the role of Hannibal Smith.
* In the opening credits, Face reacts to an actor dressed in a metallic [[Cylon (Battlestar Galactica)|Cylon centurion]] costume. Dirk Benedict had starred years earlier in the [[science fiction]] television series, ''[[Battlestar Galactica (original series)|Battlestar Galactica]]''. His character, Starbuck, fought against Cylons.
* A '[[lost episode]]', "Without Reservations", aired for the first time during re-runs in March 1987. This episode was meant to air before the final episode "The Grey Team", which is reflected by the fact that in "Without Reservations" Murdock's T-shirt says "Almost Fini" while in "The Grey Team" it says "Fini". Apparently, the axe fell on series more suddenly than expected, leaving the episode too short to be broadcast. To make it long enough to be shown, scenes from the first season episode "Holiday In The Hills" were recycled to make up the pre-opening credits section of the story.
* In early episodes the team used [[M16]] rifles, in later episodes they used [[Mini-14]] variants, called [[AC-556]]'s
* In one episode, it is revealed that Face's real name is not Templeton Peck. The complete list of his assumed names is, in chronological order: Richard Bancroft (birth name), Alvin Brennar, Al Brennan, Al Peck, Holmes Morrison, Morrison Holmes, and finally Templeton Arthur Peck.
* In "Pros and Cons", Face pretends to be the author of a novel, Dr. Dwight Pepper. The photo on the back of the book (supposedly the actual Dr. Dwight Pepper) is a photo of Stephen J. Cannell, the producer of the series. The name is also taken from Dwight Schultz (Murdock) and George Peppard (Hannibal).
* There was some talk about an A-Team reunion, a [[TV movie]] where the team would receive a full pardon. After George Peppard died, the idea was dropped.
* According to the Internet Movie Database, an A-Team movie has been announced, apparently due to be released in 2006.
* [[Tia Carrere]] guest starred in one episode at the end of season four, and was intended to join the principal cast of the show in its fifth season. Her character was a Vietnamese war orphan now living in the United States, and she would have provided a continuing tie to the team's inception during the war. There has been some fan speculation that her character would eventually have been revealed to have been Hannibal's illegitimate daughter, but there seems to have been no discussion about this among the producers. However, Tia was under a prior contract to ''[[General Hospital]]'' at the time, and was unable to join the cast of The A-Team. Her character was abruptly dropped as a result.
* An ''A-Team'' [[computer and video games|video game]] was to be released for the [[Atari 2600]], but was cancelled. [http://www.atariage.com/software_page.html?SoftwareID=2268]
* There was a published ''A-Team'' video game from Zafiro Software Division for the [[ZX Spectrum]][http://www.worldofspectrum.org/infoseek.cgi?regexp=^A%2dTeam%2c+The$&pub=^Zafiro+Software+Division$] and [[Amstrad CPC]][http://www.cpczone.net/index.php?game=73].
* In the Italian dubbed version, Baracus' initials are "P. E.", for "Pessimo Elemento" ("Awful element"). They were chosen because of dubbing reasons (phonetically, the Italian "e" is pronounced like the English "a", therefore the lip movements are similar) and in order to have something of an equivalent to "Bad Attitude".
* In the French dubbed version, B.A. Baracus is called "Barracuda".
* In the Spanish dubbed version, B.A. Baracus is named M. A. Barracus, the "M. A." for "Mala Actitud" ("Bad Attitude).
* In the Mexican (Latin American) dubbed version B.A. is called "Mario Baracus" and Face is called "Fas", short for "fascinador" (this is a very appealing guy)
* In the Japanese dubbed version, B.A. Baracus is called "Kongu" as in "[[King Kong]]" and Murdock "Kureijii Monkii", for English "Crazy Monkey".
* In the [[United Kingdom]], an ''A-Team'' [[comic strip]] appeared for several years in the 1980s as part of the children's television magazine and [[comic]] ''Look-In'', to tie in with the British run of the series.

== Cultural effect ==

* As well as having huge ratings and being especially popular amongst children, there was countless [[merchandise]] available, including action figures of the characters, as well as their famous van and car. A cola flavored [[ice pop|popsicle]] in the shape of Mr. T was also on the market at the show's height. [[Marvel Comics]] even produced a three issue ''A-Team'' [[comic book]] series.
* British comedian [[Benny Hill]] did a parody, "The ''B'' Team", in [[The Benny Hill Show|his TV show]], playing both Hannibal Smith and B.A. Baracus. Face was played by [[Carl Wayne]].
* In [[2002 NFL season|2002]], promos for ''[[The NFL on FOX]]'' featured commentators [[Joe Buck]] as Hannibal, [[Cris Collinsworth]] as Face, and [[Troy Aikman]] as B.A. Baracus. [[Fox Broadcasting Company|FOX]] was trying to drive home the point that Buck, Collinsworth, and Aikman were the new #1 announcing team (or "[[B-team|A-team]]") for their [[National Football League|NFL]] telecasts.
* In an early episode of the animated series ''[[Sealab 2021]]'', Captain Murphy hosts a [[pirate radio]] show using the name "Howlin' Mad" Murphy.
* The ''[[Family Guy]]'' episode "[[Brian Goes Back to College]]" uses the A-Team as a subplot to the show. Peter, Cleveland, Quagmire, and Joe enter a costume contest as the A-Team. With Peter as Hannibal, Cleveland as B. A. Baracus, Quagmire as Face, and Joe as Murdock, the group wins the contest and decide to become the "new" A-Team. The episode contains many other ''A-Team'' references such as the credits and the team van, as well as a re-working of the show's theme song.
* [[John Cena]] performs a music video based on the show of his hit single, "Bad, Bad Man". He plays the role of Hannibal, with [[You Can't See Me|Tha Trademarc]] as Murdock, and [[Bumpy Knuckles]] as B.A. Baracus.
* Cult webcomic ''[[Sluggy Freelance]]'' features a quartet of pirate aliens, "The Gray Team", named after the A-Team members, as major secondary characters in one of its longest-running arcs, Oceans Unmoving. It is still unknown if they chose those names or they were given to them. It is also notable that one alien, named B.A., parodies the real B.A.'s [[catch phrase]] after a gunfight, saying "I pitted the fools!"
* The popular [[2004 in film|2004]] feature film ''[[Napoleon Dynamite]]'' features the show's theme song during a [[montage]] sequence showing Napoleon and Pedro hanging [[Flyer (pamphlet)|flyers]] for the school election.
* The ''[[Robot Chicken]]'' episode "Nightmare Generator" contains a parody of ''The A-Team''.
* The last episode of Season 3 of ''[[Bo' Selecta!]]'' also has Avid Marion dressed as Mr. T.
* The second episode of the British comedy series ''[[Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere]]'' features a homage of the A-Team customizing their vehicle, complete with the proper music from the show, and even BA's distinctive walk, parodied by [[Peter Kay]]. Throughout the series, a nodding Mr. T doll is seen on the dash of their vehicle.
* An advertisement for [[118 118 (UK)|118 118]] has an ''A-Team'' homage featuring young boy with a mohawk haircut saying "Crazy fool" like B.A. Baracus.
* The show's famous [[theme music]] was used in a [[United Kingdom]] commercial for the video game ''[[Sonic Heroes]]''.
* "[[JCB (song)|JCB Song]]" by [[Nizlopi]] contains a reference to ''The A-Team'', with lyrics in the second verse. The video by Monkeehub to accompany the song also contains a cartoon drawing of the A-Team's van following the JCB.
* The A-Team are mentioned often in the movie ''[[Ali G Indahouse]]''. It is clear that Ali believes them to be real people and during a break-in, he assigns each of his "crew" names, with himself being B.A. Baracus.
* Numerous references to ''The A-Team'' are made in the British TV sitcom, ''[[Spaced]]'' during the first and second series of the show.
* The British comedy ''[[Little Britain]]'' had a sketch featuring [[Matt Lucas]] dressed up as B.A. Baracus working out in a gym. When someone tells him he looks like BA from the A-Team, he seemingly has no idea who he resembles. He is later seen driving away in a copy of the A-Team van.
* In the ''[[South Park]]'' episode "[[Ike's Wee Wee]]", South Park elementary councelor Mr. Mackey loses his job, travels to [[India]], and ends up being captured by the A-team and taken to [[rehab]].
* In the video game ''[[Blast Corps]]'', the A-team van is featured as a hidden vehicle. When the player honks the horn one can hear: "Outta my way".
* On their [[2000 in music|2000]] album ''[[Deviant (album)|Deviant]]'', British metal band [[Pitchshifter (band)|Pitchshifter]] included the song "As Seen On TV", featuring spoken vocals from [[Jello Biafra]]. The song, an indictment of the perceived acceptability of violence in modern media, contains the line "No-one loses on TV". Singer JS Clayden has said that this line refers to the fact that no one is ever killed by the A-Team despite the group's frequent use of [[automatic weapons]] {{citation needed}}.
* Hannibal's catchprase "I love it when a plan comes together!" has been used numerous times in various TV shows (ranging from ''[[The Daily Show]]'' to ''[[MythBusters]]'') and movies.
* The [[anime]] shows ''[[Full Metal Panic]]'' and ''[[Fumoffu|FMP:Fumoffu]]'' both utilize the ''A-Team'' theme in their soundtracks, particularly the previews for the next episode.
* There is a rap group called 'The A-Team', with 'Acey the Faceman' and 'A.B. Baracus'. The album also called 'The A-Team' contains many references to the show.
* In the [[United Kingdom]], an ''A-Team'' [[comic strip]] appeared for several years in the 1980s as part of the children's television magazine and [[comic]] ''Look-In'', to tie in with the British run of the series.
* In an episode of the a [[The Chipmunks]] guest starring Mr. T. He helps to train Alvin, Simon and Theodore and they become The C-Team.

*In the series 3 episode 1 of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Ninja Quest, Rito Repulso quotes "I love it when a plan comes together." after the plan the villians made to trap the rangers works correctly.

== A-Team reunion ==
On [[18 May]] [[2006]], [[Channel 4]] in the [[UK]] attempted to reunite the surviving cast members of the A-Team for the show ''[[Bring Back...]]'' in an episode titled ''[[Bring Back...The A Team]]''. [[Justin Lee Collins]] presented the challenge, securing interviews and appearances from Dirk Benedict, Dwight Schultz, Marla Heasley, Jack Ging, series co-creator Stephen Cannell, and Mr. T. (after much searching). Collins often used very unorthodox methods, such as ambushing the actors in their homes, hotel rooms, or even while out shopping, without any prior warning and, for Mr. T, attempting to gatecrash his way into the [[Latin Grammy Awards]].

Collins eventually managed to bring together Benedict, Schultz, Heasley, Ging and Cannell, along with William Lucking, Lance LeGault, and George Peppard's son, Christian. Mr. T was unfortunately unable to make the meeting, which took place in the [[Friar's Club (Beverly Hills)]] in [[Beverly Hills]], but he did manage to appear on the show for a brief talk with Justin Lee Collins.

As a lighthearted joke for the show, a [[Medium (spirituality)|medium]] attempted to contact the deceased George Peppard via seance.

== DVD releases ==
[[Image:B00005JN80.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg|thumb|DVD Cover for Season One]]
{| class="wikitable"
!DVD Name
![[DVD region code|Region]] 1
!Region 2
!Region 4
|-
|''The A-Team'' Season One
| [[June 8]] [[2004]]
| [[September 13]] [[2004]]
| [[December 1]] [[2004]]
|-
|''The A-Team'' Season Two
| [[April 12]] [[2005]]
| [[July 4]] [[2005]]
| [[July 11]] [[2005]]
|-
|''The A-Team'' Season Three
| [[January 31]] [[2006]]
| [[May 22]] [[2006]]
| [[July 12]] [[2006]]
|-
|''The A-Team'' Season Four
| [[April 4]] [[2006]]
| [[September 18]] [[2006]]
| [[September 20]] [[2006]]
|-
| ''The A-Team'' Season Five, The final season
| [[October 10]] [[2006]]
| [[n/a]]
| [[December 6]] [[2006]]
|}

The first four seasons of ''The A-Team'' have now been released on DVD. The fifth and final is scheduled to be released in October 2006.

Note: the Region 1 releases of Season One (during the Pilot episode) and Season Three (two instances during the episode 'Beverly Hills Assault') replace music tracks with generic music, due to copyright problems. (Confirmation needed if this is the same on the Region 2 versions).

Note: On the Region 1 release of Season Four, a number of the opening trailers, previewing the upcoming episode, are missing (Again, confirmation needed if this is the same on the Region 2 versions).

== International ==
* In [[Australia]], it was originally shown on the ATV-O Network (which became the [[Ten Network]]) and now is being re-run on the pay television network [[TV1 (Australia)|TV1]].
* In [[Brazil]], the show was shown on [[SBT]], and later again on [[Rede Globo]].
* In the [[Czech Republic]], the show was shown on [[TV Prima]]
* In [[Estonia]], the show was on [[TV3]].
* In [[France]], the show was shown on [[TF1]], renamed "L'Agence tout risques".
* In [[Germany]], the show was originally aired on [[Das Erste]]. Later seasons and reruns were shown on [[RTL Television|RTL]].
* In [[Indonesia]], the show was shown on [[TVRI]], and highly popular at that time.
* In [[Italy]], the show was shown on [[Italia 1]].
* In [[Japan]], the show was shown on [[TV Asahi]] TV 10.
* In [[Lithuania]], the show was shown on [[TV3]] and [[Tango TV (Lithuania)|Tango TV]].
* In [[Malaysia]], the show was shown on [[RTM2]].
* In [[Norway]], the show was shown on TV3 and had several reruns during the 90's
* In the [[Philippines]], the show was aired over GMA-7.
* In [[Poland]], the show was shown on [[Polonia 1]] and later on [[Polsat]].
* In [[Portugal]], the show was originally shown on [[RTP 1]]. However, reruns were shown on [[TVI (Portugal)|TVI]] using the Brazilian [[Dubbing_(filmmaking)|dub]]. Nowadays the show can be seen in SIC Radical, a "radical" portuguese channel, subsidiary of the largest SIC Network.
* In [[Russia]], the show was initially shown on STS ([[Russian language|Russian]]: СТС), the entirely entertainment-oriented channel.
* In [[Saudi Arabia]], the show was shown on Saudi TV Channel 2.
* In [[South Africa]], the show was shown on [[SABC 1]].
* In [[Spain]], the show was shown on [[TVE]]. The show was renamed as "El Equipo A".
* In [[Sweden]], the show was shown on [[TV 3]].
* In the [[United Kingdom]], the show was shown on [[ITV]]. Reruns are shown on satellite channel [[UKTV Gold]].
* In [[Zimbabwe]], the show was shown on [[ZBC]] TV 1.

== External links ==
{{External links|August 2006}}
{{wikiquote}}
* {{imdb title|id=0084967|title=The A-Team}}
* [http://www.ateamshrine.co.uk/ The A-Team Shrine]
* [http://stuffo.howstuffworks.com/a-team-finding.htm/ Finding the A-Team at Howstuffworks.com], an experiment
*''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tni4h7kRb-k LOST/A-Team]'' portrays [[LOST]] as The A-Team.
* [http://www.classictvcars.com/gmc-van.php A-Team's Signature GMC van]
* [http://www.egowar.com/ateam_episode_generator.htm A-Team Episode Generator]
* [http://www.threebluestars.com/ateam/ A-Team Canon]
* [http://www.epguides.com/ATeam/ Episode list at epguides.com]
* [http://www.onthejazz.com/ A-Team Feature Film News at OnTheJazz.com]
* [http://www.retrojunk.com/details_theme/19/ A-Team theme song]
* [http://www.youtube.com/results?search=the+a-team&search_type=search_videos&search=Search A-Team Youtube directory, includes "'''Bring Back The A-Team'''"]
* [http://www.the-nth-degree.net/ Unofficial Dwight "Howling Mad Murdock" Schultz website]
* [http://www.paramountcomedy.com/comedy/watn/article.aspx?id=23 Where Are They Now: John 'Hannibal' Smith AKA George Peppard]
* [http://www.paramountcomedy.com/comedy/watn/article.aspx?id=22 Where Are They Now: Face AKA Dirk Benedict]
* [http://www.paramountcomedy.com/comedy/watn/article.aspx?id=18 Where Are They Now: BA Baracas AKA Mr T]
* [http://www.paramountcomedy.com/comedy/watn/article.aspx?id=15 Where Are They Now: Howlin' Mad Murdock AKA Dwight Schultz]
* [http://blog.mises.org/archives/005325.asp Economic and philosophical analysis of ideas presented in the series]
* A-Team cleared of all charges - http://www.theonion.com/content/node/30660
'''Other A-Team sites in different languages'''
* [http://www.ateamresource.de/ German A-Team Resource Page (German)]
* [http://www.ateamfans.nl/ A-Team Fans (Dutch)]
* [http://forodelequipoa.tk/ El Equipo A (Spanish forum)]
* [http://digilander.libero.it/nizortace/main.htm/ Nizortace: Il Sito Ufficiale (Italian)]
* [http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_A-Team Los Magníficos/ (Latin America)]

[[Category:American television series|A-Team, The]]
[[Category:Drama television series|A-Team, The]]
[[Category:Fictional mercenaries|A-Team, The]]
[[Category:Fictional Vietnam veterans|A-Team, The]]
[[Category:Marvel Comics titles|A-Team, The]]
[[Category:NBC network shows|A-Team, The]]
[[Category:Television series by NBC Universal Television|A-Team, The]]
[[Category:Television shows set in California|A-Team, The]]
[[Category:1980s TV shows in the United States|A-Team, The]]
[[Category:1983 introductions|A-Team, The]]
[[bn:দ্য এ-টিম]]
[[de:Das A-Team]]
[[es:The A-Team]]
[[fr:Agence tous risques]]
[[it:A-Team]]
[[he:צוות לעניין]]
[[nl:The A-Team (televisieserie)]]
[[ja:特攻野郎Aチーム]]
[[pl:Drużyna A]]
[[pt:The A-Team]]
[[simple:The A-Team]]
[[sv:The A-Team]]

Robin Hood: Men in Tights

2006-09-07T05:14:56Z

71.201.198.12: /* Trivia */

{{Infobox Film |
| name = Robin Hood: Men In Tights
| image = RobinHoodMeninTights_Poster.jpg
| caption = Poster from the film
| director = [[Mel Brooks]]
| writers = Mel Brooks [[Evan Chandler]] [[J.D. Shapiro]]
| starring = [[Cary Elwes]] [[Richard Lewis (comedian)|Richard Lewis]] [[Roger Rees]] [[Patrick Stewart]] [[Dave Chappelle]] [[Mark Blankfield]] [[Megan Cavanagh]] [[Amy Yasbeck]] [[Eric Allan Kramer]] [[Matthew Porretta]] [[Isaac Hayes]] [[Tracey Ullman]]
| producer = Mel Brooks
| distributor = [[Twentieth Century Fox]]
| released = [[July 28]], [[1993]]
| runtime = 104 min
| language = English
| budget = ?
| imdb_id = 0107977
}}
'''''Robin Hood: Men In Tights''''' ([[1993 in film|1993]]) is a [[film]] [[parody]] of the story of [[Robin Hood]], particularly parodying ''[[Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves]]''. Other Robin Hood films, such as ''[[The Adventures of Robin Hood (film)|The Adventures of Robin Hood]]'' and [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]]'s ''[[Robin Hood (1973 film)|Robin Hood]]'', are also parodied. It was directed by [[Mel Brooks]] and stars [[Cary Elwes]] in the title role. The film is reminiscent of Brooks's [[1975 in television|1975]] Robin Hood based [[Situation comedy|sitcom]] ''[[When Things Were Rotten]]''.

==Plot==
{{spoiler}}
Robin Hood ([[Cary Elwes]]) is captured during the [[Crusades]] and is imprisoned. With the help of fellow inmate Asneeze ([[Isaac Hayes]]), he escapes and makes his way back to England. He is asked by Asneeze to find his son Achoo. When he arrives, he discovers that Prince John ([[Richard Lewis (comedian)|Richard Lewis]]) has taken over England while King Richard ([[Patrick Stewart]]) is away fighting in the Crusades and unbeknownst to him, John is abusing his power. With the help of his bumbling blind servant Blinkin ([[Mark Blankfield]]), the big and strong (and rather dumb) Little John ([[Eric Allan Kramer]]), Little John's friend Will Scarlet O'Hara ([[Matthew Porretta]]), and exchange student Ahchoo ([[Dave Chappelle]], in his first major role), he attempts to form a band of thieves to right the wrongs of the Prince. At the same time, he attracts the anger of the Sheriff of Rottingham ([[Roger Rees]]), as well as the love of reluctant virgin Maid Marian ([[Amy Yasbeck]]). His band of thieves turns out to be a large contingent of village idiots, so he must train them for battle, with great difficulty.

==Trivia==
*Despite demand from fans, the film remained unavailable on [[Region 1]] [[DVD]] until April 2006 when a Mel Brooks box set became available. The set includes ''Men in Tights'' as well as ''[[Blazing Saddles]]'', ''[[Young Frankenstein]]'', ''[[Silent Movie]]'', ''[[To Be Or Not To Be (1983 film)|To Be or Not to Be]]'', ''[[History of the World, Part I]]'', ''[[The Twelve Chairs]]'', and ''[[High Anxiety]]''. The film is currently scheduled be released as a stand-alone [[Region 1]] [[DVD]] on [[2006-09-05]]. [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000G6BLW4/sr=1-5/qid=1155914365/ref=sr_1_5/103-9812960-3635023?ie=UTF8&s=dvd] [[Region 2]] and [[Region 4]] versions have been available for several years.
*The film makes references to ''[[Blazing Saddles]]'' ([[1974]]) and ''[[History of the World, Part I]]'' ([[1981]]), both previous works of Brooks. There are also references to ''[[White Men Can't Jump]]'' and ''[[Malcolm X (film)|Malcolm X]]''.
*[[Matthew Porretta]], who played Will Scarlet O'Hara in this film, later played Robin Hood in the [[television]] series ''[[The New Adventures of Robin Hood]]''.
*[[Patrick Stewart]], who plays King Richard, also previously assumed the role of Robin Hood as his character [[Jean-Luc Picard]] on ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'', in the episode "[[Q-pid]]".
*Mel Brooks previously parodied Robin Hood in his critically acclaimed but short-lived [[1975]] TV series, ''[[When Things Were Rotten]]''. [[Dick Van Patten]] co-starred in that series as [[Friar Tuck]], and has a cameo in ''Men in Tights'' playing The Abbot.
*This film parodies Kevin Costner's performance as Robin Hood, in ''[[Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves]]'', in the quote, "Because unlike some other Robin Hoods, I can speak with an English accent." Since viewers who had seen both versions dubbed would not understand the joke, it was changed in various versions. In German, it was changed to "Because I, unlike some other Robin Hoods, do not cost the producers 5 million". (The German word "kosten" (cost) was also pronounced to sound a little bit like Costner.) In the French dubbed version, it is translated as, "Because unlike other Robin Hoods, I do not dance with the wolves", referring to another Kevin Costner movie (''[[Dances with Wolves]]'').
*Instead of having a [[Friar Tuck]], as is usual in the legend, because of Mel Brooks' Jewish heritage, Mel Brooks plays the rabbinical counterpart, Rabbi Tuckman.
*The "Men in Tights" song uses the same musical score as the "Jews in Space" song from ''History of the World, Part I''.
*While most of the film parodies ''Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves'', the archery contest parodies the [[Robin Hood (1973 film)|1973 Disney film]].
*There are a few instances where the Sheriff points out that Prince John's mole was on the other side of his face before. This is a clear reference to Brooks' ''Young Frankenstein'', where Igor's hump frequently switches sides, but he insists it was always on that side. (John's response to the Sheriff's observation was, "I have a mole?!")
*A wedding guest shouts out, "Hey, Abbot!" in an imitation of [[Lou Costello]] to Dick Van Patten's Abbott character. This is a gag based on comedians [[Abbott and Costello]], where Costello's catchphrase was "Hey, Abbott!", in reference to [[Bud Abbott]]. In the film, Van Patten would turn to the audience as an aside and say, "I HATE that guy!".
*Mel Brooks' character Rabbi Tuckman utters the words, "It's Good to be the King" when King Richard kisses Maid Marian before Robin Hood marries her. Tuckman's line is taken from the various times Brooks said the same line in the movie ''History of the World, Part I''.
*The hangman in this movie is the same one from ''Blazing Saddles''.
*The closing [[Hip hop music|rap]] briefly mentions ''Robin Hood 2''. Other Mel Brooks movies that refer to their own sequels include ''History of the World, Part I'' and ''[[Spaceballs]]''.
*This was [[Dave Chappelle]]'s debut as a feature film actor, in the role of Ahchoo, who had to pump up his sneakers before engaging in the first fight scene alongside Robin Hood, a parody of the [[Reebok Pump]] line of sneakers that were popular at the time. This film would be his breakout role, and he would go on to international stardom.
{{endspoiler}}
*John's mole frequently moves around, from below his left eye, to his chin, to his upper lip, to the right side of his face.

==Technical data==
*sound: [[Dolby Analog SR]]
*aspect ratio: 1.85 : 1
*total gross (USA): $35,699,287
*MPAA rating: [[PG-13]]

==See also==
*[[1990s in film]]
*[[1993 in film]]

==External links==
* {{imdb title|id=0107977|title=Robin Hood: Men In Tights}}
* [http://www.ladyofthecake.com/mel/hood/rhimages.htm Images]
* [http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:41688 All Movie Guide entry for ''Robin Hood: Men In Tights'']

{{Mel Brooks Films}}

[[Category:1993 films]]
[[Category:Parody films]]
[[Category:Robin Hood]]

[[de:Robin Hood – Helden in Strumpfhosen]]
[[fr:Sacré Robin des bois]]
[[it:Robin Hood: un uomo in calzamaglia]]
[[he:רובין הוד: גברים בגטקעס]]
[[nl:Robin Hood: Men in Tights]]
[[ru:Робин Гуд: Мужчины в трико (фильм)]]
[[sv:Robin Hood - Karlar i trikåer]]

Robin Hood: Men in Tights

2006-09-07T05:14:21Z

71.201.198.12: /* Trivia */

{{Infobox Film |
| name = Robin Hood: Men In Tights
| image = RobinHoodMeninTights_Poster.jpg
| caption = Poster from the film
| director = [[Mel Brooks]]
| writers = Mel Brooks [[Evan Chandler]] [[J.D. Shapiro]]
| starring = [[Cary Elwes]] [[Richard Lewis (comedian)|Richard Lewis]] [[Roger Rees]] [[Patrick Stewart]] [[Dave Chappelle]] [[Mark Blankfield]] [[Megan Cavanagh]] [[Amy Yasbeck]] [[Eric Allan Kramer]] [[Matthew Porretta]] [[Isaac Hayes]] [[Tracey Ullman]]
| producer = Mel Brooks
| distributor = [[Twentieth Century Fox]]
| released = [[July 28]], [[1993]]
| runtime = 104 min
| language = English
| budget = ?
| imdb_id = 0107977
}}
'''''Robin Hood: Men In Tights''''' ([[1993 in film|1993]]) is a [[film]] [[parody]] of the story of [[Robin Hood]], particularly parodying ''[[Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves]]''. Other Robin Hood films, such as ''[[The Adventures of Robin Hood (film)|The Adventures of Robin Hood]]'' and [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]]'s ''[[Robin Hood (1973 film)|Robin Hood]]'', are also parodied. It was directed by [[Mel Brooks]] and stars [[Cary Elwes]] in the title role. The film is reminiscent of Brooks's [[1975 in television|1975]] Robin Hood based [[Situation comedy|sitcom]] ''[[When Things Were Rotten]]''.

==Plot==
{{spoiler}}
Robin Hood ([[Cary Elwes]]) is captured during the [[Crusades]] and is imprisoned. With the help of fellow inmate Asneeze ([[Isaac Hayes]]), he escapes and makes his way back to England. He is asked by Asneeze to find his son Achoo. When he arrives, he discovers that Prince John ([[Richard Lewis (comedian)|Richard Lewis]]) has taken over England while King Richard ([[Patrick Stewart]]) is away fighting in the Crusades and unbeknownst to him, John is abusing his power. With the help of his bumbling blind servant Blinkin ([[Mark Blankfield]]), the big and strong (and rather dumb) Little John ([[Eric Allan Kramer]]), Little John's friend Will Scarlet O'Hara ([[Matthew Porretta]]), and exchange student Ahchoo ([[Dave Chappelle]], in his first major role), he attempts to form a band of thieves to right the wrongs of the Prince. At the same time, he attracts the anger of the Sheriff of Rottingham ([[Roger Rees]]), as well as the love of reluctant virgin Maid Marian ([[Amy Yasbeck]]). His band of thieves turns out to be a large contingent of village idiots, so he must train them for battle, with great difficulty.

==Trivia==
*Despite demand from fans, the film remained unavailable on [[Region 1]] [[DVD]] until April 2006 when a Mel Brooks box set became available. The set includes ''Men in Tights'' as well as ''[[Blazing Saddles]]'', ''[[Young Frankenstein]]'', ''[[Silent Movie]]'', ''[[To Be Or Not To Be (1983 film)|To Be or Not to Be]]'', ''[[History of the World, Part I]]'', ''[[The Twelve Chairs]]'', and ''[[High Anxiety]]''. The film is currently scheduled be released as a stand-alone [[Region 1]] [[DVD]] on [[2006-09-05]]. [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000G6BLW4/sr=1-5/qid=1155914365/ref=sr_1_5/103-9812960-3635023?ie=UTF8&s=dvd] [[Region 2]] and [[Region 4]] versions have been available for several years.
*The film makes references to ''[[Blazing Saddles]]'' ([[1974]]) and ''[[History of the World, Part I]]'' ([[1981]]), both previous works of Brooks. There are also references to ''[[White Men Can't Jump]]'' and ''[[Malcolm X (film)|Malcolm X]]''.
*[[Matthew Porretta]], who played Will Scarlet O'Hara in this film, later played Robin Hood in the [[television]] series ''[[The New Adventures of Robin Hood]]''.
*[[Patrick Stewart]], who plays King Richard, also previously assumed the role of Robin Hood as his character [[Jean-Luc Picard]] on ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'', in the episode "[[Q-pid]]".
*Mel Brooks previously parodied Robin Hood in his critically acclaimed but short-lived [[1975]] TV series, ''[[When Things Were Rotten]]''. [[Dick Van Patten]] co-starred in that series as [[Friar Tuck]], and has a cameo in ''Men in Tights'' playing The Abbot.
*This film parodies Kevin Costner's performance as Robin Hood, in ''[[Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves]]'', in the quote, "Because unlike some other Robin Hoods, I can speak with an English accent." Since viewers who had seen both versions dubbed would not understand the joke, it was changed in various versions. In German, it was changed to "Because I, unlike some other Robin Hoods, do not cost the producers 5 million". (The German word "kosten" (cost) was also pronounced to sound a little bit like Costner.) In the French dubbed version, it is translated as, "Because unlike other Robin Hoods, I do not dance with the wolves", referring to another Kevin Costner movie (''[[Dances with Wolves]]'').
*Instead of having a [[Friar Tuck]], as is usual in the legend, because of Mel Brooks' Jewish heritage, Mel Brooks plays the rabbinical counterpart, Rabbi Tuckman.
*The "Men in Tights" song uses the same musical score as the "Jews in Space" song from ''History of the World, Part I''.
*While most of the film parodies ''Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves'', the archery contest parodies the [[Robin Hood (1973 film)|1973 Disney film]].
*There are a few instances where the Sheriff points out that Prince John's mole was on the other side of his face before. This is a clear reference to Brooks' ''Young Frankenstein'', where Igor's hump frequently switches sides, but he insists it was always on that side. (John's response to the Sheriff's observation was, "I have a mole?!")
*A wedding guest shouts out, "Hey, Abbot!" in an imitation of [[Lou Costello]] to Dick Van Petten's Abbott character. This is a gag based on comedians [[Abbott and Costello]], where Costello's catchphrase was "Hey, Abbott!", in reference to [[Bud Abbott]]. In the film, Van PAtten would turn to the audience as an aside and say, "I HATE that guy!".
*Mel Brooks' character Rabbi Tuckman utters the words, "It's Good to be the King" when King Richard kisses Maid Marian before Robin Hood marries her. Tuckman's line is taken from the various times Brooks said the same line in the movie ''History of the World, Part I''.
*The hangman in this movie is the same one from ''Blazing Saddles''.
*The closing [[Hip hop music|rap]] briefly mentions ''Robin Hood 2''. Other Mel Brooks movies that refer to their own sequels include ''History of the World, Part I'' and ''[[Spaceballs]]''.
*This was [[Dave Chappelle]]'s debut as a feature film actor, in the role of Ahchoo, who had to pump up his sneakers before engaging in the first fight scene alongside Robin Hood, a parody of the [[Reebok Pump]] line of sneakers that were popular at the time. This film would be his breakout role, and he would go on to international stardom.
{{endspoiler}}
*John's mole frequently moves around, from below his left eye, to his chin, to his upper lip, to the right side of his face.

==Technical data==
*sound: [[Dolby Analog SR]]
*aspect ratio: 1.85 : 1
*total gross (USA): $35,699,287
*MPAA rating: [[PG-13]]

==See also==
*[[1990s in film]]
*[[1993 in film]]

==External links==
* {{imdb title|id=0107977|title=Robin Hood: Men In Tights}}
* [http://www.ladyofthecake.com/mel/hood/rhimages.htm Images]
* [http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:41688 All Movie Guide entry for ''Robin Hood: Men In Tights'']

{{Mel Brooks Films}}

[[Category:1993 films]]
[[Category:Parody films]]
[[Category:Robin Hood]]

[[de:Robin Hood – Helden in Strumpfhosen]]
[[fr:Sacré Robin des bois]]
[[it:Robin Hood: un uomo in calzamaglia]]
[[he:רובין הוד: גברים בגטקעס]]
[[nl:Robin Hood: Men in Tights]]
[[ru:Робин Гуд: Мужчины в трико (фильм)]]
[[sv:Robin Hood - Karlar i trikåer]]

Eric Allan Kramer

2006-09-07T05:10:15Z

71.201.198.12:

'''Eric Allan Kramer''' played Thor in a television movie of [[The Hulk]], called "The Incredible Hulk Returns". He also starred as Little John in the film, Robin Hood-Men In Tights. Both times, he was credited as Eric Kramer.

{{actor-stub}}

[[fr:Eric Allan Kramer]]

Rasslin'

2006-09-06T02:46:45Z

71.201.198.12:

'''Rasslin'''' is a term that refers to a [[Southern United States|Southern]] style of [[professional wrestling]]. It was synonymous with the [[National Wrestling Alliance|NWA]]-affiliated promotions that operated in the southern United States.

Rasslin' included [[television|TV]] tapings at smaller venues, as compared to the larger, more well-known arenas utilized by northern U.S. promotions such as the [[American Wrestling Association|AWA]] and [[World Wrestling Entertainment|W(W)WF]]. There was often more of an emphasis on maintaining [[kayfabe]], and [[stiff (professional wrestling)|stiff]] chain wrestling. TV matches were generally more competitive than the [[squash (professional wrestling)|squash]] matches in the WWF. [[gimmick (professional wrestling)|Gimmicks]] were also used, but not as widely, and the gimmicks were generally more directly related to wrestling. Storylines often tapped into Southern culture. Feuds were more clannish and sometimes would go on for several years. [[blading (professional wrestling)|Blading]] and [[Run-in (professional wrestling)|run-in]]s were also more common during rasslin' cards than on other wrestling shows.

The term "Rasslin'" is derived from wrestling; it's a phonetic spelling of how the word "wrestling" sounds when spoken with a heavy Southern [[accent (linguistics)|accent]]. It is also commonly used in a derogatory manner by non-Southern wrestling fans to describe that style of wrestling.

When [[Ted Turner]] purchased [[Jim Crockett Promotions]], he allegedly called [[Vince McMahon]] to tell him that he was now in the "rasslin'" business, McMahon differentiated his company's style by responding, "That's great, Ted. I'm in the entertainment business."

[[Category:Professional wrestling slang]]

Triple H

2006-09-05T04:07:12Z

71.201.198.12: /* Controversy */

{{Infobox Wrestler
|name=Paul Michael Levesque
|image=HunterHearstHelmsley.jpg 
|names=Terra Ryzin Jean-Paul Levesque Hunter Hearst Helmsley '''Triple H'''
|height= 6 ft 4 in (189 cm)
|weight= 260 lb (119 kg)
|birth_date =[[July 27]] [[1969]]
|birth_place =[[Nashua, New Hampshire]]
|resides=
|billed=[[Greenwich, Connecticut]]
|trainer=[[Wladek Kowalski|Killer Kowalski]]
|debut=[[March]] [[1992]]
|}}

'''Paul Michael Levesque''' (born [[July 27]] [[1969]] in [[Nashua, New Hampshire]]) is an [[United States|American]] [[professional wrestler]], better known by his [[ring name]], '''Triple H''', an abbreviation for his former ring name, '''Hunter Hearst Helmsley'''. Triple H currently wrestles on the ''[[WWE RAW|RAW]]'' brand of [[World Wrestling Entertainment]] (WWE).

==Early career==
Triple H was trained to wrestle by legendary wrestler [[Killer Kowalski]]. He teamed with fellow Kowalski trainee, [[Perry Saturn]], who would go on to form [[The Eliminators]] in [[Extreme Championship Wrestling|ECW]]. In 1993, he joined [[World Championship Wrestling]] (WCW), wrestling as a heel under the ring name '''Terra Ryzin'''. Later, Levesque created the persona '''Jean-Paul Levesque''', a hastily constructed persona in reference to his surname's [[France|French]] origins, and was asked to speak with a French accent as he could not speak [[French language|French]]. Under this persona, Levesque also briefly teamed with [[Darren Matthews|Lord Steven Regal]]. He left in 1995 for the [[World Wrestling Entertainment|World Wrestling Federation]].

==World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment==
[[Image:Hunter-Hearst-Helmsley.jpg|thumb|left||200px||Levesque as Hunter Hearst Helmsley]]
As a continuation of his [[gimmick]] in [[WCW]], Triple H started off his WWF career as the [[Connecticut]] [[Blueblood]], Hunter Hearst Helmsley. He appeared in taped vignettes talking about how to use proper etiquette up until his wrestling debut. Although he had an impressive streak during the first few months within his debut, his career stalled during 1996, starting off with being squashed by [[Warrior (wrestler)|Ultimate Warrior]] at ''[[WrestleMania XII]]''. Up until that event, he appeared on television each week with a different female valet accompanying him. [[Rena Mero|Sable]] was his valet at WrestleMania XII, and after his loss to Ultimate Warrior, he took his aggressions out on her. The debuting [[Marc Mero]] came to her rescue and this started a program between the two wrestlers.

Helmsley was best known backstage as one of the members of the [[Clique (professional wrestling)|Clique]], a group of wrestlers including [[Shawn Michaels]], [[Kevin Nash]], [[Sean Waltman]] and [[Scott Hall]] who were known for influencing [[Vince McMahon]] and the WWF Creative team. Because of his connections with the Clique, and because of the WWF's pressure to create new stars to compete with [[WCW]], Helmsley was in line to win the [[King of the Ring#1996|1996 ''King of the Ring'']] tournament, but was eventually suspended and [[Bury (professional wrestling)|buried]] after the [[Clique (professional wrestling)#Curtain Call: The MSG Incident|MSG incident]] where the Clique broke [[kayfabe|character]] after a match between Shawn Michaels and Diesel match to say goodbye to the departing Nash and Hall.

Despite the punishment, Helmsley did have several successes following the MSG Incident. He found a manager in [[Curt Hennig|Mr. Perfect]] and won his first [[WWE Intercontinental Championship|Intercontinental Championship]] on [[October 21]], [[1996]], defeating [[Marc Mero]]. When Curt Hennig left the WWF, his departure was explained to be a result of Helmsley turning his back on his manager as soon as he won the Intercontinental Championship. He held the belt for nearly four months before losing it to a young [[The Rock (entertainer)|Rocky Maivia]] on the [[February 13]], [[1997]] edition of ''RAW''. For an very brief time, Helmsley was accompanied by [[Curtis Hughes]], who played the role of his bodyguard. After losing the Intercontinental title, he [[feud (professional wrestling)|feuded]] with [[Dustin Runnels|Goldust]], defeating him at [[WrestleMania 13]]. During their feud, [[Joanie Laurer|Chyna]] debuted as his new bodyguard, assaulting Goldust's wife and valet [[Terri Runnels|Marlena]].
[[Image:Hbk-showstopper.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Shawn Michaels]] with Triple H and [[Joanie Laurer|Chyna]], founding members of [[D-Generation X]].]]
Helmsley's push resumed in 1997, when he won the ''[[King of the Ring#1997|King of the Ring]]'' tournament on [[June 8]], defeating Mankind in the finals. Later that year, Shawn Michaels, Helmsley, Chyna and [[Richard Rood|Rick Rude]] (who left shortly after the group was formed) formed [[D-Generation X]] (DX). This group became known for pushing the envelope, as Michaels and Helmsley made risqué promos, spawning the catchphrase "Suck It" along with a "crotch chop" hand motion, and sarcastically deriding [[Bret Hart]] and [[Canada]]. By now, Helmsley fully dropped the "blueblood snob" gimmick and adopted the name of "Triple H", though some wrestlers still do refer to him as Hunter. For a time, Triple H took particular joy in riding on then-[[List of authority figures in professional wrestling|Commissioner]] [[Sgt. Slaughter]], often accusing him of [[impotence]].

After ''[[WrestleMania XIV]]'', Michaels was forced into retirement due to a back injury sustained at the 1998 [[Royal Rumble (1998)|Royal Rumble]] pay-per-view, and Triple H took over the leadership position in DX. He introduced the returning [[Sean Waltman|X-Pac]] the night after WrestleMania and joined forces with the [[New Age Outlaws]], the team of [[Monty Sopp|"Bad Ass" Billy Gunn]] and [[Brian Gerard James|"Road Dogg" Jesse James]]. Triple H led the "DX Army" throughout 1998; this was the first time he had performed as a [[face (professional wrestling)|face]] in the WWF, and he quickly became one of its most popular wrestlers. It was also during this time that Triple H began feuding with the leader of the [[Nation of Domination]] and rising WWF heel, [[The Rock (entertainer)|The Rock]]. This rivalry eventually led to a feud over The Rock's Intercontinental Championship. Triple H defeated The Rock in a ladder match at [[SummerSlam (1998)|''SummerSlam 1998'']] to capture the title. He did not hold the title long, however, as he was sidelined with a knee injury. When The Rock won the [[WWE Championship|WWF Championship]] at the [[Survivor Series#1998|''Survivor Series 1998'']], the rivalry between the two continued, but became more of a gang war as DX fought Vince McMahon's [[The Corporation (professional wrestling)|Corporation]] stable, of which Rock was the main star.

Triple H received a shot at the WWF Championship on the [[January 25]] [[1999]] edition of ''RAW'' in an "I Quit" match against The Rock, but was forced to quit or see his aide Chyna [[chokeslam|chokeslammed]] by [[Glen Jacobs|Kane]]. Chyna attacked Triple H after the match and joined the Corporation, betraying him. At ''[[WrestleMania XV]]'' Triple H wrestled as a face for what would be the last time in several months when he beat Kane with the aid of Chyna, who was thought to have rejoined DX. Later on in the night, he betrayed his long-time friend and fellow DX member X-Pac by helping heel [[Shane McMahon]] retain the [[WWE European Championship|European Championship]], thus turning heel and taking Chyna with him. This decision earned him the hatred of many fans, and helped push Triple H further in the direction of the WWF Championship. Triple H then joined the Corporation, briefly placing him on the same side as The Rock. Unable to get along, The Rock turned on the Corporation and took Triple H's place as a face, quickly rising to further stardom.

After Triple H's heel turn in early [[1999]], he moved away from his "DX" look, taping his fists for matches, sporting new and shorter wrestling trunks, and a shorter hairstyle. His image and his personality changed as he fought to earn a WWF title shot. After numerous failed attempts at winning the championship, Triple H and [[Mick Foley|Mankind]] challenged WWF Champion [["Stone Cold" Steve Austin]] at [[SummerSlam (1999)|''SummerSlam 1999'']] in a triple threat match. In a contest which featured [[Jesse Ventura|Jesse "The Body" Ventura]] as the special guest referee, Mankind won the match by pinning Austin, becoming a three-time WWF champion. The following night on ''RAW'', Triple H defeated Mankind to win his first WWF Championship.

By January 2000, Triple H had dubbed himself "The Game", implying that he was at the top of the wrestling world, as well as "The Cerebral Assassin", implying that he was simply smarter than the other wrestlers. (He has claimed that "The Game" tag was initially conceived for [[Owen Hart]].) He was already a three-time WWF Champion. His feud with Vince McMahon was not well-received, however, and even outraged fans after McMahon won the title from Triple H during an episode of ''[[WWE Friday Night SmackDown!|SmackDown!]]''. However, the short-lived feud started the Hunter Hearst Helmsley-[[Stephanie McMahon]] storyline that carried the WWF throughout the next seventeen months, and this period was known as the "McMahon/Helmsley Era".

Triple H worked a program with Mick Foley in early 2000, which ended in a [[Hell in a Cell]] match at ''[[WWE No Way Out#2000|No Way Out 2000]]'' that sent Foley into retirement. By the time Triple H shockingly pinned The Rock at ''[[WrestleMania 2000]]'' (becoming the first heel to walk out of WrestleMania as champion), he was one of the hottest characters in the WWF, being able to generate enormous [[heat (professional wrestling)|heat]] for his entrance and promos alone. He lost the title at Backlash to The Rock, but regained it in an Iron Man match at Judgment Day only to lose it back to The Rock at King of the Ring.

A later feud between Triple H and Steve Austin culminated in a [[two out of three falls match|Three Stages of Hell match]] in which Helmsley defeated Austin. In 2001, Triple H also feuded with Undertaker, who defeated him at ''[[WrestleMania X-Seven]]''. He later teamed with his former nemesis Austin to form [[The Two-Man Power Trip]], capturing both the [[World Tag Team Championship|WWF Tag Team Titles]] and the Intercontinental Championship once again.

The most difficult moment of Triple H's career occurred during the [[May 21]] [[2001]] broadcast of ''RAW'' when he suffered a legitimate and career-threatening injury. In the night's main event, he and Stone Cold Steve Austin were defending the Tag Team titles against [[Chris Jericho]] and [[Chris Benoit]]. At one point, Jericho had Austin trapped in his '''Walls of Jericho''' submission hold. Triple H ran-in to break it up, but just as he did, he suffered a tear in his left [[quadriceps muscle]], causing it to come completely off the bone. Despite his inability to place any weight on his leg, Triple H was able to complete the match, something that his fans and fellow wrestlers saw as an admirable display of dedication to the business. He even allowed one of his opponents in the match, [[Chris Jericho]], to put him in his standard finishing maneuver, the "Walls of Jericho", a move that places considerable stress on the quadriceps. The tear required an operation, which was performed by famed [[orthopedic surgery|orthopedic surgeon]] Dr. James Andrews, in [[Birmingham, Alabama|Birmingham]]. This injury brought an abrupt end to the McMahon/Helmsley Era, as the rigorous [[physical therapy|rehabilitation]] process kept Triple H out of action for over seven months, completely missing the [[The Invasion|Invasion storyline]] of WCW/ECW.
[[Image:Triple H undisputed champion.jpg|thumb|left|210px|Triple H performing his water spraying routine as the [[WWE Undisputed Championship|WWF Undisputed Champion]].]]
Triple H returned to ''RAW'' as a [[face (professional wrestling)|face]] on [[January 7]] [[2002]] at [[Madison Square Garden]], receiving a tremendous ovation. He soon won that year's [[Royal Rumble (2002)|Royal Rumble]], and thus received a [[WWE Undisputed Championship|WWF Undisputed Championship]] match in the main event at ''[[WrestleMania X8]]''. At WrestleMania X8, Triple H beat Chris Jericho for the WWF Undisputed Championship. After holding the title for a month, Helmsley lost it to [[Hulk Hogan]] at [[WWE Backlash#2002|''Backlash 2002'']]. Triple H then became exclusive to the ''SmackDown!'' roster due to the [[WWE Draft Lottery|WWF Draft Lottery]] and continued to feud with Chris Jericho.

Meanwhile, Triple H's old DX companion Shawn Michaels had made his return to the WWE and joined the nWo, and Shawn Michaels and Kevin Nash planned to bring Triple H over to ''RAW'' in order to put him into the group. However, Vince McMahon disbanded the nWo following several backstage complications and brought in [[Eric Bischoff]] as ''RAW's'' new general manager. One of Bischoff's first intentions was to follow up on the nWo's plan and woo Triple H over to the ''RAW'' roster. Triple H did indeed jump over to ''RAW'', reuniting with Shawn Michaels, but on [[July 22]] [[2002]] he turned heel once again by turning on Michaels, hitting a surprise Pedigree on him during what was supposed to be a DX reunion. The following week, Triple H smashed Michaels' face brutally into a car window to prove that Michaels was "weak". These events led to the beginning of a long, heated rivalry between the former partners, and an eventual "Unsanctioned Street Fight" at [[SummerSlam (2002)|''SummerSlam 2002'']], in which Michaels came out of retirement and won. Afterwards, however, Triple H attacked him with a sledgehammer, and Michaels was carried out of the ring.

Prior to [[September 2]] [[2002]], the WWE recognized only one [[WWE Undisputed Championship|Champion]] for both ''RAW'' and ''SmackDown!'' However, after ''SummerSlam'', champion [[Brock Lesnar]] signed a ([[angle (professional wrestling)|storyline]]) deal to become exclusive to ''SmackDown!'', leaving ''RAW'' without a champion. ''RAW'' General Manager Eric Bischoff then awarded the [[World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)|World Heavyweight Championship]] to Triple H in the form of the old [[WCW World Heavyweight Championship|WCW Championship]] belt due to the fact that he was the last person to hold that title before it was consolidated with the WWF Championship as the Undisputed Title (Y2J was the first Undisputed Champion but physically carried the WWF and WCW titles as separate belts on television). Triple H made his successful title defense against Ric Flair, but eventually lost the belt to Shawn Michaels in the first ever [[Elimination Chamber#Survivor Series 2002|Elimination Chamber match]] at [[Survivor Series#2002|''Survivor Series 2002'']], but regained it in a 3 Stages of Hell match at [[WWE Armageddon#2002|Armageddon 2002]]. After ''Armageddon'', Triple H held the belt for most of 2003, feuding and ultimately defeating former WCW talent such as [[Scott Steiner]], [[Booker Huffman|Booker T]], Kevin Nash, and [[Bill Goldberg]] in main events.
[[Image:Evolutiontitles.jpg||thumb||215px||[[Evolution (professional wrestling)|Evolution]] members (left to right) [[Randy Orton]], [[Ric Flair]], Triple H and [[David Bautista|Batista]].]]
In January 2003, Triple H formed ''[[Evolution (professional wrestling)|Evolution]]'' with Ric Flair, [[Randy Orton]], and [[David Bautista|Batista]]. Its purpose was to include the "greatest wrestlers" of the past (Flair), present (Triple H), and future (Orton and Batista). The group was dominant on ''RAW'' from 2003-2004, the height of their dominance occurring after ''[[WWE Armageddon#2003|Armageddon 2003]]'' when every member of Evolution held a title. Triple H beat Goldberg to win the World Heavyweight Championship, Randy Orton beat [[Rob Van Dam]] to win the Intercontinental Championship, and Ric Flair and Batista beat The Dudley Boyz to win the World Tag Team Championship. Triple H lost his title to [[Chris Benoit]] at ''[[WrestleMania XX]]'' and was unable to reclaim the belt from Benoit afterwards in subsequent rematches, including an exact rematch of the WrestleMania main event between Triple H, Benoit, and Shawn Michaels at ''[[WWE Backlash#2004|Backlash]].

Triple H regained the title later that year from former associate Randy Orton. Following a controversial triple threat World title defense against Chris Benoit and Edge on the [[November 29]] [[2004]] episode of ''RAW'', the World Heavyweight Championship became vacant for the first time. At [[WWE New Year's Revolution#2005|New Year's Revolution]] Triple H won the [[Elimination Chamber]] to begin his 10th world title reign. At ''[[WrestleMania 21]]'', Triple H lost the championship to Batista, and subsequently lost two rematches at consecutive ''RAW'' pay-per-views (''[[WWE Backlash#2005|Backlash 2005]]'' and ''[[WWE Vengeance#2005|Vengeance 2005]]''). Following this, Triple H took some time off from wrestling, learning about the corporate side of WWE in preparation for a future full-time executive position.

Triple H returned to ''RAW'' on [[October 3]] [[2005]] as part of ''[[WWE Homecoming]]'' to a tremendous ovation, even though at the time he took his absence, he was a heel. He teamed up with [[Ric Flair]] (who had turned face during Triple H's absence) against [[Chris Mordetsky|Chris Masters]] and [[Carly Colon|Carlito]]. Triple H and Flair won, but the Game then turned on Flair with his sledgehammer. Triple H then began a feud with Flair.

Another championship opportunity came about for Triple H in the [[Road To WrestleMania tournament]], in which he won, thus granting him a number one contendership for the [[WWE Championship]] at [[WrestleMania 22]].

[[Image:D-GenerationX.jpg|thumb|225px|[[D-Generation X]] reunited on ''RAW''.]]
At ''WrestleMania 22'', Triple H and [[John Cena]] fought in the main event for the WWE Championship. Triple H lost to John Cena. The next month at ''[[WWE Backlash#2006|Backlash]]'', Triple H was involved in another WWE Championship match, fighting Edge and John Cena in a Triple Threat match, where he lost again. In an act of frustration, a bloodied Triple H used his trusty sledgehammer to nail both Edge and John Cena with it, then performed a number of DX crotch chops, much to the delight of the fans. [[Shawn Michaels]] would return on the [[June 12]], 2006 edition of ''RAW'' and would soon reunite with Triple H to reform their previous wrestling stable, [[D-Generation X]]. DX would continue their feud with the McMahons and Spirit Squad for several weeks, defeating the Spirit Squad at [[WWE Vengeance]] in June and [[Saturday Night's Main Event]] in July, then the McMahons at [[SummerSlam]] in August.

Currently, DX is scheduled for a handicap 3-on-2 [[Hell in a Cell]] match at [[WWE Unforgiven]] against Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon, and [[ECW]] Champion [[The Big Show]].

==Controversy==
Triple H is considered a very controversial figure in professional wrestling. Fans and critics frequently accuse him of using backstage politics to occupy screen time, retain titles, [[Push (professional wrestling)|elevate]] his friends, and [[Bury (professional wrestling)|hold down]] talented workers.

This criticism intensified after he became the real-life son-in-law of WWE promoter Vince McMahon, marrying Vince's daughter Stephanie. McMahon himself once said on ''[[Off the Record (TV series)|Off the Record]]'' that his "son Shane, daughter Stephanie and son-in-law Triple H" would run the company once he passes away.

Former D-Generation X members Billy Gunn and Road Dogg have claimed in a [[shoot (professional wrestling)|shoot]] interview to have personally witnessed Hunter's actions behind the scenes. However it should be noted that this interview was given shortly after Gunn left the WWE on bad terms.

Hunter has acknowledged the accusations, but he has also denied them on the grounds that "everything goes through Vince", and that he could not do such things even if he wanted to.

He has been accused of steroid abuse, due to the rapid growth of his physique, the aforementioned muscle tear (common of large muscles when they grow too large to be held by the tendons, as steroids only grow muscles, not tendons), his shelf forehead, and the change in his appearance facially (growing red-faced easily, as steroids can interfere with the heart's ability to pump blood to certain parts of the body).

==Personal life==
Prior to his relationship with [[Stephanie McMahon-Levesque|Stephanie McMahon]], Levesque had previously been in a relationship with [[Joanie Laurer|Chyna]]. Following his first WWF championship run, Triple H was put into a program with Stephanie McMahon that culminated in Triple H "marrying" McMahon. During the program, in which Triple H and Stephanie were heels, Levesque and McMahon became personally involved in real life (while Triple H was still in a relationship with Chyna). On [[October 23]] [[2003]], long after the couple had divorced in the storylines, they married for real.

On [[January 8]] [[2006]], WWE.com announced that Triple H and Stephanie were expecting their first child in July 2006. On the [[July 24]] episode of ''RAW'', [[Todd Grisham]] announced that Stephanie had given birth to a healthy 8 lb. 7 oz. baby girl named Aurora Rose Levesque.

==Television, films and books==
Hunter has appeared as Triple H on ''[[MADtv]]'' and ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' and as professional wrestler "The Disciplinarian" on an episode of ''[[The Drew Carey Show]]''.

Triple H appeared in the [[film|movie]] ''[[Blade: Trinity]]'', as a [[vampire]] enforcer named Jarko Grimwood.

In late [[2004 in literature|2004]], Triple H released a book entitled ''Making the Game: Triple H's Approach to a Better Body''. Mostly devoted to [[bodybuilding]] advice, the book also includes some [[autobiography|autobiographical]] information, memoirs, and opinions.

Triple H was featured in the [[August 14]] [[2005 in television|2005]] episode of [[MTV]]'s ''[[Punk'd]]''. He was led to believe that he had ruined a wedding by hitting the bride in the face with a door and damaging her nose, until [[Ashton Kutcher]] and [[Stacy Keibler]] showed up. Hunter was also featured in an episode of ''[[The Bernie Mac Show]]''.

In May 2006, Triple H appeared in commercials for [[Miller Lite]] where he debates "Man Law" with the likes of [[Burt Reynolds]], [[Eddie Griffin]] and [[Jerome Bettis]]. His appearances in this advertising campaign are ironic, given [[Teetotalism|his personal stance]] against the consumption of alcohol. That same month, he also appeared in a commercial for [[USA Network]] with [[Anthony Michael Hall]], which cross-promoted ''RAW'' and Hall's show, ''[[The Dead Zone (TV series)|The Dead Zone]]''; the main comedic factor being Cena leaving a sunburn enhanced handprint on Triple H's back. He has also been featured in an energy drink advertisement where it shows him pedigree someone.

Triple H has also appeared in a [[Wendy's]] commercial; he holds up a Triple Classic Burger and calls it the "Triple H Burger".

==In wrestling==
*'''Finishing and signature moves'''
[[Image:PedigreeHHH.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Triple H delivering the [[Facebuster#Double underhook facebuster|Pedigree]] to [[Yoshihiro Tajiri|Tajiri]].]]
:*'''''Pedigree''''' ([[Facebuster#Double underhook facebuster|Double underhook facebuster]])
:*[[List of professional wrestling throws#Spinebuster|Spinebuster]]
:*[[Professional wrestling throws#Facebreaker knee smash|Facebreaker knee smash]] ([[Professional wrestling throws#Back body drop|back body drop]] counter)
:*[[Professional wrestling attacks#High knee|Jumping high knee]]
:*[[Neckbreaker#Neckbreaker slam|Falling neckbreaker]]
:*[[Professional wrestling holds#Figure four leglock|Figure four leglock]]
:*[[Professional wrestling holds#Indian deathlock|Indian deathlock]]
:*[[Professional wrestling attacks#Knee drop|Knee drop]]
:*[[professional wrestling holds#Sleeper hold|Sleeper hold]]

:*Signature [[foreign object]]: [[sledgehammer]]
::*When Triple H uses a [[sledgehammer]] as a weapon, it is in fact a real sledgehammer, and not a prop as is widely believed. Triple H covers the head of the sledgehammer with his hand just before it strikes his opponent, and usually uses it in a spearing motion instead of over-hand strikes. On one occasion when Triple H ''did'' use a fake sledgehammer he accidentally injured his opponent, the Undertaker (that occasion was at [[WrestleMania X-Seven]].)

*'''Managers'''
:*[[Joanie Laurer|Chyna]]
:*[[Ric Flair]]
:*[[Curt Hennig|Mr. Perfect]]
:*[[Curtis Hughes|Mr. Hughes]]
:*[[Vince McMahon]]
:*[[Stephanie McMahon-Levesque|Stephanie McMahon]]
:*[[Shawn Michaels]]
:*[[Darren Matthews|Steven Regal]]
:*[[Richard Rood|Rick Rude]]
:*[[Rena Mero|Sable]]

*'''Nicknames'''
:*The [[Connecticut]] [[Blueblood]]
:*The [[Game]]
:*The [[Cerebral cortex|Cerebral]] [[Assassin]]
:*The [[King of Kings]]
===Theme songs===
Throughout his career, Triple H has used several different pieces of music as his [[Music in professional wrestling|theme]]. While wrestling in WCW as '''Terra Ryzing''', Triple H's theme was a piece of [[guitar]] music called ''Road Master''. During his early days in the WWF, his first theme was a piece of [[harpsichord]] music. He would later change his music to the fifth movement of [[Ludwig van Beethoven]]'s [[Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven)|"Symphony No. 9"]]. After the formation of [[D-Generation X]], Triple H used the D-X [[theme]], titled "Break It Down", performed by [[Chris Warren (musician)|The DX Band]].

Following the creation of Triple H's "'''The Game'''" character after [[WrestleMania XV]], WWF composer [[Jim Johnston (composer)|Jim Johnston]] created a new theme entitled "Higher Brain Pattern". "Higher Brain Pattern" was later recreated with lyrics (again sung by The DX Band) and renamed "My Time". "My Time" was distinguished by a recurring "[[Beep (sound)|bleeping]]" noise and contained numerous [[In-joke|inside jokes]] and instances of [[kayfabe]] breaking, including the addressing of WWF backstage personnel and executives by name. A slightly different version of the song was included on ''[[WWF The Music, Vol. 4]]''. The original theme can be heard on the PC version of the video game ''WWF Raw''. In early 2000, Triple H appeared in the [[music video]] of the new [[Hip hop music|rap]] D-X theme, "The Kings", performed by [[Run-D.M.C.]].

In late 2000, Triple H began using ''[[The Game (Motörhead)|The Game]]'', a song performed by [[Motörhead]], a band of which he was a long-time fan. Motörhead performed his theme live at [[WrestleMania X-Seven]] and at [[WrestleMania 21]]. The song was [[Cover version|covered]] by [[Drowning Pool]], who performed it live at [[WrestleMania X8]]. "The Game" was the opening track of ''[[WWF The Music, Vol. 5]]''.

While in [[Evolution (professional wrestling)|Evolution]], Triple H used the Evolution theme, "[[Line in the Sand]]" by Motörhead, whenever approaching the ring with at least one other member of Evolution. When approaching the ring alone, Triple H continued to use "The Game". After Evolution disbanded in early 2005, Triple H reverted to using only "The Game".

At [[WrestleMania 22]] Triple H debuted a new theme called "[[King of Kings (song)|King of Kings]]", also performed by [[Motörhead]]. On the [[April 24]], [[2006]] episode of ''RAW'' he began alternating between "King of Kings" and "The Game", using the new theme when approaching the ring to conduct an [[Promo (professional wrestling)|interview]] and the older theme when entering the ring in order to wrestle. "King of Kings" was featured on the ''[[WWE Wreckless Intent]]'' album.

When Triple H reformed DX with Shawn Michaels, both he and Michaels both went to using the DX theme, even when coming to the ring individually.

==Championships and accomplishments==
*'''Independent Wrestling Federation'''
:* 1-time IWF Heavyweight Champion
:* 1-time IWF Tag Team Champion (with [[Perry Satullo|Perry Saturn]])

*'''[[Pro Wrestling Illustrated]]'''
:*PWI ranked him # '''112''' of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the [[PWI Years]] in 2003.
:*PWI ranked him #'''1''' of the 500 best single-wrestlers in the 2000 PWI 500
:*PWI Most Hated Wrestler (2003, 2004 and 2005)
:*PWI Match of the Year, versus Chris Benoit and Shawn Michaels, (2004)
:*PWI Feud of the Year, versus [[Kurt Angle]] (2000); versus Chris Benoit (2004)

*'''[[World Wrestling Entertainment|World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment]]'''

:*[[WWE Intercontinental Championship|WWF Intercontinental Championship]]
::Won from [[Marc Mero]] on [[October 21]], [[1996]] in [[Fort Wayne, Indiana]], [[United States|USA]]
::Lost to [[The Rock (entertainer)|Rocky Maivia]] on [[February 13]], [[1997]] in [[Lowell, Massachusetts]], USA

:*[[King of the Ring#1997|1997 King of the Ring]] winner

:*[[WWE European Championship|WWF European Championship]]
::Won from [[Shawn Michaels]] on [[December 11]], [[1997]] in Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
::Lost to [[Owen Hart]] on [[January 20]], [[1998]] in [[Davis, California]], USA

:*WWF European Championship (2)
::Won from Owen Hart on [[March 9]], [[1998]] in [[Phoenix, Arizona]], USA
::Lost to [[Accie Connor|D'Lo Brown]] on [[July 14]], [[1998]] in [[Binghamton, New York]], USA

:*WWF Intercontinental Championship (2)
::Won from [[The Rock (entertainer)|The Rock]] on [[August 30]], [[1998]] in [[New York, New York]], USA
::Title stripped on [[October 12]], [[1998]]

:*[[WWE Championship|WWF Championship]]
::Won from [[Mick Foley|Mankind]] on [[August 23]], [[1999]] in [[Ames, Iowa]], USA
::Lost to [[Vince McMahon]] on [[September 14]], [[1999]] in [[Las Vegas, Nevada]], USA

:*WWF Championship (2)
::Won vacated title on [[September 26]], [[1999]] in New York, New York, USA
::Lost to [[Paul Wight|The Big Show]] on [[November 14]], [[1999]] in [[Detroit, Michigan]], USA

:*WWF Championship (3)
::Won from The Big Show on [[January 3]], [[2000]] in [[Miami, Florida]], USA
::Lost to The Rock on [[April 30]], [[2000]] in [[Washington, D.C.]], USA

:*WWF Championship (4)
::Won from The Rock on [[May 21]], [[2000]] in [[Louisville, Kentucky]], USA
::Lost to The Rock on [[June 25]], [[2000]] in [[Boston, Massachusetts]], USA

:*WWF Intercontinental Championship (3)
::Won from Chris Jericho on [[April 3]], [[2001]] in [[Oklahoma City, Oklahoma]], USA
::Lost to [[Jeff Hardy]] on [[April 10]], [[2001]] in [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]], USA

:*WWF Intercontinental Championship (4)
::Won from Jeff Hardy on [[April 16]], [[2001]] in [[Knoxville, Tennessee]], USA
::Lost to Kane on [[May 20]], [[2001]] in [[Sacramento, California]], USA

:*[[World Tag Team Championship|WWF World Tag Team Championship]] – with [[Stone Cold Steve Austin]]
::Won from [[Brothers of Destruction]] ([[Mark Calaway|The Undertaker]] & [[Glen Jacobs|Kane]]) on [[April 29]], [[2001]] in [[Chicago|Chicago, Illinois]], USA
::Lost to [[Chris Jericho]] & [[Chris Benoit]] on [[May 21]], [[2001]] in [[San Jose, California]], USA

:*[[Triple Crown Champion]]
::Achieved on [[April 29]], [[2001]]

:*[[Grand Slam Champion]]
::Achieved on [[April 29]], [[2001]]

:*[[Royal Rumble (2002)|2002 Royal Rumble]] winner

:*[[WWE Undisputed Championship|WWF Undisputed Championship]]
::Won from Chris Jericho on [[March 17]], [[2002]] in [[Toronto|Toronto, Ontario]], [[Canada]]
::Lost to [[Hulk Hogan]] on [[April 21]], [[2002]] in [[Kansas City, Missouri]], USA

:*[[World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)|World Heavyweight Championship]]
::Awarded title on [[September 2]], [[2002]]
::Lost to Shawn Michaels on [[November 17]], [[2002]] in New York, New York, USA

:*WWE Intercontinental Championship (5)
::Won from Kane on [[October 20]], [[2002]] in [[Little Rock, Arkansas]], USA
::Unified with the [[World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)|World Heavyweight Championship]]

:*World Heavyweight Championship (2)
::Won from Shawn Michaels on [[December 15]], [[2002]] in [[Fort Lauderdale, Florida]], USA
::Lost to [[Bill Goldberg|Goldberg]] on [[September 21]], [[2003]] in Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA

:*World Heavyweight Championship (3)
::Won from Goldberg on [[December 14]], [[2003]] in [[Orlando, Florida]], USA
::Lost to Chris Benoit on [[March 14]], [[2004]] in New York, New York, USA

:*World Heavyweight Championship (4)
::Won from [[Randy Orton]] on [[September 12]], [[2004]] in [[Portland, Oregon]], USA
::Vacated after controversial match also involving Chris Benoit and Edge on [[November 29]], [[2004]]

:*World Heavyweight Championship (5)
::Won vacated title on [[January 9]], [[2005]] in [[San Juan, Puerto Rico]], USA
::Lost to [[Dave Batista|Batista]] on [[April 3]], [[2005]] in [[Los Angeles, California]], USA

*'''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'''
:*He is a member of the [[Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame]] (inducted in 2005)
:*2000 Wrestler of the Year
:*2000 Feud of the Year (versus [[Mick Foley]])
:*2002 Most Overrated Wrestler
:*2003 Most Overrated Wrestler
:*2004 Feud of the Year (versus [[Chris Benoit]] and [[Shawn Michaels]])
:*2004 Most Overrated Wrestler
:*2005 Feud of the Year (versus [[Dave Bautista|Batista]])

*'''[[411mania|411Mania]]'''
:*2005 Feud of the Year (versus [[Batista]])

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* [http://www.wwe.com/superstars/raw/tripleh/ WWE profile]
* [http://www.obsessedwithwrestling.com/profiles/t/triple-h.html ''Obsessed With Wrestling'' profile]
* [http://www.wwe.com/superstars/dgenerationx/dxmembers/tripleh/profile/ WWE D-Generation X profile]
* {{imdb name|id=0505391|name=Triple H}}

{{McMahonFamily}}

[[Category:1969 births|Triple H]]
[[Category:Living people|Triple H]]
[[Category:American professional wrestlers|Triple H]]
[[Category:American teetotalers|Triple H]]
[[Category:D-Generation X|Triple H]]
[[Category:French Americans|Triple H]]
[[Category:McMahon wrestling family|Triple H]]
[[Category:People from New Hampshire|Triple H]]
[[Category:Professional wrestling executives|Triple H]]
[[Category:The Kliq|Triple H]]

[[de:Paul Levesque]]
[[es:Paul Michael Levesque]]
[[fr:Paul Levesque]]
[[it:Paul Michael Levesque]]
[[he:טריפל H]]
[[nl:Triple H]]
[[ja:トリプルH]]
[[no:Triple H]]
[[pl:Triple H]]
[[pt:Triple H]]
[[fi:Triple H]]
[[sv:Paul Levesque]]

Stage name

2006-09-05T03:58:53Z

71.201.198.12: /* H */

A '''stage name''' or a '''screen name''' is a [[pseudonym]] used by [[performer]]s (such as [[actor]]s, [[athletes]], [[comedian]]s, [[musician]]s and [[clown]]s).

Performers take stage names for many reasons, often because their real name is considered unattractive, dull, unintentionally amusing, difficult to pronounce or spell, or projects the wrong image. Sometimes performers wish to adopt a name that is unusual (sometimes even outlandish), memorable, or that complements his/her performing persona; or because they wish to remain anonymous in relation to another sphere of work.

There are some individuals related to an already famous person who have taken a different last name so that they are not perceived to have received undue benefit from their family connection. Examples of these include [[Nicolas Cage]] (nephew of [[Francis Ford Coppola]]) and [[Mike McGear]] (brother of [[Paul McCartney]]). Guilds and Associations that represent actors—for example the [[Screen Actors Guild]] in the [[United States]] and [[British Actors' Equity Association]] in the [[United Kingdom]]—usually stipulate that no two members may have the same working name, and in that situation an actor is obliged to modify his/her name or take a new one.

In the past, a stage name was often used when a performer's real name was considered to denote a specific ethnicity that faced potential discrimination. One of the most famous examples of this type of name change involved [[Freddie Mercury]] of [[Queen (band)|Queen]], who was born ''Farrokh Bulsara'' to [[Parsi]] parents and tried, in part, to hide his Indian connections. From the pre-World War II era until recently, many [[Jew]]s in [[Hollywood]] [[Anglicized]] or changed their names to avoid possible discrimination. This still happens to a degree, but the growing acceptance of ethnic performers in the performing arts has made this a less frequent occurrence.

The reasons for the choice of the performer's new name vary greatly. By way of example, some performers choose a new last name that evokes another, unrelated performer. Actor [[Michael Keaton]], was born as ''Michael Douglas'' and [[Screen Actors Guild]] rules mandated a name change to preclude confusion with the established actor [[Michael Douglas]]. He chose the last name ''Keaton'' simply because he was an admirer of actress [[Diane Keaton]]. Actor [[Michael Caine]] was born Maurice Micklewhite and chose the name ''Michael'' because he preferred the sound of it. He chose the name ''Caine'' reputedly because at the precise instant he needed to choose a new stage name, he saw a [[movie marquee]] for the then-current movie ''[[The Caine Mutiny (film)|The Caine Mutiny]]'' and thought that it would make a good last name in conjunction with ''Michael''.

Another consideration in choosing a stage name is ease of use. The [[Actors' Equity Association]] (AEA) advises performers to select a name that is easy for others to pronounce, spell and remember. Some performers while paying great attention to their skills and abilities give little thought to the difference that a well thought out name can make to their career. Often it is only after the realisation that a poorly chosen name results in an undesired impression that a person or group decides on a different name, e.g. Shane Fenton & The Fentones only later became known as the popular [[Alvin Stardust]]. A survey of the three US regional heads of AEA reveals that a performer whose name is difficult to pronounce, spell, or remember is less likely to be hired than other performers.{{fact}}

Many performers refer to their stage name as their "professional name." In some cases performers subsequently adopt their stage name as their legal name. For instance, the former Robert Zimmerman's legal name has been Robert Dylan ([[Bob Dylan]]), since he changed it at the [[Supreme Court]] building in [[New York City]] in August 1962. [[Elton John]] was born [[Reginald Dwight]] but changed his name by [[deed poll]] and subsequently took that name as his real name. When he was [[knighting|knighted]], he became Sir Elton John rather than Sir Reginald Dwight. Names so adopted are technically no longer "stage names," but are often perceived as such by the public (and for that reason stage names that come into that category are included in the following list).

''Note on methodology of the list:'' Individuals who have dropped their last name and substituted their middle name as their last name are listed. Also listed are individuals who have changed the spelling of one of their legal names (such as [[Willem Dafoe]]). People whose main forename just happens not to be the first one (such as [[Paul McCartney]] and [[Marie Osmond]]) are not listed here—these are their real names, not stage names.

See also: [[List of entertainers by nickname]].

{{compactTOC2}}

Famous stage names include:

== 0–9 ==
* [[Tupac Shakur|2Pac]] — Tupac Shakur (born Lesane Crooks)
* [[50 Cent| 50 Cent]] — Curtis Jackson

== A ==
* [[Lee Aaron]] - Karen Lynn Greening
* [[Mellow Man Ace]] — Ulpiano Sergio Reyes
* [[Don Adams]] — Donald James Yarmy
* [[Adamski]] — Adam Tinley
* [[MC ADE]] — Adrian Hines
* [[Adeva]] — Patricia Daniels
* [[Adam Horovitz|King Adrock]] — Adam Horovitz
* [[Afrob]] — Robert Zemichiel
* [[Afroman]] — Joseph Foreman
* [[Akon]] — Aliaune Thiam
* [[Eddie Albert]] — Edward Albert Heimberger
* [[Bernard Albrecht]] — Bernard Dicken
* [[Alan Alda]] — Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo
* [[Robert Alda]] — Alphonso Giuseppe Giovanni Roberto D'Abruzzo
* [[Jason Alexander]] — Jason Scott Greenspan
* [[Peter Alexander]] - Peter Alexander Ferdinand Maximilian Neumayer
* [[Dave Allen (comedian)|Dave Allen]] - David Tynan O'Mahoney
* [[Tim Allen]] — Timothy Alan Dick
* [[Woody Allen]] — Allen Stewart Konigsberg
* [[Tori Amos]] — Myra Ellen Amos
* [[Anastacia (singer)|Anastacia]] — Anastacia Lyn Newkirk
* [[Broncho Billy Anderson]] — Max H. Aronson
* [[André 3000]] — André Benjamin
* [[André the Giant]] — André René Roussimoff
* [[Julie Andrews]] — Julia Elizabeth Wells
* [[Horace Andy]] — Horace Hinds ([[Reggae]] singer, later with [[Massive Attack]])
* [[John Aniston]] - Ioannis Anastassakis
* [[Jennifer Aniston]] - Jennifer Anistonopolis
* [[Ann-Margret]] — Ann Margaret Olsson
* [[Adam Ant]] — Stuart Leslie Goddard
* [[Michael Anthony]] - Michael Anthony Sobolewski
* [[Alan Anton]] - Alan Alizojvodic
* [[Apache Indian (rapper)|Apache Indian]] — Steven Kapur
* [[Aphex Twin]] — Richard D. James
* [[apl.de.ap]] ([[Black Eyed Peas]]) - Allen Pineda Lindo
* [[Fiona Apple]] — Fiona Apple Maggart
* [[Eve Arden]] — Eunice Quedens
* [[Jann Arden]] - Jann Arden Richards
* [[Toni Arden]] — Antoinette Ardizzone
* [[Tina Arena]] — Filippina Lydia Arena
* [[Bea Arthur]] — Bernice Frankel
* [[Julia Arthur]] — Ida Lewis
* [[Kon Artis]] - Denaun Porter
* [[Ashanti (singer)|Ashanti]] — Ashanti Shaquoya Douglas
* [[Fred Astaire]] — Frederick Austerlitz
* [[Mary Astor]] — Lucile Vasconcellos Langhanke
* [[Astro]] — Terence Wilson
* [[Jeanne Aubert]] — Marguerite Perrinot
* [["Stone Cold" Steve Austin|Steve Austin]] — Steven Williams
* [[Frankie Avalon]] — Francis Thomas Avallone
* [[Jane Avril]] — Jeanne Beaudon
* [[AZ (rapper)|AZ]] — Anthony Cruz
* [[Trey Azagthoth]] — George Emmanuel III
* [[Charles Aznavour]] — Shahnour Aznavurjan
* [[Ai Maeda (seiyu)|AiM]] — Ai Maeda

== B ==
* [[Monique Serf|Barbara]] — Monique Serf
* [[Bun B]] — Bernard Freeman
* [[Derek B]] - Derek Bolland
* [[Eric B]] — Eric Barrier
* [[Jazzie B]] - Beresford Romeo
* [[Jon B.]] - Jonathan David Buck
* [[B-Real]] — Louis Freese
* [[Babyface]] — Kenneth Brian Edmonds
* [[Lauren Bacall]] — Betty Joan Perske
* [[Erykah Badu]] — Erica Wright
* [[Badly Drawn Boy]] — Damon Gough
* [[Cheryl Baker]] — Rita Crudgington
* [[Josephine Baker]] — Josephine Carson
* [[LaVern Baker]] — Delores Williams
* [[Kaye Ballard]] - Catherine Gloria Balotta
* [[Afrika Bambaataa]] — Kevin Donovan
* [[Eric Bana]] — Eric Banadinovich
* [[Anne Bancroft]] — Anna Maria Louisa Italiano
* [[Lloyd Banks]] — Christopher Lloyd
* [[Lionel Barrymore]] — Lionel Herbert Blythe
* [[Brigitte Bardot]] — Camille Javal
* [[Baron Longfellow]] — Andrew Youakim
* [[Majel Barrett]] — Majel Lee Hudec
* [[Rona Barrett]] - Rona Burstein
* [[Barbara Barrie]] - Barbara Ann Berman
* [[Billy Barty]] - William John Bertanzetti
* [[Toni Basil]] — Antonia Basilotta
* [[Ol' Dirty Bastard]] — Russell Tyrone Jones
* [[Stiv Bators]] — Steven John Bator
* [[Orson Bean]] - Dallas Frederick Burrows
* [[Guy Béart]] — Guy Béhar
* [[Beck]] — Bek David Campbell Hansen
* [[Bedders]] - Mark Bedford
* [[Beenie Man]] — Anthony Moses Davis
* [[Pat Benatar]] - Patricia Mae Andrzejewski
* [[Tony Bennett]] — Anthony Dominick Benedetto
* [[Jack Benny]] — Benjamin Kubelsky
* [[Tom Berenger]] — Thomas Michael Moore
* [[Benzino]] — Raymond Scott
* [[Milton Berle]] — Mendel Berlinger
* [[Irving Berlin]] — Israel Isidore Baline
* [[Jello Biafra]] — Eric Boucher
* [[Mr. Biggs]] - Ellis William
* [[Joey Bishop]] - Joseph Abraham Gottlieb
* [[Big Boi]] — Antwan André Patton
* [[The Big Bopper]] — Jiles Perry Richardson, Jr
* [[Big L (rapper)|Big L]] — Lamont Coleman
* [[Big Youth]] — Manley Augustus Buchanan
* [[Acker Bilk]] — Bernard Stanley Bilk
* [[Jacqueline Bisset]] — Winifred Jacqueline Fraser-Bisset
* [[Bill Bixby]] — Wilfred Bailey Bixby
* [[Bizarre (rapper)|Bizarre]] — Rufus Johnson
* [[Björk]] - Björk Guðmundsdóttir
* [[Cilla Black]] — Priscilla Maria Veronica White
* [[Frank Black]] — Charles Michael Kitridge Thompson IV
* [[Jack Black (actor)|Jack Black]] —- Thomas Black
* [[Jet Black]] - Brian Duffy
* [[Karen Black]] — Karen Blanche Ziegler
* [[Michael Ian Black]] — Michael Schwarz
* [[Amanda Blake]] — Beverly Louise Neill
* [[Robert Blake (actor)|Robert Blake]] — Michael James Vijencio Gubitosi
* [[Buster Bloodvessel]] — Douglas Trendle (Lead singer with UK Ska band [[Bad Manners]])
* [[Kurtis Blow]] — Curtis Walker
* [[Blowfly (artist)|Blowfly]] - Clarence Reid
* [[Bo Bice]] — Harold Elwin Bice
* [[Dirk Bogarde]] — Derek van den Bogaerde
* [[Marc Bolan]] - Mark Feld
* [[Jon Bon Jovi]] — John Francis Bongiovi
* [[Bizzy Bone]] — Bryon McCane
* [[Flesh-N-Bone]] — Stan Howse
* [[Krayzie Bone]] — Anthony Henderson
* [[Layzie Bone]] — Steven Howse
* [[Wish Bone]] — Charles Scruggs
* [[Lisa Bonet]] — Lisa Boney
* [[Bono]] — Paul David Hewson
* [[Sonny Bono]] - Salvatore Philip Bono
* [[Pat Boone]] — Charles Eugene Boone
* [[Shirley Booth]] — Thelma Marjorie Ford
* [[Victor Borge]] — Borge Rosenbaum
* [[Ernest Borgnine]] — Ermes Effron Borgnino
* [[Lyrics Born]] — Tom Shimura
* [[Bounty Killer]] — Rodney Price
* [[Bow Wow]] — Shad Gregory Moss
* [[David Bowie]] — David Robert Jones
* [[Boxcar Willie]] - Lecil Travis Martin
* [[Brandy Norwood|Brandy]] — Brandy Rayonda Norwood
* [[Da Brat]] — Shawntae Harris
* [[Alan Braxe]] — Alain Quême
* [[Nicholas Brendon]] — Nicholas Brendon Schultz
* [[Teresa Brewer]] — Teresa Breuer
* [[Christie Brinkley]] - Christie Lee Hudson
* [[Pete Briquette]] - Patrick Cusack
* [[May Britt]] — Maybritt Wilkens
* [[J. Edward Bromberg]] — Joseph Bromberger
* [[James Brolin]] — James Kenneth Bruderlin
* [[Charles Bronson]] — Charles Buchinski
* [[Brooke Hogan]] — Brooke Ellen Bollea
* [[Albert Brooks]] — Albert Lawrence Einstein
* [[Donnie Brooks]] — John Dee Abohosh
* [[Mel Brooks]] — Melvin Kaminsky
* [[Foxy Brown]] — Inga Marchaud
* [[Aristide Bruant]] — Louis Armand Bruant
* [[Lenny Bruce]] — Leonard Alfred Schneider
* [[Patrick Bruel]] — Patrick Benguigui
* [[Buckethead]] - Brian Carroll
* [[Bebe Buell]] - Beverle Lorence Buell
* [[Chris de Burgh]] — Christopher John Davison
* [[Burning Spear]] — Winston Rodney
* [[George Burns]] — Nathanial Birnbaum
* [[Ellen Burstyn]] — Edna Mae Gilhooley
* [[Prince Buster]] — Cecil Bustamente Campbell (Jamaican [[Ska]] singer)
* [[Brett Butler (comedian)|Brett Butler]] (actress/comedienne) - Brett Anderson
* [[Red Buttons]] — Aaron Chwatt
* [[David Bautista|Batista]] — David Michael Bautista

== C ==
* [[Melanie Chisholm|Mel C]] — Melanie Chisholm
* [[Colleen Fitzpatrick|Vitamin C]] — Colleen Fitzpatrick
* [[Nicolas Cage]] — Nicholas Kim Coppola
* Sir [[Michael Caine]] — Maurice Joseph Micklewhite
* [[Rory Calhoun]] - Francis Timothy McCown Durgin
* [[Maria Callas]] — Maria Kalogeropoulos
* [[Canibus]] — Germaine Williams
* [[Cam'ron]] — Cameron Giles
* [[Camoflauge]] — Jason Johnson
* [[Dyan Cannon]] — Samile Diane Friesen
* [[Freddy Cannon]] — Frederick Anthony Picariello
* [[Cantinflas]] — Mario Moreno
* [[Eddie Cantor]] — Edward Israel Iskowitz
* [[Cappadonna]] — Darryl Hill
* [[Kate Capshaw]] - Kathleen Sue Nail
* [[Capucine]] — Germaine Lefebvre
* [[Caribou (musician)|Caribou]] — Dan Snaith (formerly [[Manitoba (musician)|Manitoba]])
* [[Kitty Carlisle]] - Kitty Carlisle Hart
* [[Cathy Carr]] - Angelina Helen Catherine Cordovano
* [[Eric Carr]] - Paul Charles Caravello
* [[Vikki Carr]] — Florencia Bisenta de Casillas Martinez Cardona
* [[David Carradine]] - John Arthur Carradine
* [[Tia Carrere]] — Althea Rae Duhinio Janairo
* [[Diahann Carroll]] — Carol Diahann Johnson
* [[Carrot Top]] — Scott Thompson
* [[Mrs. Leslie Carter]] — Caroline Louise Dudley Carter Payne
* [[Nell Carter]] - Nell Ruth Hardy
* [[William Boyd (actor)|Hopalong Cassidy]] — William Lawrence Boyd
* [[Phoebe Cates]] - Phoebe Belle Katz
* [[Emma Caulfield]] — Emma Chukker
* [[Cedric the Entertainer]] — Cedric Kyles
* [[Chamillionaire]] - Hakeem Seriki
* [[Jackie Chan]] — Chan Kong-sang (Cheng Long was a Chinese screen name)
* [[Gene Chandler]] — Eugene Dixon
* [[Jeff Chandler (actor)|Jeff Chandler]] — Ira Grossel
* [[Stockard Channing]] —- Susan Antonia Williams Stockard
* [[Ray Charles]] — Ray Charles Robinson
* [[Charo]] — Maria Rosario Pilar Martinez Molina Baeza
* [[Chayanne]] — Elmer Figueroa de Arse
* [[Chevy Chase]] — Cornelius Crane Chase
* [[Daveigh Chase]] — Daveigh Elizabeth Schwallier
* [[Chubby Checker]] — Ernest Evans
* [[Joan Chen]] — Chong Chen
* [[Cher]] — Cherilyn Sarkisian LaPierre
* [[Cherrelle]] - Cheryl An Norton
* [[Chespirito]] — Roberto Gómez Bolaños
* [[Chilli (musician)|Chilli]] — Rozonda Ocielian Thomas
* [[Chingy]] — Howard Bailey, Jr.
* [[Annabel Chong]] — Grace Quek
* [[Agatha Christie]] — Agatha Marie Clarissa Miller
* [[Tímea Vágvölgyi|Katalyn Cica]] — Tímea Vágvölgyi
* [[Cinque]] - Terrance Mason
* [[Eric Clapton]] — Eric Patrick Clapp
* [[Buddy Clark]] — Samuel Goldberg
* [[Andrew Dice Clay]] — Andrew Clay Silverstein
* [[David Clayton-Thomas]] — David Henry Thomsett
* [[Jimmy Cliff]] — James Chambers
* [[Patsy Cline]] — Virginia Patterson Hensley
* [[Lee J. Cobb]] — Amos Jacob
* [[Alma Cogan]] — Alma Angela Cohen
* [[Nat King Cole]] — Nathaniel Adams Coles
* [[Common (rapper)|Common]] — Lonnie Rashied Lynn
* [[Chuck Connors]] - Kevin Joseph Connors
* [[Robert Conrad]] — Konrad Robert Falkowski
* [[Coolio]] — Artis Leon Ivey, Jr.
* [[Tré Cool]] — Frank Edwin Wright III
* [[Alice Cooper]] — Vincent Damon Furnier (Vincent legally changed his name to Alice Cooper after quitting the original band 'Alice Cooper' so he could use the name)
* [[Gary Cooper]] — Frank James Cooper
* [[David Copperfield (illusionist)|David Copperfield]] — David Seth Kotkin
* [[Jill Corey]] — Norma Jean Speranza
* [[Dave "Baby" Cortez]] — David Cortez Clowney
* [[Elvis Costello]] —- Declan Patrick Aloysius McManus
* [[Lou Costello]] — Louis Francis Cristillo
* [[Carl Crack]] — Carl Bohm
* [[Joan Crawford]] — Lucille Fay LeSueur
* [[Michael Crawford]] — Michael Dumble-Smith
* [[Randy Crawford]] — Veronica Crawford
* [[Kid Creole & the Coconuts|Kid Creole]] — August Darnell
* [[Peter Criss]] — Peter Criscoula
* [[Bing Crosby]] — Harry Lillis Crosby
* [[Christopher Cross]] — Christopher Geppert
* [[Tom Cruise]] — Thomas Cruise Mapother, IV
* [[Stan Cullimore]] - Ian Cullimore
* [[King Curtis]] — Curtis Ousley
* [[Tony Curtis]] — Bernard Schwartz

== D ==
* [[Chuck D]] — Carlton Ridenhour
* [[Master D]] — Deeder Saidullah Zaman
* [[Mike D]] — Michael Diamond
* [[D-Flame]] — Daniel Kretschmar
* [[D'Angelo]] — Michael Eugene Archer
* [[Willem Dafoe]] — William Dafoe, Jr.
* [[Shawn Daivari|Khosrow Daivari]] — Shawn Daivari
* [[Alan Dale (singer)|Alan Dale]] — Aldo Sigismondi
* [[Bobby Dall]] — Robert Harry Kuykendall
* [[Béatrice Dalle]] — Béatrice Cabarrou
* [[Brody Dalle]] — Bree Leslie Pucilowski ("Dalle" surname adopted due to admiration to [[Béatrice Dalle]])
* [[Mr. Dalvin]] — Dalvin DeGrate
* [[Marie-Louise Damien|Damia]] — Marie-Louise Damien
* [[Jerry Dammers]] — Gerald Dankin
* [[Vic Damone]] — Vito Farinola
* [[Dana Rosemary Scallon|Dana]] — Rosemary Brown
* [[Rodney Dangerfield]] — Jacob Cohen
* [[Tony Danza]] — Anthony Iadanza
* [[Glenn Danzig]] — Glenn Allen Anzalone
* [[Terence Trent D'Arby]] — Terence Trent Howard; later became Sananda Maitreya
* [[Bobby Darin]] — Walden Robert Cassotto
* [[Mona Darkfeather]] — Josephine Mona Workman
* [[Dimebag Darrell]] — Darrell Lance Abbott
* [[James Darren]] — James William Ercolani
* [[Randy David]] — Randy David Goldstein
* [[Bette Davis]] — Ruth Elizabeth Davis
* [[Nancy Davis]] — Anne Frances Robbins (Mrs. Nancy Reagan)
* [[Ossie Davis]] — Raiford Chatman Davis
* [[Richard Dawson]] — Colin Emm
* [[Bobby Day]] — Robert J. Byrd
* [[Doris Day]] — Doris von Kappelhoff
* [[Taylor Dayne]] — Lesley Wunderman
* [[Inspectah Deck]] — Jason Hunter
* [[Kiki Dee]] — Pauline Matthews
* [[Kool Moe Dee]] — Mohandas Dewese
* [[Sandra Dee]] — Alexandra Zuck
* [[Desmond Dekker]] — Desmond Dacres
* [[Del Tha Funky Homosapien]] — Teron Delvon Jones
* [[Danièle Delorme]] — Danièle Girard
* [[Samy Deluxe]] — Samuel Sorge
* [[Monique DeMoan]] — Cheyenne August Camarillo
* [[Rebecca DeMornay]] — Rebecca George
* [[Catherine Deneuve]] — Catherine Dorléac
* [[John Denver]] — Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr.
* [[Tímea Vágvölgyi|Margot Depard]] — Tímea Vágvölgyi
* [[Bo Derek]] — Mary Cathleen Collins
* [[Portia de Rossi]] — Amanda Lee Rogers
* [[Johnny Desmond]] — Giovanni Alfredo De Simone
* [[Des'ree]] — Des'ree Weeks
* [[C.C. DeVille]] — Bruce Anthony Johannesson
* [[Danny DeVito]] — Daniel Michaeli
* [[Howard Devoto]] — Howard Trafford
* [[Buck Dharma]] — Donald Roeser
* [[Dharmendra]] — Dharam Singh Deol
* [[B.B. Dickerson]] — Morris Dickerson
* [[Angie Dickinson]] —- Angeline Brown
* [[Bo Diddley]] — Ellas Bates, later Ellas McDaniel
* [[P. Diddy]] — Sean John Combs
* [[Dido (singer)|Dido]] — Florian Cloud de Bounevialle Armstrong
* [[Vin Diesel]] — Mark Vincent
* [[Bobby Digital]] — Robert Dixon
* [[Phyllis Diller]] — Phyllis Driver
* [[Daz Dillinger]] — Delmar Arnaud
* [[Ronnie James Dio]] — Ronald James Padavona
* [[Dion DiMucci|Dion]] — Dion DiMucci
* [[Mike Dirnt]] ([[Green Day]]) — Michael Ryan Pritchard
* [[Glen Milstead|Divine]] — Harris Glenn Milstead
* [[Floyd Dixon]] — Jay Riggins Jr.
* [[Ruben DJ]] — Ruben Urrutia
* [[Darryl McDaniels|DMC]] — Darryl McDaniels
* [[DMX (rapper)|DMX]] — Earl Simmons
* [[The D.O.C.]] — Tracy Curry
* [[Phife Dog]] — Malik Taylor
* [[Sen Dog]] — Sennen Reyes
* [[Nate Dogg]] — Nathaniel Dawayne Hale
* [[Snoop Dogg]] — Cordazer Calvin Broadus
* [[Thomas Dolby]] — Thomas Morgan Robertson
* [[Arielle Dombasle]] — Arielle Sonnery de Fromental
* [[Fats Domino]] — Antoine Domino
* [[Troy Donahue]] — Merle Johnson, Jr.
* [[Diana Dors]] — Diana Mary Fluck
* [[Donna Douglas]] — Dorothy Smith
* [[Kirk Douglas]] — Issur Danielovitch Demsky
* [[Mike Douglas]] — Michael Delaney Dowd, Jr.
* [[Taime Downe]] — Gus Molnick
* [[Doctor Dré]] (MTV/radio personality) — André Brown
* [[Dr. Dre]] (N.W.A rapper) — André Romel Young
* [[Minnie Driver]] — Amelia Driver
* [[Bill Drummond]] — William Butterworth
* [[Margaret Dumont]] — Daisy Juliette Baker
* [[Sly Dunbar]] — Lowell Fillmore Dunbar
* [[Elaine Dundy]] — Elaine Brimberg
* [[Jermaine Dupri]] or [[JD]] — Jermaine Dupri Maudlin
* [[Bob Dylan]] — born Robert Allen Zimmerman; legally changed to Robert [[Dylan]]

== E ==
* [[E (musician)|E]] — Mark Oliver Everett
* [[Sheena Easton]] — Sheena Shirley Orr
* [[Eazy-E]] — Eric Wright
* [[Barbara Eden]] — Barbara Huffman
* Edge — [[Adam Copeland]]
* [[David Howell Evans|The Edge]] — David Howell Evans
* E-Dubble — Evan Wallace
* [[Eek-A-Mouse]] — Ripton Joseph Hilton
* [[Carmen Electra]] — Tara Leigh Patrick
* "Mama" [[Cass Elliott]] — Ellen Naomi Cohen
* [[Elvira]], "Mistress of the Dark" - Cassandra Peterson
* [[Emerson]] - Emerson Ferreira da Rosa
* [[Ethan Embry]] — Ethan Philan Randall
* [[Eminem]] — Marshall Bruce Mathers III
* [[Enya]] — Eithne ní Bhraonáin
* [[Wreckless Eric]] — Eric Goulden
* [[Esham]] — Rashaam Smith
* [[David Essex]] — David Albert Cook
* [[Hazem Ali|Armando Alejandro Estrada]] - Hazem Ali
* [[Little Eva]] — Eva Narcissus Boyd
* [[Linda Evans]] — Linda Evanstad
* [[Eve (rapper)|Eve]] — Eve Jihan Jeffers
* [[Everlast (singer)|Everlast]] — Erik Schrody
* [[Kenny Everett]] — Maurice Cole

== F ==
* [[Shelley Fabares]] - Michele Ann Marie Fabares
* [[Morgan Fairchild]] — Patsy Ann McClenny
* [[Adam Faith]] — Terence Nelhams
* [[Ian Fowles|Eagle "Bones" Falconhawk]] - Ian Fowles
* [[Dennis Farina]] - Donaldo Guglielmo Farina
* [[Mimi Farina]] - Mimi Margharita Baez
* [[Jamie Farr]] — Jameel Joseph Farah
* [[Perry Farrell]] — Perry Bernstein
* [[Terry Farrell (actress)|Terry Farrell]] — Theresa Lee Farrell Grussendorf
* [[Mia Farrow]] — Maria de Lourdes Villers Farrow
* [[Alice Faye]] — Alice Jeane Leppert
* [[Dani Filth]] — Daniel Lloyd Davey
* [[Fatboy Slim]] — Quentin Cook, later Norman Cook
* [[Fatman Scoop]] — Isaac Freeman III
* [[Freddie Fender]] — Baldemar G. Huerta
* [[Stacy Ferguson|Fergie]] ([[Black Eyed Peas]]) — Stacy Ann Ferguson
* [[Tímea Vágvölgyi|Olinka Ferova]] — Tímea Vágvölgyi
* [[Tina Fey]] — Elizabeth Stamatina Fey
* [[Jacques Feyder]] — Jacques Frederix
* [[Sally Field]] — Sally Mahoney
* [[Romaine Fielding]] — William Grant Blandin
* [[Gracie Fields]] — Grace Stansfield
* [[W. C. Fields]] — William Claude Dukenfield
* [[Peter Finch]] — William Mitchell
* [[Larry Fine]] — Louis Fienberg
* [[Johnny Fingers]] — Johnny Moylett
* [[Richard Falomir|Ricky Fitness]] - Richard Falomir
* [[Ric Flair]] - Richard Morgan Fliehr
* [[Grandmaster Flash]] — Joseph Saddler
* [[Flavor Flav]] — William Drayton
* [[Michael Balzary|Flea]] —- Michael Balzary
* [[Flesh-n-Bone]] — Stanley Howse
* [[Joan Fontaine]] — Joan de Havilland
* [[Frankie Ford]] — Francis Guzzo
* [[John Ford]] — Sean Aloysius O'Fearna
* [[Mary Ford]] — Colleen Summers
* [[George Formby]] — George Hoy Booth
* [[John Forsythe]] — John Lincoln Freund
* [[J.D. Fortune]] — Jason Dean Bennison
* [[Jodie Foster]] — Alicia Christian Foster
* [[Jamie Foxx]] — Eric Bishop
* [[Redd Foxx]] — John Elroy Sanford
* [[Connie Francis]] — Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero
* [[Dennis Franz]] - Dennis Franz Schlachta
* [[Fab Five Freddy]] — Fred Braithwaite
* [[Fréhel]] — Marguerite Boulc'h
* [[Ace Frehley]] — Paul Frehley
* [[Doug E. Fresh]] — Douglas E. Davis
* [[Pierre Fresnay]] — Pierre Jules Louis Laudenbach
* [[Lefty Frizzell]] — William Orville Frizzell
* [[Blind Boy Fuller]] — Fulton Allen
* [[Edward Furlong]] - Edward Walter Torres

== G ==
* [[Bobby G]] - Robert Gubby
* [[Daddy G]] - Grant Marshall
* [[Dog G]] — Tseng Kuan-jung
* [[Kenny G]] — Kenneth Gorelick
* [[Shock G]] — Gregory Jacobs
* [[Warren G]] — Warren Griffin
* [[Jean Gabin]] — Jean-Alexis Moncorge
* [[Serge Gainsbourg]] — Lucien Ginzburg
* [[The Game (rapper)|The Game]] — Jayceon Taylor
* [[Robert Gant]] — Robert Gonzalez
* [[Greta Garbo]] — Greta Gustafsson
* [[Judy Garland]] — Frances Ethel Gumm
* [[James Garner]] — James Scott Baumgarner
* [[Leif Garrett]] — Leif Per Narvik
* [[Gene Gauntier]] — Genevieve Liggett
* [[Marvin Gaye]] — Marvin Pentz Gay Jr.
* [[Crystal Gayle]] — Brenda Gail Webb Gatzimos
* [[Ronnie Gaylord]] — Ronald L. Fredianelli
* [[Gloria Gaynor]] — Gloria Fowles
* [[Mitzi Gaynor]] — Franceska Mitzi Gerber
* [[Ben Gazzara]] - Biagio Anthony Gazzara
* [[Gidget Gein]] - Bradley Stewart
* [[Sir Horace Gentleman]] — Horace Panter
* [[Bobbie Gentry]] — Roberta Streeter
* [[Geordie]] — Kevin Walker (Guitarist with UK punk band [[Killing Joke]])
* [[Boy George]] — George Alan O'Dowd
* [[Georges Guibourg|Georgious]] — Georges Guibourg
* [[George Gershwin]] — Jacob Gershowitz
* [[Ira Gershwin]] — Israel Gershowitz
* [[Estelle Getty]] - Estelle Scher
* [[Stan Getz]] — Stanley Gayetsky
* [[Kathie Lee Gifford]] — Kathie Epstein
* [[Billy Gilbert]] — William Gilbert Barron
* [[Ginuwine]] — Elgin Lumpkin
* [[Aria Giovanni]] — Cindy Renee Volk
* [[Whoopi Goldberg]] — Caryn Elaine Johnson
* [[Samuel Goldwyn]] — Samuel Gelbfisch
* [[Lesley Gore]] — Lesley Goldstein
* [[Eydie Gorme]] — Edith Gormezano
* [[Jetta Goudal]] — Julie Henriette Goudeket
* [[Elliott Gould]] — Elliot Goldstein
* [[Betty Grable]] — Elizabeth Ruth Grable
* [[Topher Grace]] — Christopher Grace
* [[Bill Graham (promoter)|Bill Graham]] — Wolfgang Wolodja Grajonka
* [[Stewart Granger]] — James Stewart
* [[Cary Grant]] — Archibald Alexander Leach
* [[Gogi Grant]] — Myrtle Audrey Arinsberg
* [[Rachel Grant]] - Rachel Louise Grant De Longueuil
* [[Dobie Gray]] - Leonard Victor Ainsworth
* [[Macy Gray]] — Natalie Renee McIntyre
* [[Al Green]] — Al Greene
* [[Gribouille]] — Marie-France Gaîté
* [[Professor Griff]] — Richard Griffin
* [[Clare Grogan|CP Grogan]] - Clare Grogan (confusingly known by her own name as a musician but by her initials as an actress, as the name was already registered at [[British Actors' Equity Association|Equity]].)
* [[Eddie Guerrero]] — Eduardo Gory Guerrero Llanes
* [[Robert Guillaume]] — Robert Peter Williams
* [[Buddy Guy]] — George Guy
* [[GZA]] — Gary Grice

== H ==
* [[Haiducii]] — Paula Mitrache
* [[Larry Hagman]] —- Larry Martin Hageman
* [[Daryl Hall]] —- Daryl Franklin Hohl
* [[Halston]] — Roy Halston Frowick
* [[MC Hammer]] — Stanley Kirk Burrell
* [[Max Hardcore]] — Paul Little
* [[Sarah Harding]] — Sarah Hardman
* [[Jean Harlow]] — Harlean Carpentier
* [[Tess Harper]] - Tessie Jean Washam
* [[Slim Harpo]] — James Moore
* [[Julie Harris]] — Julia Ann Harris
* [[Wood Harris]] — Sherwin David Harris
* [[Rex Harrison]] — Reginald Carey Harrison
* [[Mary Hart]] — Mary Johanna Harum
* [[Nina Hartley]] — Marie Louise Hartman
* [[Mark Copani|Muhammad Hassan]] -- Mark Copani
* [[Davey Havok]] - David Marchand
* [[Goldie Hawn]] — Goldie Jean Studlendegehawn
* [[Salma Hayek]] - Salma Hayek-Jiménez
* [[Neil Hayward]] — Niels Bonke
* [[Susan Hayward]] — Edythe Marriner
* [[Rita Hayworth]] — Margarita Carmen Cansino
* [[Richard Hell]] — Richard Myers
* [[Audrey Hepburn]] — Audrey Kathleen Ruston
* [[Charlton Heston]] — John Charles Carter
* [[Hildegarde]] — Hildegarde Loretta Sell
* [[Benny Hill]] - Alfred Hawthorn Hill
* [[Faith Hill]] — Audrey Faith Perry
* [[hitomi]] — Hitomi Furuya
* [[Hulk Hogan]] — Terry Gene Bollea
* [[William Holden]] — William Beedle
* [[Noddy Holder]] - Neville Holder
* [[Billie Holiday]] — Eleanora Fagan Gough
* [[John Holmes (actor)|John Holmes]] — John Curtis Estes
* [[Jack Holt]] — Charles John Holt II
* [[Jennifer Holt]] — Elizabeth Marshall Holt
* [[Tim Holt]] — Charles John Holt III
* [[Nellee Hooper]] - Paul Andrew Hooper
* [[Bob Hope]] — Leslie Townes Hope
* [[Harry Houdini]] — Ehrich Weiss
* [[Cissy Houston]] — Emily Drinkard
* [[Curly Howard]] — Jerome Lester Horwitz
* [[Leslie Howard]] — Leslie Howard Stainer
* [[Moe Howard]] — Moses Horwitz
* [[Shemp Howard]] — Samuel Horwitz
* [[H.R.]] - Paul Hudson
* [[Rock Hudson]] — Roy Scherer, Jr.
* [[Betty Hutton]] — Elizabeth June Thornburg
* [[Lauren Hutton]] — Mary Laurence Hutton
* [[Marion Hutton]] — Marion Thornburg
* [[Englebert Humperdinck (singer)|Englebert Humperdinck]] — Arnold George "Gerry" Dorsey
* [[Triple H]] — Paul Michael Levesque

== I ==
* [[Janis Ian]] — Janis Eddy Fink
* [[Ice Cube]] — O'Shea Jackson
* [[Ice T]] — Tracy Marrow
* [[Ichiro Suzuki|Ichiro]] — Ichiro Suzuki
* [[Billy Idol]] — William Michael Albert Broad
* [[Lux Interior]] - Erick Lee Purkhiser
* [[Mr. II]] — Joseph Mbilinyi
* [[May Irwin]] — Ada May Campbell
* [[Ivy Queen]] — Martha Ivelisse Pesante

== J ==
* [[David J]] - David Haskins
* [[Jackie Jackson]] — Sigmund Esco Jackson
* [[Rebbie Jackson]] — Maureen Reilette Jackson
* [[Tito Jackson]] — Toriano Adaryl Jackson
* [[Jaël]] - Rahel Krebs
* [[Jello Biafra]] — Eric Boucher
* [[Brian James]] — Brian Robertson
* [[Etta James]] — Jamesetta Hawkins
* [[Joni James]] — Joan (or Giovanna) Carmella Babbo
* [[Rick James]] — James Ambrose Johnson
* [[Skip James]] — Nehemiah James
* [[Sonny James]] — James Loden
* [[Jenna Jameson]] — Jennifer Marie Massoli
* [[James St. James]] — James Clark
* [[Janine Lindemulder|Janine]] — Janine Lindemulder
* [[Steve Jansen]] — Stephen Batt
* [[David Janssen]] - David Harold Meyer
* Sir [[David Jason]] — David John White
* [[Jam Master Jay]] — Jason Mizell
* [[Jay-Z]] — Shawn Corey Carter
* [[Jazzy Jeff]] — Jeffrey Townes
* [[Blind Lemon Jefferson]] — Clarence Jefferson
* [[Ron Jeremy]] — Ronald Jeremy Hyatt
* [[Chris Jericho]] - Christopher Keith Irvine
* [[Jessicka]] — Jessica Fodera
* [[Joan Jett]] - Joan Marie Larkin
* [[Jewel (singer)|Jewel]] — Jewel Kilcher
* [[Ann Jillian]] - Ann Jura Nauseda
* [[Jim Bob]] — James Robert Morrison
* [[Jimmy The Robot]] - James Briggs
* [[Sir Elton John]] — Reginald Kenneth Dwight (He legally changed his name to Elton Hercules John on September 2, 1972. An image of the deed poll certificate for Mr. John's change of name is visible [[:Image:Deed_poll_certificate_for_Elton_John.jpg|here]].)
* [[Don Johnson]] — Don Wayne
* [[Holly Johnson]] — William Johnson
* [[JoJo]] — Joanna Noelle Levesque
* [[Angelina Jolie]] — Angelina Jolie Voight
* [[Al Jolson]] — Asa Yoelson
* [[Lil Jon]] — Jonathan Smith
* [[Grace Jones]] — Grace Mendoza
* [[James Earl Jones]] — Todd Jones
* [[Jenny Jones (presenter)|Jenny Jones]] - Janina Stranski
* [[John Paul Jones (musician)|John Paul Jones]] (musician) - John Baldwin
* [[Tom Jones (singer)|Tom Jones]] — Thomas Jones Woodward
* [[Dave Jonsen]] — Gordon C.
* [[Lonnie Jordan]] — Leroy Jordan
* [[Jordan (model)|Jordan]] — Katie Price (formerly Katie Infield)
* [[Mrs Jordan]] — Dorothea Bland (mistress of King [[William IV of the United Kingdom]])
* [[José José]] — José Sosa
* [[Ashley Judd]] - Ashley Tyler Ciminella
* [[Naomi Judd]] - Diana Ellen Judd
* [[Wynonna Judd]] — Christina Claire Ciminella
* [[Miranda July]] — Miranda Grossinger
* [[Sylvester Ritter|Junkyard Dog]] — Sylvester Ritter
* [[Juvenile (rapper)|Juvenile]] — Terius Gray

== K ==
* [[K-Ci]] — Cedric Hailey
* [[Ya Kid K]] — Barbara Kamosi Maoso Duogi
* [[Madeline Kahn]] — Madeline Gail Wolfson
* [[Kitty Kallen]] — Genevieve Agostinello
* [[Glen Jacobs|Kane]] — Glen Jacobs
* [[Big Daddy Kane]] — Antonio Harding
* [[Boris Karloff]] — William Henry Pratt
* [[Mick Karn]] — Anthony Michaelides
* [[Richard Karn]] — Richard Karn Wilson
* [[Danny Kaye]] — David Daniel Kaminski
* [[Staci Keanan]] — Anastasia Sagorsky
* [[Diane Keaton]] — Diane Hall
* [[Michael Keaton]] — Michael John Douglas
* [[Maynard James Keenan]] — James Herbert Keenan
* [[Kool Keith]] — Keith Matthew Thornton
* [[Emma Kennedy]] — Elizabeth Emma Williams
* [[Kelis]] — Kelis Rogers
* [[Cevin key]] — Kevin Crompton
* [[Alicia Keys]] — Alicia Augello Cook
* [[Chaka Khan]] — Carole Yvette Marie Stevens
* [[Masta Killa]] — Elgin Turner
* [[Ghostface Killah]] — Dennis Coles
* [[Andy Kim]] — Andrew Youakim
* [[Lil Kim]] — Kimberly Denise Jones
* [[Sandra Kim]] — Sandra Caldarone
* [[Albert King]] — Albert Nelson
* [[Anita King]] — Anna Keppen
* [[B.B. King]] — Riley B. King
* [[Ben E. King]] — Benjamin Earl Nelson
* [[Carole King]] — Carole Klein
* [[King Diamond]] - Kim Bendix Petersen
* [[Freddie King]] — Frederick Christian
* [[Larry King]] — Larry Zieger
* [[Ben Kingsley]] — Krishna Banji
* [[Beverley Knight]] — Beverley Anne Smith
* [[Ted Knight]] — Tadeus Wladyslaw Konopka
* [[Dr. Know (guitarist)|Dr. Know]] — Gary Wayne Miller
* [[Johnny Knoxville]] — Phillip John Clapp
* [[Kool & the Gang|Kool]] — Robert Bell
* [[Véra Korène]] — Rébecca Véra Korestzky
* [[Marta Kristen]] — Birgit Annalisa Rusanen
* [[KRS-One]] — Lawrence Krisna Parker
* [[Ashok Kumar (actor)|Ashok Kumar]] — Kumudlal Kanjilal Ganguly
* [[Dilip Kumar]] — Yusuf Khan
* [[Kishore Kumar]] — Abhas Ganguly
* [[Meena Kumari]] — Mahjabeen Bano
* [[Kuniva]] - Von Carlisle
* [[Kurupt]] — Ricardo Brown

== L ==
* [[La Goulue]] — Louise Weber
* [[Patti LaBelle]] — Patricia Louise Holt
* [[Cheryl Ladd]] — Cheryl Stoppelmoor
* [[Lagbaja]] — Bisade Ologunde
* [[Dame of the British Empire|Dame]] [[Cleo Laine]] — Clementina Dinah Campbell
* [[Veronica Lake]] — Constance Ockleman
* [[Dorothy Lamour]] — Mary Leta Dorothy Kaumeyer
* [[Michael Landon]] — Eugene Michael Orowitz
* [[Nathan Lane]] — Joseph Lane
* [[Mario Lanza]] — Alfredo Cocozza
* [[Alexis Laree]] - Michaela Laree James
* [[Brie Larson]] — Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers
* [[Queen Latifah]] — Dana Elaine Owens
* [[Larry The Cable Guy]] — Daniel Lawrence Whitney
* [[James Last]] - Hans Last
* [[Stan Laurel]] — Arthur Stanley Jefferson
* [[Ralph Lauren]] — Ralph Lipschitz
* [[Piper Laurie]] — Rosetta Jacobs
* [[Blackie Lawless]] - Steven Duren
* [[Lucy Lawless]] — Lucille Frances Ryan
* [[Joey Lawrence]] - Joseph Lawrence Mignona, Jr.
* [[Steve Lawrence]] — Sidney Leibowitz
* [[Vicki Lawrence]] - Vicki Ann Axelrad
* [[Arthur Lee (musician)|Arthur Lee]] — Arthur Taylor Porter
* [[Brenda Lee]] — Brenda Mae Tarpley
* [[Bruce Lee]] — Lee Jun-fan
* [[Geddy Lee]] — Gary Lee Weinrib [[Order of Canada|OC]]
* [[Gypsy Rose Lee]] — Rose Louise Hovick
* [[Michele Lee]] — Michelle Lee Dusick
* [[Peggy Lee]] — Norma Delores Egstrom
* [[Spike Lee]] — Shelton Jackson Lee
* [[Tommy Lee]] - Thomas Lee Bass
* [[John Legend]] - John Stephens
* [[Janet Leigh]] — Jeanette Helen Morrison
* [[Jennifer Jason Leigh]] — Jennifer Lee Morrow
* [[Vivien Leigh]] — Vivien Mary Hartley
* [[Lemmy]] - Ian Fraiser Kilminster
* [[Marcelle Lender]] — Anne-Marie Marcelle Bastien
* [[Sugar Ray Leonard]] — Ray Charles Leonard
* [[Téa Leoni]] — Elizabeth Téa Pantleoni
* [[Huey Lewis]] — Hugh Anthony Cregg III
* [[Jerry Lewis]] — Joseph Levitch
* [[Jet Li]] — Li Lian Jie
* [[Liberace]] — Wladziu Lee Valentino Liberace
* [[Mr. Lif]] — Jeffrey Haynes
* [[Alex Lifeson]] — Alexander Zivojinovich [[Order of Canada|OC]]
* [[Judith Light]] - Judith Ellen Licht
* [[Rickey Lime]] — Anna Goodling
* [[Max Linder]] — Gabriel-Maximilien Leuvielle
* [[Amy Dumas|Lita]] — Amy Dumas
* [[Bunny Livingston]]/Bunny Wailer — Neville O'Riley
* [[Lizzie]] - Liz Enriquez
* [[LL Cool J]] — James Todd Smith
* [[Tone-Loc]] — Anthony Smith
* [[Josef Locke]] — Joseph McLaughlin
* [[Carole Lombard]] — Jane Alice Peters
* [[Julie London]] - Gayle Peck
* [[Jack Lord]] - John Joseph Patrick Ryan
* [[Traci Lords]] — Nora Louise Kuzma
* [[Sophia Loren]] — Sofia Scicolone
* [[Peter Lorre]] — László Löwenstein
* [[Lou (singer)|Lou]] — Louise Mary Watts
* [[Joe Louis]] — Joe Louis Barrow
* [[Courtney Love]] — born Courtney Michelle Harrison, legally changed to Courtney Michelle Love
* [[Darlene Love]] — Darlene Wright
* [[Lovefoxxx]] - Luísa Hanaê Matsushita (singer of [[Cansei de Ser Sexy]])
* [[Linda Lovelace]] — Linda Susan Boreman
* [[Lene Lovich]] — Lili-Marlene Premilovich
* [[Myrna Loy]] — Myrna Adele Williams
* [[Ludacris]] — Christopher Bridges
* [[Bela Lugosi]] — Béla Ferenc Dezsõ Blaskó
* [[Lulu (singer)|Lulu]] — Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie
* [[Lydia Lunch]] — Lydia Koch
* [[Annabella Lwin]] - Myant Myant Aye Dunn-Lwin
* [[Amber Lynn]] - Laura Allen
* [[Ginger Lynn]] - Ginger Lynn Allen
* [[Loretta Lynn]] — Loretta Lynn Webb
* [[Dame of the British Empire|Dame]] [[Vera Lynn]] — Vera Welsh

== M ==
* [[Edo Maajka]] — Edin Osmic
* [[Bernie Mac]] — Bernard Jeffrey McCollough
* [[Willard Mack]] — Charles McLaughlin
* [[Shirley MacLaine]] — Shirley Beaty
* [[Gavin MacLeod]] - Allan See
* [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]] — Madonna Louise Ciccone
* [[Magoo]] — Melvin Barcliff
* [[Taj Mahal (musician)|Taj Mahal]] — Henry St. Clair Fredericks
* [[Lee Majors]] — Harvey Lee Yeary II
* [[Makaveli]] - Tupac Shakur
* [[Karl Malden]] — Mladen Sekulovich
* [[Yngwie Malmsteen]] - Lars Johann Yngve Lannerbäck
* [[Method Man]] — Clifford Smith
* [[Mana (musician)|Mana]] — Real name unknown
* [[Camryn Manheim]] — Debra Frances Manheim
* [[Barry Manilow]] — Barry Alan Pinkus
* [[Handsome Dick Manitoba]] - Richard Blum
* [[Manitoba (musician)|Manitoba]] — Dan Snaith (formerly, now uses the stage name [[Caribou (musician)|Caribou]])
* [[Jayne Mansfield]] — Vera Jane Palmer
* [[Marilyn Manson (person)|Marilyn Manson]] — Brian Hugh Warner
* [[Roots Manuva]] — Rodney Hylton Smith
* [[Rocky Marciano]] — Rocco Francis Marchegiano
* [[Bam Margera]] — Brandon Cole Margera
* [[Marilyn (musician)|Marilyn]] — Peter Robinson
* [[Biz Markie]] — Marcel Hall
* [[Marley Marl]] — Marlon Williams
* [[Ziggy Marley]] — David Marley
* [[Johnny Marr]] — John Maher
* [[Mick Mars]] — Robert Alan (Bob) Deal
* [[Garry Marshall]] - Anthony Wallace Marsciarelli
* [[Penny Marshall]] — Carole Penelope Marsciarelli
* [[Peter Marshall (game show host)|Peter Marshall]] - Ralph Pierre LaCock
* [[Val Valentino|Masked Musician]] - Leonard Monatono
* [[Chris Mordetsky|Chris Masters]] — Christopher Mordetsky
* [[Martika]] — Martha Marrero
* [[Dean Martin]] — Dino Paul Crocetti
* [[Ricky Martin]] — Enrique Jose Martin Morales IV
* [[Tony Martin (entertainer)|Tony Martin]] — Alvin Morris
* [[Hank B. Marvin]] — Brian Rankin
* [[Chico Marx]] — Leonard Marx
* [[Groucho Marx]] — Julius Henry Marx
* [[Gummo Marx]] — Milton Marx
* [[Harpo Marx]] — Adolph Arthur Marx
* [[Zeppo Marx]] — Herbert Marx
* [[Ma$e]] — Mason Betha
* [[Jackie Mason]] - Jacob Maza
* [[Walter Matthau]] — Walter John Matthow — there is a common [[urban legend]] that his original name was Matuschanskyayasky. This was a joke told by Matthau himself.
* [[The MC Bat Commander]] - Christian Jacobs
* [[MC Lyte]] — Lana Michelle Moorer
* [[MCA (rapper)|MCA]] — Adam Yauch
* [[Brini Maxwell]] — Ben Sander
* [[Elle MacPherson]] — Eleanor Gow
* [[Maxim Reality]] - Keith Palmer
* [[Kent McCord]] — Kent Franklin McWhirter
* [[Andie McDowell]] — Rosalie Anderson-MacDowell
* [[Mike McGear]] - Peter Michael McCartney (brother of Paul McCartney)
* [[Duff McKagan]] - Michael Andrew McKagan
* [[Siobhán McKenna]] — Siobhán Giollamhuire Nic Cionnaith
* [[Crash McLarson]] - Chad Larson
* [[Meat Loaf]] — Marvin Lee Aday
* [[Melle Mel]] — Melvin Glover
* [[Carlos Mencia]] — Ned Holness
* [[Freddie Mercury]] — Faroukh Bulsara
* [[Ethel Merman]] — Ethel Zimmerman
* [[George Michael]] — Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou
* [[Bret Michaels]] - Bret Michael Sychak
* [[Shawn Michaels]] - Michael Shawn Hickenbottom
* [[Pras Michel]] — Prakazrel Michel
* [[Tímea Vágvölgyi|Cindy Miel]] — Tímea Vágvölgyi
* [[Luis Miguel]] — Luis Miguel Gallegos Basteri
* [[Buddy Miles]] - George Miles
* [[Millie (singer)|Millie]] — Millicent Small
* [[Donna Mills]] — Donna Jean Miller
* [[Minnesota Fats]] - Rudolph Walter Wanderone Jr.
* [[Mary Miles Minter]] — Juliet Reilly
* [[Mina (singer)|Mina]] — Anna Maria Mazzini
* [[Carmen Miranda]] — Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha
* [[Mistinguett]] — Jeanne Bourgeois
* [[Joni Mitchell]] — Roberta Joan Anderson
* [[Mitsou]] - Mitsou-Miel Rioux-Gélinas
* [[Sir Mix-A-Lot]] — Anthony Ray
* [[Moby]] — Richard Melville Hall
* [[Matt Monro]] — Terence Parsons
* [[Marilyn Monroe]] — Norma Jean Mortenson, later Norma Jean Baker
* [[Yves Montand]] — Ivo Livi
* [[Demi Moore]] — Demetria Gene Guynes
* [[Garry Moore]] — Thomas Garrison Morfit
* [[Julianne Moore]] — Julie Anne Smith
* [[Eric Morecambe]] — Eric John Bartholomew
* [[Rita Moreno]] — Rosita Dolores Alverio
* [[Harry Morgan]] - Henry Bratsburg
* [[Jane Morgan]] — Florence Catherine Currier
* [[Van Morrison]] — George Ivan Morrison
* [[Jelly Roll Morton]] — Ferdinand Joseph Lamothe
* [[Mos Def]] - Dante Terrell Smith
* [[Zero Mostel]] — Samuel Mostel
* [[Eek A Mouse]] — Ripton Joseph Hilton
* [[DJ Muggs]] — Lawrence Muggerud
* [[Maria Muldaur]] - Maria Grazia Rosa Domenica D'Amato
* [[Musidora]] - Jeanne Roques
* [[Mystikal]] — Micheal Tyler

== N ==
* [[Tech N9ne]] — Aaron D. Yates
* [[Najma Akhtar|Najma]] - Najma Akhtar
* [[Bif Naked]] - Beth Torbert
* [[Nas (rapper)|Nas]] — Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones
* [[Alla Nazimova]] — Mariam Edez Adelaida Leventon
* [[Me'shell Ndegeocello]] — born Michelle Johnson, later Meshell Suihailia Bashir Shakur
* [[Vince Neil]] - Vincent Neil Wharton
* [[Sam Neill]] - Nigel John Dermot Neill
* [[Nelly]] — Cornell Haynes, Jr.
* [[Harriet Nelson]] — Peggy Lou Snyder
* [[Ricky Nelson]] — Eric Hilliard Nelson
* [[Julie Newmar]] — Julia Charlene Newmeyer
* [[Juice Newton]] — Judy Cohen
* [[Ne-Yo]] — Shaffer Chimere Smith
* [[Nico]] - Christa Päffgen
* [[Steve Nieve]] - Steven Nason
* [[Dale Nixon]] — Greg Ginn
* [[Marni Nixon]] — Marni McEathron
* [[Danbert Nobacon]] - Alan Whaley
* [[Noko]] — Norman Fisher-Jones
* [[Kevin 'Noodles' Wasserman|Noodles]] — Kevin Wasserman
* [[Chuck Norris]] — Carlos Ray
* [[Sheree North]] — Dawn Shirley Crang (later Bethel)
* [[The Notorious B.I.G.]] — Christopher Wallace
* [[Aldo Nova]] - Aldo Caporuscio
* [[Kim Novak]] — Marilyn Pauline Novak
* [[Gary Numan]] — Gary Anthony James Webb
* [[Numskull]] — Garrick Husbands
* [[Laura Nyro]] — Laura Nigro

== O ==
* [[Karen O]] - Karen Lee Orzolek
* [[Merle Oberon]] — Estelle Merle O'Brien Thompson
* [[Billy Ocean]] — Leslie Sebastian Charles
* [[Maureen O'Hara]] - Maureen FitzSimons
* [[Warner Oland]] — Johan Verner Ölund
* [[Tony Orlando]] - Michael Anthony Orlando Cassavitis
* [[Lee Oskar]] - Oskar Levetin Hansen
* [[Gilbert O'Sullivan]] — Raymond Edward O'Sullivan
* [[Johnny Otis]] — John Veliotes
* [[Natalino Otto]] — Natale Codognotto
* [[Super Dave Osborne]] - Bob Einstein
* [[Ozzy Osbourne]] — Jonathan Michael Osborne

== P ==
* [[Master P]] — Percy Miller Sr.
* [[Augustus Pablo]] — Horace Swaby
* [[Patti Page]] — Clara Ann Fowler
* [[Debra Paget]] — Debralee Griffin
* [[Elaine Paige]] — Elaine Bickerstaff
* [[Jack Palance]] — Vladimir Palahnuik
* [[Paris (rapper)|Paris]] — Oscar Jackson, Jr.
* [[Mica Paris]] — Michelle Wallen
* [[Colonel Tom Parker]] — Andreas Cornelius van Kujik
* [[Robert Patrick]] - Robert Patrick O'Shaugnessy
* [[Les Paul]] — Lester Polfuss
* [[Prince Paul]] — Paul Houston
* [[Vinnie Paul]] — Vinnie Paul Abbott
* [[Johnny Paycheck]] - Donald Eugene Lytle
* [[Minnie Pearl]] - Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon
* [[Pelé]] - Edson Arantes do Nascimento
* [[Queen Pen]] — Lynise Walters
* [[Kal Penn]] — Kalpen Modi
* [[Joe Perry (musician)|Joe Perry]] - Anthony Joseph Pereira
* [[Lee Perry|Lee "Scratch" Perry]] — Rainford Hugh Perry
* [[Luke Perry]] - Coy Luther Perry III
* [[Bernadette Peters]] - Bernadette Lazzara
* [[Le Pétomane]] — Joseph Pujol
* [[Lou Diamond Phillips]] — Lou Upchurch
* [[Michelle Phillips]] — Holly Michelle Gilliam
* [[Édith Piaf]] — Édith Gassion
* [[Slim Pickens]] - Louis Bert Lindley, Jr.
* [[Mary Pickford]] — Gladys Smith
* [[Pink (musician)|Pink]] — Alecia Moore
* [[Billie Piper]] - Leanne Paul Piper
* [[Roddy Piper]] — Roderick Toombs
* [[Ingrid Pitt]] — Ingoushka Petrov
* [[Buster Poindexter]] — David Johansen
* [[Doc Pomus]] — Jerome Solon Felder
* [[Iggy Pop]] — James Jewel Osterberg, Jr.
* [[Natalie Portman]] — Natalie Hershlag
* [[Kid Congo Powers]] — Brian Tristan
* [[Stefanie Powers]] — Stefania Zofija Federkiewicz
* [[Maxi Priest]] — Max Elliot
* [[Prince (artist)|Prince]] — Prince Rogers Nelson
* [[Digital Unicorn|Prince Adam]] - Adam Deibert
* [[Victoria Principal]] — Concettina Ree Principale
* [[Yvonne Printemps]] — Yvonne Wignolle
* [[Freddie Prinze]] — Frederick Karl Pruetzel
* [[El-Producto]] — Jaime Meline
* [[Proof (rapper)|Proof]] — DeShaun Holton
* [[Grand Puba]] — Maxwell Dixon
* [[Big Pun]] — Christopher Lee Rios
* [[Pink]] - Adithya Rangarajan

== Q ==
* [[Q-Tip (rapper)|Q-Tip]] — Jonathan Davis (now Kamaal Fareed)
* [[Suzi Quatro]] - Susan Kay Quatrocchio

== R ==

* [[Sun Ra]] — Herman Poole Blount
* [[Roddy Radiation]] — Rodney Byers
* [[Charlotte Rae]] - Charlotte Rae Lubotsky
* [[Raekwon]] — Corey Woods
* [[Rakim]] — William Griffin
* [[Buck Ram]] — Samuel Ram
* [[Twiggy Ramirez]] — Jeordie Francis White
* [[Dee Dee Ramone]] — Douglas Colvin
* [[Joey Ramone]] — Jeffrey Hyman
* [[Johnny Ramone]] — John Cummings
* [[Marky Ramone]] — Marc Bell
* [[Tommy Ramone]] — Tommy Erdelyi
* [[Tony Randall]] — Leonard Rosenberg
* [[James Randi]] - Randall James Hamilton Zwinge
* [[Ranking Roger]] - Roger Charlery
* [[Shabba Ranks]] — Rexton Fernando Gordon
* [[Dizzee Rascal]] — Dylan Mills
* [[Scott Levy|Raven]] — Scott Levy
* [[Gene Rayburn]] - Eugene Rubessa
* [[Nancy Reagan]] — Anne Frances Robbins Davis
* [[Maxim Reality]] — Keeti Palmer
* [[Redman]] — Reggie Noble
* [[Donna Reed]] - Donna Belle Mullenger
* [[Della Reese]] — Delloreese Patricia Early
* [[George Reeves]] - George Keefer Brewer
* [[Vic Reeves]] — James Moir
* [[Judge Reinhold]] — Edward Ernest Reinhold Jr.
* [[MC Ren]] — Lorenzo Patterson
* [[Debbie Reynolds]] — Mary Frances Reynolds
* [[Terry Gerin|Rhino]] — Terrance Gerin
* [[Erik Rhodes]] — Ernest Sharpe
* [[Nick Rhodes]] — Nicholas James Bates
* [[Busta Rhymes]] — Trevor Tahiem Smith Jr.
* [[Cliff Richard]] — Harry Rodger Webb
* [[Little Richard]] — Richard Wayne Penniman
* [[Rihanna]] — Robyn Rihanna Fenty
* [[Rikki]] — Nakano Ritsuki
* [[Jeannie C. Riley]] — Jeanne Carolyn Stephenson
* [[Joan Rivers]] — Joan Alexandra Molinsky
* [[Johnny Rivers]] - John Ramistella
* [[Marty Robbins]] - Martin David Robinson
* [[Julia Roberts]] — Julie Fiona Roberts
* [[Roy Roberts]] — Roy Barnes Jones
* [[Edward G. Robinson]] — Emanuel Goldenberg
* [[Smokey Robinson]] — William Robinson
* [[Sugar Ray Robinson]] — Walker Smith, Jr.
* [[Aesop Rock]] — Ian Bavitz
* [[Derek Lee Rock]] - Derek Lee Smith
* [[Kid Rock]] — Robert Ritchie
* [[Pete Rock]] — Peter Phillips
* [[The Rock (entertainer)|The Rock]] — Dwayne Douglas Johnson
* [[Rikki Rockett]] - Richard Allan Ream
* [[Rockwell (musician)|Rockwell]] — Kennedy Gordy
* [[Rod Roddy]] — Robert Ray Roddy
* [[Ranking Roger]] — Roger Charlery
* [[Ginger Rogers]] — Virginia Katherine McMath
* [[Roy Rogers]] — Leonard Slye
* [[Henry Rollins]] — Henry Garfield
* [[Lil' Romeo]] — Percy Romeo Miller, Jr.
* [[Ronaldinho]] — Ronaldo Assis de Moreira
* [[Mickey Rooney]] — Joe Yule Jr.
* [[Axl Rose]] — William Bruce Bailey
* [[Diana Ross]] — Diane Ernestine Earle Ross
* [[Johnny Rotten]] — John Joseph Lydon
* [[Kelly Rowland]] - Kelendria Trene Rowland
* [[Joseph Simmons|Run]] — Joseph Simmons
* [[Ja Rule]] — Jeffrey Atkins
* [[Jennifer Rush]] - Heidi Stern
* [[John Russell (actor)|John Russell]] — William Lawrence Russell
* [[Leon Russell]] - Claude Russell Bridges
* [[Lillian Russell]] - Helen Louise Leonard
* [[Jeri Ryan]] - Jeri Lynn Zimmerman
* [[Mark Ryan]] - Mark Gaumont
* [[Meg Ryan]] — Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra
* [[Winona Ryder]] — Winona Laura Horowitz
* [[RZA]] — Robert Diggs

== S ==
* [[Raphael Saadiq]] - Charlie Ray Wiggins
* [[Rena Mero|Sable]] — Rena Greek (later Rena Mero, or Merowitz)
* [[Sabu]] — Terry Brunk
* [[Sade Adu|Sade]] — Helen Folasade Adu
* [[Susan Saint James]] — Susan Jane Miller
* [[Jill St. John]] - Jill Arlyn Oppenheim
* [[Soupy Sales]] - Milton Supman
* [[Salt-N-Pepa]] — Cheryl James & Sandra Denton
* [[Magic Sam]] — Samuel Maghett
* [[Flo Sandon's]] — Mammola Sandon
* [[Juelz Santana]] — LaRon Louis James
* [[Susan Sarandon]] — Susan Abigail Tomalin
* [[Father Guido Sarducci]] - Don Novello
* [[Dick Sargent]] — Richard Cox
* [[Michael Savage (commentator)|Michael Savage]] — Michael Alan Weiner
* [[Randy Savage]] — Randall Poffo
* [[Telly Savalas]] — Aristotle Savalas
* [[Leo Sayer]] — Gerard Hugh Sayer
* [[Rat Scabies]] — Chris Miller
* [[Boz Scaggs]] — William Royce Scaggs
* [[Gia Scala]] — Giovanna Scoglio
* [[Scarface (rapper)|Scarface]] — Brad Jordan
* [[Romy Schneider]] — Rosemarie Magdalena Albach
* [[Bon Scott]] - Ronald Bedford Scott
* [[Lizabeth Scott]] - Emma Matzo
* [[Randolph Scott]] — George Randolph Crane
* [[Seal (musician)|Seal]] — Sealhenry Olusegun Olumide Samuel
* [[Selena]] — Selena Quintanilla Pérez
* [[Peter Sellers]] — Richard Henry Sellers
* [[Captain Sensible]] — Ray Burns
* [[MC Serch]] — Michael Berrin
* [[Yahoo Serious]] - Gregory Pead
* [[Steve Severin]] - Steven Bailey
* [[David Seville (entertainer)|David Seville]] — [[Ross Bagdasarian]]
* [[Jane Seymour (actress)|Jane Seymour]] — Joyce Penelope Wilhelmina Frankenburg
* [[DJ Shadow]] — Josh Davis
* [[Shaggy]] — Orville Richard Burrell
* [[Shakira]] — Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll
* [[MC Shan]] — Shawn Moltke
* [[Del Shannon]] — Charles Weedon Westover
* [[Omar Sharif]] — Michael Shalhoub
* [[Artie Shaw]] — Arthur Arshawsky
* [[Sandie Shaw]] — Sandra Goodrich
* [[Charlie Sheen]] — Carlos Irwin Estevez
* [[Martin Sheen]] — Ramón Gerard Antonio Estévez
* [[Pete Shelley]] — Peter McNeish
* [[Anne Shelton]] — Patricia Sibley
* [[Shemp Howard|Shemp]] — Samuel Howard
* [[Dawn Evelyn Paris|Anne Shirley]] — Dawn Evelyn Paris
* [[Michelle Shocked]] — Karen Michelle Johnson
* [[Dinah Shore]] — Frances Rose Shore
* [[Too $hort]] — Todd Anthony Shaw
* [[Sice]] - Simon Rowbottom
* [[Simone Signoret]] — Simone Kaminker
* [[Beverly Sills]] — Belle Miriam Silverman
* [[Phil Silvers]] — Philip Silversmith
* [[Gene Simmons]] — Chaim Klein Witz, later Gene Klein
* [[Nina Simone]] — Eunice Kathleen Waymon
* [[Sinbad (actor)|Sinbad]] - David Adkins
* [[Bob Sinclar]] — Christophe Le Friant
* [[Siouxsie Sioux]] — Susan Janet Ballion
* [[Nikki Sixx]] — Frank Carlton Serafino Ferranno
* [[Sisqó]] — Mark Althavan Andrews
* [[Muzz Skillings]] — Manuel Skillings
* [[Deborah Dyer|Skin]] — Deborah Dyer
* Skeltz — Anthony Schultz
* [[Slash (musician)|Slash]] — Saul Hudson
* [[Christian Slater]] — Christian Michael Leonard Hawkins
* [[Grace Slick]] — Grace Barnett Wing
* [[Memphis Slim]] — Peter Chatman
* [[Chas Smash]] - Cathal Smyth
* [[Anna Nicole Smith]] — Vickie Lynn Hogan
* [[Elliott Smith]] — Steven Paul Smith
* [[Keely Smith]] — Dorothy Jaqueline Keely
* [[Phoebe Snow]] - Phoebe Laub
* [[Snow_(musician)|Snow]] — Darrin O'Brien
* [[MC Solaar]] — Claude M'Barali
* [[Suzanne Somers]] — Suzanne Marie Mahoney
* [[Elke Sommer]] - Elke Schletz
* [[Jack Soo]] - Goro Suzuki
* [[P. C. Sorcar]] — Protul Chandra Sorcar
* [[Talisa Soto]] - Miriam Soto
* [[Sissy Spacek]] — Mary Elizabeth Spacek
* [[Kevin Spacey]] — Kevin Spacey Fowler
* [[Bubba Sparxxx]] — Warren Anderson Mathis
* [[Ronnie Spector]] — Veronica Bennett
* [[Arrested Development (hip hop group)|Speech]] — Todd Thomas
* [[John Spencer (actor)|John Spencer]] (actor) - John Speshock
* [[Salt-n-Pepa|Spindarella]] — Deidre Roper
* [[Dusty Springfield]] — Mary Isabel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien
* [[Rick Springfield]] — Richard Lewis Springthorpe
* [[Squarepusher]] — Tom Jenkinson
* [[Rebecca St. James]] — Rebecca Smallbone
* [[Robert Stack]] - Charles Langford Modini Stack
* [[Paul Stanley]] — Stanley Eisen
* [[Barbara Stanwyck]] - Ruby Katherine Stevens
* [[Jean Stapleton]] - Jeanne Murray
* [[Scott Stapp]] — Anthony Scott Flippen
* [[Belle Starr]] - Myra Maybelle Shirley
* [[Blaze Starr]] - Fannie Belle Fleming
* [[Edwin Starr]] — Charles Hatcher
* [[Ringo Starr]] — Richard Starkey
* [[Tommy Steele]] — Thomas Hicks
* [[Ford Sterling]] — George Ford Stich
* [[April Stevens]] — Carol LoTempio
* [[Cat Stevens]] — Steven Demetri Georgiou
* [[Connie Stevens]] — Concetta Rosalie Ingolia
* [[Craig Stevens (actor)|Craig Stevens]] — Gail Shikles, Jr.
* [[Ray Stevens]] - Harold Ray Ragsdale
* [[Jon Stewart]] — Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz
* [[Sting (musician)|Sting]] — Gordon Matthew Sumner
* [[Sly Stone]] — Sylvester Stewart
* [[Gale Storm]] — Josephine Owaissa Cottle
* [[Hannah Storm]] — Hannah Storen
* [[Lance Storm]] - Lance Timothy Evers
* [[Izzy Stradlin]] - Jeffrey Isbell
* [[Steve Strange]] — Steven Harrington
* [[Trish Stratus]] — Patricia Anne Stratigias
* [[Meryl Streep]] — Mary Louise Streep
* [[Stringbean]] — David Akeman
* [[Poly Styrene]] - Marion Elliot (Singer with UK punk band [[X-Ray Spex]])
* [[Joe Strummer]] — John Graham Mellor
* [[Jeanne Stuart]] — Ivy Sweet
* [[Levi Stubbs]] — Levi Stubbles
* [[Stephanie Beard|Sugar]] — Stephanie Beard
* [[Graham McPherson|Suggs]] — Graham McPherson
* [[Donna Summer]] — LaDonna Andrea Gaines
* [[Marc Summers]] — Marc Berkowitz
* [[Princess Superstar]] — Concetta Kirschner
* [[Swifty]] - Jonathan Albrecht (Sports Agent)
* [[Devante Swing]] — Donald DeGrate, Jr.
* [[Sylvester James|Sylvester]] — Sylvester James
* [[David Sylvian]] — David Batt
* [[Slug]] - Sean Dailey

== T ==
* [[Mr. T]] — Lawrence Tureaud, later Lawrence Tero
* [[Taboo (rapper)|Taboo]] ([[Black Eyed Peas]]) - Jaime Luis Gomez
* [[Kobe Tai]] — Carla Carter Scott
* [[T-Boz]] — Tionne Watkins
* [[Tarkan]] - Tarkan Tevetoğlu
* [[Chris Chavis|Tatanka]] — Christopher Chavis
* [[Eva Taylor]] — Irene Joy Gibbons
* [[Rip Taylor]] - Charles Elmer, Jr.
* [[Robert Taylor (actor)|Robert Taylor]] — Spangler Arlington Brugh
* [[Penn and Teller|Teller]] — Raymond Joseph Teller
* [[Joey Tempest]] — Rolf Magnus Joakim Larsson
* [[Nino Tempo]] — Antonino LoTempio
* [[Jack Terricloth]] - Pete Ventantonio
* [[Danny Thomas]] — Amos Muzyad Jahoob
* [[Jonathan Taylor Thomas]] — Jonathan Weiss
* [[Johnny Thunders]] - John Anthony Genzale, Jr.
* [[Tiffany (singer)|Tiffany]] — Tiffany Renee Darwish
* [[Tila Tequila]] — Tila Nguyen
* [[Tímea Vágvölgyi|Timea Margot]] — Tímea Vágvölgyi
* [[Tiny Tim (musician)|Tiny Tim]] — Herbert Buckingham Khaury
* [[Torch (rapper)|Torch]] — Frederick Hahn
* [[Peter Tork]] — Peter Halston Thorkelson
* [[Rip Torn]] — Elmore Rual Torn, Jr.
* [[Peter Tosh]] — Winston Hubert McIntosh
* [[Totò]] — Antonio Clemente de Curtis
* [[Maurice Tourneur]] — Maurice Thomas
* [[Toyah Willcox|Toyah]] - Toyah Ann Willcox
* [[Alex Trebek]] — Giorgi Suka-Alex Trebek, later George Alexander Trebek
* [[Randy Travis]] — Randy Bruce Traywick
* [[Tricky]] — Adrian Thaws
* [[Pastor Troy]] — Micah Levar Troy
* [[De La Soul|Trugoy the Dove]] — David Jude Jolicoeur
* [[King Tubby]] — Osborne Ruddock
* [[Sophie Tucker]] — Sophia Kalish
* [[Lana Turner]] — Julia Jean Mildred Frances Turner
* [[Tina Turner]] — Annie Mae Bullock
* [[Shania Twain]] — Eileen Regina Edwards, later Eileen Regina Twain
* [[Twiggy]] — Leslie Hornby
* [[Twista]] — Carl Mitchell
* [[Conway Twitty]] — Harold Lloyd Jenkins
* [[Bonnie Tyler]] — Gaynor Hopkins
* [[Judy Tyler]] — Judith Mae Hess
* [[Rob Tyner]] - Robert Derminer
* [[Steven Tyler]] - Stephen Victor Tallarico
* [[Hunter Tylo]] - Deborah Jo Hunter

== U ==
* [[U-God]] — Lamont Hawkins
* [[U-Roy]] — Ewart Beckford
* [[Warrior (wrestler)|The Ultimate Warrior]] - Brian James Hellwig
* [[Mark Calaway|The Undertaker]] — Mark Calaway
* [[Usher Raymond|Usher]] — Usher Raymond IV
* [[Peter Ustinov]] — Sir Peter Alexander von Ustinow

== V ==
* [[Leon White|Big Van Vader]] — Leon White
* [[Roger Vadim]] — Roger Vladimir Plemiannikov
* [[Holly Valance]] — Holly Rachel Vukadinovic
* [[Jerry Vale]] — Genaro Louis Vitaliano
* [[Ritchie Valens]] — Ricardo Stephen Valenzuela
* [[Rudolph Valentino]] — Rudolpho D'Antonguolla
* [[Dickie Valentine]] — Richard Bryce
* [[Valda Valkyrien]] — Adele Eleonore Freed
* [[Frankie Valli]] — Frank Castellucio
* [[Rob Van Dam]] — Robert Szatkowski
* [[Mamie Van Doren]] — Joan Lucille Olander
* [[Vangelis]] — Evangelos Odyssey Papathanassiou
* [[Dave Vanian]] — David Letts
* [[Vanilla Ice]] — Robert Van Winkle
* [[Vanity (performer)|Vanity]] — Denise Katrina Matthews
* [[Frankie Vaughan]] — Frank Abelson
* [[Eddie Vedder]] - Edward Louis Seversen III
* [[Bobby Vee]] — Robert Velline
* [[Jesse Ventura]] — James George Janos
* [[Tom Verlaine]] — Thomas Miller
* [[John Vernon]] — Adolphus Raymondus Vernon Agopsowicz
* [[Sid Vicious]] — John Simon Ritchie
* [[Butch Vig]] — Brian Vig
* [[Gene Vincent]] - Vincent Eugene Craddock
* [[Vinnie Vincent]] — Vincent Cusano
* [[Bobby Vinton]] - Stanley Robert Vintula, Jr.
* [[Dita Von Teese]] — Heather Sweet

== W ==
* [[Andrew W.K.]] — Andrew Wilkes-Krier
* [[Lindsay Wagner]] — Lindsay Jean Ball
* [[Christopher Walken]] — Ronald Walken
* [[Junior Walker]] — Autry DeWalt, Jr.
* [[Beryl Wallace]] — Beryl Heischuber
* [[Jack Warden]] - John Lebzelter
* [[Dionne Warwick]] — Marie Dionne Warrick
* [[Don Was]] — Donald Fagenson
* [[Dinah Washington]] — Ruth Jones
* [[Gedde Watanabe]] — Gary Watanabe
* [[Muddy Waters]] — McKinley Morganfield
* [[Wavy Gravy]] - Hugh Romney
* [[John Wayne]] — Marion Robert Morrison, later Marion Michael Morrison
* [[Johnny Wayne]] - Louis Weingarten
* [[Sigourney Weaver]] — Susan Weaver
* [[Clifton Webb]] — Webb Parmalee Hollenbeck
* [[Dean Ween]] — Mickey Melchiondo
* [[Gene Ween]] — Aaron Freeman
* [[Raquel Welch]] — Jo Raquel Tejada
* [[Tuesday Weld]] - Susan Ker Weld
* [[Paul Weller]] — John Weller
* [[Kitty Wells]] - Muriel Deason
* [[Adam West]] - William West Anderson
* [[Eric West]] — Eric Rosa
* [[Mae West]] - Mary Jane West
* [[Riley Weston]] — Kimberlee Kramer
* [[Kim Wilde]] — Kim Smith
* [[Marty Wilde]] — Reginald Leonard Smith
* [[Gene Wilder]] — Jerome Silberman
* [[will.i.am]] ([[Black Eyed Peas]]) - William James Adams, Jr.
* [[Anson Williams]] - Anson William Heimlich
* [[Hank Williams]] — Hiram Williams
* [[Flip Wilson]] — Clerow Wilson
* [[Shelley Winters]] — Shirley Schrift
* [[Nicky Wire]] — Nicholas Jones
* [[Ernie Wise]] — Ernest Wiseman
* [[Wish Bone]] — Charles Scruggs
* [[Jah Wobble]] — John Wardle
* [[Howlin' Wolf]] — Chester Arthur Burnett
* [[Wolfman Jack]] - Robert Smith
* [[Stevie Wonder]] — Steveland Hardaway Judkins (later Steveland Hardaway Morris)
* [[Lana Wood]] - Svetlana Gurdin
* [[Natalie Wood]] — Natasha Gurdin
* [[Bill Wyman]] - William George Perks
* [[Jane Wyman]] — Sarah Jane Mayfield Fulks
* [[Tammy Wynette]] — Virginia Wynette Pugh

== X ==
* [[Terminator X (DJ)|Terminator X]] — Norman Lee Rogers
* [[Xzibit]] — Alvin Nathaniel Joiner

== Y ==
* [[Yanni]] — Yanni Chrysomallis
* [[Yazz]] — Yasmin Evans
* [[DJ Yella]] — Antoine Carraby
* [[Michelle Yeoh]], Michelle Yeoh Choo-Kheng
* [[Yellowman]] — Winston Foster
* [[Martin Glover|Youth]] — Martin Glover Youth (Bassist with UK punk band [[Killing Joke]])
* [[Yo-Yo (rapper)|Yo-Yo]] — Yolanda Whitaker
* [[Michael York (actor)|Michael York]] - Michael Hugh Johnson
* [[Loretta Young]] - Gretchen Young
* [[Young Buck]] (of [[G-Unit]]) — David Darnell Brown
* [[Young Jeezy]] - Jay Jenkins
* [[Yukmouth]] — Jarold Ellis, Jr.

== Z ==
* [[Pia Zadora]] - Pia Alfreda Schipani
* [[Rob Zombie]] - Robert Cummings
* [[Buckwheat Zydeco]] — Dural, Jr.

{{compactTOC2}}

[[Category:Lists of names]]
[[Category:Pseudonyms|*]]
[[Category:Acting]]

[[he:שם במה]]
[[pt:nome artístico]]
[[simple:Stage name]]
[[sv:Artistnamn]]

Stage name

2006-09-05T03:58:27Z

71.201.198.12: /* H */

A '''stage name''' or a '''screen name''' is a [[pseudonym]] used by [[performer]]s (such as [[actor]]s, [[athletes]], [[comedian]]s, [[musician]]s and [[clown]]s).

Performers take stage names for many reasons, often because their real name is considered unattractive, dull, unintentionally amusing, difficult to pronounce or spell, or projects the wrong image. Sometimes performers wish to adopt a name that is unusual (sometimes even outlandish), memorable, or that complements his/her performing persona; or because they wish to remain anonymous in relation to another sphere of work.

There are some individuals related to an already famous person who have taken a different last name so that they are not perceived to have received undue benefit from their family connection. Examples of these include [[Nicolas Cage]] (nephew of [[Francis Ford Coppola]]) and [[Mike McGear]] (brother of [[Paul McCartney]]). Guilds and Associations that represent actors—for example the [[Screen Actors Guild]] in the [[United States]] and [[British Actors' Equity Association]] in the [[United Kingdom]]—usually stipulate that no two members may have the same working name, and in that situation an actor is obliged to modify his/her name or take a new one.

In the past, a stage name was often used when a performer's real name was considered to denote a specific ethnicity that faced potential discrimination. One of the most famous examples of this type of name change involved [[Freddie Mercury]] of [[Queen (band)|Queen]], who was born ''Farrokh Bulsara'' to [[Parsi]] parents and tried, in part, to hide his Indian connections. From the pre-World War II era until recently, many [[Jew]]s in [[Hollywood]] [[Anglicized]] or changed their names to avoid possible discrimination. This still happens to a degree, but the growing acceptance of ethnic performers in the performing arts has made this a less frequent occurrence.

The reasons for the choice of the performer's new name vary greatly. By way of example, some performers choose a new last name that evokes another, unrelated performer. Actor [[Michael Keaton]], was born as ''Michael Douglas'' and [[Screen Actors Guild]] rules mandated a name change to preclude confusion with the established actor [[Michael Douglas]]. He chose the last name ''Keaton'' simply because he was an admirer of actress [[Diane Keaton]]. Actor [[Michael Caine]] was born Maurice Micklewhite and chose the name ''Michael'' because he preferred the sound of it. He chose the name ''Caine'' reputedly because at the precise instant he needed to choose a new stage name, he saw a [[movie marquee]] for the then-current movie ''[[The Caine Mutiny (film)|The Caine Mutiny]]'' and thought that it would make a good last name in conjunction with ''Michael''.

Another consideration in choosing a stage name is ease of use. The [[Actors' Equity Association]] (AEA) advises performers to select a name that is easy for others to pronounce, spell and remember. Some performers while paying great attention to their skills and abilities give little thought to the difference that a well thought out name can make to their career. Often it is only after the realisation that a poorly chosen name results in an undesired impression that a person or group decides on a different name, e.g. Shane Fenton & The Fentones only later became known as the popular [[Alvin Stardust]]. A survey of the three US regional heads of AEA reveals that a performer whose name is difficult to pronounce, spell, or remember is less likely to be hired than other performers.{{fact}}

Many performers refer to their stage name as their "professional name." In some cases performers subsequently adopt their stage name as their legal name. For instance, the former Robert Zimmerman's legal name has been Robert Dylan ([[Bob Dylan]]), since he changed it at the [[Supreme Court]] building in [[New York City]] in August 1962. [[Elton John]] was born [[Reginald Dwight]] but changed his name by [[deed poll]] and subsequently took that name as his real name. When he was [[knighting|knighted]], he became Sir Elton John rather than Sir Reginald Dwight. Names so adopted are technically no longer "stage names," but are often perceived as such by the public (and for that reason stage names that come into that category are included in the following list).

''Note on methodology of the list:'' Individuals who have dropped their last name and substituted their middle name as their last name are listed. Also listed are individuals who have changed the spelling of one of their legal names (such as [[Willem Dafoe]]). People whose main forename just happens not to be the first one (such as [[Paul McCartney]] and [[Marie Osmond]]) are not listed here—these are their real names, not stage names.

See also: [[List of entertainers by nickname]].

{{compactTOC2}}

Famous stage names include:

== 0–9 ==
* [[Tupac Shakur|2Pac]] — Tupac Shakur (born Lesane Crooks)
* [[50 Cent| 50 Cent]] — Curtis Jackson

== A ==
* [[Lee Aaron]] - Karen Lynn Greening
* [[Mellow Man Ace]] — Ulpiano Sergio Reyes
* [[Don Adams]] — Donald James Yarmy
* [[Adamski]] — Adam Tinley
* [[MC ADE]] — Adrian Hines
* [[Adeva]] — Patricia Daniels
* [[Adam Horovitz|King Adrock]] — Adam Horovitz
* [[Afrob]] — Robert Zemichiel
* [[Afroman]] — Joseph Foreman
* [[Akon]] — Aliaune Thiam
* [[Eddie Albert]] — Edward Albert Heimberger
* [[Bernard Albrecht]] — Bernard Dicken
* [[Alan Alda]] — Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo
* [[Robert Alda]] — Alphonso Giuseppe Giovanni Roberto D'Abruzzo
* [[Jason Alexander]] — Jason Scott Greenspan
* [[Peter Alexander]] - Peter Alexander Ferdinand Maximilian Neumayer
* [[Dave Allen (comedian)|Dave Allen]] - David Tynan O'Mahoney
* [[Tim Allen]] — Timothy Alan Dick
* [[Woody Allen]] — Allen Stewart Konigsberg
* [[Tori Amos]] — Myra Ellen Amos
* [[Anastacia (singer)|Anastacia]] — Anastacia Lyn Newkirk
* [[Broncho Billy Anderson]] — Max H. Aronson
* [[André 3000]] — André Benjamin
* [[André the Giant]] — André René Roussimoff
* [[Julie Andrews]] — Julia Elizabeth Wells
* [[Horace Andy]] — Horace Hinds ([[Reggae]] singer, later with [[Massive Attack]])
* [[John Aniston]] - Ioannis Anastassakis
* [[Jennifer Aniston]] - Jennifer Anistonopolis
* [[Ann-Margret]] — Ann Margaret Olsson
* [[Adam Ant]] — Stuart Leslie Goddard
* [[Michael Anthony]] - Michael Anthony Sobolewski
* [[Alan Anton]] - Alan Alizojvodic
* [[Apache Indian (rapper)|Apache Indian]] — Steven Kapur
* [[Aphex Twin]] — Richard D. James
* [[apl.de.ap]] ([[Black Eyed Peas]]) - Allen Pineda Lindo
* [[Fiona Apple]] — Fiona Apple Maggart
* [[Eve Arden]] — Eunice Quedens
* [[Jann Arden]] - Jann Arden Richards
* [[Toni Arden]] — Antoinette Ardizzone
* [[Tina Arena]] — Filippina Lydia Arena
* [[Bea Arthur]] — Bernice Frankel
* [[Julia Arthur]] — Ida Lewis
* [[Kon Artis]] - Denaun Porter
* [[Ashanti (singer)|Ashanti]] — Ashanti Shaquoya Douglas
* [[Fred Astaire]] — Frederick Austerlitz
* [[Mary Astor]] — Lucile Vasconcellos Langhanke
* [[Astro]] — Terence Wilson
* [[Jeanne Aubert]] — Marguerite Perrinot
* [["Stone Cold" Steve Austin|Steve Austin]] — Steven Williams
* [[Frankie Avalon]] — Francis Thomas Avallone
* [[Jane Avril]] — Jeanne Beaudon
* [[AZ (rapper)|AZ]] — Anthony Cruz
* [[Trey Azagthoth]] — George Emmanuel III
* [[Charles Aznavour]] — Shahnour Aznavurjan
* [[Ai Maeda (seiyu)|AiM]] — Ai Maeda

== B ==
* [[Monique Serf|Barbara]] — Monique Serf
* [[Bun B]] — Bernard Freeman
* [[Derek B]] - Derek Bolland
* [[Eric B]] — Eric Barrier
* [[Jazzie B]] - Beresford Romeo
* [[Jon B.]] - Jonathan David Buck
* [[B-Real]] — Louis Freese
* [[Babyface]] — Kenneth Brian Edmonds
* [[Lauren Bacall]] — Betty Joan Perske
* [[Erykah Badu]] — Erica Wright
* [[Badly Drawn Boy]] — Damon Gough
* [[Cheryl Baker]] — Rita Crudgington
* [[Josephine Baker]] — Josephine Carson
* [[LaVern Baker]] — Delores Williams
* [[Kaye Ballard]] - Catherine Gloria Balotta
* [[Afrika Bambaataa]] — Kevin Donovan
* [[Eric Bana]] — Eric Banadinovich
* [[Anne Bancroft]] — Anna Maria Louisa Italiano
* [[Lloyd Banks]] — Christopher Lloyd
* [[Lionel Barrymore]] — Lionel Herbert Blythe
* [[Brigitte Bardot]] — Camille Javal
* [[Baron Longfellow]] — Andrew Youakim
* [[Majel Barrett]] — Majel Lee Hudec
* [[Rona Barrett]] - Rona Burstein
* [[Barbara Barrie]] - Barbara Ann Berman
* [[Billy Barty]] - William John Bertanzetti
* [[Toni Basil]] — Antonia Basilotta
* [[Ol' Dirty Bastard]] — Russell Tyrone Jones
* [[Stiv Bators]] — Steven John Bator
* [[Orson Bean]] - Dallas Frederick Burrows
* [[Guy Béart]] — Guy Béhar
* [[Beck]] — Bek David Campbell Hansen
* [[Bedders]] - Mark Bedford
* [[Beenie Man]] — Anthony Moses Davis
* [[Pat Benatar]] - Patricia Mae Andrzejewski
* [[Tony Bennett]] — Anthony Dominick Benedetto
* [[Jack Benny]] — Benjamin Kubelsky
* [[Tom Berenger]] — Thomas Michael Moore
* [[Benzino]] — Raymond Scott
* [[Milton Berle]] — Mendel Berlinger
* [[Irving Berlin]] — Israel Isidore Baline
* [[Jello Biafra]] — Eric Boucher
* [[Mr. Biggs]] - Ellis William
* [[Joey Bishop]] - Joseph Abraham Gottlieb
* [[Big Boi]] — Antwan André Patton
* [[The Big Bopper]] — Jiles Perry Richardson, Jr
* [[Big L (rapper)|Big L]] — Lamont Coleman
* [[Big Youth]] — Manley Augustus Buchanan
* [[Acker Bilk]] — Bernard Stanley Bilk
* [[Jacqueline Bisset]] — Winifred Jacqueline Fraser-Bisset
* [[Bill Bixby]] — Wilfred Bailey Bixby
* [[Bizarre (rapper)|Bizarre]] — Rufus Johnson
* [[Björk]] - Björk Guðmundsdóttir
* [[Cilla Black]] — Priscilla Maria Veronica White
* [[Frank Black]] — Charles Michael Kitridge Thompson IV
* [[Jack Black (actor)|Jack Black]] —- Thomas Black
* [[Jet Black]] - Brian Duffy
* [[Karen Black]] — Karen Blanche Ziegler
* [[Michael Ian Black]] — Michael Schwarz
* [[Amanda Blake]] — Beverly Louise Neill
* [[Robert Blake (actor)|Robert Blake]] — Michael James Vijencio Gubitosi
* [[Buster Bloodvessel]] — Douglas Trendle (Lead singer with UK Ska band [[Bad Manners]])
* [[Kurtis Blow]] — Curtis Walker
* [[Blowfly (artist)|Blowfly]] - Clarence Reid
* [[Bo Bice]] — Harold Elwin Bice
* [[Dirk Bogarde]] — Derek van den Bogaerde
* [[Marc Bolan]] - Mark Feld
* [[Jon Bon Jovi]] — John Francis Bongiovi
* [[Bizzy Bone]] — Bryon McCane
* [[Flesh-N-Bone]] — Stan Howse
* [[Krayzie Bone]] — Anthony Henderson
* [[Layzie Bone]] — Steven Howse
* [[Wish Bone]] — Charles Scruggs
* [[Lisa Bonet]] — Lisa Boney
* [[Bono]] — Paul David Hewson
* [[Sonny Bono]] - Salvatore Philip Bono
* [[Pat Boone]] — Charles Eugene Boone
* [[Shirley Booth]] — Thelma Marjorie Ford
* [[Victor Borge]] — Borge Rosenbaum
* [[Ernest Borgnine]] — Ermes Effron Borgnino
* [[Lyrics Born]] — Tom Shimura
* [[Bounty Killer]] — Rodney Price
* [[Bow Wow]] — Shad Gregory Moss
* [[David Bowie]] — David Robert Jones
* [[Boxcar Willie]] - Lecil Travis Martin
* [[Brandy Norwood|Brandy]] — Brandy Rayonda Norwood
* [[Da Brat]] — Shawntae Harris
* [[Alan Braxe]] — Alain Quême
* [[Nicholas Brendon]] — Nicholas Brendon Schultz
* [[Teresa Brewer]] — Teresa Breuer
* [[Christie Brinkley]] - Christie Lee Hudson
* [[Pete Briquette]] - Patrick Cusack
* [[May Britt]] — Maybritt Wilkens
* [[J. Edward Bromberg]] — Joseph Bromberger
* [[James Brolin]] — James Kenneth Bruderlin
* [[Charles Bronson]] — Charles Buchinski
* [[Brooke Hogan]] — Brooke Ellen Bollea
* [[Albert Brooks]] — Albert Lawrence Einstein
* [[Donnie Brooks]] — John Dee Abohosh
* [[Mel Brooks]] — Melvin Kaminsky
* [[Foxy Brown]] — Inga Marchaud
* [[Aristide Bruant]] — Louis Armand Bruant
* [[Lenny Bruce]] — Leonard Alfred Schneider
* [[Patrick Bruel]] — Patrick Benguigui
* [[Buckethead]] - Brian Carroll
* [[Bebe Buell]] - Beverle Lorence Buell
* [[Chris de Burgh]] — Christopher John Davison
* [[Burning Spear]] — Winston Rodney
* [[George Burns]] — Nathanial Birnbaum
* [[Ellen Burstyn]] — Edna Mae Gilhooley
* [[Prince Buster]] — Cecil Bustamente Campbell (Jamaican [[Ska]] singer)
* [[Brett Butler (comedian)|Brett Butler]] (actress/comedienne) - Brett Anderson
* [[Red Buttons]] — Aaron Chwatt
* [[David Bautista|Batista]] — David Michael Bautista

== C ==
* [[Melanie Chisholm|Mel C]] — Melanie Chisholm
* [[Colleen Fitzpatrick|Vitamin C]] — Colleen Fitzpatrick
* [[Nicolas Cage]] — Nicholas Kim Coppola
* Sir [[Michael Caine]] — Maurice Joseph Micklewhite
* [[Rory Calhoun]] - Francis Timothy McCown Durgin
* [[Maria Callas]] — Maria Kalogeropoulos
* [[Canibus]] — Germaine Williams
* [[Cam'ron]] — Cameron Giles
* [[Camoflauge]] — Jason Johnson
* [[Dyan Cannon]] — Samile Diane Friesen
* [[Freddy Cannon]] — Frederick Anthony Picariello
* [[Cantinflas]] — Mario Moreno
* [[Eddie Cantor]] — Edward Israel Iskowitz
* [[Cappadonna]] — Darryl Hill
* [[Kate Capshaw]] - Kathleen Sue Nail
* [[Capucine]] — Germaine Lefebvre
* [[Caribou (musician)|Caribou]] — Dan Snaith (formerly [[Manitoba (musician)|Manitoba]])
* [[Kitty Carlisle]] - Kitty Carlisle Hart
* [[Cathy Carr]] - Angelina Helen Catherine Cordovano
* [[Eric Carr]] - Paul Charles Caravello
* [[Vikki Carr]] — Florencia Bisenta de Casillas Martinez Cardona
* [[David Carradine]] - John Arthur Carradine
* [[Tia Carrere]] — Althea Rae Duhinio Janairo
* [[Diahann Carroll]] — Carol Diahann Johnson
* [[Carrot Top]] — Scott Thompson
* [[Mrs. Leslie Carter]] — Caroline Louise Dudley Carter Payne
* [[Nell Carter]] - Nell Ruth Hardy
* [[William Boyd (actor)|Hopalong Cassidy]] — William Lawrence Boyd
* [[Phoebe Cates]] - Phoebe Belle Katz
* [[Emma Caulfield]] — Emma Chukker
* [[Cedric the Entertainer]] — Cedric Kyles
* [[Chamillionaire]] - Hakeem Seriki
* [[Jackie Chan]] — Chan Kong-sang (Cheng Long was a Chinese screen name)
* [[Gene Chandler]] — Eugene Dixon
* [[Jeff Chandler (actor)|Jeff Chandler]] — Ira Grossel
* [[Stockard Channing]] —- Susan Antonia Williams Stockard
* [[Ray Charles]] — Ray Charles Robinson
* [[Charo]] — Maria Rosario Pilar Martinez Molina Baeza
* [[Chayanne]] — Elmer Figueroa de Arse
* [[Chevy Chase]] — Cornelius Crane Chase
* [[Daveigh Chase]] — Daveigh Elizabeth Schwallier
* [[Chubby Checker]] — Ernest Evans
* [[Joan Chen]] — Chong Chen
* [[Cher]] — Cherilyn Sarkisian LaPierre
* [[Cherrelle]] - Cheryl An Norton
* [[Chespirito]] — Roberto Gómez Bolaños
* [[Chilli (musician)|Chilli]] — Rozonda Ocielian Thomas
* [[Chingy]] — Howard Bailey, Jr.
* [[Annabel Chong]] — Grace Quek
* [[Agatha Christie]] — Agatha Marie Clarissa Miller
* [[Tímea Vágvölgyi|Katalyn Cica]] — Tímea Vágvölgyi
* [[Cinque]] - Terrance Mason
* [[Eric Clapton]] — Eric Patrick Clapp
* [[Buddy Clark]] — Samuel Goldberg
* [[Andrew Dice Clay]] — Andrew Clay Silverstein
* [[David Clayton-Thomas]] — David Henry Thomsett
* [[Jimmy Cliff]] — James Chambers
* [[Patsy Cline]] — Virginia Patterson Hensley
* [[Lee J. Cobb]] — Amos Jacob
* [[Alma Cogan]] — Alma Angela Cohen
* [[Nat King Cole]] — Nathaniel Adams Coles
* [[Common (rapper)|Common]] — Lonnie Rashied Lynn
* [[Chuck Connors]] - Kevin Joseph Connors
* [[Robert Conrad]] — Konrad Robert Falkowski
* [[Coolio]] — Artis Leon Ivey, Jr.
* [[Tré Cool]] — Frank Edwin Wright III
* [[Alice Cooper]] — Vincent Damon Furnier (Vincent legally changed his name to Alice Cooper after quitting the original band 'Alice Cooper' so he could use the name)
* [[Gary Cooper]] — Frank James Cooper
* [[David Copperfield (illusionist)|David Copperfield]] — David Seth Kotkin
* [[Jill Corey]] — Norma Jean Speranza
* [[Dave "Baby" Cortez]] — David Cortez Clowney
* [[Elvis Costello]] —- Declan Patrick Aloysius McManus
* [[Lou Costello]] — Louis Francis Cristillo
* [[Carl Crack]] — Carl Bohm
* [[Joan Crawford]] — Lucille Fay LeSueur
* [[Michael Crawford]] — Michael Dumble-Smith
* [[Randy Crawford]] — Veronica Crawford
* [[Kid Creole & the Coconuts|Kid Creole]] — August Darnell
* [[Peter Criss]] — Peter Criscoula
* [[Bing Crosby]] — Harry Lillis Crosby
* [[Christopher Cross]] — Christopher Geppert
* [[Tom Cruise]] — Thomas Cruise Mapother, IV
* [[Stan Cullimore]] - Ian Cullimore
* [[King Curtis]] — Curtis Ousley
* [[Tony Curtis]] — Bernard Schwartz

== D ==
* [[Chuck D]] — Carlton Ridenhour
* [[Master D]] — Deeder Saidullah Zaman
* [[Mike D]] — Michael Diamond
* [[D-Flame]] — Daniel Kretschmar
* [[D'Angelo]] — Michael Eugene Archer
* [[Willem Dafoe]] — William Dafoe, Jr.
* [[Shawn Daivari|Khosrow Daivari]] — Shawn Daivari
* [[Alan Dale (singer)|Alan Dale]] — Aldo Sigismondi
* [[Bobby Dall]] — Robert Harry Kuykendall
* [[Béatrice Dalle]] — Béatrice Cabarrou
* [[Brody Dalle]] — Bree Leslie Pucilowski ("Dalle" surname adopted due to admiration to [[Béatrice Dalle]])
* [[Mr. Dalvin]] — Dalvin DeGrate
* [[Marie-Louise Damien|Damia]] — Marie-Louise Damien
* [[Jerry Dammers]] — Gerald Dankin
* [[Vic Damone]] — Vito Farinola
* [[Dana Rosemary Scallon|Dana]] — Rosemary Brown
* [[Rodney Dangerfield]] — Jacob Cohen
* [[Tony Danza]] — Anthony Iadanza
* [[Glenn Danzig]] — Glenn Allen Anzalone
* [[Terence Trent D'Arby]] — Terence Trent Howard; later became Sananda Maitreya
* [[Bobby Darin]] — Walden Robert Cassotto
* [[Mona Darkfeather]] — Josephine Mona Workman
* [[Dimebag Darrell]] — Darrell Lance Abbott
* [[James Darren]] — James William Ercolani
* [[Randy David]] — Randy David Goldstein
* [[Bette Davis]] — Ruth Elizabeth Davis
* [[Nancy Davis]] — Anne Frances Robbins (Mrs. Nancy Reagan)
* [[Ossie Davis]] — Raiford Chatman Davis
* [[Richard Dawson]] — Colin Emm
* [[Bobby Day]] — Robert J. Byrd
* [[Doris Day]] — Doris von Kappelhoff
* [[Taylor Dayne]] — Lesley Wunderman
* [[Inspectah Deck]] — Jason Hunter
* [[Kiki Dee]] — Pauline Matthews
* [[Kool Moe Dee]] — Mohandas Dewese
* [[Sandra Dee]] — Alexandra Zuck
* [[Desmond Dekker]] — Desmond Dacres
* [[Del Tha Funky Homosapien]] — Teron Delvon Jones
* [[Danièle Delorme]] — Danièle Girard
* [[Samy Deluxe]] — Samuel Sorge
* [[Monique DeMoan]] — Cheyenne August Camarillo
* [[Rebecca DeMornay]] — Rebecca George
* [[Catherine Deneuve]] — Catherine Dorléac
* [[John Denver]] — Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr.
* [[Tímea Vágvölgyi|Margot Depard]] — Tímea Vágvölgyi
* [[Bo Derek]] — Mary Cathleen Collins
* [[Portia de Rossi]] — Amanda Lee Rogers
* [[Johnny Desmond]] — Giovanni Alfredo De Simone
* [[Des'ree]] — Des'ree Weeks
* [[C.C. DeVille]] — Bruce Anthony Johannesson
* [[Danny DeVito]] — Daniel Michaeli
* [[Howard Devoto]] — Howard Trafford
* [[Buck Dharma]] — Donald Roeser
* [[Dharmendra]] — Dharam Singh Deol
* [[B.B. Dickerson]] — Morris Dickerson
* [[Angie Dickinson]] —- Angeline Brown
* [[Bo Diddley]] — Ellas Bates, later Ellas McDaniel
* [[P. Diddy]] — Sean John Combs
* [[Dido (singer)|Dido]] — Florian Cloud de Bounevialle Armstrong
* [[Vin Diesel]] — Mark Vincent
* [[Bobby Digital]] — Robert Dixon
* [[Phyllis Diller]] — Phyllis Driver
* [[Daz Dillinger]] — Delmar Arnaud
* [[Ronnie James Dio]] — Ronald James Padavona
* [[Dion DiMucci|Dion]] — Dion DiMucci
* [[Mike Dirnt]] ([[Green Day]]) — Michael Ryan Pritchard
* [[Glen Milstead|Divine]] — Harris Glenn Milstead
* [[Floyd Dixon]] — Jay Riggins Jr.
* [[Ruben DJ]] — Ruben Urrutia
* [[Darryl McDaniels|DMC]] — Darryl McDaniels
* [[DMX (rapper)|DMX]] — Earl Simmons
* [[The D.O.C.]] — Tracy Curry
* [[Phife Dog]] — Malik Taylor
* [[Sen Dog]] — Sennen Reyes
* [[Nate Dogg]] — Nathaniel Dawayne Hale
* [[Snoop Dogg]] — Cordazer Calvin Broadus
* [[Thomas Dolby]] — Thomas Morgan Robertson
* [[Arielle Dombasle]] — Arielle Sonnery de Fromental
* [[Fats Domino]] — Antoine Domino
* [[Troy Donahue]] — Merle Johnson, Jr.
* [[Diana Dors]] — Diana Mary Fluck
* [[Donna Douglas]] — Dorothy Smith
* [[Kirk Douglas]] — Issur Danielovitch Demsky
* [[Mike Douglas]] — Michael Delaney Dowd, Jr.
* [[Taime Downe]] — Gus Molnick
* [[Doctor Dré]] (MTV/radio personality) — André Brown
* [[Dr. Dre]] (N.W.A rapper) — André Romel Young
* [[Minnie Driver]] — Amelia Driver
* [[Bill Drummond]] — William Butterworth
* [[Margaret Dumont]] — Daisy Juliette Baker
* [[Sly Dunbar]] — Lowell Fillmore Dunbar
* [[Elaine Dundy]] — Elaine Brimberg
* [[Jermaine Dupri]] or [[JD]] — Jermaine Dupri Maudlin
* [[Bob Dylan]] — born Robert Allen Zimmerman; legally changed to Robert [[Dylan]]

== E ==
* [[E (musician)|E]] — Mark Oliver Everett
* [[Sheena Easton]] — Sheena Shirley Orr
* [[Eazy-E]] — Eric Wright
* [[Barbara Eden]] — Barbara Huffman
* Edge — [[Adam Copeland]]
* [[David Howell Evans|The Edge]] — David Howell Evans
* E-Dubble — Evan Wallace
* [[Eek-A-Mouse]] — Ripton Joseph Hilton
* [[Carmen Electra]] — Tara Leigh Patrick
* "Mama" [[Cass Elliott]] — Ellen Naomi Cohen
* [[Elvira]], "Mistress of the Dark" - Cassandra Peterson
* [[Emerson]] - Emerson Ferreira da Rosa
* [[Ethan Embry]] — Ethan Philan Randall
* [[Eminem]] — Marshall Bruce Mathers III
* [[Enya]] — Eithne ní Bhraonáin
* [[Wreckless Eric]] — Eric Goulden
* [[Esham]] — Rashaam Smith
* [[David Essex]] — David Albert Cook
* [[Hazem Ali|Armando Alejandro Estrada]] - Hazem Ali
* [[Little Eva]] — Eva Narcissus Boyd
* [[Linda Evans]] — Linda Evanstad
* [[Eve (rapper)|Eve]] — Eve Jihan Jeffers
* [[Everlast (singer)|Everlast]] — Erik Schrody
* [[Kenny Everett]] — Maurice Cole

== F ==
* [[Shelley Fabares]] - Michele Ann Marie Fabares
* [[Morgan Fairchild]] — Patsy Ann McClenny
* [[Adam Faith]] — Terence Nelhams
* [[Ian Fowles|Eagle "Bones" Falconhawk]] - Ian Fowles
* [[Dennis Farina]] - Donaldo Guglielmo Farina
* [[Mimi Farina]] - Mimi Margharita Baez
* [[Jamie Farr]] — Jameel Joseph Farah
* [[Perry Farrell]] — Perry Bernstein
* [[Terry Farrell (actress)|Terry Farrell]] — Theresa Lee Farrell Grussendorf
* [[Mia Farrow]] — Maria de Lourdes Villers Farrow
* [[Alice Faye]] — Alice Jeane Leppert
* [[Dani Filth]] — Daniel Lloyd Davey
* [[Fatboy Slim]] — Quentin Cook, later Norman Cook
* [[Fatman Scoop]] — Isaac Freeman III
* [[Freddie Fender]] — Baldemar G. Huerta
* [[Stacy Ferguson|Fergie]] ([[Black Eyed Peas]]) — Stacy Ann Ferguson
* [[Tímea Vágvölgyi|Olinka Ferova]] — Tímea Vágvölgyi
* [[Tina Fey]] — Elizabeth Stamatina Fey
* [[Jacques Feyder]] — Jacques Frederix
* [[Sally Field]] — Sally Mahoney
* [[Romaine Fielding]] — William Grant Blandin
* [[Gracie Fields]] — Grace Stansfield
* [[W. C. Fields]] — William Claude Dukenfield
* [[Peter Finch]] — William Mitchell
* [[Larry Fine]] — Louis Fienberg
* [[Johnny Fingers]] — Johnny Moylett
* [[Richard Falomir|Ricky Fitness]] - Richard Falomir
* [[Ric Flair]] - Richard Morgan Fliehr
* [[Grandmaster Flash]] — Joseph Saddler
* [[Flavor Flav]] — William Drayton
* [[Michael Balzary|Flea]] —- Michael Balzary
* [[Flesh-n-Bone]] — Stanley Howse
* [[Joan Fontaine]] — Joan de Havilland
* [[Frankie Ford]] — Francis Guzzo
* [[John Ford]] — Sean Aloysius O'Fearna
* [[Mary Ford]] — Colleen Summers
* [[George Formby]] — George Hoy Booth
* [[John Forsythe]] — John Lincoln Freund
* [[J.D. Fortune]] — Jason Dean Bennison
* [[Jodie Foster]] — Alicia Christian Foster
* [[Jamie Foxx]] — Eric Bishop
* [[Redd Foxx]] — John Elroy Sanford
* [[Connie Francis]] — Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero
* [[Dennis Franz]] - Dennis Franz Schlachta
* [[Fab Five Freddy]] — Fred Braithwaite
* [[Fréhel]] — Marguerite Boulc'h
* [[Ace Frehley]] — Paul Frehley
* [[Doug E. Fresh]] — Douglas E. Davis
* [[Pierre Fresnay]] — Pierre Jules Louis Laudenbach
* [[Lefty Frizzell]] — William Orville Frizzell
* [[Blind Boy Fuller]] — Fulton Allen
* [[Edward Furlong]] - Edward Walter Torres

== G ==
* [[Bobby G]] - Robert Gubby
* [[Daddy G]] - Grant Marshall
* [[Dog G]] — Tseng Kuan-jung
* [[Kenny G]] — Kenneth Gorelick
* [[Shock G]] — Gregory Jacobs
* [[Warren G]] — Warren Griffin
* [[Jean Gabin]] — Jean-Alexis Moncorge
* [[Serge Gainsbourg]] — Lucien Ginzburg
* [[The Game (rapper)|The Game]] — Jayceon Taylor
* [[Robert Gant]] — Robert Gonzalez
* [[Greta Garbo]] — Greta Gustafsson
* [[Judy Garland]] — Frances Ethel Gumm
* [[James Garner]] — James Scott Baumgarner
* [[Leif Garrett]] — Leif Per Narvik
* [[Gene Gauntier]] — Genevieve Liggett
* [[Marvin Gaye]] — Marvin Pentz Gay Jr.
* [[Crystal Gayle]] — Brenda Gail Webb Gatzimos
* [[Ronnie Gaylord]] — Ronald L. Fredianelli
* [[Gloria Gaynor]] — Gloria Fowles
* [[Mitzi Gaynor]] — Franceska Mitzi Gerber
* [[Ben Gazzara]] - Biagio Anthony Gazzara
* [[Gidget Gein]] - Bradley Stewart
* [[Sir Horace Gentleman]] — Horace Panter
* [[Bobbie Gentry]] — Roberta Streeter
* [[Geordie]] — Kevin Walker (Guitarist with UK punk band [[Killing Joke]])
* [[Boy George]] — George Alan O'Dowd
* [[Georges Guibourg|Georgious]] — Georges Guibourg
* [[George Gershwin]] — Jacob Gershowitz
* [[Ira Gershwin]] — Israel Gershowitz
* [[Estelle Getty]] - Estelle Scher
* [[Stan Getz]] — Stanley Gayetsky
* [[Kathie Lee Gifford]] — Kathie Epstein
* [[Billy Gilbert]] — William Gilbert Barron
* [[Ginuwine]] — Elgin Lumpkin
* [[Aria Giovanni]] — Cindy Renee Volk
* [[Whoopi Goldberg]] — Caryn Elaine Johnson
* [[Samuel Goldwyn]] — Samuel Gelbfisch
* [[Lesley Gore]] — Lesley Goldstein
* [[Eydie Gorme]] — Edith Gormezano
* [[Jetta Goudal]] — Julie Henriette Goudeket
* [[Elliott Gould]] — Elliot Goldstein
* [[Betty Grable]] — Elizabeth Ruth Grable
* [[Topher Grace]] — Christopher Grace
* [[Bill Graham (promoter)|Bill Graham]] — Wolfgang Wolodja Grajonka
* [[Stewart Granger]] — James Stewart
* [[Cary Grant]] — Archibald Alexander Leach
* [[Gogi Grant]] — Myrtle Audrey Arinsberg
* [[Rachel Grant]] - Rachel Louise Grant De Longueuil
* [[Dobie Gray]] - Leonard Victor Ainsworth
* [[Macy Gray]] — Natalie Renee McIntyre
* [[Al Green]] — Al Greene
* [[Gribouille]] — Marie-France Gaîté
* [[Professor Griff]] — Richard Griffin
* [[Clare Grogan|CP Grogan]] - Clare Grogan (confusingly known by her own name as a musician but by her initials as an actress, as the name was already registered at [[British Actors' Equity Association|Equity]].)
* [[Eddie Guerrero]] — Eduardo Gory Guerrero Llanes
* [[Robert Guillaume]] — Robert Peter Williams
* [[Buddy Guy]] — George Guy
* [[GZA]] — Gary Grice

== H ==
* [[Haiducii]] — Paula Mitrache
* [[Larry Hagman]] —- Larry Martin Hageman
* [[Daryl Hall]] —- Daryl Franklin Hohl
* [[Halston]] — Roy Halston Frowick
* [[MC Hammer]] — Stanley Kirk Burrell
* [[Max Hardcore]] — Paul Little
* [[Sarah Harding]] — Sarah Hardman
* [[Jean Harlow]] — Harlean Carpentier
* [[Tess Harper]] - Tessie Jean Washam
* [[Slim Harpo]] — James Moore
* [[Julie Harris]] — Julia Ann Harris
* [[Wood Harris]] — Sherwin David Harris
* [[Rex Harrison]] — Reginald Carey Harrison
* [[Mary Hart]] — Mary Johanna Harum
* [[Nina Hartley]] — Marie Louise Hartman
* [[Mark Copani|Muhammad Hassan]] -- Mark Copani
* [[Davey Havok]] - David Marchand
* [[Goldie Hawn]] — Goldie Jean Studlendegehawn
* [[Salma Hayek]] - Salma Hayek-Jiménez
* [[Neil Hayward]] — Niels Bonke
* [[Susan Hayward]] — Edythe Marriner
* [[Rita Hayworth]] — Margarita Carmen Cansino

* [[Richard Hell]] — Richard Myers
* [[Audrey Hepburn]] — Audrey Kathleen Ruston
* [[Charlton Heston]] — John Charles Carter
* [[Hildegarde]] — Hildegarde Loretta Sell
* [[Benny Hill]] - Alfred Hawthorn Hill
* [[Faith Hill]] — Audrey Faith Perry
* [[hitomi]] — Hitomi Furuya
* [[Hulk Hogan]] — Terry Gene Bollea
* [[William Holden]] — William Beedle
* [[Noddy Holder]] - Neville Holder
* [[Billie Holiday]] — Eleanora Fagan Gough
* [[John Holmes (actor)|John Holmes]] — John Curtis Estes
* [[Jack Holt]] — Charles John Holt II
* [[Jennifer Holt]] — Elizabeth Marshall Holt
* [[Tim Holt]] — Charles John Holt III
* [[Nellee Hooper]] - Paul Andrew Hooper
* [[Bob Hope]] — Leslie Townes Hope
* [[Harry Houdini]] — Ehrich Weiss
* [[Cissy Houston]] — Emily Drinkard
* [[Curly Howard]] — Jerome Lester Horwitz
* [[Leslie Howard]] — Leslie Howard Stainer
* [[Moe Howard]] — Moses Horwitz
* [[Shemp Howard]] — Samuel Horwitz
* [[H.R.]] - Paul Hudson
* [[Rock Hudson]] — Roy Scherer, Jr.
* [[Betty Hutton]] — Elizabeth June Thornburg
* [[Lauren Hutton]] — Mary Laurence Hutton
* [[Marion Hutton]] — Marion Thornburg
* [[Englebert Humperdinck (singer)|Englebert Humperdinck]] — Arnold George "Gerry" Dorsey
* [[Triple H]] — Paul Michael Levesque

== I ==
* [[Janis Ian]] — Janis Eddy Fink
* [[Ice Cube]] — O'Shea Jackson
* [[Ice T]] — Tracy Marrow
* [[Ichiro Suzuki|Ichiro]] — Ichiro Suzuki
* [[Billy Idol]] — William Michael Albert Broad
* [[Lux Interior]] - Erick Lee Purkhiser
* [[Mr. II]] — Joseph Mbilinyi
* [[May Irwin]] — Ada May Campbell
* [[Ivy Queen]] — Martha Ivelisse Pesante

== J ==
* [[David J]] - David Haskins
* [[Jackie Jackson]] — Sigmund Esco Jackson
* [[Rebbie Jackson]] — Maureen Reilette Jackson
* [[Tito Jackson]] — Toriano Adaryl Jackson
* [[Jaël]] - Rahel Krebs
* [[Jello Biafra]] — Eric Boucher
* [[Brian James]] — Brian Robertson
* [[Etta James]] — Jamesetta Hawkins
* [[Joni James]] — Joan (or Giovanna) Carmella Babbo
* [[Rick James]] — James Ambrose Johnson
* [[Skip James]] — Nehemiah James
* [[Sonny James]] — James Loden
* [[Jenna Jameson]] — Jennifer Marie Massoli
* [[James St. James]] — James Clark
* [[Janine Lindemulder|Janine]] — Janine Lindemulder
* [[Steve Jansen]] — Stephen Batt
* [[David Janssen]] - David Harold Meyer
* Sir [[David Jason]] — David John White
* [[Jam Master Jay]] — Jason Mizell
* [[Jay-Z]] — Shawn Corey Carter
* [[Jazzy Jeff]] — Jeffrey Townes
* [[Blind Lemon Jefferson]] — Clarence Jefferson
* [[Ron Jeremy]] — Ronald Jeremy Hyatt
* [[Chris Jericho]] - Christopher Keith Irvine
* [[Jessicka]] — Jessica Fodera
* [[Joan Jett]] - Joan Marie Larkin
* [[Jewel (singer)|Jewel]] — Jewel Kilcher
* [[Ann Jillian]] - Ann Jura Nauseda
* [[Jim Bob]] — James Robert Morrison
* [[Jimmy The Robot]] - James Briggs
* [[Sir Elton John]] — Reginald Kenneth Dwight (He legally changed his name to Elton Hercules John on September 2, 1972. An image of the deed poll certificate for Mr. John's change of name is visible [[:Image:Deed_poll_certificate_for_Elton_John.jpg|here]].)
* [[Don Johnson]] — Don Wayne
* [[Holly Johnson]] — William Johnson
* [[JoJo]] — Joanna Noelle Levesque
* [[Angelina Jolie]] — Angelina Jolie Voight
* [[Al Jolson]] — Asa Yoelson
* [[Lil Jon]] — Jonathan Smith
* [[Grace Jones]] — Grace Mendoza
* [[James Earl Jones]] — Todd Jones
* [[Jenny Jones (presenter)|Jenny Jones]] - Janina Stranski
* [[John Paul Jones (musician)|John Paul Jones]] (musician) - John Baldwin
* [[Tom Jones (singer)|Tom Jones]] — Thomas Jones Woodward
* [[Dave Jonsen]] — Gordon C.
* [[Lonnie Jordan]] — Leroy Jordan
* [[Jordan (model)|Jordan]] — Katie Price (formerly Katie Infield)
* [[Mrs Jordan]] — Dorothea Bland (mistress of King [[William IV of the United Kingdom]])
* [[José José]] — José Sosa
* [[Ashley Judd]] - Ashley Tyler Ciminella
* [[Naomi Judd]] - Diana Ellen Judd
* [[Wynonna Judd]] — Christina Claire Ciminella
* [[Miranda July]] — Miranda Grossinger
* [[Sylvester Ritter|Junkyard Dog]] — Sylvester Ritter
* [[Juvenile (rapper)|Juvenile]] — Terius Gray

== K ==
* [[K-Ci]] — Cedric Hailey
* [[Ya Kid K]] — Barbara Kamosi Maoso Duogi
* [[Madeline Kahn]] — Madeline Gail Wolfson
* [[Kitty Kallen]] — Genevieve Agostinello
* [[Glen Jacobs|Kane]] — Glen Jacobs
* [[Big Daddy Kane]] — Antonio Harding
* [[Boris Karloff]] — William Henry Pratt
* [[Mick Karn]] — Anthony Michaelides
* [[Richard Karn]] — Richard Karn Wilson
* [[Danny Kaye]] — David Daniel Kaminski
* [[Staci Keanan]] — Anastasia Sagorsky
* [[Diane Keaton]] — Diane Hall
* [[Michael Keaton]] — Michael John Douglas
* [[Maynard James Keenan]] — James Herbert Keenan
* [[Kool Keith]] — Keith Matthew Thornton
* [[Emma Kennedy]] — Elizabeth Emma Williams
* [[Kelis]] — Kelis Rogers
* [[Cevin key]] — Kevin Crompton
* [[Alicia Keys]] — Alicia Augello Cook
* [[Chaka Khan]] — Carole Yvette Marie Stevens
* [[Masta Killa]] — Elgin Turner
* [[Ghostface Killah]] — Dennis Coles
* [[Andy Kim]] — Andrew Youakim
* [[Lil Kim]] — Kimberly Denise Jones
* [[Sandra Kim]] — Sandra Caldarone
* [[Albert King]] — Albert Nelson
* [[Anita King]] — Anna Keppen
* [[B.B. King]] — Riley B. King
* [[Ben E. King]] — Benjamin Earl Nelson
* [[Carole King]] — Carole Klein
* [[King Diamond]] - Kim Bendix Petersen
* [[Freddie King]] — Frederick Christian
* [[Larry King]] — Larry Zieger
* [[Ben Kingsley]] — Krishna Banji
* [[Beverley Knight]] — Beverley Anne Smith
* [[Ted Knight]] — Tadeus Wladyslaw Konopka
* [[Dr. Know (guitarist)|Dr. Know]] — Gary Wayne Miller
* [[Johnny Knoxville]] — Phillip John Clapp
* [[Kool & the Gang|Kool]] — Robert Bell
* [[Véra Korène]] — Rébecca Véra Korestzky
* [[Marta Kristen]] — Birgit Annalisa Rusanen
* [[KRS-One]] — Lawrence Krisna Parker
* [[Ashok Kumar (actor)|Ashok Kumar]] — Kumudlal Kanjilal Ganguly
* [[Dilip Kumar]] — Yusuf Khan
* [[Kishore Kumar]] — Abhas Ganguly
* [[Meena Kumari]] — Mahjabeen Bano
* [[Kuniva]] - Von Carlisle
* [[Kurupt]] — Ricardo Brown

== L ==
* [[La Goulue]] — Louise Weber
* [[Patti LaBelle]] — Patricia Louise Holt
* [[Cheryl Ladd]] — Cheryl Stoppelmoor
* [[Lagbaja]] — Bisade Ologunde
* [[Dame of the British Empire|Dame]] [[Cleo Laine]] — Clementina Dinah Campbell
* [[Veronica Lake]] — Constance Ockleman
* [[Dorothy Lamour]] — Mary Leta Dorothy Kaumeyer
* [[Michael Landon]] — Eugene Michael Orowitz
* [[Nathan Lane]] — Joseph Lane
* [[Mario Lanza]] — Alfredo Cocozza
* [[Alexis Laree]] - Michaela Laree James
* [[Brie Larson]] — Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers
* [[Queen Latifah]] — Dana Elaine Owens
* [[Larry The Cable Guy]] — Daniel Lawrence Whitney
* [[James Last]] - Hans Last
* [[Stan Laurel]] — Arthur Stanley Jefferson
* [[Ralph Lauren]] — Ralph Lipschitz
* [[Piper Laurie]] — Rosetta Jacobs
* [[Blackie Lawless]] - Steven Duren
* [[Lucy Lawless]] — Lucille Frances Ryan
* [[Joey Lawrence]] - Joseph Lawrence Mignona, Jr.
* [[Steve Lawrence]] — Sidney Leibowitz
* [[Vicki Lawrence]] - Vicki Ann Axelrad
* [[Arthur Lee (musician)|Arthur Lee]] — Arthur Taylor Porter
* [[Brenda Lee]] — Brenda Mae Tarpley
* [[Bruce Lee]] — Lee Jun-fan
* [[Geddy Lee]] — Gary Lee Weinrib [[Order of Canada|OC]]
* [[Gypsy Rose Lee]] — Rose Louise Hovick
* [[Michele Lee]] — Michelle Lee Dusick
* [[Peggy Lee]] — Norma Delores Egstrom
* [[Spike Lee]] — Shelton Jackson Lee
* [[Tommy Lee]] - Thomas Lee Bass
* [[John Legend]] - John Stephens
* [[Janet Leigh]] — Jeanette Helen Morrison
* [[Jennifer Jason Leigh]] — Jennifer Lee Morrow
* [[Vivien Leigh]] — Vivien Mary Hartley
* [[Lemmy]] - Ian Fraiser Kilminster
* [[Marcelle Lender]] — Anne-Marie Marcelle Bastien
* [[Sugar Ray Leonard]] — Ray Charles Leonard
* [[Téa Leoni]] — Elizabeth Téa Pantleoni
* [[Huey Lewis]] — Hugh Anthony Cregg III
* [[Jerry Lewis]] — Joseph Levitch
* [[Jet Li]] — Li Lian Jie
* [[Liberace]] — Wladziu Lee Valentino Liberace
* [[Mr. Lif]] — Jeffrey Haynes
* [[Alex Lifeson]] — Alexander Zivojinovich [[Order of Canada|OC]]
* [[Judith Light]] - Judith Ellen Licht
* [[Rickey Lime]] — Anna Goodling
* [[Max Linder]] — Gabriel-Maximilien Leuvielle
* [[Amy Dumas|Lita]] — Amy Dumas
* [[Bunny Livingston]]/Bunny Wailer — Neville O'Riley
* [[Lizzie]] - Liz Enriquez
* [[LL Cool J]] — James Todd Smith
* [[Tone-Loc]] — Anthony Smith
* [[Josef Locke]] — Joseph McLaughlin
* [[Carole Lombard]] — Jane Alice Peters
* [[Julie London]] - Gayle Peck
* [[Jack Lord]] - John Joseph Patrick Ryan
* [[Traci Lords]] — Nora Louise Kuzma
* [[Sophia Loren]] — Sofia Scicolone
* [[Peter Lorre]] — László Löwenstein
* [[Lou (singer)|Lou]] — Louise Mary Watts
* [[Joe Louis]] — Joe Louis Barrow
* [[Courtney Love]] — born Courtney Michelle Harrison, legally changed to Courtney Michelle Love
* [[Darlene Love]] — Darlene Wright
* [[Lovefoxxx]] - Luísa Hanaê Matsushita (singer of [[Cansei de Ser Sexy]])
* [[Linda Lovelace]] — Linda Susan Boreman
* [[Lene Lovich]] — Lili-Marlene Premilovich
* [[Myrna Loy]] — Myrna Adele Williams
* [[Ludacris]] — Christopher Bridges
* [[Bela Lugosi]] — Béla Ferenc Dezsõ Blaskó
* [[Lulu (singer)|Lulu]] — Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie
* [[Lydia Lunch]] — Lydia Koch
* [[Annabella Lwin]] - Myant Myant Aye Dunn-Lwin
* [[Amber Lynn]] - Laura Allen
* [[Ginger Lynn]] - Ginger Lynn Allen
* [[Loretta Lynn]] — Loretta Lynn Webb
* [[Dame of the British Empire|Dame]] [[Vera Lynn]] — Vera Welsh

== M ==
* [[Edo Maajka]] — Edin Osmic
* [[Bernie Mac]] — Bernard Jeffrey McCollough
* [[Willard Mack]] — Charles McLaughlin
* [[Shirley MacLaine]] — Shirley Beaty
* [[Gavin MacLeod]] - Allan See
* [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]] — Madonna Louise Ciccone
* [[Magoo]] — Melvin Barcliff
* [[Taj Mahal (musician)|Taj Mahal]] — Henry St. Clair Fredericks
* [[Lee Majors]] — Harvey Lee Yeary II
* [[Makaveli]] - Tupac Shakur
* [[Karl Malden]] — Mladen Sekulovich
* [[Yngwie Malmsteen]] - Lars Johann Yngve Lannerbäck
* [[Method Man]] — Clifford Smith
* [[Mana (musician)|Mana]] — Real name unknown
* [[Camryn Manheim]] — Debra Frances Manheim
* [[Barry Manilow]] — Barry Alan Pinkus
* [[Handsome Dick Manitoba]] - Richard Blum
* [[Manitoba (musician)|Manitoba]] — Dan Snaith (formerly, now uses the stage name [[Caribou (musician)|Caribou]])
* [[Jayne Mansfield]] — Vera Jane Palmer
* [[Marilyn Manson (person)|Marilyn Manson]] — Brian Hugh Warner
* [[Roots Manuva]] — Rodney Hylton Smith
* [[Rocky Marciano]] — Rocco Francis Marchegiano
* [[Bam Margera]] — Brandon Cole Margera
* [[Marilyn (musician)|Marilyn]] — Peter Robinson
* [[Biz Markie]] — Marcel Hall
* [[Marley Marl]] — Marlon Williams
* [[Ziggy Marley]] — David Marley
* [[Johnny Marr]] — John Maher
* [[Mick Mars]] — Robert Alan (Bob) Deal
* [[Garry Marshall]] - Anthony Wallace Marsciarelli
* [[Penny Marshall]] — Carole Penelope Marsciarelli
* [[Peter Marshall (game show host)|Peter Marshall]] - Ralph Pierre LaCock
* [[Val Valentino|Masked Musician]] - Leonard Monatono
* [[Chris Mordetsky|Chris Masters]] — Christopher Mordetsky
* [[Martika]] — Martha Marrero
* [[Dean Martin]] — Dino Paul Crocetti
* [[Ricky Martin]] — Enrique Jose Martin Morales IV
* [[Tony Martin (entertainer)|Tony Martin]] — Alvin Morris
* [[Hank B. Marvin]] — Brian Rankin
* [[Chico Marx]] — Leonard Marx
* [[Groucho Marx]] — Julius Henry Marx
* [[Gummo Marx]] — Milton Marx
* [[Harpo Marx]] — Adolph Arthur Marx
* [[Zeppo Marx]] — Herbert Marx
* [[Ma$e]] — Mason Betha
* [[Jackie Mason]] - Jacob Maza
* [[Walter Matthau]] — Walter John Matthow — there is a common [[urban legend]] that his original name was Matuschanskyayasky. This was a joke told by Matthau himself.
* [[The MC Bat Commander]] - Christian Jacobs
* [[MC Lyte]] — Lana Michelle Moorer
* [[MCA (rapper)|MCA]] — Adam Yauch
* [[Brini Maxwell]] — Ben Sander
* [[Elle MacPherson]] — Eleanor Gow
* [[Maxim Reality]] - Keith Palmer
* [[Kent McCord]] — Kent Franklin McWhirter
* [[Andie McDowell]] — Rosalie Anderson-MacDowell
* [[Mike McGear]] - Peter Michael McCartney (brother of Paul McCartney)
* [[Duff McKagan]] - Michael Andrew McKagan
* [[Siobhán McKenna]] — Siobhán Giollamhuire Nic Cionnaith
* [[Crash McLarson]] - Chad Larson
* [[Meat Loaf]] — Marvin Lee Aday
* [[Melle Mel]] — Melvin Glover
* [[Carlos Mencia]] — Ned Holness
* [[Freddie Mercury]] — Faroukh Bulsara
* [[Ethel Merman]] — Ethel Zimmerman
* [[George Michael]] — Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou
* [[Bret Michaels]] - Bret Michael Sychak
* [[Shawn Michaels]] - Michael Shawn Hickenbottom
* [[Pras Michel]] — Prakazrel Michel
* [[Tímea Vágvölgyi|Cindy Miel]] — Tímea Vágvölgyi
* [[Luis Miguel]] — Luis Miguel Gallegos Basteri
* [[Buddy Miles]] - George Miles
* [[Millie (singer)|Millie]] — Millicent Small
* [[Donna Mills]] — Donna Jean Miller
* [[Minnesota Fats]] - Rudolph Walter Wanderone Jr.
* [[Mary Miles Minter]] — Juliet Reilly
* [[Mina (singer)|Mina]] — Anna Maria Mazzini
* [[Carmen Miranda]] — Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha
* [[Mistinguett]] — Jeanne Bourgeois
* [[Joni Mitchell]] — Roberta Joan Anderson
* [[Mitsou]] - Mitsou-Miel Rioux-Gélinas
* [[Sir Mix-A-Lot]] — Anthony Ray
* [[Moby]] — Richard Melville Hall
* [[Matt Monro]] — Terence Parsons
* [[Marilyn Monroe]] — Norma Jean Mortenson, later Norma Jean Baker
* [[Yves Montand]] — Ivo Livi
* [[Demi Moore]] — Demetria Gene Guynes
* [[Garry Moore]] — Thomas Garrison Morfit
* [[Julianne Moore]] — Julie Anne Smith
* [[Eric Morecambe]] — Eric John Bartholomew
* [[Rita Moreno]] — Rosita Dolores Alverio
* [[Harry Morgan]] - Henry Bratsburg
* [[Jane Morgan]] — Florence Catherine Currier
* [[Van Morrison]] — George Ivan Morrison
* [[Jelly Roll Morton]] — Ferdinand Joseph Lamothe
* [[Mos Def]] - Dante Terrell Smith
* [[Zero Mostel]] — Samuel Mostel
* [[Eek A Mouse]] — Ripton Joseph Hilton
* [[DJ Muggs]] — Lawrence Muggerud
* [[Maria Muldaur]] - Maria Grazia Rosa Domenica D'Amato
* [[Musidora]] - Jeanne Roques
* [[Mystikal]] — Micheal Tyler

== N ==
* [[Tech N9ne]] — Aaron D. Yates
* [[Najma Akhtar|Najma]] - Najma Akhtar
* [[Bif Naked]] - Beth Torbert
* [[Nas (rapper)|Nas]] — Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones
* [[Alla Nazimova]] — Mariam Edez Adelaida Leventon
* [[Me'shell Ndegeocello]] — born Michelle Johnson, later Meshell Suihailia Bashir Shakur
* [[Vince Neil]] - Vincent Neil Wharton
* [[Sam Neill]] - Nigel John Dermot Neill
* [[Nelly]] — Cornell Haynes, Jr.
* [[Harriet Nelson]] — Peggy Lou Snyder
* [[Ricky Nelson]] — Eric Hilliard Nelson
* [[Julie Newmar]] — Julia Charlene Newmeyer
* [[Juice Newton]] — Judy Cohen
* [[Ne-Yo]] — Shaffer Chimere Smith
* [[Nico]] - Christa Päffgen
* [[Steve Nieve]] - Steven Nason
* [[Dale Nixon]] — Greg Ginn
* [[Marni Nixon]] — Marni McEathron
* [[Danbert Nobacon]] - Alan Whaley
* [[Noko]] — Norman Fisher-Jones
* [[Kevin 'Noodles' Wasserman|Noodles]] — Kevin Wasserman
* [[Chuck Norris]] — Carlos Ray
* [[Sheree North]] — Dawn Shirley Crang (later Bethel)
* [[The Notorious B.I.G.]] — Christopher Wallace
* [[Aldo Nova]] - Aldo Caporuscio
* [[Kim Novak]] — Marilyn Pauline Novak
* [[Gary Numan]] — Gary Anthony James Webb
* [[Numskull]] — Garrick Husbands
* [[Laura Nyro]] — Laura Nigro

== O ==
* [[Karen O]] - Karen Lee Orzolek
* [[Merle Oberon]] — Estelle Merle O'Brien Thompson
* [[Billy Ocean]] — Leslie Sebastian Charles
* [[Maureen O'Hara]] - Maureen FitzSimons
* [[Warner Oland]] — Johan Verner Ölund
* [[Tony Orlando]] - Michael Anthony Orlando Cassavitis
* [[Lee Oskar]] - Oskar Levetin Hansen
* [[Gilbert O'Sullivan]] — Raymond Edward O'Sullivan
* [[Johnny Otis]] — John Veliotes
* [[Natalino Otto]] — Natale Codognotto
* [[Super Dave Osborne]] - Bob Einstein
* [[Ozzy Osbourne]] — Jonathan Michael Osborne

== P ==
* [[Master P]] — Percy Miller Sr.
* [[Augustus Pablo]] — Horace Swaby
* [[Patti Page]] — Clara Ann Fowler
* [[Debra Paget]] — Debralee Griffin
* [[Elaine Paige]] — Elaine Bickerstaff
* [[Jack Palance]] — Vladimir Palahnuik
* [[Paris (rapper)|Paris]] — Oscar Jackson, Jr.
* [[Mica Paris]] — Michelle Wallen
* [[Colonel Tom Parker]] — Andreas Cornelius van Kujik
* [[Robert Patrick]] - Robert Patrick O'Shaugnessy
* [[Les Paul]] — Lester Polfuss
* [[Prince Paul]] — Paul Houston
* [[Vinnie Paul]] — Vinnie Paul Abbott
* [[Johnny Paycheck]] - Donald Eugene Lytle
* [[Minnie Pearl]] - Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon
* [[Pelé]] - Edson Arantes do Nascimento
* [[Queen Pen]] — Lynise Walters
* [[Kal Penn]] — Kalpen Modi
* [[Joe Perry (musician)|Joe Perry]] - Anthony Joseph Pereira
* [[Lee Perry|Lee "Scratch" Perry]] — Rainford Hugh Perry
* [[Luke Perry]] - Coy Luther Perry III
* [[Bernadette Peters]] - Bernadette Lazzara
* [[Le Pétomane]] — Joseph Pujol
* [[Lou Diamond Phillips]] — Lou Upchurch
* [[Michelle Phillips]] — Holly Michelle Gilliam
* [[Édith Piaf]] — Édith Gassion
* [[Slim Pickens]] - Louis Bert Lindley, Jr.
* [[Mary Pickford]] — Gladys Smith
* [[Pink (musician)|Pink]] — Alecia Moore
* [[Billie Piper]] - Leanne Paul Piper
* [[Roddy Piper]] — Roderick Toombs
* [[Ingrid Pitt]] — Ingoushka Petrov
* [[Buster Poindexter]] — David Johansen
* [[Doc Pomus]] — Jerome Solon Felder
* [[Iggy Pop]] — James Jewel Osterberg, Jr.
* [[Natalie Portman]] — Natalie Hershlag
* [[Kid Congo Powers]] — Brian Tristan
* [[Stefanie Powers]] — Stefania Zofija Federkiewicz
* [[Maxi Priest]] — Max Elliot
* [[Prince (artist)|Prince]] — Prince Rogers Nelson
* [[Digital Unicorn|Prince Adam]] - Adam Deibert
* [[Victoria Principal]] — Concettina Ree Principale
* [[Yvonne Printemps]] — Yvonne Wignolle
* [[Freddie Prinze]] — Frederick Karl Pruetzel
* [[El-Producto]] — Jaime Meline
* [[Proof (rapper)|Proof]] — DeShaun Holton
* [[Grand Puba]] — Maxwell Dixon
* [[Big Pun]] — Christopher Lee Rios
* [[Pink]] - Adithya Rangarajan

== Q ==
* [[Q-Tip (rapper)|Q-Tip]] — Jonathan Davis (now Kamaal Fareed)
* [[Suzi Quatro]] - Susan Kay Quatrocchio

== R ==

* [[Sun Ra]] — Herman Poole Blount
* [[Roddy Radiation]] — Rodney Byers
* [[Charlotte Rae]] - Charlotte Rae Lubotsky
* [[Raekwon]] — Corey Woods
* [[Rakim]] — William Griffin
* [[Buck Ram]] — Samuel Ram
* [[Twiggy Ramirez]] — Jeordie Francis White
* [[Dee Dee Ramone]] — Douglas Colvin
* [[Joey Ramone]] — Jeffrey Hyman
* [[Johnny Ramone]] — John Cummings
* [[Marky Ramone]] — Marc Bell
* [[Tommy Ramone]] — Tommy Erdelyi
* [[Tony Randall]] — Leonard Rosenberg
* [[James Randi]] - Randall James Hamilton Zwinge
* [[Ranking Roger]] - Roger Charlery
* [[Shabba Ranks]] — Rexton Fernando Gordon
* [[Dizzee Rascal]] — Dylan Mills
* [[Scott Levy|Raven]] — Scott Levy
* [[Gene Rayburn]] - Eugene Rubessa
* [[Nancy Reagan]] — Anne Frances Robbins Davis
* [[Maxim Reality]] — Keeti Palmer
* [[Redman]] — Reggie Noble
* [[Donna Reed]] - Donna Belle Mullenger
* [[Della Reese]] — Delloreese Patricia Early
* [[George Reeves]] - George Keefer Brewer
* [[Vic Reeves]] — James Moir
* [[Judge Reinhold]] — Edward Ernest Reinhold Jr.
* [[MC Ren]] — Lorenzo Patterson
* [[Debbie Reynolds]] — Mary Frances Reynolds
* [[Terry Gerin|Rhino]] — Terrance Gerin
* [[Erik Rhodes]] — Ernest Sharpe
* [[Nick Rhodes]] — Nicholas James Bates
* [[Busta Rhymes]] — Trevor Tahiem Smith Jr.
* [[Cliff Richard]] — Harry Rodger Webb
* [[Little Richard]] — Richard Wayne Penniman
* [[Rihanna]] — Robyn Rihanna Fenty
* [[Rikki]] — Nakano Ritsuki
* [[Jeannie C. Riley]] — Jeanne Carolyn Stephenson
* [[Joan Rivers]] — Joan Alexandra Molinsky
* [[Johnny Rivers]] - John Ramistella
* [[Marty Robbins]] - Martin David Robinson
* [[Julia Roberts]] — Julie Fiona Roberts
* [[Roy Roberts]] — Roy Barnes Jones
* [[Edward G. Robinson]] — Emanuel Goldenberg
* [[Smokey Robinson]] — William Robinson
* [[Sugar Ray Robinson]] — Walker Smith, Jr.
* [[Aesop Rock]] — Ian Bavitz
* [[Derek Lee Rock]] - Derek Lee Smith
* [[Kid Rock]] — Robert Ritchie
* [[Pete Rock]] — Peter Phillips
* [[The Rock (entertainer)|The Rock]] — Dwayne Douglas Johnson
* [[Rikki Rockett]] - Richard Allan Ream
* [[Rockwell (musician)|Rockwell]] — Kennedy Gordy
* [[Rod Roddy]] — Robert Ray Roddy
* [[Ranking Roger]] — Roger Charlery
* [[Ginger Rogers]] — Virginia Katherine McMath
* [[Roy Rogers]] — Leonard Slye
* [[Henry Rollins]] — Henry Garfield
* [[Lil' Romeo]] — Percy Romeo Miller, Jr.
* [[Ronaldinho]] — Ronaldo Assis de Moreira
* [[Mickey Rooney]] — Joe Yule Jr.
* [[Axl Rose]] — William Bruce Bailey
* [[Diana Ross]] — Diane Ernestine Earle Ross
* [[Johnny Rotten]] — John Joseph Lydon
* [[Kelly Rowland]] - Kelendria Trene Rowland
* [[Joseph Simmons|Run]] — Joseph Simmons
* [[Ja Rule]] — Jeffrey Atkins
* [[Jennifer Rush]] - Heidi Stern
* [[John Russell (actor)|John Russell]] — William Lawrence Russell
* [[Leon Russell]] - Claude Russell Bridges
* [[Lillian Russell]] - Helen Louise Leonard
* [[Jeri Ryan]] - Jeri Lynn Zimmerman
* [[Mark Ryan]] - Mark Gaumont
* [[Meg Ryan]] — Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra
* [[Winona Ryder]] — Winona Laura Horowitz
* [[RZA]] — Robert Diggs

== S ==
* [[Raphael Saadiq]] - Charlie Ray Wiggins
* [[Rena Mero|Sable]] — Rena Greek (later Rena Mero, or Merowitz)
* [[Sabu]] — Terry Brunk
* [[Sade Adu|Sade]] — Helen Folasade Adu
* [[Susan Saint James]] — Susan Jane Miller
* [[Jill St. John]] - Jill Arlyn Oppenheim
* [[Soupy Sales]] - Milton Supman
* [[Salt-N-Pepa]] — Cheryl James & Sandra Denton
* [[Magic Sam]] — Samuel Maghett
* [[Flo Sandon's]] — Mammola Sandon
* [[Juelz Santana]] — LaRon Louis James
* [[Susan Sarandon]] — Susan Abigail Tomalin
* [[Father Guido Sarducci]] - Don Novello
* [[Dick Sargent]] — Richard Cox
* [[Michael Savage (commentator)|Michael Savage]] — Michael Alan Weiner
* [[Randy Savage]] — Randall Poffo
* [[Telly Savalas]] — Aristotle Savalas
* [[Leo Sayer]] — Gerard Hugh Sayer
* [[Rat Scabies]] — Chris Miller
* [[Boz Scaggs]] — William Royce Scaggs
* [[Gia Scala]] — Giovanna Scoglio
* [[Scarface (rapper)|Scarface]] — Brad Jordan
* [[Romy Schneider]] — Rosemarie Magdalena Albach
* [[Bon Scott]] - Ronald Bedford Scott
* [[Lizabeth Scott]] - Emma Matzo
* [[Randolph Scott]] — George Randolph Crane
* [[Seal (musician)|Seal]] — Sealhenry Olusegun Olumide Samuel
* [[Selena]] — Selena Quintanilla Pérez
* [[Peter Sellers]] — Richard Henry Sellers
* [[Captain Sensible]] — Ray Burns
* [[MC Serch]] — Michael Berrin
* [[Yahoo Serious]] - Gregory Pead
* [[Steve Severin]] - Steven Bailey
* [[David Seville (entertainer)|David Seville]] — [[Ross Bagdasarian]]
* [[Jane Seymour (actress)|Jane Seymour]] — Joyce Penelope Wilhelmina Frankenburg
* [[DJ Shadow]] — Josh Davis
* [[Shaggy]] — Orville Richard Burrell
* [[Shakira]] — Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll
* [[MC Shan]] — Shawn Moltke
* [[Del Shannon]] — Charles Weedon Westover
* [[Omar Sharif]] — Michael Shalhoub
* [[Artie Shaw]] — Arthur Arshawsky
* [[Sandie Shaw]] — Sandra Goodrich
* [[Charlie Sheen]] — Carlos Irwin Estevez
* [[Martin Sheen]] — Ramón Gerard Antonio Estévez
* [[Pete Shelley]] — Peter McNeish
* [[Anne Shelton]] — Patricia Sibley
* [[Shemp Howard|Shemp]] — Samuel Howard
* [[Dawn Evelyn Paris|Anne Shirley]] — Dawn Evelyn Paris
* [[Michelle Shocked]] — Karen Michelle Johnson
* [[Dinah Shore]] — Frances Rose Shore
* [[Too $hort]] — Todd Anthony Shaw
* [[Sice]] - Simon Rowbottom
* [[Simone Signoret]] — Simone Kaminker
* [[Beverly Sills]] — Belle Miriam Silverman
* [[Phil Silvers]] — Philip Silversmith
* [[Gene Simmons]] — Chaim Klein Witz, later Gene Klein
* [[Nina Simone]] — Eunice Kathleen Waymon
* [[Sinbad (actor)|Sinbad]] - David Adkins
* [[Bob Sinclar]] — Christophe Le Friant
* [[Siouxsie Sioux]] — Susan Janet Ballion
* [[Nikki Sixx]] — Frank Carlton Serafino Ferranno
* [[Sisqó]] — Mark Althavan Andrews
* [[Muzz Skillings]] — Manuel Skillings
* [[Deborah Dyer|Skin]] — Deborah Dyer
* Skeltz — Anthony Schultz
* [[Slash (musician)|Slash]] — Saul Hudson
* [[Christian Slater]] — Christian Michael Leonard Hawkins
* [[Grace Slick]] — Grace Barnett Wing
* [[Memphis Slim]] — Peter Chatman
* [[Chas Smash]] - Cathal Smyth
* [[Anna Nicole Smith]] — Vickie Lynn Hogan
* [[Elliott Smith]] — Steven Paul Smith
* [[Keely Smith]] — Dorothy Jaqueline Keely
* [[Phoebe Snow]] - Phoebe Laub
* [[Snow_(musician)|Snow]] — Darrin O'Brien
* [[MC Solaar]] — Claude M'Barali
* [[Suzanne Somers]] — Suzanne Marie Mahoney
* [[Elke Sommer]] - Elke Schletz
* [[Jack Soo]] - Goro Suzuki
* [[P. C. Sorcar]] — Protul Chandra Sorcar
* [[Talisa Soto]] - Miriam Soto
* [[Sissy Spacek]] — Mary Elizabeth Spacek
* [[Kevin Spacey]] — Kevin Spacey Fowler
* [[Bubba Sparxxx]] — Warren Anderson Mathis
* [[Ronnie Spector]] — Veronica Bennett
* [[Arrested Development (hip hop group)|Speech]] — Todd Thomas
* [[John Spencer (actor)|John Spencer]] (actor) - John Speshock
* [[Salt-n-Pepa|Spindarella]] — Deidre Roper
* [[Dusty Springfield]] — Mary Isabel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien
* [[Rick Springfield]] — Richard Lewis Springthorpe
* [[Squarepusher]] — Tom Jenkinson
* [[Rebecca St. James]] — Rebecca Smallbone
* [[Robert Stack]] - Charles Langford Modini Stack
* [[Paul Stanley]] — Stanley Eisen
* [[Barbara Stanwyck]] - Ruby Katherine Stevens
* [[Jean Stapleton]] - Jeanne Murray
* [[Scott Stapp]] — Anthony Scott Flippen
* [[Belle Starr]] - Myra Maybelle Shirley
* [[Blaze Starr]] - Fannie Belle Fleming
* [[Edwin Starr]] — Charles Hatcher
* [[Ringo Starr]] — Richard Starkey
* [[Tommy Steele]] — Thomas Hicks
* [[Ford Sterling]] — George Ford Stich
* [[April Stevens]] — Carol LoTempio
* [[Cat Stevens]] — Steven Demetri Georgiou
* [[Connie Stevens]] — Concetta Rosalie Ingolia
* [[Craig Stevens (actor)|Craig Stevens]] — Gail Shikles, Jr.
* [[Ray Stevens]] - Harold Ray Ragsdale
* [[Jon Stewart]] — Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz
* [[Sting (musician)|Sting]] — Gordon Matthew Sumner
* [[Sly Stone]] — Sylvester Stewart
* [[Gale Storm]] — Josephine Owaissa Cottle
* [[Hannah Storm]] — Hannah Storen
* [[Lance Storm]] - Lance Timothy Evers
* [[Izzy Stradlin]] - Jeffrey Isbell
* [[Steve Strange]] — Steven Harrington
* [[Trish Stratus]] — Patricia Anne Stratigias
* [[Meryl Streep]] — Mary Louise Streep
* [[Stringbean]] — David Akeman
* [[Poly Styrene]] - Marion Elliot (Singer with UK punk band [[X-Ray Spex]])
* [[Joe Strummer]] — John Graham Mellor
* [[Jeanne Stuart]] — Ivy Sweet
* [[Levi Stubbs]] — Levi Stubbles
* [[Stephanie Beard|Sugar]] — Stephanie Beard
* [[Graham McPherson|Suggs]] — Graham McPherson
* [[Donna Summer]] — LaDonna Andrea Gaines
* [[Marc Summers]] — Marc Berkowitz
* [[Princess Superstar]] — Concetta Kirschner
* [[Swifty]] - Jonathan Albrecht (Sports Agent)
* [[Devante Swing]] — Donald DeGrate, Jr.
* [[Sylvester James|Sylvester]] — Sylvester James
* [[David Sylvian]] — David Batt
* [[Slug]] - Sean Dailey

== T ==
* [[Mr. T]] — Lawrence Tureaud, later Lawrence Tero
* [[Taboo (rapper)|Taboo]] ([[Black Eyed Peas]]) - Jaime Luis Gomez
* [[Kobe Tai]] — Carla Carter Scott
* [[T-Boz]] — Tionne Watkins
* [[Tarkan]] - Tarkan Tevetoğlu
* [[Chris Chavis|Tatanka]] — Christopher Chavis
* [[Eva Taylor]] — Irene Joy Gibbons
* [[Rip Taylor]] - Charles Elmer, Jr.
* [[Robert Taylor (actor)|Robert Taylor]] — Spangler Arlington Brugh
* [[Penn and Teller|Teller]] — Raymond Joseph Teller
* [[Joey Tempest]] — Rolf Magnus Joakim Larsson
* [[Nino Tempo]] — Antonino LoTempio
* [[Jack Terricloth]] - Pete Ventantonio
* [[Danny Thomas]] — Amos Muzyad Jahoob
* [[Jonathan Taylor Thomas]] — Jonathan Weiss
* [[Johnny Thunders]] - John Anthony Genzale, Jr.
* [[Tiffany (singer)|Tiffany]] — Tiffany Renee Darwish
* [[Tila Tequila]] — Tila Nguyen
* [[Tímea Vágvölgyi|Timea Margot]] — Tímea Vágvölgyi
* [[Tiny Tim (musician)|Tiny Tim]] — Herbert Buckingham Khaury
* [[Torch (rapper)|Torch]] — Frederick Hahn
* [[Peter Tork]] — Peter Halston Thorkelson
* [[Rip Torn]] — Elmore Rual Torn, Jr.
* [[Peter Tosh]] — Winston Hubert McIntosh
* [[Totò]] — Antonio Clemente de Curtis
* [[Maurice Tourneur]] — Maurice Thomas
* [[Toyah Willcox|Toyah]] - Toyah Ann Willcox
* [[Alex Trebek]] — Giorgi Suka-Alex Trebek, later George Alexander Trebek
* [[Randy Travis]] — Randy Bruce Traywick
* [[Tricky]] — Adrian Thaws
* [[Pastor Troy]] — Micah Levar Troy
* [[De La Soul|Trugoy the Dove]] — David Jude Jolicoeur
* [[King Tubby]] — Osborne Ruddock
* [[Sophie Tucker]] — Sophia Kalish
* [[Lana Turner]] — Julia Jean Mildred Frances Turner
* [[Tina Turner]] — Annie Mae Bullock
* [[Shania Twain]] — Eileen Regina Edwards, later Eileen Regina Twain
* [[Twiggy]] — Leslie Hornby
* [[Twista]] — Carl Mitchell
* [[Conway Twitty]] — Harold Lloyd Jenkins
* [[Bonnie Tyler]] — Gaynor Hopkins
* [[Judy Tyler]] — Judith Mae Hess
* [[Rob Tyner]] - Robert Derminer
* [[Steven Tyler]] - Stephen Victor Tallarico
* [[Hunter Tylo]] - Deborah Jo Hunter

== U ==
* [[U-God]] — Lamont Hawkins
* [[U-Roy]] — Ewart Beckford
* [[Warrior (wrestler)|The Ultimate Warrior]] - Brian James Hellwig
* [[Mark Calaway|The Undertaker]] — Mark Calaway
* [[Usher Raymond|Usher]] — Usher Raymond IV
* [[Peter Ustinov]] — Sir Peter Alexander von Ustinow

== V ==
* [[Leon White|Big Van Vader]] — Leon White
* [[Roger Vadim]] — Roger Vladimir Plemiannikov
* [[Holly Valance]] — Holly Rachel Vukadinovic
* [[Jerry Vale]] — Genaro Louis Vitaliano
* [[Ritchie Valens]] — Ricardo Stephen Valenzuela
* [[Rudolph Valentino]] — Rudolpho D'Antonguolla
* [[Dickie Valentine]] — Richard Bryce
* [[Valda Valkyrien]] — Adele Eleonore Freed
* [[Frankie Valli]] — Frank Castellucio
* [[Rob Van Dam]] — Robert Szatkowski
* [[Mamie Van Doren]] — Joan Lucille Olander
* [[Vangelis]] — Evangelos Odyssey Papathanassiou
* [[Dave Vanian]] — David Letts
* [[Vanilla Ice]] — Robert Van Winkle
* [[Vanity (performer)|Vanity]] — Denise Katrina Matthews
* [[Frankie Vaughan]] — Frank Abelson
* [[Eddie Vedder]] - Edward Louis Seversen III
* [[Bobby Vee]] — Robert Velline
* [[Jesse Ventura]] — James George Janos
* [[Tom Verlaine]] — Thomas Miller
* [[John Vernon]] — Adolphus Raymondus Vernon Agopsowicz
* [[Sid Vicious]] — John Simon Ritchie
* [[Butch Vig]] — Brian Vig
* [[Gene Vincent]] - Vincent Eugene Craddock
* [[Vinnie Vincent]] — Vincent Cusano
* [[Bobby Vinton]] - Stanley Robert Vintula, Jr.
* [[Dita Von Teese]] — Heather Sweet

== W ==
* [[Andrew W.K.]] — Andrew Wilkes-Krier
* [[Lindsay Wagner]] — Lindsay Jean Ball
* [[Christopher Walken]] — Ronald Walken
* [[Junior Walker]] — Autry DeWalt, Jr.
* [[Beryl Wallace]] — Beryl Heischuber
* [[Jack Warden]] - John Lebzelter
* [[Dionne Warwick]] — Marie Dionne Warrick
* [[Don Was]] — Donald Fagenson
* [[Dinah Washington]] — Ruth Jones
* [[Gedde Watanabe]] — Gary Watanabe
* [[Muddy Waters]] — McKinley Morganfield
* [[Wavy Gravy]] - Hugh Romney
* [[John Wayne]] — Marion Robert Morrison, later Marion Michael Morrison
* [[Johnny Wayne]] - Louis Weingarten
* [[Sigourney Weaver]] — Susan Weaver
* [[Clifton Webb]] — Webb Parmalee Hollenbeck
* [[Dean Ween]] — Mickey Melchiondo
* [[Gene Ween]] — Aaron Freeman
* [[Raquel Welch]] — Jo Raquel Tejada
* [[Tuesday Weld]] - Susan Ker Weld
* [[Paul Weller]] — John Weller
* [[Kitty Wells]] - Muriel Deason
* [[Adam West]] - William West Anderson
* [[Eric West]] — Eric Rosa
* [[Mae West]] - Mary Jane West
* [[Riley Weston]] — Kimberlee Kramer
* [[Kim Wilde]] — Kim Smith
* [[Marty Wilde]] — Reginald Leonard Smith
* [[Gene Wilder]] — Jerome Silberman
* [[will.i.am]] ([[Black Eyed Peas]]) - William James Adams, Jr.
* [[Anson Williams]] - Anson William Heimlich
* [[Hank Williams]] — Hiram Williams
* [[Flip Wilson]] — Clerow Wilson
* [[Shelley Winters]] — Shirley Schrift
* [[Nicky Wire]] — Nicholas Jones
* [[Ernie Wise]] — Ernest Wiseman
* [[Wish Bone]] — Charles Scruggs
* [[Jah Wobble]] — John Wardle
* [[Howlin' Wolf]] — Chester Arthur Burnett
* [[Wolfman Jack]] - Robert Smith
* [[Stevie Wonder]] — Steveland Hardaway Judkins (later Steveland Hardaway Morris)
* [[Lana Wood]] - Svetlana Gurdin
* [[Natalie Wood]] — Natasha Gurdin
* [[Bill Wyman]] - William George Perks
* [[Jane Wyman]] — Sarah Jane Mayfield Fulks
* [[Tammy Wynette]] — Virginia Wynette Pugh

== X ==
* [[Terminator X (DJ)|Terminator X]] — Norman Lee Rogers
* [[Xzibit]] — Alvin Nathaniel Joiner

== Y ==
* [[Yanni]] — Yanni Chrysomallis
* [[Yazz]] — Yasmin Evans
* [[DJ Yella]] — Antoine Carraby
* [[Michelle Yeoh]], Michelle Yeoh Choo-Kheng
* [[Yellowman]] — Winston Foster
* [[Martin Glover|Youth]] — Martin Glover Youth (Bassist with UK punk band [[Killing Joke]])
* [[Yo-Yo (rapper)|Yo-Yo]] — Yolanda Whitaker
* [[Michael York (actor)|Michael York]] - Michael Hugh Johnson
* [[Loretta Young]] - Gretchen Young
* [[Young Buck]] (of [[G-Unit]]) — David Darnell Brown
* [[Young Jeezy]] - Jay Jenkins
* [[Yukmouth]] — Jarold Ellis, Jr.

== Z ==
* [[Pia Zadora]] - Pia Alfreda Schipani
* [[Rob Zombie]] - Robert Cummings
* [[Buckwheat Zydeco]] — Dural, Jr.

{{compactTOC2}}

[[Category:Lists of names]]
[[Category:Pseudonyms|*]]
[[Category:Acting]]

[[he:שם במה]]
[[pt:nome artístico]]
[[simple:Stage name]]
[[sv:Artistnamn]]

Bill Bixby

2006-09-05T03:45:56Z

71.201.198.12: /* Early life */

{{Cleanup-date|June 2006}}


'''Bill Bixby''' ([[January 22]], [[1934]] – [[November 21]], [[1993]]), was an [[United States|American actor]], [[television director|director]] and frequent [[game show]] panelist who starred in three popular American television series that spanned nearly two decades. In the course of a career that spanned over thirty years, he was best known for his roles such as Tim O'Hara in ''[[My Favorite Martian]]'' ([[1963]]–[[1966]]), as Tom Corbett, the title role in ''[[The Courtship of Eddie's Father]]'' ([[1969]]–[[1972]]); and as Dr. David Banner in ''[[The Incredible Hulk (TV Series)|The Incredible Hulk]]'' ([[1978]]–[[1982]]) with [[Lou Ferrigno]]. He also starred in ''[[The Magician (television series)|The Magician]]'' ([[1973]]) and in a short-lived comedy, ''[[Goodnight Beantown]]'' with [[Mariette Hartley]] in [[1984]].

== Early life ==
An only child, he was born as '''Wilfred Bailey Bixby''', a fourth-generation Californian, in [[San Francisco, California]]. His father, Wilfred Everett Bixby, was a store clerk and his mother, Jane Bixby, was a department store owner. When Bixby was 8, his father enlisted in the [[Navy]] during [[World War II]] and traveled to the [[Australasia|South Pacific]]. While in the seventh grade, Bixby attended [[Grace Cathedral]] and sang in the church's [[choir]]. In one notable incident, he shot the bishop using a slingshot during one service and was kicked off the choir. In [[1946]], his mother encouraged him to take [[ballroom dance]] lessons and from there he started dancing all around the city. While dancing, he attended [[Lowell High School (San Francisco)|Lowell High School]] where he perfected his oratory and dramatic skills as a member of the [[Lowell Forensic Society]]. He competed in high school speech tournaments regionally. After graduation from high school in [[1952]], against his parents' wishes, he majored in drama at [[San Francisco City College]], where he was a classmate to another future young actress and a winning [[Miss Universe]] contestant who was [[Miss California]] [[1954]], [[Lee Meriwether]], who's just 1 year Bixby's junior. Later, he attended the [[University of California, Berkeley]], his parents' alma mater. Just four credits short of earning a [[academic degree|degree]], Bixby dropped out of college and was drafted into the [[United_States_Marine_Corps|Marines]].

He then moved to [[Hollywood]] where he had a string of odd jobs that included bellhop and lifeguard. He organized shows at a resort in [[Jackson Hole]], [[Wyoming]]. In [[1959]], he was hired to work as a model and to do commercial work for [[General Motors Corporation|General Motors]] and [[Chrysler Corporation|Chrysler]].

== Stage/Character actor ==
In [[1961]], Bixby was in the musical ''[[The Boyfriend]] at the [[Detroit Civic Theater]]'', returning to Hollywood to make his screen acting debut on an episode of ''[[The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis]]''. As his name became known Bixby became a highly regarded [[character actor]]s of the [[1960]]s and guest-starred in many TV series such as ''[[Ben Casey]]'', ''[[The Twilight Zone]]'', ''The [[Andy Griffith Show]]'', ''[[Dr. Kildare]]'' and ''Hennessey'', amongst many others. He also joined the cast of ''The [[Joey Bishop]] Show'' in 1962. During the [[1970]]s, he made many more guest-appearances on TV series such as ''[[Ironside (TV series)|Ironside]]'', ''[[Insight]]'', ''[[Barbary Coast]]'', ''[[The Love Boat]]'', ''[[Medical Center (TV series)|Medical Center]]'', four episodes of ''[[Love, American Style]]'', ''[[Fantasy Island]]'' and two episodes of ''[[The Streets of San Francisco]]'', on which he was nominated for an [[Emmy Award]] in [[1976]] for [[Outstanding Lead Actor for a Single Appearance in Drama or Comedy]].

== [[My Favorite Martian]] ==
Bixby started in the [[CBS]] sitcom in [[1963]] co-starring role as young news reporter Tim O'Hara who befriended an extraterrestrial played by [[Ray Walston]]. The show was a ratings winner in its first year and it was ranked #10 for primetime programming. But by 1966, bad scripts and high production costs forced the series to come to an end after 107 episodes.

== Film work ==
After the cancellation of ''Martian'', Bixby starred in four box-office movies: ''[[Ride Beyond Vengeance]]'' ([[1966 in film|1966]]), in which he played the evil, Johnsy Boy Hood, ''[[You've Got to Be Kidding]]'' ([[1967 in film|1967]]), and two of [[Elvis Presley]]'s movies, ''[[Clambake]]'' ([[1967 in film|1967]]), and ''[[Speedway (film)|Speedway]]'' ([[1968 in film|1968]]). He also turned down the role as [[Marlo Thomas]]'s boyfriend in ''[[That Girl]]'' and starred in two failed pilots.

== The Courtship of Eddie's Father ==
In [[1969]] Bixby starred in his second high profile television role, as Tom Corbett in the successful [[dramedy]] show, ''[[The Courtship of Eddie's Father]]'' for [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]. The series concerned a widowed father who wants to spend more time with his young son while dating women and was based on the popular [[1963]] movie, starring [[1950]]s screen icon, [[Glenn Ford]] and [[Ron Howard]]. Bixby's co-star on the show was [[child actor]] [[Brandon Cruz]] and the pair had such a close chemistry that they developed a close friendship off the set. The cast was rounded out by [[Academy Award]] winning [[actress]] [[Miyoshi Umeki]] who played the role of Tom's maid, Mrs. Livingston, and [[James Komack]] (one of the series' producers) as Norman Tinker, the head of another family.

One episode of the show co-starred Bixby's future wife [[Brenda Benet]] as one of Tom's girlfriends. He was nominated for a [[Emmy Award]] for '''Lead Actor in a Comedy Series''' in 1971, but did not win. The following year, he won the Parents Without Partners Exemplary Service Award for 1972. He also made his directorial debut on the show in 1970.

By its final season, ''Courtship''s ratings had slumped, the scripts focused more on Komack's character and this led to friction between star and producer. [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] pulled the plug on the [[sitcom]] in [[1972]] after 73 episodes.

Bixby's relationship with Cruz remained strong after the series ended and Cruz was one of the first people to learn that Benet had given birth to the couple's son, Christopher, two years after the series cancellation.

==After ''Courtship''==
In [[1973]], Bixby starred in ''[[The Magician (TV series)|The Magician]]'', playing Anthony Blake, but the series only lasted one season. He became a popular game show panelist, appearing mostly on ''[[Password]]'' and ''[[The Hollywood Squares]]''. He was also a panelist on the 1974 revival of ''[[Masquerade Party]]'' hosted by [[Richard Dawson]] (of ''[[Hogan's Heroes]]'' and ''[[Family Feud]]'' fame). He worked with [[Susan Blakely]] on ''[[Rich Man, Poor Man]]'' (1976), a beautiful miniseries starring [[Peter Strauss]] and [[Nick Nolte]]. He had also appeared with Dawson on "Cop-Out". He co-starred with [[Tim Conway]] and [[Don Knotts]] in ''[[The Apple Dumpling Gang (film)|The Apple Dumpling Gang]]'' (1975). Unlike the previous movies that Bixby starred in, this one received mediocre ratings. An accomplished amateur magician, Bixby also hosted several TV specials in the mid-1970s which featured other amateur magicians.

== The Incredible Hulk ==
In late [[1977]] Bixby starred in a two-hour pilot movie called ''[[The Incredible Hulk (TV series)|The Incredible Hulk]]''. Its success (coupled with some theatrical releases of the film in Europe) convinced CBS to turn it into a weekly science-fiction series which began airing in early [[1978]]. The series was a hit and was seen in over 70 countries.

Bixby's character, Dr. David Banner, was a scientist/physician who, after an overdose of gamma radiation, turned into a green monster (played by bodybuilder [[Lou Ferrigno]]) when he became angry. This involved a physical transformation in which Banner split open his shirts and shoes as he changed. Bixby felt that the make-up requirements for his part were onerous. Although it was a courageous move to star in a [[science]]-[[fiction]] series Bixby decided to take the risk after reading the script. The pilot episode featured Banner's popular catch phrase, "Mr McGee, don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry." This was shown as part of the credit sequence for each episode. The show made Bixby into a [[pop icon]] of the [[1980]]s.

During the show's run, he also invited two of his long-time friends, [[Ray Walston]] and [[Brandon Cruz]] to guest star with him in different episodes of the series. He also invited two more of his friends to guest star. In one episode, [[Loni Anderson]] (of ''[[WKRP in Cincinnati]]'' fame) played a model who murdered another model whom Dr. Banner suspected he had killed as the Hulk and [[Mariette Hartley]] (who would later star with Bixby in his last show, ''[[Goodnight Beantown]]'') played the one-time wife of Dr. Banner who was a psychiatrist who had a problem of her own. In 1981 he directed one episode of the show but not soon after this the series was cancelled. Bixby was disappointed that his character was not cured of his condition in the final episode.

==After ''Hulk''==
After finishing Hulk, Bixby turned more towards directing, from his own short-lived comedy, ''[[Goodnight, Beantown]]'' with [[Mariette Hartley]] to the successful satirical police sitcom ''[[Sledge Hammer!]]'' In addition Bixby directed two of the three ''Hulk'' TV revivals in the late '80s and early '90s. He was also lead director on the TV sitcom ''[[Blossom (TV series)|Blossom]]''. He hosted two 'Is Elvis Alive?' specials in August 1991 and January 1992 [http://www.sitcomsonline.com/billbixby.html].

==Private, later life and final days==
Bixby lost his father in [[1971]] a month before his first wedding. Wilfred Bailey II died of a massive heart attack and Bixby scattered his ashes in the [[Pacific]] off the island of [[Maui]]. He was married three times: to actress and former [[Miss USA]] [[Brenda Benet]] in [[1971]], who gave birth to their son Christopher on September 25, 1974. In addition to their earlier appearance together in Bixby's earlier sitcom, Benet guest-starred with him on ''[[The Incredible Hulk (TV series)|The Incredible Hulk]]'' in 1980 just before they were divorced. On [[March 1]], [[1981]], Bixby's six-year-old son Christopher died suddenly of a rare throat infection. His ashes are also scattered in the [[Pacific]] off the island of [[Maui]] as were his grandfather's. Benet herself committed suicide in April 1982.

Nine years later in [[1989]] he met and fell in love with Laura Michaels, who had worked on the set of one of his ''Hulk'' movies. The couple married a year later in Hawaii. In early [[1991]], Bixby was diagnosed with [[prostate cancer]] and underwent treatment for the disease. He was divorced in the same year. In late [[1992]], friends introduced him to an artist named Judith Kliban, the widow of [[B. Kliban]], a cartoonist who died of cancer. He married Judith in late [[1993]], just six weeks before he collapsed on the set of ''Blossom''.

In early [[1993]], after rumours began circulating about his health, Bixby decided to go public with his illness, discussing his disease and the energy needed to keep him alive. As a result, he made several guest appearances on shows such as ''[[Entertainment Tonight]]'' (where he made two guest appearances), ''[[The Today Show]]'', and ''[[Good Morning America]]'' among many others.

Unfortunately Bixby's cancer recurred and was diagnosed as inoperable. Six days after his final assignment, directing an episode of ''Blossom'', Bill Bixby died from complications arising from prostate cancer in [[Century City, California]] on [[November 21]], [[1993]]. His wife and another longtime friend of Bixby's, [[Dick Martin]], were both by his side. After his death, Bixby's ashes were scattered in the [[Pacific]] off the island of [[Maui]], just as his father and son's were. A week after Bixby's death Judith's and Bill's family were joined by many mourners at a private memorial, including Martin, [[Bob Newhart]], [[Mike Connors]], [[Lou Ferrigno]], [[Kenneth Johnson]], [[Paul Williams]], [[Mariette Hartley]], [[Harry Nilsson]] (who sang the theme song from ''[[The Courtship of Eddie's Father]]''), [[Ray Walston]], [[Richard Crenna]], [[Brandon Cruz]], and [[Miyoshi Umeki]]. The entire cast of ''[[Blossom (TV series)|Blossom]]'' showed up with the exception of [[Mayim Bialik]].

==External links==
* {{imdb name|id=0084642|name=Bill Bixby}}
* {{nndb name|id=162/000026084|name=Bill Bixby}}

[[Category:American film actors|Bixby, Bill]]
[[Category:American television actors|Bixby, Bill]]
[[Category:American stage actors|Bixby, Bill]]
[[Category:American musical theatre actors|Bixby, Bill]]
[[Category:American film directors|Bixby, Bill]]
[[Category:American magicians|Bixby, Bill]]
[[Category:American television directors|Bixby, Bill]]
[[Category:American television personalities|Bixby, Bill]]
[[Category:American television producers|Bixby, Bill]]
[[Category:American character actors|Bixby, Bill]]
[[Category:American college dropouts|Bixby, Bill]]
[[Category:English-language film directors|Bixby, Bill]]
[[Category:game show panelists|Bixby, Bill]]
[[Category:Hollywood Squares panelists|Bixby, Bill]]
[[Category:The Andy Griffith Show|Bixby, Bill]]
[[Category:The Twilight Zone actors|Bixby, Bill]]
[[Category:Hulk actors|Bixby, Bill]]
[[Category:United States Marines|Bixby, Bill]]
[[Category:Phi Delta Theta brothers|Bixby, Bill]]
[[Category:People from San Francisco|Bixby, Bill]]
[[Category:Prostate cancer deaths|Bixby, Bill]]
[[Category:Entertainers who died in their 50s|Bixby, Bill]]
[[Category:1934 births|Bixby, Bill]]
[[Category:1993 deaths|Bixby, Bill]]

[[de:Bill Bixby]]
[[fr:Bill Bixby]]
[[pt:Bill Bixby]]
[[sv:Bill Bixby]]

Bill Bixby

2006-09-05T03:45:16Z

71.201.198.12: /* Early life */

{{Cleanup-date|June 2006}}


'''Bill Bixby''' ([[January 22]], [[1934]] – [[November 21]], [[1993]]), was an [[United States|American actor]], [[television director|director]] and frequent [[game show]] panelist who starred in three popular American television series that spanned nearly two decades. In the course of a career that spanned over thirty years, he was best known for his roles such as Tim O'Hara in ''[[My Favorite Martian]]'' ([[1963]]–[[1966]]), as Tom Corbett, the title role in ''[[The Courtship of Eddie's Father]]'' ([[1969]]–[[1972]]); and as Dr. David Banner in ''[[The Incredible Hulk (TV Series)|The Incredible Hulk]]'' ([[1978]]–[[1982]]) with [[Lou Ferrigno]]. He also starred in ''[[The Magician (television series)|The Magician]]'' ([[1973]]) and in a short-lived comedy, ''[[Goodnight Beantown]]'' with [[Mariette Hartley]] in [[1984]].

== Early life ==
An only child, he was born as '''Wilfred Bailey Bixby''', a fourth-generation Californian, in [[San Francisco, California]]. His father, Wilfred Everett Bixby, was a store clerk and his mother, Jane Bixby, was a department store owner. When Bixby was 8, his father enlisted in the [[Navy]] during [[World War II]] and traveled to the [[Australasia|South Pacific]]. While in the seventh grade, Bixby attended [[Grace Cathedral]] and sang in the church's [[choir]]. In one notable incident, he shot the bishop using a slingshot during one service and was kicked off the choir. In [[1946]], his mother encouraged him to take [[ballroom dance]] lessons and from there he started dancing all around the city. While dancing, he attended [[Lowell High School (San Francisco)|Lowell High School]] where he perfected his oratory and dramatic skills as a member of the [[Lowell Forensic Society]]. He competed in high school speech tournaments regionally. After graduation from high school in [[1952]], against his parents' wishes, he majored in drama at [[San Francisco City College]], where he was a classmate to another future young actress and a winning [[Miss Universe]] contestant who was [[Miss California]] [[1954]], [[Lee Meriwether]], who's just 1 year Bixby's junior. Later, he attended the [[University of California, Berkeley]], his parents' alma mater. Just four credits short of earning a [[academic degree|degree]], Bixby dropped out of college and was drafted into the [[Marines|United_States_Marine_Corps]].

He then moved to [[Hollywood]] where he had a string of odd jobs that included bellhop and lifeguard. He organized shows at a resort in [[Jackson Hole]], [[Wyoming]]. In [[1959]], he was hired to work as a model and to do commercial work for [[General Motors Corporation|General Motors]] and [[Chrysler Corporation|Chrysler]].

== Stage/Character actor ==
In [[1961]], Bixby was in the musical ''[[The Boyfriend]] at the [[Detroit Civic Theater]]'', returning to Hollywood to make his screen acting debut on an episode of ''[[The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis]]''. As his name became known Bixby became a highly regarded [[character actor]]s of the [[1960]]s and guest-starred in many TV series such as ''[[Ben Casey]]'', ''[[The Twilight Zone]]'', ''The [[Andy Griffith Show]]'', ''[[Dr. Kildare]]'' and ''Hennessey'', amongst many others. He also joined the cast of ''The [[Joey Bishop]] Show'' in 1962. During the [[1970]]s, he made many more guest-appearances on TV series such as ''[[Ironside (TV series)|Ironside]]'', ''[[Insight]]'', ''[[Barbary Coast]]'', ''[[The Love Boat]]'', ''[[Medical Center (TV series)|Medical Center]]'', four episodes of ''[[Love, American Style]]'', ''[[Fantasy Island]]'' and two episodes of ''[[The Streets of San Francisco]]'', on which he was nominated for an [[Emmy Award]] in [[1976]] for [[Outstanding Lead Actor for a Single Appearance in Drama or Comedy]].

== [[My Favorite Martian]] ==
Bixby started in the [[CBS]] sitcom in [[1963]] co-starring role as young news reporter Tim O'Hara who befriended an extraterrestrial played by [[Ray Walston]]. The show was a ratings winner in its first year and it was ranked #10 for primetime programming. But by 1966, bad scripts and high production costs forced the series to come to an end after 107 episodes.

== Film work ==
After the cancellation of ''Martian'', Bixby starred in four box-office movies: ''[[Ride Beyond Vengeance]]'' ([[1966 in film|1966]]), in which he played the evil, Johnsy Boy Hood, ''[[You've Got to Be Kidding]]'' ([[1967 in film|1967]]), and two of [[Elvis Presley]]'s movies, ''[[Clambake]]'' ([[1967 in film|1967]]), and ''[[Speedway (film)|Speedway]]'' ([[1968 in film|1968]]). He also turned down the role as [[Marlo Thomas]]'s boyfriend in ''[[That Girl]]'' and starred in two failed pilots.

== The Courtship of Eddie's Father ==
In [[1969]] Bixby starred in his second high profile television role, as Tom Corbett in the successful [[dramedy]] show, ''[[The Courtship of Eddie's Father]]'' for [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]. The series concerned a widowed father who wants to spend more time with his young son while dating women and was based on the popular [[1963]] movie, starring [[1950]]s screen icon, [[Glenn Ford]] and [[Ron Howard]]. Bixby's co-star on the show was [[child actor]] [[Brandon Cruz]] and the pair had such a close chemistry that they developed a close friendship off the set. The cast was rounded out by [[Academy Award]] winning [[actress]] [[Miyoshi Umeki]] who played the role of Tom's maid, Mrs. Livingston, and [[James Komack]] (one of the series' producers) as Norman Tinker, the head of another family.

One episode of the show co-starred Bixby's future wife [[Brenda Benet]] as one of Tom's girlfriends. He was nominated for a [[Emmy Award]] for '''Lead Actor in a Comedy Series''' in 1971, but did not win. The following year, he won the Parents Without Partners Exemplary Service Award for 1972. He also made his directorial debut on the show in 1970.

By its final season, ''Courtship''s ratings had slumped, the scripts focused more on Komack's character and this led to friction between star and producer. [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] pulled the plug on the [[sitcom]] in [[1972]] after 73 episodes.

Bixby's relationship with Cruz remained strong after the series ended and Cruz was one of the first people to learn that Benet had given birth to the couple's son, Christopher, two years after the series cancellation.

==After ''Courtship''==
In [[1973]], Bixby starred in ''[[The Magician (TV series)|The Magician]]'', playing Anthony Blake, but the series only lasted one season. He became a popular game show panelist, appearing mostly on ''[[Password]]'' and ''[[The Hollywood Squares]]''. He was also a panelist on the 1974 revival of ''[[Masquerade Party]]'' hosted by [[Richard Dawson]] (of ''[[Hogan's Heroes]]'' and ''[[Family Feud]]'' fame). He worked with [[Susan Blakely]] on ''[[Rich Man, Poor Man]]'' (1976), a beautiful miniseries starring [[Peter Strauss]] and [[Nick Nolte]]. He had also appeared with Dawson on "Cop-Out". He co-starred with [[Tim Conway]] and [[Don Knotts]] in ''[[The Apple Dumpling Gang (film)|The Apple Dumpling Gang]]'' (1975). Unlike the previous movies that Bixby starred in, this one received mediocre ratings. An accomplished amateur magician, Bixby also hosted several TV specials in the mid-1970s which featured other amateur magicians.

== The Incredible Hulk ==
In late [[1977]] Bixby starred in a two-hour pilot movie called ''[[The Incredible Hulk (TV series)|The Incredible Hulk]]''. Its success (coupled with some theatrical releases of the film in Europe) convinced CBS to turn it into a weekly science-fiction series which began airing in early [[1978]]. The series was a hit and was seen in over 70 countries.

Bixby's character, Dr. David Banner, was a scientist/physician who, after an overdose of gamma radiation, turned into a green monster (played by bodybuilder [[Lou Ferrigno]]) when he became angry. This involved a physical transformation in which Banner split open his shirts and shoes as he changed. Bixby felt that the make-up requirements for his part were onerous. Although it was a courageous move to star in a [[science]]-[[fiction]] series Bixby decided to take the risk after reading the script. The pilot episode featured Banner's popular catch phrase, "Mr McGee, don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry." This was shown as part of the credit sequence for each episode. The show made Bixby into a [[pop icon]] of the [[1980]]s.

During the show's run, he also invited two of his long-time friends, [[Ray Walston]] and [[Brandon Cruz]] to guest star with him in different episodes of the series. He also invited two more of his friends to guest star. In one episode, [[Loni Anderson]] (of ''[[WKRP in Cincinnati]]'' fame) played a model who murdered another model whom Dr. Banner suspected he had killed as the Hulk and [[Mariette Hartley]] (who would later star with Bixby in his last show, ''[[Goodnight Beantown]]'') played the one-time wife of Dr. Banner who was a psychiatrist who had a problem of her own. In 1981 he directed one episode of the show but not soon after this the series was cancelled. Bixby was disappointed that his character was not cured of his condition in the final episode.

==After ''Hulk''==
After finishing Hulk, Bixby turned more towards directing, from his own short-lived comedy, ''[[Goodnight, Beantown]]'' with [[Mariette Hartley]] to the successful satirical police sitcom ''[[Sledge Hammer!]]'' In addition Bixby directed two of the three ''Hulk'' TV revivals in the late '80s and early '90s. He was also lead director on the TV sitcom ''[[Blossom (TV series)|Blossom]]''. He hosted two 'Is Elvis Alive?' specials in August 1991 and January 1992 [http://www.sitcomsonline.com/billbixby.html].

==Private, later life and final days==
Bixby lost his father in [[1971]] a month before his first wedding. Wilfred Bailey II died of a massive heart attack and Bixby scattered his ashes in the [[Pacific]] off the island of [[Maui]]. He was married three times: to actress and former [[Miss USA]] [[Brenda Benet]] in [[1971]], who gave birth to their son Christopher on September 25, 1974. In addition to their earlier appearance together in Bixby's earlier sitcom, Benet guest-starred with him on ''[[The Incredible Hulk (TV series)|The Incredible Hulk]]'' in 1980 just before they were divorced. On [[March 1]], [[1981]], Bixby's six-year-old son Christopher died suddenly of a rare throat infection. His ashes are also scattered in the [[Pacific]] off the island of [[Maui]] as were his grandfather's. Benet herself committed suicide in April 1982.

Nine years later in [[1989]] he met and fell in love with Laura Michaels, who had worked on the set of one of his ''Hulk'' movies. The couple married a year later in Hawaii. In early [[1991]], Bixby was diagnosed with [[prostate cancer]] and underwent treatment for the disease. He was divorced in the same year. In late [[1992]], friends introduced him to an artist named Judith Kliban, the widow of [[B. Kliban]], a cartoonist who died of cancer. He married Judith in late [[1993]], just six weeks before he collapsed on the set of ''Blossom''.

In early [[1993]], after rumours began circulating about his health, Bixby decided to go public with his illness, discussing his disease and the energy needed to keep him alive. As a result, he made several guest appearances on shows such as ''[[Entertainment Tonight]]'' (where he made two guest appearances), ''[[The Today Show]]'', and ''[[Good Morning America]]'' among many others.

Unfortunately Bixby's cancer recurred and was diagnosed as inoperable. Six days after his final assignment, directing an episode of ''Blossom'', Bill Bixby died from complications arising from prostate cancer in [[Century City, California]] on [[November 21]], [[1993]]. His wife and another longtime friend of Bixby's, [[Dick Martin]], were both by his side. After his death, Bixby's ashes were scattered in the [[Pacific]] off the island of [[Maui]], just as his father and son's were. A week after Bixby's death Judith's and Bill's family were joined by many mourners at a private memorial, including Martin, [[Bob Newhart]], [[Mike Connors]], [[Lou Ferrigno]], [[Kenneth Johnson]], [[Paul Williams]], [[Mariette Hartley]], [[Harry Nilsson]] (who sang the theme song from ''[[The Courtship of Eddie's Father]]''), [[Ray Walston]], [[Richard Crenna]], [[Brandon Cruz]], and [[Miyoshi Umeki]]. The entire cast of ''[[Blossom (TV series)|Blossom]]'' showed up with the exception of [[Mayim Bialik]].

==External links==
* {{imdb name|id=0084642|name=Bill Bixby}}
* {{nndb name|id=162/000026084|name=Bill Bixby}}

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Quantum Leap (1989 TV series)

2006-09-05T03:42:56Z

71.201.198.12: /* Trivia */

{{Otheruses4|the TV show|the quantum physics effect|quantum leap}}
{{infobox television |
| show_name = Quantum Leap
| image = [[Image:Quantum Leap logo.jpg|250px]]
| caption =
| format = [[Science Fiction]]/[[Drama]]
| runtime = 45 minutes per episode
| creator = [[Donald Bellisario|Donald P. Bellisario]]
| starring = [[Scott Bakula]] [[Dean Stockwell]]
| country = [[United States]]
| network = [[NBC]]
| first_aired = [[March 26]], [[1989]]
| last_aired = [[May 5]], [[1993]]
| num_episodes = [[List of Quantum Leap episodes|97]]
| imdb_id = 0096684
| tv_com_id = 173
|}}

'''''Quantum Leap''''' was a [[science fiction on television|science fiction television series]] that [[List of Quantum Leap episodes|ran for 97 episodes]] from March [[1989]] to May [[1993]] on [[NBC]]. It follows the adventures of [[Dr. Samuel Beckett]] (played by [[Scott Bakula]]), a brilliant scientist who finds himself abruptly and uncontrollably 'leaping' through time, temporarily switching places with diverse people at various times within his own lifetime, the second half of the [[20th century]]: "leaping from life to life, striving to put right what once went wrong, and hoping each time that his next leap... will be the leap home".

==Story==
{{spoiler}}

In the near future (about 1995), at a highly classified [[United States|U.S.]]-government-funded research facility somewhere in the desert of [[New Mexico]], Sam is working on a grand experiment to prove his time-travel theory. Sam is working alongside with Gushie, the lead programmer of Project: Quantum Leap. Gushie also works the controls for the imaging chamber. However, the funding for the project is about to be cut. Sam's colleagues protest that they're not ready, but in a last-ditch effort to prove that his theories are correct, Sam steps into the project's "accelerator chamber" and vanishes.

[[Image:Quantum_Leap.jpg|thumb|Dean Stockwell & Scott Bakula|right|200px]]Sam appears in the past with no memory of who he is or where he is. This side-effect of uneven [[amnesia]] is called ''Swiss-cheesing'' or (as a technical term in the show's [[fictional universe|universe]]) ''magnafluxing'', which prevents him from remembering most of the details of his own life. His friend from his original time, [[Rear Admiral Albert Calavicci|Albert "Al" Calavicci]] (played by [[Dean Stockwell]]), appears to him as a holographic projection from the "imaging chamber", usually only visible and audible to Sam. Al is the project observer and a [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] [[Rear Admiral]]. It is revealed that Gushie made a frantic call to Al when Sam vanished in the imaging chamber and called him in to work on the situation. Gushie continues to work alongside Al in Sam's original time. Along with the (possibly) [[sentience|sentient]] [[supercomputer]] named Ziggy, Al is able to help Sam "set right what once went wrong" before he leaps out into the next person. At the beginning and end of nearly every episode, as Sam leaps into a new person, the [[catch phrase]] of "Oh boy..." was uttered. Two prominent exceptions occurred when Sam said "Oy Vey!" after he leapt into a [[rabbi]] and "Oh God!" when he leapt into a death row inmate about to be killed in the electric chair.

In the pilot episode, Sam has leapt to the year [[1956]] as an [[Bell X-2|X-2]] test pilot, Captain Tom Stratton. In one of his holographic visits, Al tells Sam about Ziggy's theory that "God, or Time, was just waiting for your quantum leap to... correct a mistake." Al thinks that this is "a load of crap", but "If Ziggy's right, all you have to do is break Mach 3 and live." (Al also suggests that he wait 40 years and Sam will be in "the present.") But as more of these seemingly random leaps put Sam in a position to fix something that once went wrong, Al gradually comes to believe that the experiment has been mysteriously co-opted by an unidentified higher power, to use Sam to avert tragedies in ordinary people's lives. This, along with (possibly) the theory that [[God]] is controlling these leaps, is later somewhat confirmed when Sam appears to meet the [[devil]] (who temporarily assumes Al's appearance to torment Sam before trying to kill him), who tells Sam "''Who gave you the right to go bungling around in time, putting right what I made wrong?''". It is re-confirmed indirectly when Sam meets an "evil leaper" who knows that her job is to set wrong what once went right.

Another episode supporting the idea that a higher power was in charge was the one where Sam happened to encounter Al's first wife, Beth. At Al's insistence, Sam tried to prevent her from falling in love with the man she would marry while Al was a POW in Vietnam. But every time Sam thought he had gotten rid of the man, he wound up running into Beth again, as if it were meant to be. Finally, Sam found out Al's true motive and made Al tell him his true mission.

The term ''holographic projection'' is used in the program, although it is not the same as real [[holography]]. The show's "hologram" is a three dimensional, neurological projection; "created by an agitation of [[subatomic particle|subatomic]] [[carbon]] [[quark]]s tuned to the [[meson]]s of my [[optic nerve|optic]] and [[vestibulocochlear nerve|otic]] [[neuron]]s." To project the hologram, Al enters an "Imaging Chamber" in which the image of Al and anything he is touching, e.g., a person or cigar, are visible to Sam and Sam can hear Al speak, and correspondingly events in the past are visible and audible to Al. However, throughout the series, it has been found that animals, young children, the mentally ill and the fatally wounded can see Al. This has been used to Sam's advantage on a few occasions, such as Al soothing a crying child, leading a dog away from Sam, or speaking directly with an asylum inmate. This last proved very useful given that Sam was unable to perform his usual Leap duties as electro-shock therapy disrupted his ego and caused him to revert to the personalities of some of his past hosts; Al was able to talk to the person Sam was there to help and deal with the situation for him, although Sam still needed help to actually Leap in the end.

In what may be a form of [[paradox]], in one episode Sam leaps into Al himself at an earlier period, when Al is on trial for rape and murder of a Commander's wife. Although in the original history, Al was acquitted, Sam's actions cause the case to begin turning against Al. Partway through the episode, when Ziggy projects that the odds are 100% that Al will be convicted, Al disappears mid-sentence and is replaced by Edward St John, a character played by [[Roddy McDowall]] (with only Sam remembering that Al was the Observer), implying that Al was convicted and executed. In this new continuity, the staff at Quantum Leap appeared less emotionally involved with Sam's various hosts, and Sam and St. John have no apparent connection beyond a professional relationship; St. John even calls Sam 'Samuel', a name that Sam hasn't been called since he last saw his great-aunt. Fortunately, as soon as the odds jump back in favor of Al surviving, Al is restored, with only Sam remembering that Edward St. John was ever even there. This confirms that Project Quantum Leap would still exist without Al, though it would be radically different from the project as we know it.

The Quantum Leap generator is run by a [[supercomputer]] called Ziggy which can use its immense database to pinpoint where and who Sam is and help Al figure out why he is there and what he must do so everything can be put right (In the above instance when history changed, Ziggy was called 'Alpha', another example of the formality of the alternate Project). Almost every episode centers on what Ziggy is trying to tell Sam to do, and giving him a clear objective, such as making sure someone doesn't end up in a car that will crash, saving a child's life, or having someone stand up for him- or herself after an attack like a [[rape]] or [[hate crime]]. Almost always, what Ziggy said was confusing and left Sam and Al to figure out in the last minute what had to be done so everything would be put right and Sam could leap. Ziggy is apparently self-aware, and in early seasons was generally referred to as "he", though in one episode in season four where Sam "returned home" to his own time (with Al becoming the Leaper), Ziggy was revealed to speak with a female voice.

== Leaping: mind or body? ==
In early episodes of the series, it is unclear whether it is only Sam's mind that leaps (into other people's bodies) or if Sam's mind and body leap together. Subsequent episodes made it clear that both Sam's mind and body leap, and that an 'aura' surrounds him, making him look and sound like whoever he's leaped into (back home, the 'leap-ee' is suffused with a similar aura, and looks/sounds like Sam). Some examples of this include:

* "Nowhere to Run": Sam leaps in as a Vietnam vet who has no legs. However, Sam can still walk, and actually does so in the episode (to outside observers he appeared to be floating in midair).
*"Killin' Time": Sam explains to his hostages that he leaps into people's lives and his body is there with him.
* "Blind Faith": Sam assumes the life of a blind concert pianist. Sam, however, can still see, and must pretend to be blind in order to complete his mission.
* "8½ Months": Sam poses as a pregnant teenage girl. Sam incredulously asks Al how he could possibly be giving birth, to which Al replies that this is impossible - "it's your body, not hers".
* "The Wrong Stuff": Sam leaps into a chimpanzee in the space program. The episode makes it clear that chimpanzees are unable to swim, yet Sam is able to dive into the water to rescue a drowning man.
* "Revenge of the Evil Leaper": Toward the end of the episode, Sam shoots the former Observer, Zoey, and kills her, but when the person she had leapt into returns, he is clearly alive and well; also, when Zoey attempted to shoot Alia, the first Evil Leaper, neither Alia nor her host are harmed, presumably because Alia leapt out just before the bullets hit and her host leapt back ''after'' the bullets passed through them. Zoey's fate also confirms that Sam could theoretically die during a leap. However, Alia's fate suggests that Sam would be leapt out of any such situation before he could actually die.

There are numerous other episodes in which Sam performs feats of strength that are suggested to be beyond the abilities of the people leapt into. For instance, in "Runaway", despite being a young boy, Sam is able to easily suspend his older and stronger sister over a well. Several other episodes feature Sam as a woman beating up male attackers while witnesses look on in amazement.

If Sam leaps in as somebody who is physically a different size than is Sam's own body, Sam is 'refracted' and temporarily made larger or smaller to fit (similar to the effect of light being refracted through a prism), most notably in "The Wrong Stuff" when he became a [[chimpanzee]]. However, a simpler explanation of this would be mere dramatic license.

It was established early in the show's run that Al sees Sam as the leapee rather than as Sam. However, later episodes indicate that he clearly sees Sam as Sam. In the episode "What Price, Gloria", Al becomes smitten with Sam's appearance as a woman. However, later in "Miss Deep South", Al mocks Sam's attempts to imitate a gorgeous beauty pageant contestant. (He refers to Sam/Darlene as "Scarlett O'Hara on steroids" at one point.) It has been suggested that after the distractions caused by the situation in "What Price, Gloria", the frequency in the imaging chamber was reconfigured to show Sam as Sam.

Due to [[domino effect]] and [[butterfly effect]] chain reactions, most continuity errors or other inconsistencies in the series can be attributed to ripples from Sam's influence on history.

== Historical references ==

The series very rarely addressed specific historical events, though it often used its "ordinary people" plots to address particular social, political, and spiritual issues. Many episodes depicted Sam dealing with issues characteristic of particular periods, such as [[civil rights]], [[racism]], the [[Vietnam War]], and the [[Cold War]] (The presence of Al helped in these regards, as Al was captured for most of the Vietnam War and his sister Trudy suffered from [[Down Syndrome]] when he was young, although she died when they separated following their father's death). The series strongly favored messages of tolerance and understanding others, aided in large part by the story format, which had the protagonist literally walking in another man's (or, in later episodes, woman's) shoes. In one instance, Sam found himself back in his own childhood in [[Indiana]], with a chance to improve his own family's life, but when his initial attempts failed, he realized that he may just have been there to say goodbye to them. (However, in the next episode, he was able to save his brother's life in Vietnam on a mission where the brother originally died).

One common criticism is that in all but a handful of episodes, Sam leaps into someone in the US. Apparently God or Time or whoever is controlling the leaps did not concern itself with trying to "put right what once went wrong" elsewhere in the world (though the ripple effect of Sam's changes, as described by the bartender in the series finale, may somewhat have alleviated this lack). The language barrier was not an effective explanation, since it was established early on that Sam spoke several foreign languages fluently, and thus could have conceivably leaped into numerous foreign countries without any significant handicap. However, in the last episode of the series, it was established that Sam wasn't the only leaper, so one could theorize that God or Time or whoever is controlling the leaps might have different leapers operating in different countries most of the time. Behind the scenes, however, the reason was obvious. The producers wanted to keep the leaps "local" so the American viewing audience could identify better with the situations presented. However, later in the show's run, Sam did begin leaping into foreign locales with greater regularity, leaping into Russia and Japan during the "Lee Harvey Oswald" two-part episode, an archaeological dig in Egypt in "The Curse of Ptah-hotep", an island in the Aegean Sea in "Leaping of the Shrew", England in "Blood Moon", and fighting in the Vietnam War in the second part of "The Leap Home".

There have been only two instances where Sam leapt outside of his own timeline. The first happened after Sam and Al leapt out of a previous leap while Sam is receiving electroshock therapy (to correct a mental problem encountered by receiving it at the beginning of the episode). This effectively switched the roles of Sam and Al such that Sam was the holographic image and Al was the leaper. Al leapt into a serviceman recently returning from combat in [[World War II]], on almost exactly the date he was born. Circumstances beyond Ziggy's control (she was only programmed to document events that happened during Sam's lifetime, so the information about what Al was there to do arrived too late) forced Sam back as the leaper and returned Al to his own time when Al was knocked out before Ziggy could discover what Al was there to do; Sam leapt in to replace Al and complete the mission, since he would be conscious. Another instance was when Sam unknowingly leapt into his great grandfather, Capt. John Beckett, during the height of the [[American Civil War]]. The explanation for the leap was that although Sam cannot leap beyond his own lifetime, he somehow was able to leap with his great grandfather due to the fact that he and John Beckett had a similar [[DNA]] markup. The error which allowed Sam to leap beyond his own lifetime was subsequently corrected by Ziggy.

Some have inquired why Sam never tries to contact a past version of himself, or another member of the Quantum Leap project, to warn them about the accident that sent Sam leaping through time with no way to get home. This would have effectively changed history and prevented Sam's initial leap in time. During the series, Sam leaps both into past versions of himself and Al and on a few occasions comes into contact with family members, professors, and scientists who would either later know about Project Quantum Leap or directly contribute to its completion (On one occasion, his former professor ended up married to a woman Sam was there to protect). In one episode, Sam actually writes a letter to Project Quantum Leap (to be delivered by his father's lawyer decades later) telling the project to open the Imaging Room door during an accident where Sam and Al switched places. He thus theoretically had multiple opportunities to do so. If Sam changed history in ''this'' way, however, he wouldn't have leaped back in time in the first place to send the message.

One might speculate that whatever force is leaping Sam around in time would prevent him from being able to change history in this fashion. In addition, there are moral issues of undoing all his work and changing the lives of all the people he has helped. Another possibility is due to Sam's own discretion: If Sam prevented the project from ever happening, his dream of time travel would have never been realized.

Only a few times did Sam "leap" into an actual historical figure, the first being [[Lee Harvey Oswald]] and the last being [[Elvis Presley]]. He also leapt into the chauffeur of [[Marilyn Monroe]] shortly before she died. All these leaps were in the fifth (final) season and were widely believed to be efforts to boost the show's ratings and looked down on by some fans. However, throughout the series it was common for Sam to leap into a character or situation based fairly obviously on a real person and/or event (for instance, in the episode "Roberto!", Sam leaps into a [[sensationalism|sensationalistic]] reporter/talk show host who is quite clearly based on [[Geraldo Rivera]]).

The Oswald story arc confirmed that Sam and Al's "native time" occurs in a different timeline than our own, when Sam attempts to intervene during the assassination of [[John F. Kennedy]]. Although he fails to save the president, Al reveals that his mission was still successful because, in their timeline, [[Jacqueline Kennedy]] also died in the attack. It is also hinted that, in the original ''Quantum Leap'' timeline, [[Marilyn Monroe]] committed suicide at an earlier date than she did in the history we know, and Sam's actions are responsible for her staying alive long enough to make one more movie. From a fictional standpoint, it may be that our universe exists in the way it does because it has been "put right" by Sam's actions.

=== "Kisses with history" ===

Also common were so-called "kisses with history" where Sam would briefly encounter someone famous or a well-known event in a manner usually irrelevant to the story, including:

* In an early episode Sam inspires [[Buddy Holly]] to write the song "[[Peggy Sue]]", and as it transpires this is what he was there to do. [http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Chamber/1669/kiss.html]
* As a cab driver in 1958, Sam advises a 12-year-old [[Donald Trump]] that investing in New York City real estate would be a good way to get rich.
* During one episode, Sam performs the [[abdominal thrusts|Heimlich Maneuver]] on a choking man who is addressed as [[Henry Heimlich|Dr Heimlich]]; no-one else present recognises the technique as it had not yet been "invented".
* In the episode "The Boogieman", Sam's actions help inspire a young horror writer, [[Stephen King]].
* In the episode "Memphis Melody", during which Sam leaps into [[Elvis Presley]], a young [[saxophone|saxophonist]] in a music contest from Arkansas is addressed as "little Billy C", a reference to [[Bill Clinton]].
* In the episode "Camikazi Kid", Sam shows a boy called "Mikey", ostensibly [[Michael Jackson]], how to [[moonwalk (dance)|moonwalk]].
* In "Good Morning, Peoria", Sam teaches [[Chubby Checker]] how to do [[The Twist]].
* In another episode, Sam leaps into the body of [[Ruth Westheimer|Dr. Ruth Westheimer]], who, while Sam deals with a case of sexual harassment in the past, helps Al get over his inability to tell women he loves them after his first wife left him (it seems that in this episode, the point of Sam leaping into Dr. Ruth was to for Dr. Ruth to help Al, rather than Sam to help the victim. Westheimer appeared as herself in this role). However, while defending a victim of sexual harassment from her harasser, a woman stops to listen to what Sam is saying, and when her companion speaks to her, we see that the woman listening is [[Anita Hill]].
* In "A Leap Of Faith", Sam recalls to a young boxer a scene from the film ''[[Rocky]]'' -- the young boxer is revealed to be [[Sylvester Stallone]].
* In the aforementioned episode where Sam leaps into his own great-grandfather during the American Civil War, he is charged with helping runaway [[African slave]]s escape through the [[Underground Railroad]]; it is indicated that the child born to the freed slaves at the end of the episode is the paternal grandfather of [[Martin Luther King, Jr.]]

==Series conclusion and legacy==

The series (created by [[Donald Bellisario]]) was somewhat unusual in that it had a science fiction premise, but little science fiction- or fantasy-oriented storytelling, instead focusing on the personal journeys of Sam Beckett and those he encounters. Even in its final episode, the show refused to resolve many of its own technical and [[holistic]] questions, choosing instead to leave things open-ended and focus tightly on what is arguably the series' overarching message: that a single person can change the world one life at a time. Some feel the bartender in this last episode portrays God and what he tells Sam is that his project was messed up for a purpose that would change history for the better.

The final episode was in fact intended to be an end-of-season [[cliffhanger]], but after the series was not renewed by the network, it was re-edited to function as the [[series finale]]. This may account for some of its ambiguous nature. The original ending had Sam leaping to tell Al's first wife, Beth, that Al was coming home. His Vietnam-era picture begins to "leap" (this is where the final episode cuts off), and then we see a modern picture of Al sitting with Beth and their four daughters. This ending somehow made it out of the studio and has been circulated on the Internet. In the ending that was actually broadcast, we are told that Al was reunited with Beth, that they remained married, and that "Dr. Sam Becket [sic] never returned home." Fans have speculated that this would have erased Project Quantum Leap, Sam and Al's relationship, or even Sam himself from the altered timeline; however, the original script and subsequent statements by Bellisario leave all of these intact.

In many ways, the show was similar to ''[[Highway to Heaven]]'', ''[[Touched by an Angel]]'' or ''[[Joan of Arcadia]]''; shows that had recurring plots where the protagonist tried to right wrongs without knowing the full purpose behind each mission.

The [[Sci Fi Channel (United States)|Sci-Fi Channel]] was projected to begin airing a sequel, supposedly called ''[[A Bold Leap Forward]],'' sometime in [[2006]]. However, the project appears to have suffered various setbacks, and it currently remains in development.

In an interesting nod to ''QL'' fans, when series star [[Scott Bakula]] arrived on the set of his most recent show ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]]'', he jokingly suggested that the middle name of his ''Trek'' character ([[Jonathan Archer|Captain Jonathan Archer]]) might be Beckett. Later in the series, [[Dean Stockwell]] performed a guest role in an episode of ''Enterprise''.

==The 'Magnum' connection==

A [[fictional crossover|crossover]] with ''[[Magnum, P.I.]]'' (also produced by [[Donald Bellisario]]) was planned, in which Sam would leap into Thomas Magnum himself. Plans for a ''Magnum, P.I.'' movie (later aborted) led to the crossover being cancelled, although some footage was filmed, including the initial leaping in sequence, usually put at the end of the preceding episode (the "Oh boy..." bit). This featured [[Scott Bakula]], dressed in Magnum's classic red [[Aloha shirt]], turning towards the camera and comically raising his eyebrows, just as [[Tom Selleck]] does at the end of the opening credits to ''Magnum, P.I.''. Some consider that if this situation had Sam leaping into Magnum rather than Tom Selleck the actor, this would have created a continuity issue, since in an earlier episode a character (The daughter of Sam's current host, to be precise) is seen watching ''Magnum, P.I.'' on television. However, in the [[television pilot|Pilot]] episode of QL, Sam mentions that a relation of his had married Jim Bonick, who was a reoccurring character from ''Magnum, P.I.''. One possible solution could be that Magnum (the character) had his own television show in the QL universe.

==Home video releases==

[[Image:Quantum Leap series 1 DVD front.jpg|thumb|Sam Beckett strolling forward: The front cover of the [[DVD]] of the first season of ''Quantum Leap''.]]

In the [[1990s]], a few of the episodes were released on [[VHS]]. In the [[United States]], these included "The Pilot Episode" ("Genesis"), "Camikazi Kid", "The Color of Truth", "What Price Gloria?", "Catch a Falling Star", "Jimmy", "The Leap Home", "Dreams", and "Shock Theater". In the [[United Kingdom]], they were mostly released in pairs, selling as "The Pilot Episode" (on its own), "The Color of Truth" and "Camikazi Kid"; "The Americanization of Machiko" and "What Price Gloria?"; "Catch a Falling Star" and "Jimmy"; "The Leap Home" and "The Leap Home Part II - Vietnam"; and "Dreams" and "Shock Theater".

[[1998]] brought the [[DVD]] release of "The Pilot Episode", containing only the episode "Genesis" and chapter selection.

In [[2004]], the first two seasons of the series were released on DVD. The [[DVD region code|Region 1]] version of "Quantum Leap: The Complete First Season" came out in [[North America]] on [[7 June]] [[2004]], containing all of the episodes as they originally aired (except for "Play It Again, Seymour"), along with some bonus features.

[[Universal Studios|Universal]] was unable to obtain [[Music licensing|music rights]] for all of the music in "Quantum Leap: The Complete Second Season", in the case of the Region 1 version. Some were replaced with generic instrumental music. This outraged many fans and inspired a letter-writing campaign, demanding such a modification be corrected. The most criticized instance was the removal of [[Ray Charles]]'s "[[Georgia on My Mind]]" from the season two finalé, "M.I.A.", during a scene in which Al dances with his first wife Beth. Subsequent Region 1 DVD releases continued to feature music replacement, but Universal did begin including a disclaimer on the package indicating such.

Season 4 was released by [[Universal Studios|Universal]] on Region 1 DVD on [[28 March]] [[2006]] and on Region 2 DVD on [[26 June]] [[2006]]. However, the majority of the music from those episodes on both versions were changed or omitted.

The first four seasons have been released on DVD in the UK; Season 1 was released on the [[8 November]] [[2004]] (music intact), Season 2 on the [[31 October]] [[2005]] (music intact), Season 3 on the [[12 December]] [[2005]] (music intact) and Season 4 on the [[26 June]] [[2006]] (music partially intact).

The first three seasons are also available on DVD in Australia; Season 1 was released on the [[2 May]] [[2005]] (music intact), Season 2 on the [[7 February]] [[2006]] (music intact) and Season 3 will be released on the [[7 June]] [[2006]].

On [[15 August]] [[2006]], [[Universal Studios|Universal]] announced that Quantum Leap: The Complete Fifth season would be released on [[14 November]] [[2006]] with 'Blueprints from the original sets' as the only stated extra. Whether this release will be affected by music replacement is unknown.

==Trivia==
*''Quantum Leap'' came close to being cancelled in its third season due to low ratings. However, a letter writing campaign helped save the series, which would continue for another two seasons.
*The [[Lee Harvey Oswald]] episodes were made not only as a ratings booster, but as a way to debunk many of the [[conspiracy theory|conspiracy theories]] that the movie ''[[JFK (film)|JFK]]'' suggested regarding Oswald's involvement in the assassination of [[John F. Kennedy]]. As depicted in the episode, [[Donald Bellisario]] has claimed to have actually met Oswald while both were serving in the [[U.S. Marines]].
*A number of celebrities guest-starred on the series over the course of its run, including [[Debbie Allen]], [[Bob Saget]], [[Charles Rocket]], [[Neil Patrick Harris]], and others; [[Chubby Checker]], Dr. [[Laura Schlessinger]], and Dr. [[Ruth Westheimer]] appeared in episodes as themselves. Several future stars made guest appearances before they hit it big including [[Jennifer Aniston]] (''[[Friends]]''), [[Michael Beach]] (''[[Third Watch]]''), [[Terry Farrell (actress)|Terry Farrell]] (''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]''), [[Robert Duncan McNeill]] (''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]''), [[Joseph Gordon-Levitt]] (''[[3rd Rock from the Sun]]''), [[Carla Gugino]] (''[[Spy Kids]]''), [[Teri Hatcher]] (''[[Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman|Lois & Clark]]'', ''[[Desperate Housewives]]''), [[Marcia Cross]] (''[[Desperate Housewives]]'', ''[[Melrose Place]]''), [[Eriq La Salle]] (''[[ER (TV series)|ER]]''), [[Patricia Richardson]] (''[[Home Improvement]]''), [[Patrick Warburton]] (''[[Seinfeld]]'', ''[[Family Guy]]''), [[Claudia Christian]] (''[[Babylon 5]]'') and [[Amy Yasbeck]] (''[[Wings (TV series)|Wings]]'') among others.
*Sam once leapt into a chimpanzee that was part of NASA's early space program.
*Scott Bakula performed all of the songs required for the part during the show's 5 season run, contrary to the belief of many that it was a cover artist overlaying his mimes.
*A fourth-season episode was planned in which Sam leapt into an animated cartoon character; it was never actually produced.
*In "[[Running For Honor]]" Sam leaped into a navy cadet suspected of being gay (and whose mission was to help an ex-cadet who was openly gay), marking one of the first times an American network television show dealt prominently with [[homosexuality]], in addition to addressing the then hot-button issue of [[sexual orientation and military service|gays in the military]]. A number of sponsors pulled their advertising from the episode.
*In one episode of ''[[JAG]]'' (also created by Donald Bellisario), two of the male leads are forced to share a hotel room with a single bed as all the other rooms have been taken by people attending a Quantum Leap convention. Bellisario also appears as himself in the episode.
*Sam leapt into every year from [[1953]] through [[1987]] at least once, except for the years [[1977]], [[1984]] and [[1986]]. He also leapt into the years [[1945]] and [[1862]].
*Sam most frequently leapt into the year [[1958]], in eight different episodes.
*Sam leapt into the exact date [[August 8]], [[1955]] twice ''(in the episodes "The Color of Truth" and "Trilogy, Part I")''.
*The episode "Shock Theatre" is the only episode where the face of the person Sam leaped into was not shown. Rather, when he looked into the mirror, he would see the faces of the person he believed himself to be at that moment. (Sam underwent shock therapy in this leap, and it kicked out his own personality, allowing him to temporarily relive previous leaps.)

==Pop culture references==
*In the ''[[Family Guy]]'' episode "[[The Father, the Son, and the Holy Fonz]]", [[Peter Griffin]], in a parody of the [[Mormon]] faith, knocks on a man's door and begins to tell him about [[Jesus Christ]]; instead, he begins talking about the ''Quantum Leap'' premise. A flashback then shows Jesus "leaping" on the back of a pick-up truck with a farm girl kissing him, the girls' father then points a rifle at him. Jesus then says "Oh Boy" with the Executive Producer Donald P. Bellisario credit at the bottom of the screen.
*In another '''Family Guy''' episode "[[The Kiss seen Around the World]]" , [[Neil Goldman]] is revealed to have had Sam leap into him when out of the blue he begins talking to an animated Al.

==See also==
* [[List of Quantum Leap episodes]]
* [[List of Quantum Leap characters]]
*''[[The Time Tunnel]]'', another show about a time-travel experiment about to lose funding, so the principal scientist activated the machine with himself as the subject.
* [[Transmigration of the soul]]

==Further reading==
* Julie Barrett: The A–Z of "Quantum Leap". Boxtree, London 1995. ISBN 0-7522-0628-1
* Louis Chunovic: Quantum Leap Book. Boxtree, London 1993. ISBN 1-85283-866-3
* Hal Schuster: The Making of Quantum Leap. HarperCollins, London 1996. ISBN 0-06-105438-0

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* [http://www.quantumleap-alsplace.com/ Al's Place - A Quantum Leap Fan Site]
* [http://www.leapback2009.com/ The Leap Back 2009 Convention for Quantum Leap]
* {{imdb title|id=0096684|title=Quantum Leap}}
* {{imdb title|id=0383588|title=Quantum Leap: A Bold Leap Forward}}
* [http://www.quantumleaping.com Quantum Leaping - A Quantum Leap Fan Site]
* [http://www.finifter.com/quantum-leap/information/faql.html A fan-maintained FAQ about Quantum Leap]
* [[TVIV:Quantum Leap|Quantum Leap]] on [[TV IV]] - information and Episode Guides
* [http://www.scifi.com/quantum/index.html Quantum Leap] on [[Sci Fi Channel (United States)|SciFi.com]]
*[http://www.projectquantumleap.com Project Quantum Leap], fan club site and publisher of The Observer
* [http://www.tv.com/quantum-leap/show/173/episode_guide.html?season=0 Quantum Leap Episode Guide] at [[TV.com]]

[[Category:1980s TV shows in the United States]]
[[Category:1990s TV shows in the United States]]
[[Category:NBC network shows]]
[[Category:Science fiction television series]]
[[Category:Television shows set in New Mexico]]
[[Category:Time travel devices]]
[[Category:Time travel television series]]
[[Category:Television series by NBC Universal Television]]
[[Category:S.C.I.F.I. World]]

[[de:Zurück in die Vergangenheit]]
[[fr:Code Quantum]]
[[it:In viaggio nel tempo]]
[[ru:Квантовый скачок (фильм)]]
[[zh:時空怪客]]

Eric Young (wrestler)

2006-09-03T04:38:11Z

71.201.198.12:

{{For|others with the same name|Eric Young}}
{{Infobox Wrestler
|name=Jeremy Fritz
|image=Eric-young.jpg
|names='''Eric Young'''
|height=5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
|weight=225 lb (102 kg)
|birth_date =[[December 15]], [[1979]]
|death_date =
|birth_place =[[Florence, Ontario]]
|resides=[[Nashville, Tennessee]]
|billed=[[Vancouver|Vancouver, British Columbia]] '''An Undisclosed Location'''
|trainer=[[Waldo Von Erich]], Carl Leduc, [[Scott D'Amore]], [[Chris Kanyon]]
|debut=[[October 14]], [[1998]]
|retired=
|}}

'''Jeremy Fritz''' (born [[December 15]], [[1979]] in [[Florence, Ontario]]) is a [[Canada|Canadian]] [[professional wrestling|professional wrestler]], better known by his [[ring name]], '''Eric Young'''. He is currently working for [[Total Nonstop Action Wrestling]].

==Career==
After graduating from [[high school]], where he was [[valedictorian]], Young began training with veteran wrestler [[Waldo Von Erich]] in [[Cambridge, Ontario]]. After training for ten weeks he wrestled his debut match on [[October 14]], [[1998]] in [[Benton Harbor, Michigan]], facing his friend "Suicide" Sean Ball. He later received supplementary training from [[Scott D'Amore]] and [[Chris Kanyon]]. After four months, he had wrestled ten matches and was consequently promoted to head trainer. After his training was complete, Young began working on the [[independent circuit]]. When wrestling infrequently, Young subsidised his income with number of other jobs, including working in a [[Pizza|pizza parlour]], manufacturing [[Horse tack|brass horse harnesses]] and [[sand casting]]. During his time in the Ontario independent scene, Young also owned and operated the Wrestleplex training facility out of Cambridge. Notable wrestlers to come out of the gym include [[Ontario]] mainstay [[Crazy Steve]] and [[World Wrestling Entertainment]] signee [[Shawn Spears]].

===Total Nonstop Action Wrestling===
In [[January 2004]] Young appeared in TNA as a [[job (professional wrestling)|jobber]]. On [[May 5]] he returned as a member of [[Team Canada (TNA)|Team Canada]]. He took part in the [[TNA X Cup|World X-Cup]] event, defeating [[Jerry Lynn]], [[Mr. Águila]] and [[Taichi Ishikara]] in a [[professional wrestling match types#ladder match|ladder match]]. Team Canada were a regular feature on [[TNA iMPACT!]] throughout mid-2004, [[feud (professional wrestling)|feuding]] with the [[3Live Kru]].

On the [[October 15]], 2004 episode of IMPACT!, Young and [[Bobby Roode]] defeated [[Christopher Daniels]] and [[James Storm|"Cowboy" James Storm]] for the [[NWA World Tag Team Championship]]s. They held the titles until [[November 7]], 2004, when they were defeated by the 3Live Kru (represented by [[Konnan]] and [[Brian Gerard James|B.G. James]]) at [[TNA Victory Road 2004]], the inaugural monthly TNA [[pay-per-view]]. They regained the titles a month later at [[TNA Turning Point 2004]] on [[December 5]], defeating B.G. James and [[Ron Killings]] (Konnan, the third 3Live Kru member, had been injured).

Young and Roode began feuding with [[America's Most Wanted (professional wrestling)|America's Most Wanted]] in early-[[2005]], and lost the NWA World Tag Team Championships to America's Most Wanted on [[January 16]] at [[TNA Final Resolution 2005]]. Young and Roode continued to team for another month, but went their separate ways following a loss to [[Page Falkenberg|Diamond Dallas Page]] and [[Monty Brown|"The Alpha Male" Monty Brown]] on [[February 13]] at [[TNA Against All Odds 2005]]. Young began teaming with Team Canada member [[Petey Williams]], and on [[April 24]], 2005 they unsuccessfully challenged America's Most Wanted for the NWA World Tag Team Championships at [[TNA Lockdown]]. After defeating [[Germán Figueroa|Apolo]] and [[Sonny Siaki]] at [[TNA Hard Justice]] on [[May 15]], Williams and Young challenged new NWA World Tag Team Champions [[The Naturals]] at [[TNA Slammiversary]] on [[June 19]]. They were defeated after [[Jimmy Hart]] assisted The Naturals.

Team Canada began feuding with The Naturals and [[Lance Hoyt]], with Young, Roode and [[Alastair Ralphs|A-1]] defeating Hoyt and The Naturals at [[TNA No Surrender 2005]] on [[July 17]]. America's Most Wanted formed a loose alliance with The Naturals against Team Canada, with Young, Roode, Williams and A-1 defeating The Naturals and America's Most Wanted at [[TNA Sacrifice]] on [[August 14]]. After Williams renewed his pursuit of the [[TNA X Division Championship]], Young began teaming with A-1 on a regular basis. At [[TNA Unbreakable]] on [[September 11]], Young and A-1 faced America's Most Wanted, [[Patrick Martin|Alex Shelley]] and [[Johnny Candido]] and defending champions The Naturals in a four way tag match. Young was able to pin both Candido and [[Chris Harris (wrestler)|"Wildcat" Chris Harris]], but Team Canada lost the match after [[Chase Stevens]] managed to pin A-1.

At [[TNA Bound For Glory]] on [[October 23]], Young, A-1 and [[Bobby Roode]] defeated the 3Live Kru. After the match, their attempts to beat down Konnan were foiled by [[Monty Sopp|Kip James]]. Later that night, Team Canada foiled an attempt by 3Live Kru to save [[Terry Gerin|Rhino]] from a beating at the hands of [[Planet Jarrett]], then helped Jarrett place Rhino in a [[coffin|casket]] which they had brought to ringside. However, as Team Canada and Planet Jarrett celebrated, [[Dudley Boyz|Team 3D]] entered the ring and, with the help of the now recovered 3Live Kru, drove Planet Jarrett and Team Canada from the ring. Young, who had been standing atop the casket, was hit with a [[Professional wrestling double-team maneuvers#Dudley Death Drop|3D]] by Team 3D. He was then thrown into the casket in the place of Rhino, who in turn stood atop the casket, celebrating his earlier victory for the [[NWA World Heavyweight Championship]] over [[Jeff Jarrett]]. As a result of the events of Bound For Glory, Young, Roode and A-1 faced the 3Live Kru in a rematch at [[TNA Genesis]] on [[November 13]]. Team Canada lost the match after Ron Killings pinned Young. The long-running feud between Team Canada and the 3Live Kru ended at [[TNA Turning Point 2005]] on [[December 11]] when Young, Williams, Roode and A-1 defeated the Kru and [[Monty Sopp|Kip James]] (the "4Live Kru") after Konnan [[turn (professional wrestling)|turned]] on his teammates.

At [[TNA Final Resolution 2006]] on [[January 15]], [[2006]], Young teamed with Williams and A-1 to defeat [[Lance Hoyt]], [[Jamar Shipman|Jay Lethal]] and [[Kenny Layne|Kenny King]].

On [[March 7]], [[2006]], Young underwent surgery to remove [[papilloma]] [[Polyp (medicine)|polyps]] from his [[Vocal folds|vocal cords]]. While [[Anesthesia|anaesthesized]], he stopped breathing for ten minutes, and doctors had to put him on a [[ventilator]] until the anesthesia wore off enough for him to breathe on his own. Young was released the next day after monitoring (the procedure was initially supposed to be an [[outpatient surgery|outpatient procedure]]). Young said the polyps were a recurring problem: [[laryngeal papillomatosis]] resulting from [[human papilloma virus|HPV]] infection of the throat. This was his sixth surgery, and he said he may need 40 to 50 more. [http://www.tnawrestling.com/news/fullnews2.php?all=538]

====Paranoia gimmick====
Since the debut of TNA on [[Spike TV]] in [[October 2005]], Young has adopted a new [[gimmick (professional wrestling)|character]] who is highly [[paranoia|paranoid]] and afraid of almost anything and anybody. The character was introduced at the mock funeral staged by [[Planet Jarrett]] and their associates for [[Dudley Boyz|Team 3D]] on the October 15, 2005 episode of iMPACT!, when Young was startled after [[Chris Parks|Abyss]] crushed a box of [[Facial tissue|tissues]] that were offered to him, and then speculated that the funeral parlour was haunted by a [[ghost]] named "[[Katie Vick|Katie]]". The simplest things began to frighten Young, including the [[pyrotechnics]] that accompany Team Canada's entrance.

The character has drawn comparisons to [[South Park]] characters [[Tweek]] and [[Butters]], and has often been used for [[comic relief]]. During an interview about the World X-Cup by [[So Cal Val]] during ''[[TNA Global iMPACT!]]'', Young stated "Foreigners frighten me. They're from other countries, and I don't know how to deal with that."

However, although Young may be paranoid, he is not necessarily always wrong. Two weeks after [[Sting (wrestler)|Sting]] and [[Jason Reso|Christian Cage]] defeated [[Jeff Jarrett]] and [[Monty Brown]] at [[TNA Final Resolution 2006]], Sting made his iMPACT! debut and announced his retirement. Jarrett wasted no time in pointing out that "after one match with me, Sting took his ball and went home", and most of Planet Jarrett agreed with that assessment. However, Young became convinced that Sting was not gone, and raised the ire of Jarrett and Scott D'Amore by frequently expressing that belief. In an attempt to persuade Young that Sting had left, Jarrett commissioned [[Alex Shelley]] to obtain footage of Sting at home with his children; however, this failed to allay Young's fears. He insisted that Sting would come back and get each of them, he would even go as far as to insist that the fellow Planet Jarrett members should not call him by his nickname "Showtime" anymore as ''"It's showtime, folks!"'' was a phrase Sting would often use.

In the main event of the [[April 13]], [[2006]] episode of iMPACT!, Young lost to Sting.

Also despite his paranoia, it does not always hinder his abilities during a match. Although he does not usually strive in a one-on-one situation, he is not afraid to capitalize on an opportunity such as outside interference from a member of Team Canada or [[Planet Jarrett]]. He will also not hesitate to cheat or follow-up when someone has aided him in breaking the rules. He has shown that he can be rather aggressive, even putting people through a table with of course help from his fellow Canadian teammates.

In an interview [http://www.tnawrestlingnews.com/headlines/150174042.shtml] Eric Young talked about the TNA fans by saying: " I think the fans are spoiled, the reactions aren't as good anymore because the fans have seen it all."

When [[Jim Cornette]] became the new face of management in TNA and said someone would be fired, Young was afraid it would be him. He was seen on iMPACT! holding a up a sign in the crowd that read "Don't fire Eric Young" as the fans chanted "Don't fire Eric!" along with him. During this he used a bandana to disguise himself although it was clearly (and comically) obvious it was him. On the [[June 29]] episode of iMPACT!, Young wrestled like a classic [[Face (professional wrestling)|babyface]] out of fear of being fired, and tried to prevent his fellow Canadians from doing anything underhanded. Cornette announced later that night Team Canada was now disbanded, but Young was more happy than upset because it was [[Earl Hebner]] who got fired, not Young. It is unknown if Young will continue to make his ring entrance wearing a [[Flag of Canada|Canadian flag]] like a [[superhero]] [[cape]]. On the [[July 14]] episode of iMPACT!, Team Canada lost an "all or nothing" match (their only chance to stay together), keeping Team Canada disbanded.

At Victory Road, Team Canada joined together in the ring for one last time. After running through how he felt about each member, Scott D'Amore stopped at Eric Young. He then blamed Eric for their demise and made him strip of any Team Canada items as they were no more. Scott D'Amore then said that he believed Eric Young would still be fired as he was to blame for Team Canada's end. Eric then remained in the ring after the others had left and began a secret petition with the fans to keep his job. He would soon start being announced from "An Undisclosed Location". Young continued to be worried about his job security, creating his own "Don't fire Eric" shirts and met with Cornette, who promised to not fire Young (for now) as long as he defeated [[Johnny Devine]] at [[TNA Hard Justice 2006]], which Young did.

==In wrestling==
*'''Finishing and signature moves'''
:*'''''Young Blood Neckbreaker''''' ([[Professional wrestling holds#Wheelbarrow|Wheelbarrow]] into [[neckbreaker]])
:*'''''Showstopper''''' ([[Suplex#Wheelbarrow suplex|Side wheelbarrow suplex]])
:*[[List of professional wrestling throws#Death Valley driver|Death Valley driver]]
:*[[Professional wrestling aerial techniques#Diving elbow drop|Diving elbow drop]]
:*[[Moonsault]]
:*[[Backbreaker#Pendulum backbreaker|Pendulum backbreaker]]
:*[[Piledriver (professional wrestling)|Piledriver]]
:*[[Pinfall (professional wrestling)#Roll-up|Roll-up]]
:*[[Professional wrestling attacks#Senton|Somersault senton]]
:*[[Superkick]]
:*[[Powerbomb]]

*'''Managers'''
:*[[Scott D'Amore]]

*'''Nicknames'''
:*The Director
:*Showtime

==Championships and accomplishments==
*'''[[Memphis Wrestling]]'''
:*1-time Memphis Southern Tag Team Champion (with [[Johnny Devine]])

*'''[[Total Nonstop Action Wrestling]]'''
:*2-time [[NWA World Tag Team Championship|NWA World Tag Team Champion]] (with [[Bobby Roode]])

*'''Other titles'''
:*2-time FSPW Independent Champion
:*1-time NSP Tag Team Champion
:*1-time NSP Independent Champion
:*1-time ACW Heavyweight Champion
:*1-time IWF Heavyweight Champion
:*1-time XWC World Heavyweight Champion

==Championship succession==
{{start box}}
|-
| colspan = 3 align = center | '''[[NWA World Tag Team Championship]]'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''[[James Storm]] and [[Christopher Daniels]]'''
| width = 40% align = center | First, with [[Bobby Roode]]
| width = 30% align = center | Followed by: '''[[Konnan]] and [[Brian Gerard James|B.G. James]]'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''[[Konnan]] and [[Brian Gerard James|B.G. James]]'''
| width = 40% align = center | Second, with [[Bobby Roode]]
| width = 30% align = center | Followed by: '''[[Chris Harris (wrestler)|Chris Harris]] and [[James Storm]]'''
|-
{{end box}}

==References==
* [http://www.pwinsider.com/ViewArticle.asp?id=15332&p=1 An interview with Eric Young, conducted by Brian Fritz]
* [http://alanwojcik.com/id96.html An interview with Eric Young, conducted by Alan Wojcik]
* [http://www.obsessedwithwrestling.com/profiles/e/eric-young.html Eric Young at ObsessedWithWrestling.com]
* [http://www.tnawrestling.com/columns/bankshot/full2.php?bank=257 ''TNA news and views in the new Bank Shot'' (October 15, 2005)]
* [http://www.tnawrestling.com/fullnews.php?home=551 Spirit Of Wrestling - The Voice Of The Heart, by David Sahadi]

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* [http://www.tnawrestling.com/roster/ericyoung/index.html TNA profile]
* [http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=28507462&Mytoken=51E1C167-86A3-44E8-81658B25441B373D73675062 Eric Young at MySpace.com]

[[Category:1979 births|Young, Eric]]
[[Category:Canadian professional wrestlers|Young, Eric]]
[[Category:Living people|Young, Eric]]
[[Category:People from Nashville|Young, Eric]]
[[Category:Ontario sportspeople|Young, Eric]]
[[Category:People from Lambton County, Ontario|You]]
[[Category:Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling alumni|Young, Eric]]

World Championship Wrestling

2006-09-02T02:59:15Z

71.201.198.12: /* Vince McMahon strikes back */

:'' For the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] video game, see [[WCW Wrestling]]. For the Australian promotion, see '''[[WCW Australia]]'''''. For the poet, see [[William Carlos Williams]].

{{Pwcompanybox |
name = World Championship Wrestling |
image =Wcwlogo.jpg |
acronym = WCW |
established = 1986 |
style = [[List of professional wrestling styles#American Wrestling|American Wrestling]] |
location = [[Atlanta, Georgia]] |
founder = [[Ted Turner]] |
owner = [[Turner Broadcasting System|Turner Broadcasting System (TBS)/Turner]] (1988-96) [[Time Warner]] (1996-2001) [[Vince McMahon]] (2001-present) |
parent = [[Turner Broadcasting System|Turner Broadcasting System (TBS)/Turner]] (1988-96) [[Time Warner]] (1996-2001) [[World Wrestling Entertainment|World Wrestling Entertainment]] (2001-Present) |
sister = |
formerly = NWA Eastern States Championship Wrestling NWA Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling [[Georgia Championship Wrestling]] [[Jim Crockett Promotions]] NWA World Championship Wrestling Universal Wrestling Corporation |
merged = [[World Wrestling Entertainment]] |
}}

'''World Championship Wrestling''' or '''WCW''', was a [[professional wrestling promotion]] based in [[Atlanta, Georgia]] that existed from 1986 to 2001. In March 2001, the company's assets, including trademarks, some wrestler contracts, and extensive [[WWE Tape Library|video library]] were purchased by the [[World Wrestling Entertainment|World Wrestling Federation]], who continued to use the name as part of a [[The Alliance|storyline]] until November 2001, when the promotion officially ceased.

==History==
===In the beginning: The NWA years===
Although World Championship Wrestling was a brand name used by promoter [[Jim Barnett]] for his Australian promotion, the first promotion in the [[United States]] to use the World Championship Wrestling brand name (though it was never referred to as "WCW") on a wide scale was Georgia Championship Wrestling (although Vincent James McMahon's Capitol Wrestling Corpotation did in fact use the name in some house show promotion).

This promotion, owned primarily by [[Jack Brisco]] and [[Gerald Brisco]] and [[booking (professional wrestling)|booked]] by [[Ole Anderson]], was the first NWA territory to gain [[cable television|cable TV]] access. In 1983, Georgia Championship Wrestling changed the name of its television show (and thus its public face) to World Championship Wrestling since it was already starting to run shows in "neutral" territories such as [[Ohio]] and [[Michigan]]. Although many in the business felt that Anderson was mismanaging the company, Georgia Championship Wrestling had managed to compete against the other major territory trying to go national ([[Vince McMahon]]'s WWF).
{{main|Black Saturday (1984)}}
In [[1984#May|May 1984]], the Brisco brothers sold their shares in Georgia Championship Wrestling, including their timeslot on the [[TBS (TV network)|TBS]] cable TV [[television network|network]] to Vince McMahon. The WWF show did not fare well in [[Nielsen Ratings|ratings]]. World Championship Wrestling's core audience was not interested in the WWF's cartoony approach, preferring a more athletic style. Despite originally promising to produce original programming for the TBS timeslot in Atlanta, McMahon chose instead to provide only a [[clip show]] for TBS, featuring highlights from other WWF programming. In [[1985#May|May 1985]], McMahon sold the TBS timeslot to Jim Crockett Promotions, owned by [[Jim Crockett, Jr.]], under pressure from [[Ted Turner]], who resurrected the World Championship Wrestling name (Turner Broadcasting had copyrighted it and prevented McMahon from using it).

By 1986, Jim Crockett, Jr. controlled key portions of the NWA under the name [[Jim Crockett Promotions]], including the traditional NWA territories in [[The Carolinas]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], and [[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]]. Crockett merged his various NWA territories into one group, and promoted it under the name '''NWA World Championship Wrestling'''. A feud between Crockett and Vince McMahon's WWF sprang up, and both companies attempted to outmaneuver the other to acquire key [[television|TV]] slots.

In the same year, WCW also purchased [[Heart of America Sports Attractions Inc]] (HASA), which owned the rights to promote wrestling shows through several central states ([[Kansas]], [[Missouri]], and [[Iowa]]). HASA was known to fans as NWA Central States, and ran a [[television program|TV show]] called ''All Star Wrestling''.

In 1987, WCW would purchase [[Championship Wrestling from Florida]], and [[Mid-South Sports (United States)|Universal Wrestling Federation]] (which covered [[Oklahoma]], [[Mississippi]], [[Arkansas]], [[Texas]] and [[Louisiana]]), which was not an NWA member. Florida & Mid-South (and its wrestlers) were absorbed into WCW.

Crockett had almost accomplished his goal of creating a national promotion. Between his purchasing several NWA territories, [[World Class Championship Wrestling]] in Texas leaving the NWA in 1986 (and later merging with [[Jerry Jarrett]]'s [[Championship Wrestling Alliance]] in [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]] to create the [[United States Wrestling Association]]) brand, and the once highly viable [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]] territory going bankrupt (it closed in 1992), he was the last bastion of the NWA, and the last member with national TV exposure. Since it was all they now saw, many people began to believe that World Championship Wrestling ''was'' the NWA. Although WCW and the NWA were still two separate entities, with Crockett as NWA President, they were very much on the same page. The NWA was effectively an on-paper organization funded by Crockett, and allowed Crockett to use the NWA brand name for promoting.

With the large amount of capital needed to take a wrestling federation on a national tour, Crockett's territorial acquisitions had seriously drained WCW's coffers. He was in a similar situation to that of the WWF in the early 1980s: a large debt load, and the success or failure of a federation hinging on the success or failure of a series of [[pay-per-view|PPVs]]. Crockett marketed [[StarrCade#1987: Chi-Town Heat|StarrCade '87]] as the NWA's answer to [[WrestleMania]]. However, the WWF promoted [[Survivor Series#1987|Survivor Series]] on the same day, and threatened to withhold [[WrestleMania IV]] from any PPV company that refused to show it. Later, in [[1988#January|January 1988]], WCW promoted the ''[[Bunkhouse Stampede]]'' PPV, and McMahon counter-programmed with the first [[Royal Rumble (1988)|Royal Rumble]] on [[USA Network|USA]]. Both WCW PPVs achieved low buyrates.

In 1985, Crockett had signed [[Dusty Rhodes]] and made him [[booker (professional wrestling)|booker]] for WCW. Rhodes had a reputation for creativity and authored many of the memorable feuds and storylines of this period and [[gimmick (professional wrestling)|gimmick]] matches like ''WarGames''. By 1988, after three years of trying to compete with Vince McMahon, and a long, drawn-out political struggle with champion [[Ric Flair]], Rhodes was burned out. He was unable to draw fan interest in his storylines, and the [[Dusty finish]] had reduced the [[house show]] market. By the end of 1988, Rhodes was booking cards seemingly at random, and planning at one point to have mid-card wrestler [[Rick Steiner]] defeat Ric Flair in a five-minute match at ''StarrCade'' for the NWA World Championship. At the end of 1988, Rhodes was fired by the promotion after an angle he booked where [[Road Warrior Animal]] pulled a spike out of his shoulderpad and jammed it in Rhodes's eye busting it wide open.

To preserve the inexpensive network programming provided by professional wrestling, Jim Crockett Promotions was purchased outright by Turner on [[November 21]] [[1988]]. Originally incorporated by TBS as the '''Universal Wrestling Corporation''', Turner promised the fans that WCW would be the athlete-oriented style of NWA.

1989 proved to be a turnaround year for WCW, with Ric Flair on top for most of the year both as World Champion and also as head booker. Flair had helped bring in [[Ricky Steamboat]] and [[Terry Funk]], and his PPV matches with both were successful, financially and critically. Young stars such as [[Sid Eudy|Sid Vicious]], [[Sting (wrestler)|Sting]], [[Scott Steiner]], [[Road Warriors|The Road Warriors]], [[Brian Pillman]], [[Keiji Mutoh|The Great Muta]] and [[Lex Luger]] were given big storylines and championship opportunities.

Despite this influx of talent, WCW soon began working to gradually incorporate much of the glamor and showy gimmicks for which the WWF was better known. Virtually none of these stunts, such as the live cross-promotional appearance of [[RoboCop]] at a PPV event in 1990, the '''Chamber of Horrors''' gimmick and the notorious '''[[The Black Scorpion|Black Scorpion]]''' storyline, succeeded. Behind the scenes, WCW was also becoming more autonomous and slowly started separating itself from the historic NWA name. In [[1991#January|January 1991]], WCW officially split from the NWA and began to recognize its own [[WCW World Heavyweight Championship]] and [[WCW World Tag Team Championship]].
{{details|Jim Herd}}
Both the WCW and the NWA recognized Ric Flair (who was by now no longer the head booker) as their '''World Heavyweight Champion''' throughout most of the first half of 1991, but WCW, particularly recently-installed company president [[Jim Herd]], turned against Flair for various reasons and fired him just prior to the [[1991#July|July 1991]] [[The Great American Bash|Great American Bash]] PPV after failed contract negotiations. In the process, they officially stripped him of the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. However, according to Flair's autobiography, they refused to return the [[United States dollar|$]]25,000 deposit he had put down on the (physical) belt, so he kept it and took it with him when he was hired by the WWF at the request of Vince McMahon. Flair then incorporated the belt into his [[gimmick (professional wrestling)|gimmick]], dubbing himself "The Real World's Champion".

WCW later renegotiated the use of the NWA name as a co-promotional gimmick with [[New Japan Pro Wrestling]], and sued the WWF to stop showing Flair with the old NWA World title belt on its programs, claiming a trademark on the physical design of the belt. The belt was returned to WCW by Flair when Jim Herd was let go and he received his deposit back plus interest, and it was brought back as the revived [[NWA World Heavyweight Championship]].

During the period that WCW operated with its own World Champion while also recognizing the NWA's world title, Flair quit the WWF and returned to WCW, regaining the title from [[Barry Windham]] in [[1993#July|July 1993]]. Immediately, the other, now smaller, member organizations of the NWA began demanding that Flair defend the title under their rules in their territories, as mandated by old NWA agreements. The title was later scheduled to be dropped by Flair to [[Richard Rood|Rick Rude]], a title change which was exposed by the '''[[Disney Tapings]]''', the months-in-advance taping of WCW's [[Television syndication|syndicated television]] shows at [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]]-owned studios in [[Orlando, Florida]]. The NWA board of directors, working separately from WCW, objected to Rude, with WCW finally leaving the NWA for good again in [[1993#September|September 1993]].
{{see also|WCW_Disney_tapings#Logistical_Errors}}
However, WCW still legally owned and used the actual belt which represented the NWA World Heavyweight Championship (Rick Rude even defended it as '''The [[Big Gold Belt]]''') but they could no longer use the '''NWA''' name. The title thus became known as the WCW International World Heavyweight Title (meaning the World heavyweight championship as sanctioned by "WCW International," a fictional organization made up of promoters from around the world, essentially their in-house version of the real NWA).

WCW realized that the title belt, because of its rich in-ring history and visual impact, was highly sought after and respected in [[Japan]] and as such created this fictional subsidiary dubbed '''WCW International''' to inject some credibility back into the belt. WCW claimed that "WCWI" still recognized the belt as a legitimate World Championship. For a short while, there were essentially two World titles up for competition in the organization.

Sting eventually won the [[WCW International World Heavyweight Championship|WCW International Championship]] and lost the belt to then-WCW World Champion Ric Flair in a [[Championship unification|unification]] match in [[1994#May|May 1994]] when the experiment was jettisoned. To make things more confusing, the WCW title belt, as introduced in 1991, was dropped and the old NWA Championship belt was revived and officially replaced it as the [[WCW World Heavyweight Championship]]. It was used as such until WCW's closure in 2001. The belt (in a slightly altered design) is still seen today in WWE as the [[World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)|World Heavyweight Championship]] on their [[WWE Friday Night SmackDown!|SmackDown!]] brand (previously on [[WWE RAW|RAW]]). However, WWE considers it a seperate title and WWE.com officially lists the title history of the World Heavyweight Championship as beginning with [[Triple H]] being awarded the belt by Eric Bischoff on ''RAW'' on [[September 2]], [[2002 in television|2002]].

===The Bischoff era begins===
[[Image:Wcw.jpg|thumb|280px|WCW [[logo]] from 1988-1999.]]
The creative product of the company sank very noticeably in 1992 and 1993 under the presidency of Jim Herd and, subsequently, [[Bill Watts]]. There were signs of gradual recovery in late 1993 when former commentator and [[American Wrestling Association]] (AWA) booker [[Eric Bischoff]] was appointed as Executive Vice President of WCW. Bischoff, originally brought in as a secondary commentator behind [[Jim Ross]] after the AWA became defunct, was desperate to give WCW a new direction and impressed Turner's top brass with his confrontational tactics and business-savvy.

Bischoff's first year was considered unsuccessful. Dusty Rhodes and Ole Anderson were in full creative control at this point, with what were considered to be cartoonish storylines, as well as seemingly pointless feuds with little or no buildup. During a live ''[[Clash of the Champions]]'' to build up the [[Fall Brawl]] PPV, WCW decided to introduce a "mystery partner" for the babyfaces, a masked man known as [[Fred Ottman|The Shockmaster]]. The Shockmaster (previously known as [[Fred Ottman|Typhoon]] in the WWF) was supposed to crash through a fake wall and intimidate the heels. Instead, he tripped through the wall and fell on live television, rendering himself as a joke character.

WCW in 1993 decided to base the promotion around Ric Flair. This was seen as more or less a necessity, as prospective top babyface Sid Vicious tried to injure wrestler [[Arn Anderson]] with a pair of scissors four weeks before [[StarrCade#1993|StarrCade]] while on tour in [[England]] and was fired. Flair won the title at ''StarrCade'' and was once again made booker.

Bischoff would declare open war on McMahon's WWF in the media and aggressively recruited high-profile former WWF superstars such as [[Hulk Hogan]] and [[Randy Savage]] in 1994. Using Turner's monetary resources, Bischoff placed his faith in the established stars with proven track records. Because of their high profiles, Hogan and Savage were able to demand and get several concessions not usually allowed to wrestlers at the time, such as multi-year, multimillion dollar guaranteed contracts and significant creative control. This would later become a problem during subsequent years of competition with the WWF, as other wrestlers were able to make similar demands, and contract values soared out of control. Hogan, in particular, was able to gain considerable influence through a friendship with Bischoff. Another thing Bischoff may have failed to consider was the fact that many WCW fans watched it as an alternative to the product of the WWF in the early [[1990s|90s]], and many NWA fans saw the hiring of former WWF talent as an attempt to copy its success, as opposed to being an alternative product with an emphasis on in-ring action.

WCW's first major event since Hogan's hiring, [[Bash at the Beach#1994|Bash at the Beach]], saw the former WWF mainstay defeat Ric Flair for the WCW Championship. The two had worked for the WWF at the same time from 1991 to 1992, and a feud was teased between them, but the big-money match originally planned for [[WrestleMania VIII]] was changed to Flair/Savage and Hogan/[[Sid Eudy|Sid]]. When WCW delivered the match, the PPV drew a high buy rate by WCW standards due to mainstream intrigue and hype.

This was not lost on Turner management, however, and Bischoff's bold, expensive steps didn't quite meet their expectations when they came to check up on things in mid-1995. Thus, Bischoff called Turner and requested a private meeting, which he was granted.

===Monday Night Wars===
{{main|Monday Night Wars}}

Bischoff would be instrumental in launching the weekly show ''[[WCW Monday Nitro]]'' in [[1995#September|September 1995]]. Turner asked Bischoff how WCW could conceivably compete with McMahon's WWF. Bischoff, not expecting Turner to comply, said that the only way would be a primetime slot on a weekday night, possibly up against the WWF's flagship show, ''[[WWE RAW|Monday Night RAW]]''. Turner granted him a live hour on [[Turner Network Television|TNT]] every Monday night, which specifically overlapped with ''Raw''. This format quickly expanded to two live hours in [[1996#May|May 1996]], and then later three. Bischoff himself was initially the host, alongside [[Bobby Heenan]] and ex-[[National Football League|NFL]] star [[Steve McMichael|Steve "Mongo" McMichael]].

McMahon later admitted to being bitter about Turner's decision to air ''Nitro'' live on Monday nights, saying that Turner and Bischoff's only reason for doing this could be to hurt and damage the WWF. Turner and McMahon certainly had something of a personal history: in the early 1980s, when McMahon began buying up local organizations in order to create a nationwide wrestling system, one of the promotions he took over was Georgia Championship Wrestling; thus he was in the position of providing a Saturday night show for Turner's TBS station. When viewers tuned to TBS on [[July 14]], [[1984 in television|1984]] (a date known as '''[[Black Saturday (1984)|Black Saturday]]''' by some in the wrestling community) and saw WWF programming instead of the GCW wrestlers they were used to seeing, many called the station and demanded the NWA's return; two weeks later, GCW returned, albeit on Saturday mornings. Turner quickly grew tired of the personality-driven glitz of McMahon's product and was upset at the fact that McMahon had gone back on his earlier promise not to dump second-rate stars and matches onto TBS. Turner therefore axed McMahon's show and turned to Jim Crockett for the Saturday night pro wrestling slot. It is rumored that on the very same day that Turner later acquired Crockett's territories, he called McMahon to say ''"Vince, I'm in the rasslin' business!"'' McMahon claims he congratulated him and then told him "That's great Ted. I'm in the entertainment business." It was kind of a karma for Vince, who had engaged in the very same tactics in the early and late 80's during his national expansion, so many fans familiar with the tactics used by McMahon felt he had no reason to complain when his own tactics were used against him, but felt that only he should be able to "play dirty".

In [[1995 in television|1995]], Turner (as sole head and owner of both TBS and TNT), could air ''Nitro'' whenever he wanted. The WWF on the other hand was constrained by having to deal with the [[USA Network]], whose executives were pleased about the viewers ''RAW'' brought to their network, but were also weary of the stigma associated with being the '''wrestling channel'''. ''WCW Monday Nitro'' made its debut in [[1995#September|September 1995]] live from the [[Mall of America]] in [[Bloomington, Minnesota]], and featured the surprise appearance of [[Lex Luger]], who had been working on a handshake deal with WWF after his most recent contract expired, on a week when ''RAW'' was pre-empted by the [[U.S. Open (tennis)|US Open]].

In the first head-to-head ratings the following week, ''Nitro'' managed to convincingly defeat ''RAW'', seeing WCW beat the WWF for the first time ever. For most of ''Nitro's'' first year, the ratings battle between the two promotions were close. In the end, ''Nitro'' ended up beating ''RAW'' in the ratings for 84 straight weeks between [[1996 in television|1996]] and [[1998 in television|1998]].

''RAW'' and the WWF in general was consided to be at a creative nadir from 1995 to 1997, thus helping WCW's meteoric rise. The WWF tried in vain to fight back in early 1996 with the "Billionaire Ted" sketches, which occasionally starred an unbilled [[Vince Russo]] and [[parody|parodied]] Turner, Hogan ("The Huckster"), [[Gene Okerlund]] ("Scheme Gene") and Savage ("Nacho Man") in particular. Only when stars such as ex-WCW wrestler [["Stone Cold" Steve Austin]] began to emerge, and when McMahon selected Russo, a [[New York City|New York]] DJ and WWF magazine writer, as his head booker, did the WWF begin to pick up steam.

Siphoning off the WWF's talent and airing ''Nitro'' on Monday night was not the end of WCW's tactics to defeat the competition (a stunt McMahon himself pulled when he steamrolled over territories to monopolize the WWF, although McMahon would be the one crying "foul" this time). In the early days, as ''RAW'' was only live once every three weeks at that point, and as hours of upcoming shows would be taped in one arena on one night, announcers on ''Nitro'' could (and would) often give away the results of that week's ''RAW'' to keep viewers tuned to ''Nitro''. Much later, with the WWF firmly back on top, this tactic memorably backfired on [[January 4]], [[1999 in television|1999]], when WCW announcer [[Tony Schiavone]] was instructed by Bischoff over his headset to announce that [[Mick Foley]] (wrestling as Mankind in the WWF), would win the [[WWE Championship|WWF Championship]] that night on the USA Network. Schiavone then sarcastically remarked, ''"that would put a lot of butts in the seats."'' [[Nielsen Ratings|Nielsen ratings]] for that night showed that almost immediately after Schiavone's comment, around 300,000 to 600,000 viewers switched from ''Nitro'' to ''RAW'' in a matter of seconds. This startling ratings switch was seen as a true testament to Foley's dedication to wrestling and the WWF's ever-growing popularity.

===Vince McMahon strikes back===
{{see also|Monday_Night_Wars#1999-2000:_The_Tide_Turns}}
When [[Bret Hart]] left the WWF after the [[Montreal Screwjob]] at the 1997 [[Survivor Series]] it looked as WCW was going to push the WWF right off the map. WCW had seemingly the big stars people wanted to see like Hogan, Nash, Hall, Hart, Flair, Etc. as the popular opinion was that this was a deathblow for the WWF and a major score for WCW. The combination of a company screwing over a popular wrestler and angering many fans should have dealt a massive blow to the WWF and given WCW a great amount of hype to work from. Sadly for WCW, the opposite effect was achieved. After [[WrestleMania XIV]] in [[1998#March|March 1998]], the WWF regained the lead in the Monday Night Wars with its new [[World Wrestling Entertainment#WWF Attitude|WWF Attitude]] brand, led in particular by rising stars "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, [[The Rock (entertainer)|The Rock]], [[Paul Levesque|Triple H]] and [[Mick Foley|Mankind]]. The classic feud between McMahon (who was re-imagined and re-branded as the evil company chairman character Mr. McMahon) and Austin (who, ironically, had been released by Bischoff in the summer of 1995 for not being marketable) caught the imaginations of fans. The [[April 13]], [[1998 in television|1998]] episode of ''RAW'', headlined by a match between Austin and McMahon, marked the first time that WCW had lost the head-to-head Monday night [[Nielsen Ratings|ratings]] battle in the 84 weeks since [[1996 in television|1996]]. WWF didn't stop there. Their ratings increased dramatically in the next two years, more than ever before. WCW attempted to counter this by dividing the nWo into the Hogan-led heel nWo Hollywood faction and the Nash-led face nWo Wolfpac faction, but many felt that it was a poor rehash of the original WCW vs. nWo storyline. Undeterred, WCW also launched a new Thursday TV show, the aforementioned ''WCW Thunder'', around this time.

WCW's next big attempt at ratings supremacy was marketing ex-[[National Football League|NFL]] newcomer [[Bill Goldberg]] as an invincible monster with a record-breaking winning streak. Goldberg was indeed incredibly popular from the outset, with chants of 'Gold-berg, Gold-berg' heralding his approach to the ring, but business still quickly fell off for WCW, especially as the list of stars ready to be [[squash (professional wrestling)|destroyed]] by Goldberg grew shorter. One of WCW's last big genuine wins in the Monday night ratings war was on [[July 6]], [[1998 in television|1998]], when WCW gave the long-awaited World Title match in Atlanta between Hogan and Goldberg (which Goldberg won), away for free on ''Nitro''. By doing this, they indeed 'spiked' and inflated their TV ratings for a week, but lost millions of possible PPV dollars in the process, as Hogan vs. Goldberg was a clear PPV main event. On [[September 14]], [[1998 in television|1998]], WCW won the ratings war once again with a memorable moment that featured Ric Flair's return to WCW and the reformation of the legendary [[Four Horsemen (professional wrestling)|Four Horsemen]]. On [[October 25]], [[1998 in television|1998]], WCW's [[Halloween Havoc#1998|Halloween Havoc]] PPV ended up running longer than the time allowed due to the last-minute addition of a [[WCW World Tag Team Championship|Tag Team Title]] match. As a result, several thousand people lost the PPV feed at 11pm which was during the World Title match between [[Dallas Page|Diamond Dallas Page]] and Goldberg. The following night, WCW decided to correct the problem by airing the entire match for free on ''Nitro'' and thus winning the ratings war for the final time.

WCW slowly slid into a period of extravagant overspending and what was viewed almost universally as creative decline with the reason why it happened and who let it happen still a matter of debate. One possible reason was the overuse of celebrities (such as [[Dennis Rodman]] and [[Jay Leno]]) to wrestle PPV matches. Another was that the WCW's credibility was badly damaged by embarrassing product placement, like [[Rick Steiner]] trading barbs with [[Chucky]] the killer doll (which was roundly booed by the in-house audience on the live Nitro broadcast) in the hopes of generating interest in the [[1998 in film|1998]] film ''[[Bride of Chucky]]''. Another reason vould be the stale, pointless, and at times self-serving storylines concocted by inexperienced bookers such as [[Kevin Nash]], and that the top-level stars had no motivation to excel in the ring due to their long-term guaranteed-money contracts, and only gave their utmost when it suited them to do so. What is known is that WCW programming slowly started to go downhill in quality with people turning off their TVs or switching to WWF programming, and in reaction the company began to panic and tried to solve its problems by throwing money at a variety of personalities, a practice it could ill-afford to engage in. Many talents were reportedly signed simply to keep them from appearing on WWF television. At one point, WCW held over 260 individual performers under guaranteed contracts, and often paid many of them to simply stay at home and collect a paycheck.

As mentioned above, people were growing suspicious of Nash's questionable storylines, which were dominated by his on-screen persona. After booking himself to win the [[WCW World War 3#1998|World War 3]] battle royal in [[1998#November|November 1998]], he went on to end Goldberg's winning streak and win the World Title on the [[1998#Starrcade|StarrCade]] PPV just one month later. Then came the infamous "[[Fingerpoke of Doom|fingerpoke of doom]]" match with Hulk Hogan in [[1999#January|January 1999]]. The particular Nitro in which this match aired was being advertised as a StarrCade rematch between Nash and Goldberg. As a result, the arena was a complete sellout, with over 40,000 people watching live and millions more around the world hoping for the rematch. Instead, a storyline that put Goldberg in a bad light called for him to be replaced by Hollywood Hogan. The World Heavyweight Championship changed hands when Hogan knocked Nash to the mat by prodding him in the chest with one finger and then pinning him, further damaging the credibility and perceived value of the title. Also damaged was the credibility of the company itself, which did not present the match that had been advertised, as well as what was perceived to be an underhanded way of selling out the arena for that night's telecast. It was also this same episode of ''Nitro'' that Tony Schiavone mockingly announced the Mick Foley WWF Title win, which shifted the ratings for the night in the World Wrestling Federation's favor.
{{details|Fingerpoke_of_Doom#The_Impact}}
Also in 1998, [[Warrior (wrestler)|The Ultimate Warrior]], a former WWF star, was recruited by Eric Bischoff to feud with Hogan (Warrior's [[WrestleMania VI]] opponent). Their [[1998#October|October 1998]] encounter at [[Halloween Havoc#1998|Halloween Havoc]] was mostly seen as sub-par, and Warrior vanished soon after. The Ultimate Warrior also insisted on a number of elaborate and costly apparatuses such as a trapdoor in the ring, which badly injured [[Davey Boy Smith|The British Bulldog]] when he landed on it.
{{details|Warrior_%28wrestler%29#World_Championship_Wrestling}}
In addition, no matter who was in charge, WCW did not like promoting its younger stars to the company's top slots. Despite having many talented younger wrestlers such as [[Chris Jericho]], [[Chris Benoit]], [[Peter Gruner|Billy Kidman]], [[Chavo Guerrero, Jr.]], [[Eddie Guerrero]], [[Perry Satullo|Perry Saturn]], [[Scott Levy|Raven]], [[Oscar Gutierrez|Rey Mysterio, Jr.]], and [[Booker Huffman|Booker T]] on its roster, they were kept away from the main event scene. What was seen as WCW's poor talent decisions combined with the massive popularity of the new, hip and edgy WWF Attitude Era, likely began WCW's rapid demise.

Bischoff was eventually removed from power by the Turner higher-ups on [[September 10]] [[1999]], the last straws perhaps being what was felt as a bizarre and mystifying [[push (professional wrestling)|push]] for the 1970s [[rock band|rock group]] [[KISS (band)|KISS]] through WCW shows, a storyline involving [[rapping|rapper]] [[Master P]] and The No Limit Soldiers that saw Master P last only two weeks (the "No Limit Soldiers" stable flopped so badly that the [[West Texas Rednecks]] heel stable that they were feuding with was cheered by the WCW's traditional southern fanbase in a move that should have been obvious that a primarily southern based company is not going to boo a country music group over a rap artist); an announced million-dollar contest that was later cancelled; a planned ''Nitro'' [[animated series]] that was scrapped, as well; and Bischoff's long-standing desire to put on a huge, outdoor rock 'n' wrestling concert featuring KISS on [[December 31]] [[1999]].

{{see also|Eric_Bischoff#Downfall}}

===The Death of WCW===
{{see also|Vince_Russo#WCW}}
Bischoff was unexpectedly replaced by former WWF head writer [[Vince Russo]] and his colleague [[Ed Ferrera]]. Russo and Ferrera had been the head writers for the WWF at the beginning of the Attitude Era, subordinate only to Vince McMahon himself. WCW offered them lucrative contracts to jump ship in [[1999#October|October 1999]] in an effort to revitalize their own flagging product and weaken the product of the WWF. Russo and Ferrera tried to push the younger WCW talents straight away, and [[bury (professional wrestling)|phase out]] aging stars such as Hogan and Flair. However, Russo was thought by many to be incapable of recreating the intriguing and cutting-edge TV he had produced while working for McMahon.

Russo and Ferrera struggled to gain approval for their near-the-knuckle ideas from the WCW management, such as "[[Piñata]] on a Pole" matches between [[Mexico|Mexican]] wrestlers. In late 1999, Russo and Ferrera revived the nWo storyline, this time with [[Jeff Jarrett]] and [[Bret Hart]] at the helm. They next targeted WWF announcer Jim Ross with a parody character called "Oklahoma", who was played onscreen by Ferrera (Ross had been suffering from [[Bell's palsy]], and the character lampooned his resultant facial defects). Bad luck struck in [[1999#December|December 1999]] when Hart suffered a genuine (and ultimately career-ending) [[concussion]] at the hands of Goldberg, who severely damaged his own hand less than a week later while punching through a [[limousine]] window in [[Salisbury, Maryland]] as part of a storyline that was written by Russo. Russo himself became an onscreen character during this period, though one whose face was never shown on camera, in a manner similar to [[Doctor Claw]] from ''[[Inspector Gadget]]'' and the [[George Steinbrenner]] character from ''[[Seinfeld]]''. Only his hand and the back of his chair were ever actually seen, as he called wrestlers into his office to receive their marching orders for the night.
{{see also|Bret_Hart#World_Championship_Wrestling}}
Both Russo and Ferrera were suspended just three months later amid rumors that they wanted to make former [[Ultimate Fighting Championship|UFC]] fighter [[David L. Abbott|Tank Abbott]] the WCW Champion (Abbott, despite his legitimate fighting background, had little wrestling experience and had failed to connect with WCW audiences). [[Kevin Sullivan (wrestler)|Kevin Sullivan]], who had been an on/off booker over the course of several years, was placed in charge in the interim. The new writing team attempted to appease the demoralized wrestlers and fans by making Chris Benoit the WCW Champion at the [[Souled Out#2000|Souled Out]] PPV in January 2000. However, because of the real-life personal issues between himself and Sullivan, let alone that prior to the PPV he and a few other wrestlers demanded their releases from the company (due to their lack of being pushed to stardom as well as their similar hatred for Sullivan), Benoit handed the belt back right after winning it and the next day left WCW. He signed with the WWF along with his similarly frustrated friends [[Perry Satullo|Perry Saturn]], [[Eddie Guerrero]] and [[Dean Malenko]]. The four quickly became popular in the WWF as "[[The Radicalz]]".

On [[February 11]] [[2000]], [[African American|black]] wrestlers [[Bobby Walker]] and [[Harrison Norris]] and [[Japanese people|Japanese]] [[manager (professional wrestling)|manager]] [[Kazuo Onoo|Sonny Onoo]] launched [[racism|racial discrimination]] [[lawsuit]]s against WCW, claiming that they had not been pushed as a result of their ethnicities, had not been paid as well as other wrestlers and personalities, and had been given offensive gimmicks. Some speculated that the charges of racism brought against WCW (and the resultant bad publicity for the company, which had been dogged by accusations of racism for years), were partially responsible for black wrestler [[Booker Huffman|Booker T]] winning the WCW Championship later that year and his brother [[Lane Huffman|Stevie Ray]] being made a [[color commentator]], with Ray himself acknowledging that it might have been a factor.

In April 2000, with ratings hitting new lows, both Russo and Bischoff were reinstated by WCW. They formed an on-screen union that stood up for the younger talent in the company (which they dubbed the [[New Blood]]) in their battle against the [[Millionaires Club]], which consisted of the older, higher-paid, and more visible stars such as Hogan, Sting, and Diamond Dallas Page. Though initially well-received, the storyline quickly degenerated into yet another nWo rehash, with the heel nWo recast as the New Blood and the face WCW embodied in the Millionaire's Club. As well, the unorthodox and often controversial storylines continued. These included making [[actor]] [[David Arquette]] the WCW Champion in order to promote a WCW-themed [[film|movie]], ''[[Ready to Rumble]]''; Russo himself winning the WCW Championship in September 2000 (Russo, like Arquette, was not a trained wrestler); a [[botch (professional wrestling)|botched]] June heel turn for Goldberg that greatly diminished his drawing power; and a [[shoot (professional wrestling)|shoot speech]] by Russo at [[Bash at the Beach#2000|Bash at the Beach 2000]] aimed at Hulk Hogan which led to Hogan resigning and filing a [[slander and libel|defamation of character]] lawsuit against the company (which was eventually dismissed in 2002). Bischoff vanished once more in July 2000, and Russo was gone from WCW completely by late 2000, leaving [[Terry Taylor]] holding the reins.
{{details|Hulk_Hogan#The_end_of_Hogan_in_WCW}}
Meanwhile, when [[Time Warner]] bought out Turner's cable empire in 1996, it also purchased WCW. Even though Turner was a big fan and faithful to the professional wrestling shows on his stations (a professional wrestling program had helped get Turner's very first TV station, [[WTBS]], off the ground, and WCW was, in fact, the modern incarnation of the promotion that Turner had run on WTBS back in those days) regardless of whether it was losing him money, Time Warner did not share his loyalty, especially when accounts showed that WCW was losing between [[United States dollar|$]]12-$17 million a year because of its decline. However, Turner was still the single largest Time Warner shareholder, and WCW was supported at his behest. When [[America Online|AOL]] merged with Time Warner in 2000, Turner was effectively forced out of his own empire. The new [[Time Warner#AOL Merger|AOL Time Warner]] finally had the power to auction off WCW, which they saw as an unnecessary drain on resources.

In late 2000, Bischoff and a group of private investors, calling themselves [[Fusient Media Ventures]], inquired about buying WCW but backed out when Turner networks head (and [[WB Television Network|The WB]] founder) [[Jamie Kellner]] formally cancelled all WCW programming from its TV networks. With no network to air its programming, WCW was of little value to Fusient, whose offer was dependent on the Turner networks continuing to air WCW programming.

On [[March 23]] [[2001]], virtually all of WCW's trademarks and archived footage, was sold to Vince McMahon and World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. for a paltry [[United States dollar|$]]7 million (although the [[book]] ''The Death of WCW'' said it was less than $3 million).

A gloating McMahon opened the last-ever episode of ''WCW Monday Nitro'' simulcast with ''RAW'' on [[March 26]], [[2001 in television|2001]] with a self-praising speech. Sting vs. Ric Flair (won by Sting) was the highlight nostalgia match of the final broadcast, ending affectionately with a respectful embrace. The broadcast ended with the US Champion, Booker T, cleanly defeating the world champion, Scott Steiner, to become WCW's final World Heavyweight Champion, as well as its final US Heavyweight Champion.
[[Image:Wcwalliancelogo.gif|right|thumb|200px|The WCW logo used in the WWF during the 2001 Invasion storyline.]]
When Vince came on ''RAW'' after the Sting/Flair match to declare victory over WCW, Vince's son [[Shane McMahon]] appeared at the ''Nitro'' event, declaring that ''he'' had bought WCW. However, this was [[kayfabe]] and part of a WWF storyline that would have Shane leading the [[The Invasion|WCW Invasion of the WWF]] (a highly anticipated storyline which many considered a squandered opportunity), which lasted from March to November 2001 and marked the end of WCW. Despite aborted attempts to run WCW-branded events, the WWF only ran a handful of matches on ''RAW'' and ''SmackDown!'' under the WCW banner.

When the WWF bought WCW in March 2001, several top WCW wrestlers, including Goldberg, Scott Steiner, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Sting had high-priced contracts with AOL Time Warner that WWF was unwilling to pick up. Rather than trying to get a buyout of their contracts and taking a pay cut to go to WWF, they chose to sit home and got paid for the remainders of their WCW contracts. This is most often cited as being the main reason the planned WCW Invasion of WWF storyline failed. The WCW was not seen as a powerhouse organization invading WWF when most of their top stars did not appear. However, all of the above wrestlers except Sting signed contracts with the WWE after the Invasion subsided.

The WCW World Heavyweight Championship (which was renamed the World Championship) would continue to be used in WWF until it was merged with the WWF Championship into the [[WWE Undisputed Championship|WWF Undisputed Championship]] when Chris Jericho defeated The Rock and Steve Austin for the respective titles on [[December 9]], [[2001]] on the PPV, [[WWE Vengeance#2001|Vengeance]].

Although new professional wrestling alternatives such as [[Total Nonstop Action Wrestling]] and [[Ring of Honor]] have seen rising popularity in recent years, none have achieved the mainstream popularity or financial support that WCW enjoyed and thus are not yet considered competitive with WWE.

==Final champions==
This is a list of the champions as they were at the end of the last ''WCW Monday Nitro'' on [[March 26]], [[2001 in television|2001]] (though all these titles, with the exception of the Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship, continued to be active in WWF until November of that year).
{| class="wikitable"
!Championship
!Final champion(s)
|-
|[[WCW World Heavyweight Championship|WCW World Heavyweight Champion]]
|[[Booker Huffman|Booker T]]
|-
|[[WWE United States Championship|WCW United States Champion]]
|[[Booker Huffman|Booker T]]
|-
|[[WCW World Tag Team Championship|WCW World Tag Team Champions]]
|[[Chuck Palumbo]] and [[Sean O'Haire]]
|-
|[[WWE Cruiserweight Championship|WCW Cruiserweight Champion]]
|[[Gregory Helms|Shane Helms]]
|-
|[[WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship|WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Champions]]
|[[Peter Gruner|Billy Kidman]] and [[Oscar Gutierrez|Rey Mysterio]]
|-
|}

Here's a list of the final WCW Champions under the WWF banner.

{| class="wikitable"
!Championship
!Final champion(s)
|-
|[[WCW World Heavyweight Championship|WCW World Heavyweight Champion]]1
|[[Chris Jericho]]
|-
|[[WCW World Tag Team Championship|WCW World Tag Team Champions]]3
|[[Dudley Boyz|The Dudley Boyz]]
|-
|}

'''Footnotes'''
*1Renamed the '''World Championship''' after ''[[Survivor Series#2001|Survivor Series 2001]]''; unified with the [[WWE Championship|WWF Championship]] at ''[[WWE Vengeance#2001|Vengeance 2001]]''. The belt design was later reintroduced as the WWE sanctioned [[World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)|World Heavyweight Championship]] as a [[WWE RAW|RAW]] exclusive title in September 2002 (now exclusive to SmackDown!).
*2Unified with the [[WWE Intercontinental Championship|WWE Intercontinental Championship]] at ''Survivor Series 2001''; reactivated as a WWE sanctioned title on [[WWE Friday Night SmackDown!|''SmackDown!'']] in 2003 by then-General Manager [[Stephanie McMahon-Levesque|Stephanie McMahon]].
*3Unified with the [[WWE World Tag Team Championship|WWE World Tag Team Championship]] at ''Survivor Series 2001''.
*4Title adopted by the WWF after ''Survivor Series 2001''; renamed the WWF / WWE Cruiserweight Championship.

==WCW titles==
*[[WCW World Heavyweight Championship]]
*[[WWE United States Championship|WCW United States Heavyweight Championship]]
*[[WWE Cruiserweight Championship|WCW Cruiserweight Championship]]
*[[WCW World Tag Team Championship]]
*[[WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship]]
*[[WCW Television Championship|WCW World Television Championship]]
*[[WCW Hardcore Championship]]
*[[WCW United States Tag Team Championship]]
*[[WCW World Six-Man Tag Team Championship]]
*[[WCW International World Heavyweight Championship]]
*[[WCW Light Heavyweight Championship]]
*[[WCW Women's Championship]]
*[[WCW Women's Cruiserweight Championship]]

==WCW special tournaments==
*[[WCW Jesse "The Body" Ventura Strongest Arm Tournament]] (1992-1993)
*[[WCW King of Cable Tournament]] (1992)
*[[WCW/NWA Gauntlet Series]] (1990)
*[[WCW Battle Bowl]]

==Books/DVD==
*''[[The Death of WCW]]'' by R.D. Reynolds and Bryan Alvarez, 2004, ISBN 1-55022-661-4.
*''[[The Monday Night War: WWE Raw vs. WCW Monday Nitro]]'' World Wrestling Entertainment, 2004, ASIN B0001CCXCA.

==See also==
*[[World Championship Wrestling alumni]]
*[[Wcw_women|WCW Women]]
*[[List of professional wrestlers]]
*[[List of professional wrestling stables]]
*[[List of WCW pay-per-view events]]
*[[List of WCW programming|List of WCW television programming]]
*[[Jim Crockett Promotions]]
*[[The Alliance]]
*[[Monday Night Wars]]
*[[Nitro Girls]]
*[[WCW Monday Nitro]]
*[[WCW Thunder]]
*[[WCW Power Plant]]

== External links ==
*[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/ WCW Title Histories]
*[http://www.ddtdigest.com/ DDT Digest - "The Unofficial Resting Place Of WCW"]

[[Category:1986 establishments]]
[[Category:2001 disestablishments]]
[[Category:Defunct companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Sports in Atlanta]]
[[Category:Time Warner subsidiaries]]
[[Category:World Championship Wrestling]]

[[da:World Championship Wrestling]]
[[de:World Championship Wrestling]]
[[es:World Championship Wrestling]]
[[it:World Championship Wrestling]]
[[nl:WCW]]
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[[tr:WCW]]

World Championship Wrestling

2006-09-02T02:57:37Z

71.201.198.12: /* Monday Night Wars */

:'' For the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] video game, see [[WCW Wrestling]]. For the Australian promotion, see '''[[WCW Australia]]'''''. For the poet, see [[William Carlos Williams]].

{{Pwcompanybox |
name = World Championship Wrestling |
image =Wcwlogo.jpg |
acronym = WCW |
established = 1986 |
style = [[List of professional wrestling styles#American Wrestling|American Wrestling]] |
location = [[Atlanta, Georgia]] |
founder = [[Ted Turner]] |
owner = [[Turner Broadcasting System|Turner Broadcasting System (TBS)/Turner]] (1988-96) [[Time Warner]] (1996-2001) [[Vince McMahon]] (2001-present) |
parent = [[Turner Broadcasting System|Turner Broadcasting System (TBS)/Turner]] (1988-96) [[Time Warner]] (1996-2001) [[World Wrestling Entertainment|World Wrestling Entertainment]] (2001-Present) |
sister = |
formerly = NWA Eastern States Championship Wrestling NWA Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling [[Georgia Championship Wrestling]] [[Jim Crockett Promotions]] NWA World Championship Wrestling Universal Wrestling Corporation |
merged = [[World Wrestling Entertainment]] |
}}

'''World Championship Wrestling''' or '''WCW''', was a [[professional wrestling promotion]] based in [[Atlanta, Georgia]] that existed from 1986 to 2001. In March 2001, the company's assets, including trademarks, some wrestler contracts, and extensive [[WWE Tape Library|video library]] were purchased by the [[World Wrestling Entertainment|World Wrestling Federation]], who continued to use the name as part of a [[The Alliance|storyline]] until November 2001, when the promotion officially ceased.

==History==
===In the beginning: The NWA years===
Although World Championship Wrestling was a brand name used by promoter [[Jim Barnett]] for his Australian promotion, the first promotion in the [[United States]] to use the World Championship Wrestling brand name (though it was never referred to as "WCW") on a wide scale was Georgia Championship Wrestling (although Vincent James McMahon's Capitol Wrestling Corpotation did in fact use the name in some house show promotion).

This promotion, owned primarily by [[Jack Brisco]] and [[Gerald Brisco]] and [[booking (professional wrestling)|booked]] by [[Ole Anderson]], was the first NWA territory to gain [[cable television|cable TV]] access. In 1983, Georgia Championship Wrestling changed the name of its television show (and thus its public face) to World Championship Wrestling since it was already starting to run shows in "neutral" territories such as [[Ohio]] and [[Michigan]]. Although many in the business felt that Anderson was mismanaging the company, Georgia Championship Wrestling had managed to compete against the other major territory trying to go national ([[Vince McMahon]]'s WWF).
{{main|Black Saturday (1984)}}
In [[1984#May|May 1984]], the Brisco brothers sold their shares in Georgia Championship Wrestling, including their timeslot on the [[TBS (TV network)|TBS]] cable TV [[television network|network]] to Vince McMahon. The WWF show did not fare well in [[Nielsen Ratings|ratings]]. World Championship Wrestling's core audience was not interested in the WWF's cartoony approach, preferring a more athletic style. Despite originally promising to produce original programming for the TBS timeslot in Atlanta, McMahon chose instead to provide only a [[clip show]] for TBS, featuring highlights from other WWF programming. In [[1985#May|May 1985]], McMahon sold the TBS timeslot to Jim Crockett Promotions, owned by [[Jim Crockett, Jr.]], under pressure from [[Ted Turner]], who resurrected the World Championship Wrestling name (Turner Broadcasting had copyrighted it and prevented McMahon from using it).

By 1986, Jim Crockett, Jr. controlled key portions of the NWA under the name [[Jim Crockett Promotions]], including the traditional NWA territories in [[The Carolinas]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], and [[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]]. Crockett merged his various NWA territories into one group, and promoted it under the name '''NWA World Championship Wrestling'''. A feud between Crockett and Vince McMahon's WWF sprang up, and both companies attempted to outmaneuver the other to acquire key [[television|TV]] slots.

In the same year, WCW also purchased [[Heart of America Sports Attractions Inc]] (HASA), which owned the rights to promote wrestling shows through several central states ([[Kansas]], [[Missouri]], and [[Iowa]]). HASA was known to fans as NWA Central States, and ran a [[television program|TV show]] called ''All Star Wrestling''.

In 1987, WCW would purchase [[Championship Wrestling from Florida]], and [[Mid-South Sports (United States)|Universal Wrestling Federation]] (which covered [[Oklahoma]], [[Mississippi]], [[Arkansas]], [[Texas]] and [[Louisiana]]), which was not an NWA member. Florida & Mid-South (and its wrestlers) were absorbed into WCW.

Crockett had almost accomplished his goal of creating a national promotion. Between his purchasing several NWA territories, [[World Class Championship Wrestling]] in Texas leaving the NWA in 1986 (and later merging with [[Jerry Jarrett]]'s [[Championship Wrestling Alliance]] in [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]] to create the [[United States Wrestling Association]]) brand, and the once highly viable [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]] territory going bankrupt (it closed in 1992), he was the last bastion of the NWA, and the last member with national TV exposure. Since it was all they now saw, many people began to believe that World Championship Wrestling ''was'' the NWA. Although WCW and the NWA were still two separate entities, with Crockett as NWA President, they were very much on the same page. The NWA was effectively an on-paper organization funded by Crockett, and allowed Crockett to use the NWA brand name for promoting.

With the large amount of capital needed to take a wrestling federation on a national tour, Crockett's territorial acquisitions had seriously drained WCW's coffers. He was in a similar situation to that of the WWF in the early 1980s: a large debt load, and the success or failure of a federation hinging on the success or failure of a series of [[pay-per-view|PPVs]]. Crockett marketed [[StarrCade#1987: Chi-Town Heat|StarrCade '87]] as the NWA's answer to [[WrestleMania]]. However, the WWF promoted [[Survivor Series#1987|Survivor Series]] on the same day, and threatened to withhold [[WrestleMania IV]] from any PPV company that refused to show it. Later, in [[1988#January|January 1988]], WCW promoted the ''[[Bunkhouse Stampede]]'' PPV, and McMahon counter-programmed with the first [[Royal Rumble (1988)|Royal Rumble]] on [[USA Network|USA]]. Both WCW PPVs achieved low buyrates.

In 1985, Crockett had signed [[Dusty Rhodes]] and made him [[booker (professional wrestling)|booker]] for WCW. Rhodes had a reputation for creativity and authored many of the memorable feuds and storylines of this period and [[gimmick (professional wrestling)|gimmick]] matches like ''WarGames''. By 1988, after three years of trying to compete with Vince McMahon, and a long, drawn-out political struggle with champion [[Ric Flair]], Rhodes was burned out. He was unable to draw fan interest in his storylines, and the [[Dusty finish]] had reduced the [[house show]] market. By the end of 1988, Rhodes was booking cards seemingly at random, and planning at one point to have mid-card wrestler [[Rick Steiner]] defeat Ric Flair in a five-minute match at ''StarrCade'' for the NWA World Championship. At the end of 1988, Rhodes was fired by the promotion after an angle he booked where [[Road Warrior Animal]] pulled a spike out of his shoulderpad and jammed it in Rhodes's eye busting it wide open.

To preserve the inexpensive network programming provided by professional wrestling, Jim Crockett Promotions was purchased outright by Turner on [[November 21]] [[1988]]. Originally incorporated by TBS as the '''Universal Wrestling Corporation''', Turner promised the fans that WCW would be the athlete-oriented style of NWA.

1989 proved to be a turnaround year for WCW, with Ric Flair on top for most of the year both as World Champion and also as head booker. Flair had helped bring in [[Ricky Steamboat]] and [[Terry Funk]], and his PPV matches with both were successful, financially and critically. Young stars such as [[Sid Eudy|Sid Vicious]], [[Sting (wrestler)|Sting]], [[Scott Steiner]], [[Road Warriors|The Road Warriors]], [[Brian Pillman]], [[Keiji Mutoh|The Great Muta]] and [[Lex Luger]] were given big storylines and championship opportunities.

Despite this influx of talent, WCW soon began working to gradually incorporate much of the glamor and showy gimmicks for which the WWF was better known. Virtually none of these stunts, such as the live cross-promotional appearance of [[RoboCop]] at a PPV event in 1990, the '''Chamber of Horrors''' gimmick and the notorious '''[[The Black Scorpion|Black Scorpion]]''' storyline, succeeded. Behind the scenes, WCW was also becoming more autonomous and slowly started separating itself from the historic NWA name. In [[1991#January|January 1991]], WCW officially split from the NWA and began to recognize its own [[WCW World Heavyweight Championship]] and [[WCW World Tag Team Championship]].
{{details|Jim Herd}}
Both the WCW and the NWA recognized Ric Flair (who was by now no longer the head booker) as their '''World Heavyweight Champion''' throughout most of the first half of 1991, but WCW, particularly recently-installed company president [[Jim Herd]], turned against Flair for various reasons and fired him just prior to the [[1991#July|July 1991]] [[The Great American Bash|Great American Bash]] PPV after failed contract negotiations. In the process, they officially stripped him of the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. However, according to Flair's autobiography, they refused to return the [[United States dollar|$]]25,000 deposit he had put down on the (physical) belt, so he kept it and took it with him when he was hired by the WWF at the request of Vince McMahon. Flair then incorporated the belt into his [[gimmick (professional wrestling)|gimmick]], dubbing himself "The Real World's Champion".

WCW later renegotiated the use of the NWA name as a co-promotional gimmick with [[New Japan Pro Wrestling]], and sued the WWF to stop showing Flair with the old NWA World title belt on its programs, claiming a trademark on the physical design of the belt. The belt was returned to WCW by Flair when Jim Herd was let go and he received his deposit back plus interest, and it was brought back as the revived [[NWA World Heavyweight Championship]].

During the period that WCW operated with its own World Champion while also recognizing the NWA's world title, Flair quit the WWF and returned to WCW, regaining the title from [[Barry Windham]] in [[1993#July|July 1993]]. Immediately, the other, now smaller, member organizations of the NWA began demanding that Flair defend the title under their rules in their territories, as mandated by old NWA agreements. The title was later scheduled to be dropped by Flair to [[Richard Rood|Rick Rude]], a title change which was exposed by the '''[[Disney Tapings]]''', the months-in-advance taping of WCW's [[Television syndication|syndicated television]] shows at [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]]-owned studios in [[Orlando, Florida]]. The NWA board of directors, working separately from WCW, objected to Rude, with WCW finally leaving the NWA for good again in [[1993#September|September 1993]].
{{see also|WCW_Disney_tapings#Logistical_Errors}}
However, WCW still legally owned and used the actual belt which represented the NWA World Heavyweight Championship (Rick Rude even defended it as '''The [[Big Gold Belt]]''') but they could no longer use the '''NWA''' name. The title thus became known as the WCW International World Heavyweight Title (meaning the World heavyweight championship as sanctioned by "WCW International," a fictional organization made up of promoters from around the world, essentially their in-house version of the real NWA).

WCW realized that the title belt, because of its rich in-ring history and visual impact, was highly sought after and respected in [[Japan]] and as such created this fictional subsidiary dubbed '''WCW International''' to inject some credibility back into the belt. WCW claimed that "WCWI" still recognized the belt as a legitimate World Championship. For a short while, there were essentially two World titles up for competition in the organization.

Sting eventually won the [[WCW International World Heavyweight Championship|WCW International Championship]] and lost the belt to then-WCW World Champion Ric Flair in a [[Championship unification|unification]] match in [[1994#May|May 1994]] when the experiment was jettisoned. To make things more confusing, the WCW title belt, as introduced in 1991, was dropped and the old NWA Championship belt was revived and officially replaced it as the [[WCW World Heavyweight Championship]]. It was used as such until WCW's closure in 2001. The belt (in a slightly altered design) is still seen today in WWE as the [[World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)|World Heavyweight Championship]] on their [[WWE Friday Night SmackDown!|SmackDown!]] brand (previously on [[WWE RAW|RAW]]). However, WWE considers it a seperate title and WWE.com officially lists the title history of the World Heavyweight Championship as beginning with [[Triple H]] being awarded the belt by Eric Bischoff on ''RAW'' on [[September 2]], [[2002 in television|2002]].

===The Bischoff era begins===
[[Image:Wcw.jpg|thumb|280px|WCW [[logo]] from 1988-1999.]]
The creative product of the company sank very noticeably in 1992 and 1993 under the presidency of Jim Herd and, subsequently, [[Bill Watts]]. There were signs of gradual recovery in late 1993 when former commentator and [[American Wrestling Association]] (AWA) booker [[Eric Bischoff]] was appointed as Executive Vice President of WCW. Bischoff, originally brought in as a secondary commentator behind [[Jim Ross]] after the AWA became defunct, was desperate to give WCW a new direction and impressed Turner's top brass with his confrontational tactics and business-savvy.

Bischoff's first year was considered unsuccessful. Dusty Rhodes and Ole Anderson were in full creative control at this point, with what were considered to be cartoonish storylines, as well as seemingly pointless feuds with little or no buildup. During a live ''[[Clash of the Champions]]'' to build up the [[Fall Brawl]] PPV, WCW decided to introduce a "mystery partner" for the babyfaces, a masked man known as [[Fred Ottman|The Shockmaster]]. The Shockmaster (previously known as [[Fred Ottman|Typhoon]] in the WWF) was supposed to crash through a fake wall and intimidate the heels. Instead, he tripped through the wall and fell on live television, rendering himself as a joke character.

WCW in 1993 decided to base the promotion around Ric Flair. This was seen as more or less a necessity, as prospective top babyface Sid Vicious tried to injure wrestler [[Arn Anderson]] with a pair of scissors four weeks before [[StarrCade#1993|StarrCade]] while on tour in [[England]] and was fired. Flair won the title at ''StarrCade'' and was once again made booker.

Bischoff would declare open war on McMahon's WWF in the media and aggressively recruited high-profile former WWF superstars such as [[Hulk Hogan]] and [[Randy Savage]] in 1994. Using Turner's monetary resources, Bischoff placed his faith in the established stars with proven track records. Because of their high profiles, Hogan and Savage were able to demand and get several concessions not usually allowed to wrestlers at the time, such as multi-year, multimillion dollar guaranteed contracts and significant creative control. This would later become a problem during subsequent years of competition with the WWF, as other wrestlers were able to make similar demands, and contract values soared out of control. Hogan, in particular, was able to gain considerable influence through a friendship with Bischoff. Another thing Bischoff may have failed to consider was the fact that many WCW fans watched it as an alternative to the product of the WWF in the early [[1990s|90s]], and many NWA fans saw the hiring of former WWF talent as an attempt to copy its success, as opposed to being an alternative product with an emphasis on in-ring action.

WCW's first major event since Hogan's hiring, [[Bash at the Beach#1994|Bash at the Beach]], saw the former WWF mainstay defeat Ric Flair for the WCW Championship. The two had worked for the WWF at the same time from 1991 to 1992, and a feud was teased between them, but the big-money match originally planned for [[WrestleMania VIII]] was changed to Flair/Savage and Hogan/[[Sid Eudy|Sid]]. When WCW delivered the match, the PPV drew a high buy rate by WCW standards due to mainstream intrigue and hype.

This was not lost on Turner management, however, and Bischoff's bold, expensive steps didn't quite meet their expectations when they came to check up on things in mid-1995. Thus, Bischoff called Turner and requested a private meeting, which he was granted.

===Monday Night Wars===
{{main|Monday Night Wars}}

Bischoff would be instrumental in launching the weekly show ''[[WCW Monday Nitro]]'' in [[1995#September|September 1995]]. Turner asked Bischoff how WCW could conceivably compete with McMahon's WWF. Bischoff, not expecting Turner to comply, said that the only way would be a primetime slot on a weekday night, possibly up against the WWF's flagship show, ''[[WWE RAW|Monday Night RAW]]''. Turner granted him a live hour on [[Turner Network Television|TNT]] every Monday night, which specifically overlapped with ''Raw''. This format quickly expanded to two live hours in [[1996#May|May 1996]], and then later three. Bischoff himself was initially the host, alongside [[Bobby Heenan]] and ex-[[National Football League|NFL]] star [[Steve McMichael|Steve "Mongo" McMichael]].

McMahon later admitted to being bitter about Turner's decision to air ''Nitro'' live on Monday nights, saying that Turner and Bischoff's only reason for doing this could be to hurt and damage the WWF. Turner and McMahon certainly had something of a personal history: in the early 1980s, when McMahon began buying up local organizations in order to create a nationwide wrestling system, one of the promotions he took over was Georgia Championship Wrestling; thus he was in the position of providing a Saturday night show for Turner's TBS station. When viewers tuned to TBS on [[July 14]], [[1984 in television|1984]] (a date known as '''[[Black Saturday (1984)|Black Saturday]]''' by some in the wrestling community) and saw WWF programming instead of the GCW wrestlers they were used to seeing, many called the station and demanded the NWA's return; two weeks later, GCW returned, albeit on Saturday mornings. Turner quickly grew tired of the personality-driven glitz of McMahon's product and was upset at the fact that McMahon had gone back on his earlier promise not to dump second-rate stars and matches onto TBS. Turner therefore axed McMahon's show and turned to Jim Crockett for the Saturday night pro wrestling slot. It is rumored that on the very same day that Turner later acquired Crockett's territories, he called McMahon to say ''"Vince, I'm in the rasslin' business!"'' McMahon claims he congratulated him and then told him "That's great Ted. I'm in the entertainment business." It was kind of a karma for Vince, who had engaged in the very same tactics in the early and late 80's during his national expansion, so many fans familiar with the tactics used by McMahon felt he had no reason to complain when his own tactics were used against him, but felt that only he should be able to "play dirty".

In [[1995 in television|1995]], Turner (as sole head and owner of both TBS and TNT), could air ''Nitro'' whenever he wanted. The WWF on the other hand was constrained by having to deal with the [[USA Network]], whose executives were pleased about the viewers ''RAW'' brought to their network, but were also weary of the stigma associated with being the '''wrestling channel'''. ''WCW Monday Nitro'' made its debut in [[1995#September|September 1995]] live from the [[Mall of America]] in [[Bloomington, Minnesota]], and featured the surprise appearance of [[Lex Luger]], who had been working on a handshake deal with WWF after his most recent contract expired, on a week when ''RAW'' was pre-empted by the [[U.S. Open (tennis)|US Open]].

In the first head-to-head ratings the following week, ''Nitro'' managed to convincingly defeat ''RAW'', seeing WCW beat the WWF for the first time ever. For most of ''Nitro's'' first year, the ratings battle between the two promotions were close. In the end, ''Nitro'' ended up beating ''RAW'' in the ratings for 84 straight weeks between [[1996 in television|1996]] and [[1998 in television|1998]].

''RAW'' and the WWF in general was consided to be at a creative nadir from 1995 to 1997, thus helping WCW's meteoric rise. The WWF tried in vain to fight back in early 1996 with the "Billionaire Ted" sketches, which occasionally starred an unbilled [[Vince Russo]] and [[parody|parodied]] Turner, Hogan ("The Huckster"), [[Gene Okerlund]] ("Scheme Gene") and Savage ("Nacho Man") in particular. Only when stars such as ex-WCW wrestler [["Stone Cold" Steve Austin]] began to emerge, and when McMahon selected Russo, a [[New York City|New York]] DJ and WWF magazine writer, as his head booker, did the WWF begin to pick up steam.

Siphoning off the WWF's talent and airing ''Nitro'' on Monday night was not the end of WCW's tactics to defeat the competition (a stunt McMahon himself pulled when he steamrolled over territories to monopolize the WWF, although McMahon would be the one crying "foul" this time). In the early days, as ''RAW'' was only live once every three weeks at that point, and as hours of upcoming shows would be taped in one arena on one night, announcers on ''Nitro'' could (and would) often give away the results of that week's ''RAW'' to keep viewers tuned to ''Nitro''. Much later, with the WWF firmly back on top, this tactic memorably backfired on [[January 4]], [[1999 in television|1999]], when WCW announcer [[Tony Schiavone]] was instructed by Bischoff over his headset to announce that [[Mick Foley]] (wrestling as Mankind in the WWF), would win the [[WWE Championship|WWF Championship]] that night on the USA Network. Schiavone then sarcastically remarked, ''"that would put a lot of butts in the seats."'' [[Nielsen Ratings|Nielsen ratings]] for that night showed that almost immediately after Schiavone's comment, around 300,000 to 600,000 viewers switched from ''Nitro'' to ''RAW'' in a matter of seconds. This startling ratings switch was seen as a true testament to Foley's dedication to wrestling and the WWF's ever-growing popularity.

===Vince McMahon strikes back===
{{see also|Monday_Night_Wars#1999-2000:_The_Tide_Turns}}
When [[Bret Hart]] left the WWF after the [[Montreal Screwjob]] at the 1997 [[Survivor Series]] it looked as WCW was going to push the WWF right off the map. WCW had seemingly the big stars people wanted to see like Hogan, Nash, Hall, Hart, Flair, Etc. as the popular opinion was that this was a deathblow for the WWF and a major score for WCW. The combination of a company screwing over a popular wrestler and angering many fans should have dealt a massive blow to the WWF and given WCW a great amount of hype to work from. Sadly for WCW, the opposite effect was achieved. After [[WrestleMania XIV]] in [[1998#March|March 1998]], the WWF regained the lead in the Monday Night Wars with its new [[World Wrestling Entertainment#WWF Attitude|WWF Attitude]] brand, led in particular by rising stars "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, [[The Rock (entertainer)|The Rock]], [[Paul Levesque|Triple H]] and [[Mick Foley|Mankind]]. The classic feud between McMahon (who was re-imagined and re-branded as the evil company chairman character Mr. McMahon) and Austin (who, ironically, had been released by Bischoff in the summer of 1995 for not being marketable) caught the imaginations of fans. The [[April 13]], [[1998 in television|1998]] episode of ''RAW'', headlined by a match between Austin and McMahon, marked the first time that WCW had lost the head-to-head Monday night [[Nielsen Ratings|ratings]] battle in the 84 weeks since [[1996 in television|1996]]. WWF didn't stop there. Their ratings increased dramatically in the next two years, more than ever before. WCW attempted to counter this by dividing the nWo into the Hogan-led heel nWo Hollywood faction and the Nash-led face nWo Wolfpac faction, but many felt that it was a poor rehash of the original WCW vs. nWo storyline. Undeterred, WCW also launched a new Thursday TV show, the aforementioned ''WCW Thunder'', around this time.

WCW's next big attempt at ratings supremacy was marketing ex-[[National Football League|NFL]] newcomer [[Bill Goldberg]] as an invincible monster with a record-breaking winning streak. Goldberg was indeed incredibly popular from the outset, with chants of 'Gold-berg, Gold-berg' heralding his approach to the ring, but business still quickly fell off for WCW, especially as the list of stars ready to be [[squash (professional wrestling)|destroyed]] by Goldberg grew shorter. One of WCW's last big genuine wins in the Monday night ratings war was on [[July 6]], [[1998 in television|1998]], when WCW gave the long-awaited World Title match in Atlanta between Hogan and Goldberg (which Goldberg won), away for free on ''Nitro''. By doing this, they indeed 'spiked' and inflated their TV ratings for a week, but lost millions of possible PPV dollars in the process, as Hogan vs. Goldberg was a clear PPV main event. On [[September 14]], [[1998 in television|1998]], WCW won the ratings war once again with a memorable moment that featured Ric Flair's return to WCW and the reformation of the legendary [[Four Horsemen (professional wrestling)|Four Horsemen]]. On [[October 25]], [[1998 in television|1998]], WCW's [[Halloween Havoc#1998|Halloween Havoc]] PPV ended up running longer than the time allowed due to the last-minute addition of a [[WCW World Tag Team Championship|Tag Team Title]] match. As a result, several thousand people lost the PPV feed at 11pm which was during the World Title match between [[Dallas Page|Diamond Dallas Page]] and Goldberg. The following night, WCW decided to correct the problem by airing the entire match for free on ''Nitro'' and thus winning the ratings war for the final time.

WCW slowly slid into a period of extravagant overspending and what was viewed almost universally as creative decline with the reason why it happened and who let it happen still a matter of debate. One possible reason was the overuse of celebrities (such as [[Dennis Rodman]] and [[Jay Leno]]) to wrestle PPV matches. Another was that the WCW's credibility was badly damaged by embarrassing product placement, like [[Rick Steiner]] trading barbs with [[Chucky]] the killer doll (which was roundly booed by the in-house audience on the live Nitro broadcast) in the hopes of generating interest in the [[1998 in film|1998]] film ''[[Bride of Chucky]]''. Another reason vould be the stale, pointless, and at times self-serving storylines concocted by inexperienced bookers such as [[Kevin Nash]], and that the top-level stars had no motivation to excel in the ring due to their long-term guaranteed-money contracts, and only gave their utmost when it suited them to do so. What is known is that WCW programming slowly started to go downhill in quality with people turning off their TVs or switching to WWF programming, and in reaction the company began to panic and tried to solve its problems by throwing money at a variety of personalities, a practice it could ill-afford to engage in. Many talents were reportedly signed simply to keep them from appearing on WWF television. At one point, WCW held over 260 individual performers under guaranteed contracts, and often paid many of them to simply stay at home and collect a paycheck.

As mentioned above, people were growing suspicious of Nash's questionable storylines, which were dominated by his on-screen persona. After booking himself to win the [[WCW World War 3#1998|World War 3]] battle royal in [[1998#November|November 1998]], he went on to end Goldberg's winning streak and win the World Title on the [[1998#Starrcade|StarrCade]] PPV just one month later. Then came the infamous "[[Fingerpoke of Doom|fingerpoke of doom]]" match with Hulk Hogan in [[1999#January|January 1999]]. The particular Nitro in which this match aired was being advertised as a StarrCade rematch between Nash and Goldberg. As a result, the arena was a complete sellout, with over 40,000 people watching live and millions more around the world hoping for the rematch. Instead, a storyline that put Goldberg in a bad light called for him to be replaced by Hollywood Hogan. The World Heavyweight Championship changed hands when Hogan knocked Nash to the mat by prodding him in the chest with one finger and then pinning him, further damaging the credibility and perceived value of the title. Also damaged was the credibility of the company itself, which did not present the match that had been advertised, as well as what was perceived to be an underhanded way of selling out the arena for that night's telecast. It was also this same episode of ''Nitro'' that Tony Schiavone mockingly announced the Mick Foley WWF Title win, which shifted the ratings for the night in the World Wrestling Federation's favor.
{{details|Fingerpoke_of_Doom#The_Impact}}
Also in 1998, [[Warrior (wrestler)|The Ultimate Warrior]], a former WWF star, was recruited by Eric Bischoff to feud with Hogan (Warrior's [[WrestleMania VI]] opponent). Their [[1998#October|October 1998]] encounter at [[Halloween Havoc#1998|Halloween Havoc]] was mostly seen as sub-par, and Warrior vanished soon after. The Ultimate Warrior also insisted on a number of elaborate and costly apparatuses such as a trapdoor in the ring, which badly injured [[Davey Boy Smith|The British Bulldog]] when he landed on it.
{{details|Warrior_%28wrestler%29#World_Championship_Wrestling}}
In addition, no matter who was in charge, WCW did not like promoting its younger stars to the company's top slots. Despite having many talented younger wrestlers such as [[Chris Jericho]], [[Chris Benoit]], [[Peter Gruner|Billy Kidman]], [[Chavo Guerrero, Jr.]], [[Eddie Guerrero]], [[Perry Satullo|Perry Saturn]], [[Scott Levy|Raven]], [[Oscar Gutierrez|Rey Mysterio, Jr.]], and [[Booker Huffman|Booker T]] on its roster, they were kept away from the main event scene. What was seen as WCW's poor talent decisions combined with the massive popularity of the new, hip and edgy WWF Attitude Era, likely began WCW's rapid demise.

Bischoff was eventually removed from power by the Turner higher-ups on [[September 10]] [[1999]], the last straws perhaps being what was felt as a bizarre and mystifying [[push (professional wrestling)|push]] for the 1970s [[rock band|rock group]] [[KISS (band)|KISS]] through WCW shows, a storyline involving [[rapping|rapper]] [[Master P]] and The No Limit Soldiers that saw Master P last only two weeks (the "No Limit Soldiers" stable flopped so badly that the [[West Texas Rednecks]] heel stable that they were feuding with was cheered by the WCW's traditional southern fanbase); an announced million-dollar contest that was later cancelled; a planned ''Nitro'' [[animated series]] that was scrapped, as well; and Bischoff's long-standing desire to put on a huge, outdoor rock 'n' wrestling concert featuring KISS on [[December 31]] [[1999]].

{{see also|Eric_Bischoff#Downfall}}

===The Death of WCW===
{{see also|Vince_Russo#WCW}}
Bischoff was unexpectedly replaced by former WWF head writer [[Vince Russo]] and his colleague [[Ed Ferrera]]. Russo and Ferrera had been the head writers for the WWF at the beginning of the Attitude Era, subordinate only to Vince McMahon himself. WCW offered them lucrative contracts to jump ship in [[1999#October|October 1999]] in an effort to revitalize their own flagging product and weaken the product of the WWF. Russo and Ferrera tried to push the younger WCW talents straight away, and [[bury (professional wrestling)|phase out]] aging stars such as Hogan and Flair. However, Russo was thought by many to be incapable of recreating the intriguing and cutting-edge TV he had produced while working for McMahon.

Russo and Ferrera struggled to gain approval for their near-the-knuckle ideas from the WCW management, such as "[[Piñata]] on a Pole" matches between [[Mexico|Mexican]] wrestlers. In late 1999, Russo and Ferrera revived the nWo storyline, this time with [[Jeff Jarrett]] and [[Bret Hart]] at the helm. They next targeted WWF announcer Jim Ross with a parody character called "Oklahoma", who was played onscreen by Ferrera (Ross had been suffering from [[Bell's palsy]], and the character lampooned his resultant facial defects). Bad luck struck in [[1999#December|December 1999]] when Hart suffered a genuine (and ultimately career-ending) [[concussion]] at the hands of Goldberg, who severely damaged his own hand less than a week later while punching through a [[limousine]] window in [[Salisbury, Maryland]] as part of a storyline that was written by Russo. Russo himself became an onscreen character during this period, though one whose face was never shown on camera, in a manner similar to [[Doctor Claw]] from ''[[Inspector Gadget]]'' and the [[George Steinbrenner]] character from ''[[Seinfeld]]''. Only his hand and the back of his chair were ever actually seen, as he called wrestlers into his office to receive their marching orders for the night.
{{see also|Bret_Hart#World_Championship_Wrestling}}
Both Russo and Ferrera were suspended just three months later amid rumors that they wanted to make former [[Ultimate Fighting Championship|UFC]] fighter [[David L. Abbott|Tank Abbott]] the WCW Champion (Abbott, despite his legitimate fighting background, had little wrestling experience and had failed to connect with WCW audiences). [[Kevin Sullivan (wrestler)|Kevin Sullivan]], who had been an on/off booker over the course of several years, was placed in charge in the interim. The new writing team attempted to appease the demoralized wrestlers and fans by making Chris Benoit the WCW Champion at the [[Souled Out#2000|Souled Out]] PPV in January 2000. However, because of the real-life personal issues between himself and Sullivan, let alone that prior to the PPV he and a few other wrestlers demanded their releases from the company (due to their lack of being pushed to stardom as well as their similar hatred for Sullivan), Benoit handed the belt back right after winning it and the next day left WCW. He signed with the WWF along with his similarly frustrated friends [[Perry Satullo|Perry Saturn]], [[Eddie Guerrero]] and [[Dean Malenko]]. The four quickly became popular in the WWF as "[[The Radicalz]]".

On [[February 11]] [[2000]], [[African American|black]] wrestlers [[Bobby Walker]] and [[Harrison Norris]] and [[Japanese people|Japanese]] [[manager (professional wrestling)|manager]] [[Kazuo Onoo|Sonny Onoo]] launched [[racism|racial discrimination]] [[lawsuit]]s against WCW, claiming that they had not been pushed as a result of their ethnicities, had not been paid as well as other wrestlers and personalities, and had been given offensive gimmicks. Some speculated that the charges of racism brought against WCW (and the resultant bad publicity for the company, which had been dogged by accusations of racism for years), were partially responsible for black wrestler [[Booker Huffman|Booker T]] winning the WCW Championship later that year and his brother [[Lane Huffman|Stevie Ray]] being made a [[color commentator]], with Ray himself acknowledging that it might have been a factor.

In April 2000, with ratings hitting new lows, both Russo and Bischoff were reinstated by WCW. They formed an on-screen union that stood up for the younger talent in the company (which they dubbed the [[New Blood]]) in their battle against the [[Millionaires Club]], which consisted of the older, higher-paid, and more visible stars such as Hogan, Sting, and Diamond Dallas Page. Though initially well-received, the storyline quickly degenerated into yet another nWo rehash, with the heel nWo recast as the New Blood and the face WCW embodied in the Millionaire's Club. As well, the unorthodox and often controversial storylines continued. These included making [[actor]] [[David Arquette]] the WCW Champion in order to promote a WCW-themed [[film|movie]], ''[[Ready to Rumble]]''; Russo himself winning the WCW Championship in September 2000 (Russo, like Arquette, was not a trained wrestler); a [[botch (professional wrestling)|botched]] June heel turn for Goldberg that greatly diminished his drawing power; and a [[shoot (professional wrestling)|shoot speech]] by Russo at [[Bash at the Beach#2000|Bash at the Beach 2000]] aimed at Hulk Hogan which led to Hogan resigning and filing a [[slander and libel|defamation of character]] lawsuit against the company (which was eventually dismissed in 2002). Bischoff vanished once more in July 2000, and Russo was gone from WCW completely by late 2000, leaving [[Terry Taylor]] holding the reins.
{{details|Hulk_Hogan#The_end_of_Hogan_in_WCW}}
Meanwhile, when [[Time Warner]] bought out Turner's cable empire in 1996, it also purchased WCW. Even though Turner was a big fan and faithful to the professional wrestling shows on his stations (a professional wrestling program had helped get Turner's very first TV station, [[WTBS]], off the ground, and WCW was, in fact, the modern incarnation of the promotion that Turner had run on WTBS back in those days) regardless of whether it was losing him money, Time Warner did not share his loyalty, especially when accounts showed that WCW was losing between [[United States dollar|$]]12-$17 million a year because of its decline. However, Turner was still the single largest Time Warner shareholder, and WCW was supported at his behest. When [[America Online|AOL]] merged with Time Warner in 2000, Turner was effectively forced out of his own empire. The new [[Time Warner#AOL Merger|AOL Time Warner]] finally had the power to auction off WCW, which they saw as an unnecessary drain on resources.

In late 2000, Bischoff and a group of private investors, calling themselves [[Fusient Media Ventures]], inquired about buying WCW but backed out when Turner networks head (and [[WB Television Network|The WB]] founder) [[Jamie Kellner]] formally cancelled all WCW programming from its TV networks. With no network to air its programming, WCW was of little value to Fusient, whose offer was dependent on the Turner networks continuing to air WCW programming.

On [[March 23]] [[2001]], virtually all of WCW's trademarks and archived footage, was sold to Vince McMahon and World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. for a paltry [[United States dollar|$]]7 million (although the [[book]] ''The Death of WCW'' said it was less than $3 million).

A gloating McMahon opened the last-ever episode of ''WCW Monday Nitro'' simulcast with ''RAW'' on [[March 26]], [[2001 in television|2001]] with a self-praising speech. Sting vs. Ric Flair (won by Sting) was the highlight nostalgia match of the final broadcast, ending affectionately with a respectful embrace. The broadcast ended with the US Champion, Booker T, cleanly defeating the world champion, Scott Steiner, to become WCW's final World Heavyweight Champion, as well as its final US Heavyweight Champion.
[[Image:Wcwalliancelogo.gif|right|thumb|200px|The WCW logo used in the WWF during the 2001 Invasion storyline.]]
When Vince came on ''RAW'' after the Sting/Flair match to declare victory over WCW, Vince's son [[Shane McMahon]] appeared at the ''Nitro'' event, declaring that ''he'' had bought WCW. However, this was [[kayfabe]] and part of a WWF storyline that would have Shane leading the [[The Invasion|WCW Invasion of the WWF]] (a highly anticipated storyline which many considered a squandered opportunity), which lasted from March to November 2001 and marked the end of WCW. Despite aborted attempts to run WCW-branded events, the WWF only ran a handful of matches on ''RAW'' and ''SmackDown!'' under the WCW banner.

When the WWF bought WCW in March 2001, several top WCW wrestlers, including Goldberg, Scott Steiner, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Sting had high-priced contracts with AOL Time Warner that WWF was unwilling to pick up. Rather than trying to get a buyout of their contracts and taking a pay cut to go to WWF, they chose to sit home and got paid for the remainders of their WCW contracts. This is most often cited as being the main reason the planned WCW Invasion of WWF storyline failed. The WCW was not seen as a powerhouse organization invading WWF when most of their top stars did not appear. However, all of the above wrestlers except Sting signed contracts with the WWE after the Invasion subsided.

The WCW World Heavyweight Championship (which was renamed the World Championship) would continue to be used in WWF until it was merged with the WWF Championship into the [[WWE Undisputed Championship|WWF Undisputed Championship]] when Chris Jericho defeated The Rock and Steve Austin for the respective titles on [[December 9]], [[2001]] on the PPV, [[WWE Vengeance#2001|Vengeance]].

Although new professional wrestling alternatives such as [[Total Nonstop Action Wrestling]] and [[Ring of Honor]] have seen rising popularity in recent years, none have achieved the mainstream popularity or financial support that WCW enjoyed and thus are not yet considered competitive with WWE.

==Final champions==
This is a list of the champions as they were at the end of the last ''WCW Monday Nitro'' on [[March 26]], [[2001 in television|2001]] (though all these titles, with the exception of the Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship, continued to be active in WWF until November of that year).
{| class="wikitable"
!Championship
!Final champion(s)
|-
|[[WCW World Heavyweight Championship|WCW World Heavyweight Champion]]
|[[Booker Huffman|Booker T]]
|-
|[[WWE United States Championship|WCW United States Champion]]
|[[Booker Huffman|Booker T]]
|-
|[[WCW World Tag Team Championship|WCW World Tag Team Champions]]
|[[Chuck Palumbo]] and [[Sean O'Haire]]
|-
|[[WWE Cruiserweight Championship|WCW Cruiserweight Champion]]
|[[Gregory Helms|Shane Helms]]
|-
|[[WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship|WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Champions]]
|[[Peter Gruner|Billy Kidman]] and [[Oscar Gutierrez|Rey Mysterio]]
|-
|}

Here's a list of the final WCW Champions under the WWF banner.

{| class="wikitable"
!Championship
!Final champion(s)
|-
|[[WCW World Heavyweight Championship|WCW World Heavyweight Champion]]1
|[[Chris Jericho]]
|-
|[[WCW World Tag Team Championship|WCW World Tag Team Champions]]3
|[[Dudley Boyz|The Dudley Boyz]]
|-
|}

'''Footnotes'''
*1Renamed the '''World Championship''' after ''[[Survivor Series#2001|Survivor Series 2001]]''; unified with the [[WWE Championship|WWF Championship]] at ''[[WWE Vengeance#2001|Vengeance 2001]]''. The belt design was later reintroduced as the WWE sanctioned [[World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)|World Heavyweight Championship]] as a [[WWE RAW|RAW]] exclusive title in September 2002 (now exclusive to SmackDown!).
*2Unified with the [[WWE Intercontinental Championship|WWE Intercontinental Championship]] at ''Survivor Series 2001''; reactivated as a WWE sanctioned title on [[WWE Friday Night SmackDown!|''SmackDown!'']] in 2003 by then-General Manager [[Stephanie McMahon-Levesque|Stephanie McMahon]].
*3Unified with the [[WWE World Tag Team Championship|WWE World Tag Team Championship]] at ''Survivor Series 2001''.
*4Title adopted by the WWF after ''Survivor Series 2001''; renamed the WWF / WWE Cruiserweight Championship.

==WCW titles==
*[[WCW World Heavyweight Championship]]
*[[WWE United States Championship|WCW United States Heavyweight Championship]]
*[[WWE Cruiserweight Championship|WCW Cruiserweight Championship]]
*[[WCW World Tag Team Championship]]
*[[WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship]]
*[[WCW Television Championship|WCW World Television Championship]]
*[[WCW Hardcore Championship]]
*[[WCW United States Tag Team Championship]]
*[[WCW World Six-Man Tag Team Championship]]
*[[WCW International World Heavyweight Championship]]
*[[WCW Light Heavyweight Championship]]
*[[WCW Women's Championship]]
*[[WCW Women's Cruiserweight Championship]]

==WCW special tournaments==
*[[WCW Jesse "The Body" Ventura Strongest Arm Tournament]] (1992-1993)
*[[WCW King of Cable Tournament]] (1992)
*[[WCW/NWA Gauntlet Series]] (1990)
*[[WCW Battle Bowl]]

==Books/DVD==
*''[[The Death of WCW]]'' by R.D. Reynolds and Bryan Alvarez, 2004, ISBN 1-55022-661-4.
*''[[The Monday Night War: WWE Raw vs. WCW Monday Nitro]]'' World Wrestling Entertainment, 2004, ASIN B0001CCXCA.

==See also==
*[[World Championship Wrestling alumni]]
*[[Wcw_women|WCW Women]]
*[[List of professional wrestlers]]
*[[List of professional wrestling stables]]
*[[List of WCW pay-per-view events]]
*[[List of WCW programming|List of WCW television programming]]
*[[Jim Crockett Promotions]]
*[[The Alliance]]
*[[Monday Night Wars]]
*[[Nitro Girls]]
*[[WCW Monday Nitro]]
*[[WCW Thunder]]
*[[WCW Power Plant]]

== External links ==
*[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/ WCW Title Histories]
*[http://www.ddtdigest.com/ DDT Digest - "The Unofficial Resting Place Of WCW"]

[[Category:1986 establishments]]
[[Category:2001 disestablishments]]
[[Category:Defunct companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Sports in Atlanta]]
[[Category:Time Warner subsidiaries]]
[[Category:World Championship Wrestling]]

[[da:World Championship Wrestling]]
[[de:World Championship Wrestling]]
[[es:World Championship Wrestling]]
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World Championship Wrestling

2006-09-02T02:50:45Z

71.201.198.12: /* Monday Night Wars */

:'' For the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] video game, see [[WCW Wrestling]]. For the Australian promotion, see '''[[WCW Australia]]'''''. For the poet, see [[William Carlos Williams]].

{{Pwcompanybox |
name = World Championship Wrestling |
image =Wcwlogo.jpg |
acronym = WCW |
established = 1986 |
style = [[List of professional wrestling styles#American Wrestling|American Wrestling]] |
location = [[Atlanta, Georgia]] |
founder = [[Ted Turner]] |
owner = [[Turner Broadcasting System|Turner Broadcasting System (TBS)/Turner]] (1988-96) [[Time Warner]] (1996-2001) [[Vince McMahon]] (2001-present) |
parent = [[Turner Broadcasting System|Turner Broadcasting System (TBS)/Turner]] (1988-96) [[Time Warner]] (1996-2001) [[World Wrestling Entertainment|World Wrestling Entertainment]] (2001-Present) |
sister = |
formerly = NWA Eastern States Championship Wrestling NWA Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling [[Georgia Championship Wrestling]] [[Jim Crockett Promotions]] NWA World Championship Wrestling Universal Wrestling Corporation |
merged = [[World Wrestling Entertainment]] |
}}

'''World Championship Wrestling''' or '''WCW''', was a [[professional wrestling promotion]] based in [[Atlanta, Georgia]] that existed from 1986 to 2001. In March 2001, the company's assets, including trademarks, some wrestler contracts, and extensive [[WWE Tape Library|video library]] were purchased by the [[World Wrestling Entertainment|World Wrestling Federation]], who continued to use the name as part of a [[The Alliance|storyline]] until November 2001, when the promotion officially ceased.

==History==
===In the beginning: The NWA years===
Although World Championship Wrestling was a brand name used by promoter [[Jim Barnett]] for his Australian promotion, the first promotion in the [[United States]] to use the World Championship Wrestling brand name (though it was never referred to as "WCW") on a wide scale was Georgia Championship Wrestling (although Vincent James McMahon's Capitol Wrestling Corpotation did in fact use the name in some house show promotion).

This promotion, owned primarily by [[Jack Brisco]] and [[Gerald Brisco]] and [[booking (professional wrestling)|booked]] by [[Ole Anderson]], was the first NWA territory to gain [[cable television|cable TV]] access. In 1983, Georgia Championship Wrestling changed the name of its television show (and thus its public face) to World Championship Wrestling since it was already starting to run shows in "neutral" territories such as [[Ohio]] and [[Michigan]]. Although many in the business felt that Anderson was mismanaging the company, Georgia Championship Wrestling had managed to compete against the other major territory trying to go national ([[Vince McMahon]]'s WWF).
{{main|Black Saturday (1984)}}
In [[1984#May|May 1984]], the Brisco brothers sold their shares in Georgia Championship Wrestling, including their timeslot on the [[TBS (TV network)|TBS]] cable TV [[television network|network]] to Vince McMahon. The WWF show did not fare well in [[Nielsen Ratings|ratings]]. World Championship Wrestling's core audience was not interested in the WWF's cartoony approach, preferring a more athletic style. Despite originally promising to produce original programming for the TBS timeslot in Atlanta, McMahon chose instead to provide only a [[clip show]] for TBS, featuring highlights from other WWF programming. In [[1985#May|May 1985]], McMahon sold the TBS timeslot to Jim Crockett Promotions, owned by [[Jim Crockett, Jr.]], under pressure from [[Ted Turner]], who resurrected the World Championship Wrestling name (Turner Broadcasting had copyrighted it and prevented McMahon from using it).

By 1986, Jim Crockett, Jr. controlled key portions of the NWA under the name [[Jim Crockett Promotions]], including the traditional NWA territories in [[The Carolinas]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], and [[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]]. Crockett merged his various NWA territories into one group, and promoted it under the name '''NWA World Championship Wrestling'''. A feud between Crockett and Vince McMahon's WWF sprang up, and both companies attempted to outmaneuver the other to acquire key [[television|TV]] slots.

In the same year, WCW also purchased [[Heart of America Sports Attractions Inc]] (HASA), which owned the rights to promote wrestling shows through several central states ([[Kansas]], [[Missouri]], and [[Iowa]]). HASA was known to fans as NWA Central States, and ran a [[television program|TV show]] called ''All Star Wrestling''.

In 1987, WCW would purchase [[Championship Wrestling from Florida]], and [[Mid-South Sports (United States)|Universal Wrestling Federation]] (which covered [[Oklahoma]], [[Mississippi]], [[Arkansas]], [[Texas]] and [[Louisiana]]), which was not an NWA member. Florida & Mid-South (and its wrestlers) were absorbed into WCW.

Crockett had almost accomplished his goal of creating a national promotion. Between his purchasing several NWA territories, [[World Class Championship Wrestling]] in Texas leaving the NWA in 1986 (and later merging with [[Jerry Jarrett]]'s [[Championship Wrestling Alliance]] in [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]] to create the [[United States Wrestling Association]]) brand, and the once highly viable [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]] territory going bankrupt (it closed in 1992), he was the last bastion of the NWA, and the last member with national TV exposure. Since it was all they now saw, many people began to believe that World Championship Wrestling ''was'' the NWA. Although WCW and the NWA were still two separate entities, with Crockett as NWA President, they were very much on the same page. The NWA was effectively an on-paper organization funded by Crockett, and allowed Crockett to use the NWA brand name for promoting.

With the large amount of capital needed to take a wrestling federation on a national tour, Crockett's territorial acquisitions had seriously drained WCW's coffers. He was in a similar situation to that of the WWF in the early 1980s: a large debt load, and the success or failure of a federation hinging on the success or failure of a series of [[pay-per-view|PPVs]]. Crockett marketed [[StarrCade#1987: Chi-Town Heat|StarrCade '87]] as the NWA's answer to [[WrestleMania]], even though Starrcade had been running since 1983, two years previous to the first WrestleMania. However, the WWF promoted [[Survivor Series#1987|Survivor Series]] on the same day, and threatened to withhold [[WrestleMania IV]] from any PPV company that refused to show it. Later, in [[1988#January|January 1988]], WCW promoted the ''[[Bunkhouse Stampede]]'' PPV, and McMahon counter-programmed with the first [[Royal Rumble (1988)|Royal Rumble]] on [[USA Network|USA]]. Both WCW PPVs achieved low buyrates.

In 1985, Crockett had signed [[Dusty Rhodes]] and made him [[booker (professional wrestling)|booker]] for WCW. Rhodes had a reputation for creativity and authored many of the memorable feuds and storylines of this period and [[gimmick (professional wrestling)|gimmick]] matches like ''WarGames''. By 1988, after three years of trying to compete with Vince McMahon, and a long, drawn-out political struggle with champion [[Ric Flair]], Rhodes was burned out. He was unable to draw fan interest in his storylines, and the [[Dusty finish]] had reduced the [[house show]] market. By the end of 1988, Rhodes was booking cards seemingly at random, and planning at one point to have mid-card wrestler [[Rick Steiner]] defeat Ric Flair in a five-minute match at ''StarrCade'' for the NWA World Championship. At the end of 1988, Rhodes was fired by the promotion after an angle he booked where [[Road Warrior Animal]] pulled a spike out of his shoulderpad and jammed it in Rhodes's eye busting it wide open.

To preserve the inexpensive network programming provided by professional wrestling, Jim Crockett Promotions was purchased outright by Turner on [[November 21]] [[1988]]. Originally incorporated by TBS as the '''Universal Wrestling Corporation''', Turner promised the fans that WCW would be the athlete-oriented style of NWA.

1989 proved to be a turnaround year for WCW, with Ric Flair on top for most of the year both as World Champion and also as head booker. Flair had helped bring in [[Ricky Steamboat]] and [[Terry Funk]], and his PPV matches with both were successful, financially and critically. Young stars such as [[Sid Eudy|Sid Vicious]], [[Sting (wrestler)|Sting]], [[Scott Steiner]], [[Road Warriors|The Road Warriors]], [[Brian Pillman]], [[Keiji Mutoh|The Great Muta]] and [[Lex Luger]] were given big storylines and championship opportunities.

Despite this influx of talent, WCW soon began working to gradually incorporate much of the glamor and showy gimmicks for which the WWF was better known. Virtually none of these stunts, such as the live cross-promotional appearance of [[RoboCop]] at a PPV event in 1990, the '''Chamber of Horrors''' gimmick and the notorious '''[[The Black Scorpion|Black Scorpion]]''' storyline, succeeded. Behind the scenes, WCW was also becoming more autonomous and slowly started separating itself from the historic NWA name. In [[1991#January|January 1991]], WCW officially split from the NWA and began to recognize its own [[WCW World Heavyweight Championship]] and [[WCW World Tag Team Championship]].
{{details|Jim Herd}}
Both the WCW and the NWA recognized Ric Flair (who was by now no longer the head booker) as their '''World Heavyweight Champion''' throughout most of the first half of 1991, but WCW, particularly recently-installed company president [[Jim Herd]], turned against Flair for various reasons and fired him just prior to the [[1991#July|July 1991]] [[The Great American Bash|Great American Bash]] PPV after failed contract negotiations. Reports claim that Herd wanted Flair to job in squash matches designed to ruin his reputation, and also to cut his hair short and wear an earring. In the process, they officially stripped him of the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. However, according to Flair's autobiography, they refused to return the [[United States dollar|$]]25,000 deposit he had put down on the (physical) belt, so he kept it and took it with him when he was hired by the WWF at the request of Vince McMahon. Flair then incorporated the belt into his [[gimmick (professional wrestling)|gimmick]], dubbing himself "The Real World's Champion".

WCW later renegotiated the use of the NWA name as a co-promotional gimmick with [[New Japan Pro Wrestling]], and sued the WWF to stop showing Flair with the old NWA World title belt on its programs, claiming a trademark on the physical design of the belt. The belt was returned to WCW by Flair when Jim Herd was let go and he received his deposit back plus interest, and it was brought back as the revived [[NWA World Heavyweight Championship]].

During the period that WCW operated with its own World Champion while also recognizing the NWA's world title, Flair quit the WWF and returned to WCW, regaining the title from [[Barry Windham]] in [[1993#July|July 1993]]. Immediately, the other, now smaller, member organizations of the NWA began demanding that Flair defend the title under their rules in their territories, as mandated by old NWA agreements. The title was later scheduled to be dropped by Flair to [[Richard Rood|Rick Rude]], a title change which was exposed by the '''[[Disney Tapings]]''', the months-in-advance taping of WCW's [[Television syndication|syndicated television]] shows at [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]]-owned studios in [[Orlando, Florida]]. The NWA board of directors, working separately from WCW, objected to Rude, due to the Boad of Diectors not being consulted with regard to the title switch and WCW finally leaving the NWA for good again in [[1993#September|September 1993]].
{{see also|WCW_Disney_tapings#Logistical_Errors}}
However, WCW still legally owned and used the actual belt which represented the NWA World Heavyweight Championship (Rick Rude even defended it as '''The [[Big Gold Belt]]''') but they could no longer use the '''NWA''' name. The title thus became known as the WCW International World Heavyweight Title (meaning the World heavyweight championship as sanctioned by "WCW International," a fictional organization made up of promoters from around the world, essentially their in-house version of the real NWA).

WCW realized that the title belt, because of its rich in-ring history and visual impact, was highly sought after and respected in [[Japan]] and as such created this fictional subsidiary dubbed '''WCW International''' to inject some credibility back into the belt. WCW claimed that "WCWI" still recognized the belt as a legitimate World Championship. For a short while, there were essentially two World titles up for competition in the organization.

Sting eventually won the [[WCW International World Heavyweight Championship|WCW International Championship]] and lost the belt to then-WCW World Champion Ric Flair in a [[Championship unification|unification]] match in [[1994#May|May 1994]] when the experiment was jettisoned. To make things more confusing, the WCW title belt, as introduced in 1991, was dropped and the old NWA Championship belt was revived and officially replaced it as the [[WCW World Heavyweight Championship]]. It was used as such until WCW's closure in 2001. The belt (in a slightly altered design) is still seen today in WWE as the [[World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)|World Heavyweight Championship]] on their [[WWE Friday Night SmackDown!|SmackDown!]] brand (previously on [[WWE RAW|RAW]]). However, WWE considers it a seperate title and WWE.com officially lists the title history of the World Heavyweight Championship as beginning with [[Triple H]] being awarded the belt by Eric Bischoff on ''RAW'' on [[September 2]], [[2002 in television|2002]].

bring back wcw

===Monday Night Wars===
{{main|Monday Night Wars}}

Bischoff would be instrumental in launching the weekly show ''[[WCW Monday Nitro]]'' in [[1995#September|September 1995]]. Turner asked Bischoff how WCW could conceivably compete with McMahon's WWF. Bischoff, not expecting Turner to comply, said that the only way would be a primetime slot on a weekday night, possibly up against the WWF's flagship show, ''[[WWE RAW|Monday Night RAW]]''. Turner granted him a live hour on [[Turner Network Television|TNT]] every Monday night, which specifically overlapped with ''Raw''. This format quickly expanded to two live hours in [[1996#May|May 1996]], and then later three. Bischoff himself was initially the host, alongside [[Bobby Heenan]] and ex-[[National Football League|NFL]] star [[Steve McMichael|Steve "Mongo" McMichael]].

McMahon later admitted to being bitter about Turner's decision to air ''Nitro'' live on Monday nights, saying that Turner and Bischoff's only reason for doing this could be to hurt and damage the WWF. Turner and McMahon certainly had something of a personal history: in the early 1980s, when McMahon began buying up local organizations in order to create a nationwide wrestling system, one of the promotions he took over was Georgia Championship Wrestling; thus he was in the position of providing a Saturday night show for Turner's TBS station. When viewers tuned to TBS on [[July 14]], [[1984 in television|1984]] (a date known as '''[[Black Saturday (1984)|Black Saturday]]''' by some in the wrestling community) and saw WWF programming instead of the GCW wrestlers they were used to seeing, many called the station and demanded the NWA's return; two weeks later, GCW returned, albeit on Saturday mornings. Turner quickly grew tired of the personality-driven glitz of McMahon's product and was upset at the fact that McMahon had gone back on his earlier promise not to dump second-rate stars and matches onto TBS. Turner therefore axed McMahon's show and turned to Jim Crockett for the Saturday night pro wrestling slot. It is rumored that on the very same day that Turner later acquired Crockett's territories, he called McMahon to say ''"Vince, I'm in the rasslin' business!"'' McMahon claims he congratulated him and then told him "That's great Ted. I'm in the entertainment business."

In [[1995 in television|1995]], Turner (as sole head and owner of both TBS and TNT), could air ''Nitro'' whenever he wanted. The WWF on the other hand was constrained by having to deal with the [[USA Network]], whose executives were pleased about the viewers ''RAW'' brought to their network, but were also weary of the stigma associated with being the '''wrestling channel'''. ''WCW Monday Nitro'' made its debut in [[1995#September|September 1995]] live from the [[Mall of America]] in [[Bloomington, Minnesota]], and featured the surprise appearance of [[Lex Luger]], who had been working on a handshake deal with WWF after his most recent contract expired, on a week when ''RAW'' was pre-empted by the [[U.S. Open (tennis)|US Open]].

In the first head-to-head ratings the following week, ''Nitro'' managed to convincingly defeat ''RAW'', seeing WCW beat the WWF for the first time ever. For most of ''Nitro's'' first year, the ratings battle between the two promotions were close. In the end, ''Nitro'' ended up beating ''RAW'' in the ratings for 84 straight weeks between [[1996 in television|1996]] and [[1998 in television|1998]].

''RAW'' and the WWF in general was consided to be at a creative nadir from 1995 to 1997, thus helping WCW's meteoric rise. The WWF tried in vain to fight back in early 1996 with the "Billionaire Ted" sketches, which occasionally starred an unbilled [[Vince Russo]] and [[parody|parodied]] Turner, Hogan ("The Huckster"), [[Gene Okerlund]] ("Scheme Gene") and Savage ("Nacho Man") in particular. Only when stars such as ex-WCW wrestler [["Stone Cold" Steve Austin]] began to emerge, and when McMahon selected Russo, a [[New York City|New York]] DJ and WWF magazine writer, as his head booker, did the WWF begin to pick up steam.

Siphoning off the WWF's talent and airing ''Nitro'' on Monday night was not the end of WCW's tactics to defeat the competition (a stunt McMahon himself pulled when he steamrolled over territories to monopolize the WWF, although McMahon would be the one crying "foul" this time). In the early days, as ''RAW'' was only live once every three weeks at that point, and as hours of upcoming shows would be taped in one arena on one night, announcers on ''Nitro'' could (and would) often give away the results of that week's ''RAW'' to keep viewers tuned to ''Nitro''. Much later, with the WWF firmly back on top, this tactic memorably backfired on [[January 4]], [[1999 in television|1999]], when WCW announcer [[Tony Schiavone]] was instructed by Bischoff over his headset to announce that [[Mick Foley]] (wrestling as Mankind in the WWF), would win the [[WWE Championship|WWF Championship]] that night on the USA Network. Schiavone then sarcastically remarked, ''"that would put a lot of butts in the seats."'' [[Nielsen Ratings|Nielsen ratings]] for that night showed that almost immediately after Schiavone's comment, around 300,000 to 600,000 viewers switched from ''Nitro'' to ''RAW'' in a matter of seconds. This startling ratings switch was seen as a true testament to Foley's dedication to wrestling and the WWF's ever-growing popularity.

Beefy bollocks

===Vince McMahon strikes back===
{{see also|Monday_Night_Wars#1999-2000:_The_Tide_Turns}}
When [[Bret Hart]] left the WWF after the [[Montreal Screwjob]] at the 1997 [[Survivor Series]] it looked as WCW was going to push the WWF right off the map. WCW had seemingly the big stars people wanted to see like Hogan, Nash, Hall, Hart, Flair, Etc. as the popular opinion was that this was a deathblow for the WWF and a major score for WCW. The combination of a company screwing over a popular wrestler and angering many fans should have dealt a massive blow to the WWF and given WCW a great amount of hype to work from. Sadly for WCW, the opposite effect was achieved. After [[WrestleMania XIV]] in [[1998#March|March 1998]], the WWF regained the lead in the Monday Night Wars with its new [[World Wrestling Entertainment#WWF Attitude|WWF Attitude]] brand, led in particular by rising stars "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, [[The Rock (entertainer)|The Rock]], [[Paul Levesque|Triple H]] and [[Mick Foley|Mankind]]. The classic feud between McMahon (who was re-imagined and re-branded as the evil company chairman character Mr. McMahon) and Austin (who, ironically, had been released by Bischoff in the summer of 1995 for not being marketable) caught the imaginations of fans. The [[April 13]], [[1998 in television|1998]] episode of ''RAW'', headlined by a match between Austin and McMahon, marked the first time that WCW had lost the head-to-head Monday night [[Nielsen Ratings|ratings]] battle in the 84 weeks since [[1996 in television|1996]]. WWF didn't stop there. Their ratings increased dramatically in the next two years, more than ever before. WCW attempted to counter this by dividing the nWo into the Hogan-led heel nWo Hollywood faction and the Nash-led face nWo Wolfpac faction, but many felt that it was a poor rehash of the original WCW vs. nWo storyline. Undeterred, WCW also launched a new Thursday TV show, the aforementioned ''WCW Thunder'', around this time.

WCW's next big attempt at ratings supremacy was marketing ex-[[National Football League|NFL]] newcomer [[Bill Goldberg]] as an invincible monster with a record-breaking winning streak. Goldberg was indeed incredibly popular from the outset, with chants of 'Gold-berg, Gold-berg' heralding his approach to the ring, but business still quickly fell off for WCW, especially as the list of stars ready to be [[squash (professional wrestling)|destroyed]] by Goldberg grew shorter. One of WCW's last big genuine wins in the Monday night ratings war was on [[July 6]], [[1998 in television|1998]], when WCW gave the long-awaited World Title match in Atlanta between Hogan and Goldberg (which Goldberg won), away for free on ''Nitro''. By doing this, they indeed 'spiked' and inflated their TV ratings for a week, but lost millions of possible PPV dollars in the process, as Hogan vs. Goldberg was a clear PPV main event. On [[September 14]], [[1998 in television|1998]], WCW won the ratings war once again with a memorable moment that featured Ric Flair's return to WCW and the reformation of the legendary [[Four Horsemen (professional wrestling)|Four Horsemen]]. On [[October 25]], [[1998 in television|1998]], WCW's [[Halloween Havoc#1998|Halloween Havoc]] PPV ended up running longer than the time allowed due to the last-minute addition of a [[WCW World Tag Team Championship|Tag Team Title]] match. As a result, several thousand people lost the PPV feed at 11pm which was during the World Title match between [[Dallas Page|Diamond Dallas Page]] and Goldberg. The following night, WCW decided to correct the problem by airing the entire match for free on ''Nitro'' and thus winning the ratings war for the final time.

WCW slowly slid into a period of extravagant overspending and what was viewed almost universally as creative decline with the reason why it happened and who let it happen still a matter of debate. One possible reason was the overuse of celebrities (such as [[Dennis Rodman]] and [[Jay Leno]]) to wrestle PPV matches. Another was that the WCW's credibility was badly damaged by embarrassing product placement, like [[Rick Steiner]] trading barbs with [[Chucky]] the killer doll (which was roundly booed by the in-house audience on the live Nitro broadcast) in the hopes of generating interest in the [[1998 in film|1998]] film ''[[Bride of Chucky]]''. Another reason vould be the stale, pointless, and at times self-serving storylines concocted by inexperienced bookers such as [[Kevin Nash]], and that the top-level stars had no motivation to excel in the ring due to their long-term guaranteed-money contracts, and only gave their utmost when it suited them to do so. What is known is that WCW programming slowly started to go downhill in quality with people turning off their TVs or switching to WWF programming, and in reaction the company began to panic and tried to solve its problems by throwing money at a variety of personalities, a practice it could ill-afford to engage in. Many talents were reportedly signed simply to keep them from appearing on WWF television. At one point, WCW held over 260 individual performers under guaranteed contracts, and often paid many of them to simply stay at home and collect a paycheck.

As mentioned above, people were growing suspicious of Nash's questionable storylines, which were dominated by his on-screen persona. After booking himself to win the [[WCW World War 3#1998|World War 3]] battle royal in [[1998#November|November 1998]], he went on to end Goldberg's winning streak and win the World Title on the [[1998#Starrcade|StarrCade]] PPV just one month later. Then came the infamous "[[Fingerpoke of Doom|fingerpoke of doom]]" match with Hulk Hogan in [[1999#January|January 1999]]. The particular Nitro in which this match aired was being advertised as a StarrCade rematch between Nash and Goldberg. As a result, the arena was a complete sellout, with over 40,000 people watching live and millions more around the world hoping for the rematch. Instead, a storyline that put Goldberg in a bad light called for him to be replaced by Hollywood Hogan. The World Heavyweight Championship changed hands when Hogan knocked Nash to the mat by prodding him in the chest with one finger and then pinning him, further damaging the credibility and perceived value of the title. Also damaged was the credibility of the company itself, which did not present the match that had been advertised, as well as what was perceived to be an underhanded way of selling out the arena for that night's telecast. It was also this same episode of ''Nitro'' that Tony Schiavone mockingly announced the Mick Foley WWF Title win, which shifted the ratings for the night in the World Wrestling Federation's favor.
{{details|Fingerpoke_of_Doom#The_Impact}}
Also in 1998, [[Warrior (wrestler)|The Ultimate Warrior]], a former WWF star, was recruited by Eric Bischoff to feud with Hogan (Warrior's [[WrestleMania VI]] opponent). Their [[1998#October|October 1998]] encounter at [[Halloween Havoc#1998|Halloween Havoc]] was mostly seen as sub-par, and Warrior vanished soon after. The Ultimate Warrior also insisted on a number of elaborate and costly apparatuses such as a trapdoor in the ring, which badly injured [[Davey Boy Smith|The British Bulldog]] when he landed on it.
{{details|Warrior_%28wrestler%29#World_Championship_Wrestling}}
In addition, no matter who was in charge, WCW did not like promoting its younger stars to the company's top slots. Despite having many talented younger wrestlers such as [[Chris Jericho]], [[Chris Benoit]], [[Peter Gruner|Billy Kidman]], [[Chavo Guerrero, Jr.]], [[Eddie Guerrero]], [[Perry Satullo|Perry Saturn]], [[Scott Levy|Raven]], [[Oscar Gutierrez|Rey Mysterio, Jr.]], and [[Booker Huffman|Booker T]] on its roster, they were kept away from the main event scene. What was seen as WCW's poor talent decisions combined with the massive popularity of the new, hip and edgy WWF Attitude Era, likely began WCW's rapid demise.

Bischoff was eventually removed from power by the Turner higher-ups on [[September 10]] [[1999]], the last straws perhaps being what was felt as a bizarre and mystifying [[push (professional wrestling)|push]] for the 1970s [[rock band|rock group]] [[KISS (band)|KISS]] through WCW shows, a storyline involving [[rapping|rapper]] [[Master P]] and The No Limit Soldiers that saw Master P last only two weeks (the "No Limit Soldiers" stable flopped so badly that the [[West Texas Rednecks]] heel stable that they were feuding with was cheered by the WCW's traditional southern fanbase); an announced million-dollar contest that was later cancelled; a planned ''Nitro'' [[animated series]] that was scrapped, as well; and Bischoff's long-standing desire to put on a huge, outdoor rock 'n' wrestling concert featuring KISS on [[December 31]] [[1999]].

{{see also|Eric_Bischoff#Downfall}}

===The Death of WCW===
{{see also|Vince_Russo#WCW}}
Bischoff was unexpectedly replaced by former WWF head writer [[Vince Russo]] and his colleague [[Ed Ferrera]]. Russo and Ferrera had been the head writers for the WWF at the beginning of the Attitude Era, subordinate only to Vince McMahon himself. WCW offered them lucrative contracts to jump ship in [[1999#October|October 1999]] in an effort to revitalize their own flagging product and weaken the product of the WWF. Russo and Ferrera tried to push the younger WCW talents straight away, and [[bury (professional wrestling)|phase out]] aging stars such as Hogan and Flair. However, Russo was thought by many to be incapable of recreating the intriguing and cutting-edge TV he had produced while working for McMahon.

Russo and Ferrera struggled to gain approval for their near-the-knuckle ideas from the WCW management, such as "[[Piñata]] on a Pole" matches between [[Mexico|Mexican]] wrestlers. In late 1999, Russo and Ferrera revived the nWo storyline, this time with [[Jeff Jarrett]] and [[Bret Hart]] at the helm. They next targeted WWF announcer Jim Ross with a parody character called "Oklahoma", who was played onscreen by Ferrera (Ross had been suffering from [[Bell's palsy]], and the character lampooned his resultant facial defects). Bad luck struck in [[1999#December|December 1999]] when Hart suffered a genuine (and ultimately career-ending) [[concussion]] at the hands of Goldberg, who severely damaged his own hand less than a week later while punching through a [[limousine]] window in [[Salisbury, Maryland]] as part of a storyline that was written by Russo. Russo himself became an onscreen character during this period, though one whose face was never shown on camera, in a manner similar to [[Doctor Claw]] from ''[[Inspector Gadget]]'' and the [[George Steinbrenner]] character from ''[[Seinfeld]]''. Only his hand and the back of his chair were ever actually seen, as he called wrestlers into his office to receive their marching orders for the night.
{{see also|Bret_Hart#World_Championship_Wrestling}}
Both Russo and Ferrera were suspended just three months later amid rumors that they wanted to make former [[Ultimate Fighting Championship|UFC]] fighter [[David L. Abbott|Tank Abbott]] the WCW Champion (Abbott, despite his legitimate fighting background, had little wrestling experience and had failed to connect with WCW audiences). [[Kevin Sullivan (wrestler)|Kevin Sullivan]], who had been an on/off booker over the course of several years, was placed in charge in the interim. The new writing team attempted to appease the demoralized wrestlers and fans by making Chris Benoit the WCW Champion at the [[Souled Out#2000|Souled Out]] PPV in January 2000. However, because of the real-life personal issues between himself and Sullivan, let alone that prior to the PPV he and a few other wrestlers demanded their releases from the company (due to their lack of being pushed to stardom as well as their similar hatred for Sullivan), Benoit handed the belt back right after winning it and the next day left WCW. He signed with the WWF along with his similarly frustrated friends [[Perry Satullo|Perry Saturn]], [[Eddie Guerrero]] and [[Dean Malenko]]. The four quickly became popular in the WWF as "[[The Radicalz]]".

On [[February 11]] [[2000]], [[African American|black]] wrestlers [[Bobby Walker]] and [[Harrison Norris]] and [[Japanese people|Japanese]] [[manager (professional wrestling)|manager]] [[Kazuo Onoo|Sonny Onoo]] launched [[racism|racial discrimination]] [[lawsuit]]s against WCW, claiming that they had not been pushed as a result of their ethnicities, had not been paid as well as other wrestlers and personalities, and had been given offensive gimmicks. Some speculated that the charges of racism brought against WCW (and the resultant bad publicity for the company, which had been dogged by accusations of racism for years), were partially responsible for black wrestler [[Booker Huffman|Booker T]] winning the WCW Championship later that year and his brother [[Lane Huffman|Stevie Ray]] being made a [[color commentator]], with Ray himself acknowledging that it might have been a factor.

In April 2000, with ratings hitting new lows, both Russo and Bischoff were reinstated by WCW. They formed an on-screen union that stood up for the younger talent in the company (which they dubbed the [[New Blood]]) in their battle against the [[Millionaires Club]], which consisted of the older, higher-paid, and more visible stars such as Hogan, Sting, and Diamond Dallas Page. Though initially well-received, the storyline quickly degenerated into yet another nWo rehash, with the heel nWo recast as the New Blood and the face WCW embodied in the Millionaire's Club. As well, the unorthodox and often controversial storylines continued. These included making [[actor]] [[David Arquette]] the WCW Champion in order to promote a WCW-themed [[film|movie]], ''[[Ready to Rumble]]''; Russo himself winning the WCW Championship in September 2000 (Russo, like Arquette, was not a trained wrestler); a [[botch (professional wrestling)|botched]] June heel turn for Goldberg that greatly diminished his drawing power; and a [[shoot (professional wrestling)|shoot speech]] by Russo at [[Bash at the Beach#2000|Bash at the Beach 2000]] aimed at Hulk Hogan which led to Hogan resigning and filing a [[slander and libel|defamation of character]] lawsuit against the company (which was eventually dismissed in 2002). Bischoff vanished once more in July 2000, and Russo was gone from WCW completely by late 2000, leaving [[Terry Taylor]] holding the reins.
{{details|Hulk_Hogan#The_end_of_Hogan_in_WCW}}
Meanwhile, when [[Time Warner]] bought out Turner's cable empire in 1996, it also purchased WCW. Even though Turner was a big fan and faithful to the professional wrestling shows on his stations (a professional wrestling program had helped get Turner's very first TV station, [[WTBS]], off the ground, and WCW was, in fact, the modern incarnation of the promotion that Turner had run on WTBS back in those days) regardless of whether it was losing him money, Time Warner did not share his loyalty, especially when accounts showed that WCW was losing between [[United States dollar|$]]12-$17 million a year because of its decline. However, Turner was still the single largest Time Warner shareholder, and WCW was supported at his behest. When [[America Online|AOL]] merged with Time Warner in 2000, Turner was effectively forced out of his own empire. The new [[Time Warner#AOL Merger|AOL Time Warner]] finally had the power to auction off WCW, which they saw as an unnecessary drain on resources.

In late 2000, Bischoff and a group of private investors, calling themselves [[Fusient Media Ventures]], inquired about buying WCW but backed out when Turner networks head (and [[WB Television Network|The WB]] founder) [[Jamie Kellner]] formally cancelled all WCW programming from its TV networks. With no network to air its programming, WCW was of little value to Fusient, whose offer was dependent on the Turner networks continuing to air WCW programming.

On [[March 23]] [[2001]], virtually all of WCW's trademarks and archived footage, was sold to Vince McMahon and World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. for a paltry [[United States dollar|$]]7 million (although the [[book]] ''The Death of WCW'' said it was less than $3 million).

A gloating McMahon opened the last-ever episode of ''WCW Monday Nitro'' simulcast with ''RAW'' on [[March 26]], [[2001 in television|2001]] with a self-praising speech. Sting vs. Ric Flair (won by Sting) was the highlight nostalgia match of the final broadcast, ending affectionately with a respectful embrace. The broadcast ended with the US Champion, Booker T, cleanly defeating the world champion, Scott Steiner, to become WCW's final World Heavyweight Champion, as well as its final US Heavyweight Champion.
[[Image:Wcwalliancelogo.gif|right|thumb|200px|The WCW logo used in the WWF during the 2001 Invasion storyline.]]
When Vince came on ''RAW'' after the Sting/Flair match to declare victory over WCW, Vince's son [[Shane McMahon]] appeared at the ''Nitro'' event, declaring that ''he'' had bought WCW. However, this was [[kayfabe]] and part of a WWF storyline that would have Shane leading the [[The Invasion|WCW Invasion of the WWF]] (a highly anticipated storyline which many considered a squandered opportunity), which lasted from March to November 2001 and marked the end of WCW. Despite aborted attempts to run WCW-branded events, the WWF only ran a handful of matches on ''RAW'' and ''SmackDown!'' under the WCW banner.

When the WWF bought WCW in March 2001, several top WCW wrestlers, including Goldberg, Scott Steiner, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Sting had high-priced contracts with AOL Time Warner that WWF was unwilling to pick up. Rather than trying to get a buyout of their contracts and taking a pay cut to go to WWF, they chose to sit home and got paid for the remainders of their WCW contracts. This is most often cited as being the main reason the planned WCW Invasion of WWF storyline failed. The WCW was not seen as a powerhouse organization invading WWF when most of their top stars did not appear. However, all of the above wrestlers except Sting signed contracts with the WWE after the Invasion subsided.

The WCW World Heavyweight Championship (which was renamed the World Championship) would continue to be used in WWF until it was merged with the WWF Championship into the [[WWE Undisputed Championship|WWF Undisputed Championship]] when Chris Jericho defeated The Rock and Steve Austin for the respective titles on [[December 9]], [[2001]] on the PPV, [[WWE Vengeance#2001|Vengeance]].

Although new professional wrestling alternatives such as [[Total Nonstop Action Wrestling]] and [[Ring of Honor]] have seen rising popularity in recent years, none have achieved the mainstream popularity or financial support that WCW enjoyed and thus are not yet considered competitive with WWE.

==Final champions==
This is a list of the champions as they were at the end of the last ''WCW Monday Nitro'' on [[March 26]], [[2001 in television|2001]] (though all these titles, with the exception of the Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship, continued to be active in WWF until November of that year).
{| class="wikitable"
!Championship
!Final champion(s)
|-
|[[WCW World Heavyweight Championship|WCW World Heavyweight Champion]]
|[[Booker Huffman|Booker T]]
|-
|[[WWE United States Championship|WCW United States Champion]]
|[[Booker Huffman|Booker T]]
|-
|[[WCW World Tag Team Championship|WCW World Tag Team Champions]]
|[[Chuck Palumbo]] and [[Sean O'Haire]]
|-
|[[WWE Cruiserweight Championship|WCW Cruiserweight Champion]]
|[[Gregory Helms|Shane Helms]]
|-
|[[WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship|WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Champions]]
|[[Peter Gruner|Billy Kidman]] and [[Oscar Gutierrez|Rey Mysterio]]
|-
|}

Here's a list of the final WCW Champions under the WWF banner.

{| class="wikitable"
!Championship
!Final champion(s)
|-
|[[WCW World Heavyweight Championship|WCW World Heavyweight Champion]]1
|[[Chris Jericho]]
|-
|[[WCW World Tag Team Championship|WCW World Tag Team Champions]]3
|[[Dudley Boyz|The Dudley Boyz]]
|-
|}

'''Footnotes'''
*1Renamed the '''World Championship''' after ''[[Survivor Series#2001|Survivor Series 2001]]''; unified with the [[WWE Championship|WWF Championship]] at ''[[WWE Vengeance#2001|Vengeance 2001]]''. The belt design was later reintroduced as the WWE sanctioned [[World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)|World Heavyweight Championship]] as a [[WWE RAW|RAW]] exclusive title in September 2002 (now exclusive to SmackDown!).
*2Unified with the [[WWE Intercontinental Championship|WWE Intercontinental Championship]] at ''Survivor Series 2001''; reactivated as a WWE sanctioned title on [[WWE Friday Night SmackDown!|''SmackDown!'']] in 2003 by then-General Manager [[Stephanie McMahon-Levesque|Stephanie McMahon]].
*3Unified with the [[WWE World Tag Team Championship|WWE World Tag Team Championship]] at ''Survivor Series 2001''.
*4Title adopted by the WWF after ''Survivor Series 2001''; renamed the WWF / WWE Cruiserweight Championship.

==WCW titles==
*[[WCW World Heavyweight Championship]]
*[[WWE United States Championship|WCW United States Heavyweight Championship]]
*[[WWE Cruiserweight Championship|WCW Cruiserweight Championship]]
*[[WCW World Tag Team Championship]]
*[[WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship]]
*[[WCW Television Championship|WCW World Television Championship]]
*[[WCW Hardcore Championship]]
*[[WCW United States Tag Team Championship]]
*[[WCW World Six-Man Tag Team Championship]]
*[[WCW International World Heavyweight Championship]]
*[[WCW Light Heavyweight Championship]]
*[[WCW Women's Championship]]
*[[WCW Women's Cruiserweight Championship]]

==WCW special tournaments==
*[[WCW Jesse "The Body" Ventura Strongest Arm Tournament]] (1992-1993)
*[[WCW King of Cable Tournament]] (1992)
*[[WCW/NWA Gauntlet Series]] (1990)
*[[WCW Battle Bowl]]
*[[WCW Lethal Lottery]]

==Books/DVD==
*''[[The Death of WCW]]'' by R.D. Reynolds and Bryan Alvarez, 2004, ISBN 1-55022-661-4.
*''[[The Monday Night War: WWE Raw vs. WCW Monday Nitro]]'' World Wrestling Entertainment, 2004, ASIN B0001CCXCA.

==See also==
*[[World Championship Wrestling alumni]]
*[[Wcw_women|WCW Women]]
*[[List of professional wrestlers]]
*[[List of professional wrestling stables]]
*[[List of WCW pay-per-view events]]
*[[List of WCW programming|List of WCW television programming]]
*[[Jim Crockett Promotions]]
*[[The Alliance]]
*[[Monday Night Wars]]
*[[Nitro Girls]]
*[[WCW Monday Nitro]]
*[[WCW Thunder]]
*[[WCW Power Plant]]

== External links ==
*[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/ WCW Title Histories]
*[http://www.ddtdigest.com/ DDT Digest - "The Unofficial Resting Place Of WCW"]

[[Category:1986 establishments]]
[[Category:2001 disestablishments]]
[[Category:Defunct companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Sports in Atlanta]]
[[Category:Time Warner subsidiaries]]
[[Category:World Championship Wrestling]]

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World Championship Wrestling

2006-09-02T02:47:57Z

71.201.198.12: /* In the beginning: The NWA years */

:'' For the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] video game, see [[WCW Wrestling]]. For the Australian promotion, see '''[[WCW Australia]]'''''. For the poet, see [[William Carlos Williams]].

{{Pwcompanybox |
name = World Championship Wrestling |
image =Wcwlogo.jpg |
acronym = WCW |
established = 1986 |
style = [[List of professional wrestling styles#American Wrestling|American Wrestling]] |
location = [[Atlanta, Georgia]] |
founder = [[Ted Turner]] |
owner = [[Turner Broadcasting System|Turner Broadcasting System (TBS)/Turner]] (1988-96) [[Time Warner]] (1996-2001) [[Vince McMahon]] (2001-present) |
parent = [[Turner Broadcasting System|Turner Broadcasting System (TBS)/Turner]] (1988-96) [[Time Warner]] (1996-2001) [[World Wrestling Entertainment|World Wrestling Entertainment]] (2001-Present) |
sister = |
formerly = NWA Eastern States Championship Wrestling NWA Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling [[Georgia Championship Wrestling]] [[Jim Crockett Promotions]] NWA World Championship Wrestling Universal Wrestling Corporation |
merged = [[World Wrestling Entertainment]] |
}}

'''World Championship Wrestling''' or '''WCW''', was a [[professional wrestling promotion]] based in [[Atlanta, Georgia]] that existed from 1986 to 2001. In March 2001, the company's assets, including trademarks, some wrestler contracts, and extensive [[WWE Tape Library|video library]] were purchased by the [[World Wrestling Entertainment|World Wrestling Federation]], who continued to use the name as part of a [[The Alliance|storyline]] until November 2001, when the promotion officially ceased.

==History==
===In the beginning: The NWA years===
Although World Championship Wrestling was a brand name used by promoter [[Jim Barnett]] for his Australian promotion, the first promotion in the [[United States]] to use the World Championship Wrestling brand name (though it was never referred to as "WCW") on a wide scale was Georgia Championship Wrestling (although Vincent James McMahon's Capitol Wrestling Corpotation did in fact use the name in some house show promotion).

This promotion, owned primarily by [[Jack Brisco]] and [[Gerald Brisco]] and [[booking (professional wrestling)|booked]] by [[Ole Anderson]], was the first NWA territory to gain [[cable television|cable TV]] access. In 1983, Georgia Championship Wrestling changed the name of its television show (and thus its public face) to World Championship Wrestling since it was already starting to run shows in "neutral" territories such as [[Ohio]] and [[Michigan]]. Although many in the business felt that Anderson was mismanaging the company, Georgia Championship Wrestling had managed to compete against the other major territory trying to go national ([[Vince McMahon]]'s WWF).
{{main|Black Saturday (1984)}}
In [[1984#May|May 1984]], the Brisco brothers sold their shares in Georgia Championship Wrestling, including their timeslot on the [[TBS (TV network)|TBS]] cable TV [[television network|network]] to Vince McMahon. The WWF show did not fare well in [[Nielsen Ratings|ratings]]. World Championship Wrestling's core audience was not interested in the WWF's cartoony approach, preferring a more athletic style. Despite originally promising to produce original programming for the TBS timeslot in Atlanta, McMahon chose instead to provide only a [[clip show]] for TBS, featuring highlights from other WWF programming. In [[1985#May|May 1985]], McMahon sold the TBS timeslot to Jim Crockett Promotions, owned by [[Jim Crockett, Jr.]], under pressure from [[Ted Turner]], who resurrected the World Championship Wrestling name (Turner Broadcasting had copyrighted it and prevented McMahon from using it).

By 1986, Jim Crockett, Jr. controlled key portions of the NWA under the name [[Jim Crockett Promotions]], including the traditional NWA territories in [[The Carolinas]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], and [[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]]. Crockett merged his various NWA territories into one group, and promoted it under the name '''NWA World Championship Wrestling'''. A feud between Crockett and Vince McMahon's WWF sprang up, and both companies attempted to outmaneuver the other to acquire key [[television|TV]] slots.

In the same year, WCW also purchased [[Heart of America Sports Attractions Inc]] (HASA), which owned the rights to promote wrestling shows through several central states ([[Kansas]], [[Missouri]], and [[Iowa]]). HASA was known to fans as NWA Central States, and ran a [[television program|TV show]] called ''All Star Wrestling''.

In 1987, WCW would purchase [[Championship Wrestling from Florida]], and [[Mid-South Sports (United States)|Universal Wrestling Federation]] (which covered [[Oklahoma]], [[Mississippi]], [[Arkansas]], [[Texas]] and [[Louisiana]]), which was not an NWA member. Florida & Mid-South (and its wrestlers) were absorbed into WCW.

Crockett had almost accomplished his goal of creating a national promotion. Between his purchasing several NWA territories, [[World Class Championship Wrestling]] in Texas leaving the NWA in 1986 (and later merging with [[Jerry Jarrett]]'s [[Championship Wrestling Alliance]] in [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]] to create the [[United States Wrestling Association]]) brand, and the once highly viable [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]] territory going bankrupt (it closed in 1992), he was the last bastion of the NWA, and the last member with national TV exposure. Since it was all they now saw, many people began to believe that World Championship Wrestling ''was'' the NWA. Although WCW and the NWA were still two separate entities, with Crockett as NWA President, they were very much on the same page. The NWA was effectively an on-paper organization funded by Crockett, and allowed Crockett to use the NWA brand name for promoting.

With the large amount of capital needed to take a wrestling federation on a national tour, Crockett's territorial acquisitions had seriously drained WCW's coffers. He was in a similar situation to that of the WWF in the early 1980s: a large debt load, and the success or failure of a federation hinging on the success or failure of a series of [[pay-per-view|PPVs]]. Crockett marketed [[StarrCade#1987: Chi-Town Heat|StarrCade '87]] as the NWA's answer to [[WrestleMania]], even though Starrcade had been running since 1983, two years previous to the first WrestleMania. However, the WWF promoted [[Survivor Series#1987|Survivor Series]] on the same day, and threatened to withhold [[WrestleMania IV]] from any PPV company that refused to show it. Later, in [[1988#January|January 1988]], WCW promoted the ''[[Bunkhouse Stampede]]'' PPV, and McMahon counter-programmed with the first [[Royal Rumble (1988)|Royal Rumble]] on [[USA Network|USA]]. Both WCW PPVs achieved low buyrates.

In 1985, Crockett had signed [[Dusty Rhodes]] and made him [[booker (professional wrestling)|booker]] for WCW. Rhodes had a reputation for creativity and authored many of the memorable feuds and storylines of this period and [[gimmick (professional wrestling)|gimmick]] matches like ''WarGames''. By 1988, after three years of trying to compete with Vince McMahon, and a long, drawn-out political struggle with champion [[Ric Flair]], Rhodes was burned out. He was unable to draw fan interest in his storylines, and the [[Dusty finish]] had reduced the [[house show]] market. By the end of 1988, Rhodes was booking cards seemingly at random, and planning at one point to have mid-card wrestler [[Rick Steiner]] defeat Ric Flair in a five-minute match at ''StarrCade'' for the NWA World Championship. At the end of 1988, Rhodes was fired by the promotion after an angle he booked where [[Road Warrior Animal]] pulled a spike out of his shoulderpad and jammed it in Rhodes's eye busting it wide open.

To preserve the inexpensive network programming provided by professional wrestling, Jim Crockett Promotions was purchased outright by Turner on [[November 21]] [[1988]]. Originally incorporated by TBS as the '''Universal Wrestling Corporation''', Turner promised the fans that WCW would be the athlete-oriented style of NWA.

1989 proved to be a turnaround year for WCW, with Ric Flair on top for most of the year both as World Champion and also as head booker. Flair had helped bring in [[Ricky Steamboat]] and [[Terry Funk]], and his PPV matches with both were successful, financially and critically. Young stars such as [[Sid Eudy|Sid Vicious]], [[Sting (wrestler)|Sting]], [[Scott Steiner]], [[Road Warriors|The Road Warriors]], [[Brian Pillman]], [[Keiji Mutoh|The Great Muta]] and [[Lex Luger]] were given big storylines and championship opportunities.

Despite this influx of talent, WCW soon began working to gradually incorporate much of the glamor and showy gimmicks for which the WWF was better known. Virtually none of these stunts, such as the live cross-promotional appearance of [[RoboCop]] at a PPV event in 1990, the '''Chamber of Horrors''' gimmick and the notorious '''[[The Black Scorpion|Black Scorpion]]''' storyline, succeeded. Behind the scenes, WCW was also becoming more autonomous and slowly started separating itself from the historic NWA name. In [[1991#January|January 1991]], WCW officially split from the NWA and began to recognize its own [[WCW World Heavyweight Championship]] and [[WCW World Tag Team Championship]].
{{details|Jim Herd}}
Both the WCW and the NWA recognized Ric Flair (who was by now no longer the head booker) as their '''World Heavyweight Champion''' throughout most of the first half of 1991, but WCW, particularly recently-installed company president [[Jim Herd]], turned against Flair for various reasons and fired him just prior to the [[1991#July|July 1991]] [[The Great American Bash|Great American Bash]] PPV after failed contract negotiations. Reports claim that Herd wanted Flair to job in squash matches designed to ruin his reputation, and also to cut his hair short and wear an earring. In the process, they officially stripped him of the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. However, according to Flair's autobiography, they refused to return the [[United States dollar|$]]25,000 deposit he had put down on the (physical) belt, so he kept it and took it with him when he was hired by the WWF at the request of Vince McMahon. Flair then incorporated the belt into his [[gimmick (professional wrestling)|gimmick]], dubbing himself "The Real World's Champion".

WCW later renegotiated the use of the NWA name as a co-promotional gimmick with [[New Japan Pro Wrestling]], and sued the WWF to stop showing Flair with the old NWA World title belt on its programs, claiming a trademark on the physical design of the belt. The belt was returned to WCW by Flair when Jim Herd was let go and he received his deposit back plus interest, and it was brought back as the revived [[NWA World Heavyweight Championship]].

During the period that WCW operated with its own World Champion while also recognizing the NWA's world title, Flair quit the WWF and returned to WCW, regaining the title from [[Barry Windham]] in [[1993#July|July 1993]]. Immediately, the other, now smaller, member organizations of the NWA began demanding that Flair defend the title under their rules in their territories, as mandated by old NWA agreements. The title was later scheduled to be dropped by Flair to [[Richard Rood|Rick Rude]], a title change which was exposed by the '''[[Disney Tapings]]''', the months-in-advance taping of WCW's [[Television syndication|syndicated television]] shows at [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]]-owned studios in [[Orlando, Florida]]. The NWA board of directors, working separately from WCW, objected to Rude, due to the Boad of Diectors not being consulted with regard to the title switch and WCW finally leaving the NWA for good again in [[1993#September|September 1993]].
{{see also|WCW_Disney_tapings#Logistical_Errors}}
However, WCW still legally owned and used the actual belt which represented the NWA World Heavyweight Championship (Rick Rude even defended it as '''The [[Big Gold Belt]]''') but they could no longer use the '''NWA''' name. The title thus became known as the WCW International World Heavyweight Title (meaning the World heavyweight championship as sanctioned by "WCW International," a fictional organization made up of promoters from around the world, essentially their in-house version of the real NWA).

WCW realized that the title belt, because of its rich in-ring history and visual impact, was highly sought after and respected in [[Japan]] and as such created this fictional subsidiary dubbed '''WCW International''' to inject some credibility back into the belt. WCW claimed that "WCWI" still recognized the belt as a legitimate World Championship. For a short while, there were essentially two World titles up for competition in the organization.

Sting eventually won the [[WCW International World Heavyweight Championship|WCW International Championship]] and lost the belt to then-WCW World Champion Ric Flair in a [[Championship unification|unification]] match in [[1994#May|May 1994]] when the experiment was jettisoned. To make things more confusing, the WCW title belt, as introduced in 1991, was dropped and the old NWA Championship belt was revived and officially replaced it as the [[WCW World Heavyweight Championship]]. It was used as such until WCW's closure in 2001. The belt (in a slightly altered design) is still seen today in WWE as the [[World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)|World Heavyweight Championship]] on their [[WWE Friday Night SmackDown!|SmackDown!]] brand (previously on [[WWE RAW|RAW]]). However, WWE considers it a seperate title and WWE.com officially lists the title history of the World Heavyweight Championship as beginning with [[Triple H]] being awarded the belt by Eric Bischoff on ''RAW'' on [[September 2]], [[2002 in television|2002]].

bring back wcw

===Monday Night Wars===
{{main|Monday Night Wars}}

Bischoff would be instrumental in launching the weekly show ''[[WCW Monday Nitro]]'' in [[1995#September|September 1995]]. Turner asked Bischoff how WCW could conceivably compete with McMahon's WWF. Bischoff, not expecting Turner to comply, said that the only way would be a primetime slot on a weekday night, possibly up against the WWF's flagship show, ''[[WWE RAW|Monday Night RAW]]''. Turner granted him a live hour on [[Turner Network Television|TNT]] every Monday night, which specifically overlapped with ''Raw''. This format quickly expanded to two live hours in [[1996#May|May 1996]], and then later three. Bischoff himself was initially the host, alongside [[Bobby Heenan]] and ex-[[National Football League|NFL]] star [[Steve McMichael|Steve "Mongo" McMichael]].

McMahon later admitted to being bitter about Turner's decision to air ''Nitro'' live on Monday nights, saying that Turner and Bischoff's only reason for doing this could be to hurt and damage the WWF. Turner and McMahon certainly had something of a personal history: in the early 1980s, when McMahon began buying up local organizations in order to create a nationwide wrestling system, one of the promotions he took over was Georgia Championship Wrestling; thus he was in the position of providing a Saturday night show for Turner's TBS station. When viewers tuned to TBS on [[July 14]], [[1984 in television|1984]] (a date known as '''[[Black Saturday (1984)|Black Saturday]]''' by some in the wrestling community) and saw WWF programming instead of the GCW wrestlers they were used to seeing, many called the station and demanded the NWA's return; two weeks later, GCW returned, albeit on Saturday mornings. Turner quickly grew tired of the personality-driven glitz of McMahon's product and was upset at the fact that McMahon had gone back on his earlier promise not to dump second-rate stars and matches onto TBS. Turner therefore axed McMahon's show and turned to Jim Crockett for the Saturday night pro wrestling slot. It is rumored that on the very same day that Turner later acquired Crockett's territories, he called McMahon to say ''"Vince, I'm in the rasslin' business!"'' McMahon claims he congratulated him and then told him "That's great Ted. I'm in the [[sports entertainment]] business."

In [[1995 in television|1995]], Turner (as sole head and owner of both TBS and TNT), could air ''Nitro'' whenever he wanted. The WWF on the other hand was constrained by having to deal with the [[USA Network]], whose executives were pleased about the viewers ''RAW'' brought to their network, but were also weary of the stigma associated with being the '''wrestling channel'''. ''WCW Monday Nitro'' made its debut in [[1995#September|September 1995]] live from the [[Mall of America]] in [[Bloomington, Minnesota]], and featured the surprise appearance of [[Lex Luger]], who had been working on a handshake deal with WWF after his most recent contract expired, on a week when ''RAW'' was pre-empted by the [[U.S. Open (tennis)|US Open]].

In the first head-to-head ratings the following week, ''Nitro'' managed to convincingly defeat ''RAW'', seeing WCW beat the WWF for the first time ever. For most of ''Nitro's'' first year, the ratings battle between the two promotions were close. In the end, ''Nitro'' ended up beating ''RAW'' in the ratings for 84 straight weeks between [[1996 in television|1996]] and [[1998 in television|1998]].

''RAW'' and the WWF in general was consided to be at a creative nadir from 1995 to 1997, thus helping WCW's meteoric rise. The WWF tried in vain to fight back in early 1996 with the "Billionaire Ted" sketches, which occasionally starred an unbilled [[Vince Russo]] and [[parody|parodied]] Turner, Hogan ("The Huckster"), [[Gene Okerlund]] ("Scheme Gene") and Savage ("Nacho Man") in particular. Only when stars such as ex-WCW wrestler [["Stone Cold" Steve Austin]] began to emerge, and when McMahon selected Russo, a [[New York City|New York]] DJ and WWF magazine writer, as his head booker, did the WWF begin to pick up steam.

Siphoning off the WWF's talent and airing ''Nitro'' on Monday night was not the end of WCW's tactics to defeat the competition (a stunt McMahon himself pulled when he steamrolled over territories to monopolize the WWF, although McMahon would be the one crying "foul" this time). In the early days, as ''RAW'' was only live once every three weeks at that point, and as hours of upcoming shows would be taped in one arena on one night, announcers on ''Nitro'' could (and would) often give away the results of that week's ''RAW'' to keep viewers tuned to ''Nitro''. Much later, with the WWF firmly back on top, this tactic memorably backfired on [[January 4]], [[1999 in television|1999]], when WCW announcer [[Tony Schiavone]] was instructed by Bischoff over his headset to announce that [[Mick Foley]] (wrestling as Mankind in the WWF), would win the [[WWE Championship|WWF Championship]] that night on the USA Network. Schiavone then sarcastically remarked, ''"that would put a lot of butts in the seats."'' [[Nielsen Ratings|Nielsen ratings]] for that night showed that almost immediately after Schiavone's comment, around 300,000 to 600,000 viewers switched from ''Nitro'' to ''RAW'' in a matter of seconds. This startling ratings switch was seen as a true testament to Foley's dedication to wrestling and the WWF's ever-growing popularity.

Beefy bollocks

===Vince McMahon strikes back===
{{see also|Monday_Night_Wars#1999-2000:_The_Tide_Turns}}
When [[Bret Hart]] left the WWF after the [[Montreal Screwjob]] at the 1997 [[Survivor Series]] it looked as WCW was going to push the WWF right off the map. WCW had seemingly the big stars people wanted to see like Hogan, Nash, Hall, Hart, Flair, Etc. as the popular opinion was that this was a deathblow for the WWF and a major score for WCW. The combination of a company screwing over a popular wrestler and angering many fans should have dealt a massive blow to the WWF and given WCW a great amount of hype to work from. Sadly for WCW, the opposite effect was achieved. After [[WrestleMania XIV]] in [[1998#March|March 1998]], the WWF regained the lead in the Monday Night Wars with its new [[World Wrestling Entertainment#WWF Attitude|WWF Attitude]] brand, led in particular by rising stars "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, [[The Rock (entertainer)|The Rock]], [[Paul Levesque|Triple H]] and [[Mick Foley|Mankind]]. The classic feud between McMahon (who was re-imagined and re-branded as the evil company chairman character Mr. McMahon) and Austin (who, ironically, had been released by Bischoff in the summer of 1995 for not being marketable) caught the imaginations of fans. The [[April 13]], [[1998 in television|1998]] episode of ''RAW'', headlined by a match between Austin and McMahon, marked the first time that WCW had lost the head-to-head Monday night [[Nielsen Ratings|ratings]] battle in the 84 weeks since [[1996 in television|1996]]. WWF didn't stop there. Their ratings increased dramatically in the next two years, more than ever before. WCW attempted to counter this by dividing the nWo into the Hogan-led heel nWo Hollywood faction and the Nash-led face nWo Wolfpac faction, but many felt that it was a poor rehash of the original WCW vs. nWo storyline. Undeterred, WCW also launched a new Thursday TV show, the aforementioned ''WCW Thunder'', around this time.

WCW's next big attempt at ratings supremacy was marketing ex-[[National Football League|NFL]] newcomer [[Bill Goldberg]] as an invincible monster with a record-breaking winning streak. Goldberg was indeed incredibly popular from the outset, with chants of 'Gold-berg, Gold-berg' heralding his approach to the ring, but business still quickly fell off for WCW, especially as the list of stars ready to be [[squash (professional wrestling)|destroyed]] by Goldberg grew shorter. One of WCW's last big genuine wins in the Monday night ratings war was on [[July 6]], [[1998 in television|1998]], when WCW gave the long-awaited World Title match in Atlanta between Hogan and Goldberg (which Goldberg won), away for free on ''Nitro''. By doing this, they indeed 'spiked' and inflated their TV ratings for a week, but lost millions of possible PPV dollars in the process, as Hogan vs. Goldberg was a clear PPV main event. On [[September 14]], [[1998 in television|1998]], WCW won the ratings war once again with a memorable moment that featured Ric Flair's return to WCW and the reformation of the legendary [[Four Horsemen (professional wrestling)|Four Horsemen]]. On [[October 25]], [[1998 in television|1998]], WCW's [[Halloween Havoc#1998|Halloween Havoc]] PPV ended up running longer than the time allowed due to the last-minute addition of a [[WCW World Tag Team Championship|Tag Team Title]] match. As a result, several thousand people lost the PPV feed at 11pm which was during the World Title match between [[Dallas Page|Diamond Dallas Page]] and Goldberg. The following night, WCW decided to correct the problem by airing the entire match for free on ''Nitro'' and thus winning the ratings war for the final time.

WCW slowly slid into a period of extravagant overspending and what was viewed almost universally as creative decline with the reason why it happened and who let it happen still a matter of debate. One possible reason was the overuse of celebrities (such as [[Dennis Rodman]] and [[Jay Leno]]) to wrestle PPV matches. Another was that the WCW's credibility was badly damaged by embarrassing product placement, like [[Rick Steiner]] trading barbs with [[Chucky]] the killer doll (which was roundly booed by the in-house audience on the live Nitro broadcast) in the hopes of generating interest in the [[1998 in film|1998]] film ''[[Bride of Chucky]]''. Another reason vould be the stale, pointless, and at times self-serving storylines concocted by inexperienced bookers such as [[Kevin Nash]], and that the top-level stars had no motivation to excel in the ring due to their long-term guaranteed-money contracts, and only gave their utmost when it suited them to do so. What is known is that WCW programming slowly started to go downhill in quality with people turning off their TVs or switching to WWF programming, and in reaction the company began to panic and tried to solve its problems by throwing money at a variety of personalities, a practice it could ill-afford to engage in. Many talents were reportedly signed simply to keep them from appearing on WWF television. At one point, WCW held over 260 individual performers under guaranteed contracts, and often paid many of them to simply stay at home and collect a paycheck.

As mentioned above, people were growing suspicious of Nash's questionable storylines, which were dominated by his on-screen persona. After booking himself to win the [[WCW World War 3#1998|World War 3]] battle royal in [[1998#November|November 1998]], he went on to end Goldberg's winning streak and win the World Title on the [[1998#Starrcade|StarrCade]] PPV just one month later. Then came the infamous "[[Fingerpoke of Doom|fingerpoke of doom]]" match with Hulk Hogan in [[1999#January|January 1999]]. The particular Nitro in which this match aired was being advertised as a StarrCade rematch between Nash and Goldberg. As a result, the arena was a complete sellout, with over 40,000 people watching live and millions more around the world hoping for the rematch. Instead, a storyline that put Goldberg in a bad light called for him to be replaced by Hollywood Hogan. The World Heavyweight Championship changed hands when Hogan knocked Nash to the mat by prodding him in the chest with one finger and then pinning him, further damaging the credibility and perceived value of the title. Also damaged was the credibility of the company itself, which did not present the match that had been advertised, as well as what was perceived to be an underhanded way of selling out the arena for that night's telecast. It was also this same episode of ''Nitro'' that Tony Schiavone mockingly announced the Mick Foley WWF Title win, which shifted the ratings for the night in the World Wrestling Federation's favor.
{{details|Fingerpoke_of_Doom#The_Impact}}
Also in 1998, [[Warrior (wrestler)|The Ultimate Warrior]], a former WWF star, was recruited by Eric Bischoff to feud with Hogan (Warrior's [[WrestleMania VI]] opponent). Their [[1998#October|October 1998]] encounter at [[Halloween Havoc#1998|Halloween Havoc]] was mostly seen as sub-par, and Warrior vanished soon after. The Ultimate Warrior also insisted on a number of elaborate and costly apparatuses such as a trapdoor in the ring, which badly injured [[Davey Boy Smith|The British Bulldog]] when he landed on it.
{{details|Warrior_%28wrestler%29#World_Championship_Wrestling}}
In addition, no matter who was in charge, WCW did not like promoting its younger stars to the company's top slots. Despite having many talented younger wrestlers such as [[Chris Jericho]], [[Chris Benoit]], [[Peter Gruner|Billy Kidman]], [[Chavo Guerrero, Jr.]], [[Eddie Guerrero]], [[Perry Satullo|Perry Saturn]], [[Scott Levy|Raven]], [[Oscar Gutierrez|Rey Mysterio, Jr.]], and [[Booker Huffman|Booker T]] on its roster, they were kept away from the main event scene. What was seen as WCW's poor talent decisions combined with the massive popularity of the new, hip and edgy WWF Attitude Era, likely began WCW's rapid demise.

Bischoff was eventually removed from power by the Turner higher-ups on [[September 10]] [[1999]], the last straws perhaps being what was felt as a bizarre and mystifying [[push (professional wrestling)|push]] for the 1970s [[rock band|rock group]] [[KISS (band)|KISS]] through WCW shows, a storyline involving [[rapping|rapper]] [[Master P]] and The No Limit Soldiers that saw Master P last only two weeks (the "No Limit Soldiers" stable flopped so badly that the [[West Texas Rednecks]] heel stable that they were feuding with was cheered by the WCW's traditional southern fanbase); an announced million-dollar contest that was later cancelled; a planned ''Nitro'' [[animated series]] that was scrapped, as well; and Bischoff's long-standing desire to put on a huge, outdoor rock 'n' wrestling concert featuring KISS on [[December 31]] [[1999]].

{{see also|Eric_Bischoff#Downfall}}

===The Death of WCW===
{{see also|Vince_Russo#WCW}}
Bischoff was unexpectedly replaced by former WWF head writer [[Vince Russo]] and his colleague [[Ed Ferrera]]. Russo and Ferrera had been the head writers for the WWF at the beginning of the Attitude Era, subordinate only to Vince McMahon himself. WCW offered them lucrative contracts to jump ship in [[1999#October|October 1999]] in an effort to revitalize their own flagging product and weaken the product of the WWF. Russo and Ferrera tried to push the younger WCW talents straight away, and [[bury (professional wrestling)|phase out]] aging stars such as Hogan and Flair. However, Russo was thought by many to be incapable of recreating the intriguing and cutting-edge TV he had produced while working for McMahon.

Russo and Ferrera struggled to gain approval for their near-the-knuckle ideas from the WCW management, such as "[[Piñata]] on a Pole" matches between [[Mexico|Mexican]] wrestlers. In late 1999, Russo and Ferrera revived the nWo storyline, this time with [[Jeff Jarrett]] and [[Bret Hart]] at the helm. They next targeted WWF announcer Jim Ross with a parody character called "Oklahoma", who was played onscreen by Ferrera (Ross had been suffering from [[Bell's palsy]], and the character lampooned his resultant facial defects). Bad luck struck in [[1999#December|December 1999]] when Hart suffered a genuine (and ultimately career-ending) [[concussion]] at the hands of Goldberg, who severely damaged his own hand less than a week later while punching through a [[limousine]] window in [[Salisbury, Maryland]] as part of a storyline that was written by Russo. Russo himself became an onscreen character during this period, though one whose face was never shown on camera, in a manner similar to [[Doctor Claw]] from ''[[Inspector Gadget]]'' and the [[George Steinbrenner]] character from ''[[Seinfeld]]''. Only his hand and the back of his chair were ever actually seen, as he called wrestlers into his office to receive their marching orders for the night.
{{see also|Bret_Hart#World_Championship_Wrestling}}
Both Russo and Ferrera were suspended just three months later amid rumors that they wanted to make former [[Ultimate Fighting Championship|UFC]] fighter [[David L. Abbott|Tank Abbott]] the WCW Champion (Abbott, despite his legitimate fighting background, had little wrestling experience and had failed to connect with WCW audiences). [[Kevin Sullivan (wrestler)|Kevin Sullivan]], who had been an on/off booker over the course of several years, was placed in charge in the interim. The new writing team attempted to appease the demoralized wrestlers and fans by making Chris Benoit the WCW Champion at the [[Souled Out#2000|Souled Out]] PPV in January 2000. However, because of the real-life personal issues between himself and Sullivan, let alone that prior to the PPV he and a few other wrestlers demanded their releases from the company (due to their lack of being pushed to stardom as well as their similar hatred for Sullivan), Benoit handed the belt back right after winning it and the next day left WCW. He signed with the WWF along with his similarly frustrated friends [[Perry Satullo|Perry Saturn]], [[Eddie Guerrero]] and [[Dean Malenko]]. The four quickly became popular in the WWF as "[[The Radicalz]]".

On [[February 11]] [[2000]], [[African American|black]] wrestlers [[Bobby Walker]] and [[Harrison Norris]] and [[Japanese people|Japanese]] [[manager (professional wrestling)|manager]] [[Kazuo Onoo|Sonny Onoo]] launched [[racism|racial discrimination]] [[lawsuit]]s against WCW, claiming that they had not been pushed as a result of their ethnicities, had not been paid as well as other wrestlers and personalities, and had been given offensive gimmicks. Some speculated that the charges of racism brought against WCW (and the resultant bad publicity for the company, which had been dogged by accusations of racism for years), were partially responsible for black wrestler [[Booker Huffman|Booker T]] winning the WCW Championship later that year and his brother [[Lane Huffman|Stevie Ray]] being made a [[color commentator]], with Ray himself acknowledging that it might have been a factor.

In April 2000, with ratings hitting new lows, both Russo and Bischoff were reinstated by WCW. They formed an on-screen union that stood up for the younger talent in the company (which they dubbed the [[New Blood]]) in their battle against the [[Millionaires Club]], which consisted of the older, higher-paid, and more visible stars such as Hogan, Sting, and Diamond Dallas Page. Though initially well-received, the storyline quickly degenerated into yet another nWo rehash, with the heel nWo recast as the New Blood and the face WCW embodied in the Millionaire's Club. As well, the unorthodox and often controversial storylines continued. These included making [[actor]] [[David Arquette]] the WCW Champion in order to promote a WCW-themed [[film|movie]], ''[[Ready to Rumble]]''; Russo himself winning the WCW Championship in September 2000 (Russo, like Arquette, was not a trained wrestler); a [[botch (professional wrestling)|botched]] June heel turn for Goldberg that greatly diminished his drawing power; and a [[shoot (professional wrestling)|shoot speech]] by Russo at [[Bash at the Beach#2000|Bash at the Beach 2000]] aimed at Hulk Hogan which led to Hogan resigning and filing a [[slander and libel|defamation of character]] lawsuit against the company (which was eventually dismissed in 2002). Bischoff vanished once more in July 2000, and Russo was gone from WCW completely by late 2000, leaving [[Terry Taylor]] holding the reins.
{{details|Hulk_Hogan#The_end_of_Hogan_in_WCW}}
Meanwhile, when [[Time Warner]] bought out Turner's cable empire in 1996, it also purchased WCW. Even though Turner was a big fan and faithful to the professional wrestling shows on his stations (a professional wrestling program had helped get Turner's very first TV station, [[WTBS]], off the ground, and WCW was, in fact, the modern incarnation of the promotion that Turner had run on WTBS back in those days) regardless of whether it was losing him money, Time Warner did not share his loyalty, especially when accounts showed that WCW was losing between [[United States dollar|$]]12-$17 million a year because of its decline. However, Turner was still the single largest Time Warner shareholder, and WCW was supported at his behest. When [[America Online|AOL]] merged with Time Warner in 2000, Turner was effectively forced out of his own empire. The new [[Time Warner#AOL Merger|AOL Time Warner]] finally had the power to auction off WCW, which they saw as an unnecessary drain on resources.

In late 2000, Bischoff and a group of private investors, calling themselves [[Fusient Media Ventures]], inquired about buying WCW but backed out when Turner networks head (and [[WB Television Network|The WB]] founder) [[Jamie Kellner]] formally cancelled all WCW programming from its TV networks. With no network to air its programming, WCW was of little value to Fusient, whose offer was dependent on the Turner networks continuing to air WCW programming.

On [[March 23]] [[2001]], virtually all of WCW's trademarks and archived footage, was sold to Vince McMahon and World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. for a paltry [[United States dollar|$]]7 million (although the [[book]] ''The Death of WCW'' said it was less than $3 million).

A gloating McMahon opened the last-ever episode of ''WCW Monday Nitro'' simulcast with ''RAW'' on [[March 26]], [[2001 in television|2001]] with a self-praising speech. Sting vs. Ric Flair (won by Sting) was the highlight nostalgia match of the final broadcast, ending affectionately with a respectful embrace. The broadcast ended with the US Champion, Booker T, cleanly defeating the world champion, Scott Steiner, to become WCW's final World Heavyweight Champion, as well as its final US Heavyweight Champion.
[[Image:Wcwalliancelogo.gif|right|thumb|200px|The WCW logo used in the WWF during the 2001 Invasion storyline.]]
When Vince came on ''RAW'' after the Sting/Flair match to declare victory over WCW, Vince's son [[Shane McMahon]] appeared at the ''Nitro'' event, declaring that ''he'' had bought WCW. However, this was [[kayfabe]] and part of a WWF storyline that would have Shane leading the [[The Invasion|WCW Invasion of the WWF]] (a highly anticipated storyline which many considered a squandered opportunity), which lasted from March to November 2001 and marked the end of WCW. Despite aborted attempts to run WCW-branded events, the WWF only ran a handful of matches on ''RAW'' and ''SmackDown!'' under the WCW banner.

When the WWF bought WCW in March 2001, several top WCW wrestlers, including Goldberg, Scott Steiner, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Sting had high-priced contracts with AOL Time Warner that WWF was unwilling to pick up. Rather than trying to get a buyout of their contracts and taking a pay cut to go to WWF, they chose to sit home and got paid for the remainders of their WCW contracts. This is most often cited as being the main reason the planned WCW Invasion of WWF storyline failed. The WCW was not seen as a powerhouse organization invading WWF when most of their top stars did not appear. However, all of the above wrestlers except Sting signed contracts with the WWE after the Invasion subsided.

The WCW World Heavyweight Championship (which was renamed the World Championship) would continue to be used in WWF until it was merged with the WWF Championship into the [[WWE Undisputed Championship|WWF Undisputed Championship]] when Chris Jericho defeated The Rock and Steve Austin for the respective titles on [[December 9]], [[2001]] on the PPV, [[WWE Vengeance#2001|Vengeance]].

Although new professional wrestling alternatives such as [[Total Nonstop Action Wrestling]] and [[Ring of Honor]] have seen rising popularity in recent years, none have achieved the mainstream popularity or financial support that WCW enjoyed and thus are not yet considered competitive with WWE.

==Final champions==
This is a list of the champions as they were at the end of the last ''WCW Monday Nitro'' on [[March 26]], [[2001 in television|2001]] (though all these titles, with the exception of the Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship, continued to be active in WWF until November of that year).
{| class="wikitable"
!Championship
!Final champion(s)
|-
|[[WCW World Heavyweight Championship|WCW World Heavyweight Champion]]
|[[Booker Huffman|Booker T]]
|-
|[[WWE United States Championship|WCW United States Champion]]
|[[Booker Huffman|Booker T]]
|-
|[[WCW World Tag Team Championship|WCW World Tag Team Champions]]
|[[Chuck Palumbo]] and [[Sean O'Haire]]
|-
|[[WWE Cruiserweight Championship|WCW Cruiserweight Champion]]
|[[Gregory Helms|Shane Helms]]
|-
|[[WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship|WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Champions]]
|[[Peter Gruner|Billy Kidman]] and [[Oscar Gutierrez|Rey Mysterio]]
|-
|}

Here's a list of the final WCW Champions under the WWF banner.

{| class="wikitable"
!Championship
!Final champion(s)
|-
|[[WCW World Heavyweight Championship|WCW World Heavyweight Champion]]1
|[[Chris Jericho]]
|-
|[[WCW World Tag Team Championship|WCW World Tag Team Champions]]3
|[[Dudley Boyz|The Dudley Boyz]]
|-
|}

'''Footnotes'''
*1Renamed the '''World Championship''' after ''[[Survivor Series#2001|Survivor Series 2001]]''; unified with the [[WWE Championship|WWF Championship]] at ''[[WWE Vengeance#2001|Vengeance 2001]]''. The belt design was later reintroduced as the WWE sanctioned [[World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)|World Heavyweight Championship]] as a [[WWE RAW|RAW]] exclusive title in September 2002 (now exclusive to SmackDown!).
*2Unified with the [[WWE Intercontinental Championship|WWE Intercontinental Championship]] at ''Survivor Series 2001''; reactivated as a WWE sanctioned title on [[WWE Friday Night SmackDown!|''SmackDown!'']] in 2003 by then-General Manager [[Stephanie McMahon-Levesque|Stephanie McMahon]].
*3Unified with the [[WWE World Tag Team Championship|WWE World Tag Team Championship]] at ''Survivor Series 2001''.
*4Title adopted by the WWF after ''Survivor Series 2001''; renamed the WWF / WWE Cruiserweight Championship.

==WCW titles==
*[[WCW World Heavyweight Championship]]
*[[WWE United States Championship|WCW United States Heavyweight Championship]]
*[[WWE Cruiserweight Championship|WCW Cruiserweight Championship]]
*[[WCW World Tag Team Championship]]
*[[WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship]]
*[[WCW Television Championship|WCW World Television Championship]]
*[[WCW Hardcore Championship]]
*[[WCW United States Tag Team Championship]]
*[[WCW World Six-Man Tag Team Championship]]
*[[WCW International World Heavyweight Championship]]
*[[WCW Light Heavyweight Championship]]
*[[WCW Women's Championship]]
*[[WCW Women's Cruiserweight Championship]]

==WCW special tournaments==
*[[WCW Jesse "The Body" Ventura Strongest Arm Tournament]] (1992-1993)
*[[WCW King of Cable Tournament]] (1992)
*[[WCW/NWA Gauntlet Series]] (1990)
*[[WCW Battle Bowl]]
*[[WCW Lethal Lottery]]

==Books/DVD==
*''[[The Death of WCW]]'' by R.D. Reynolds and Bryan Alvarez, 2004, ISBN 1-55022-661-4.
*''[[The Monday Night War: WWE Raw vs. WCW Monday Nitro]]'' World Wrestling Entertainment, 2004, ASIN B0001CCXCA.

==See also==
*[[World Championship Wrestling alumni]]
*[[Wcw_women|WCW Women]]
*[[List of professional wrestlers]]
*[[List of professional wrestling stables]]
*[[List of WCW pay-per-view events]]
*[[List of WCW programming|List of WCW television programming]]
*[[Jim Crockett Promotions]]
*[[The Alliance]]
*[[Monday Night Wars]]
*[[Nitro Girls]]
*[[WCW Monday Nitro]]
*[[WCW Thunder]]
*[[WCW Power Plant]]

== External links ==
*[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/ WCW Title Histories]
*[http://www.ddtdigest.com/ DDT Digest - "The Unofficial Resting Place Of WCW"]

[[Category:1986 establishments]]
[[Category:2001 disestablishments]]
[[Category:Defunct companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Sports in Atlanta]]
[[Category:Time Warner subsidiaries]]
[[Category:World Championship Wrestling]]

[[da:World Championship Wrestling]]
[[de:World Championship Wrestling]]
[[es:World Championship Wrestling]]
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World Championship Wrestling

2006-09-02T02:45:47Z

71.201.198.12: /* In the beginning: The NWA years */

:'' For the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] video game, see [[WCW Wrestling]]. For the Australian promotion, see '''[[WCW Australia]]'''''. For the poet, see [[William Carlos Williams]].

{{Pwcompanybox |
name = World Championship Wrestling |
image =Wcwlogo.jpg |
acronym = WCW |
established = 1986 |
style = [[List of professional wrestling styles#American Wrestling|American Wrestling]] |
location = [[Atlanta, Georgia]] |
founder = [[Ted Turner]] |
owner = [[Turner Broadcasting System|Turner Broadcasting System (TBS)/Turner]] (1988-96) [[Time Warner]] (1996-2001) [[Vince McMahon]] (2001-present) |
parent = [[Turner Broadcasting System|Turner Broadcasting System (TBS)/Turner]] (1988-96) [[Time Warner]] (1996-2001) [[World Wrestling Entertainment|World Wrestling Entertainment]] (2001-Present) |
sister = |
formerly = NWA Eastern States Championship Wrestling NWA Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling [[Georgia Championship Wrestling]] [[Jim Crockett Promotions]] NWA World Championship Wrestling Universal Wrestling Corporation |
merged = [[World Wrestling Entertainment]] |
}}

'''World Championship Wrestling''' or '''WCW''', was a [[professional wrestling promotion]] based in [[Atlanta, Georgia]] that existed from 1986 to 2001. In March 2001, the company's assets, including trademarks, some wrestler contracts, and extensive [[WWE Tape Library|video library]] were purchased by the [[World Wrestling Entertainment|World Wrestling Federation]], who continued to use the name as part of a [[The Alliance|storyline]] until November 2001, when the promotion officially ceased.

==History==
===In the beginning: The NWA years===
Although World Championship Wrestling was a brand name used by promoter [[Jim Barnett]] for his Australian promotion, the first promotion in the [[United States]] to use the World Championship Wrestling brand name (though it was never referred to as "WCW") on a wide scale was Georgia Championship Wrestling (although Vincent James McMahon's Capitol Wrestling Corpotation did in fact use the name in some house show promotion).

This promotion, owned primarily by [[Jack Brisco]] and [[Gerald Brisco]] and [[booking (professional wrestling)|booked]] by [[Ole Anderson]], was the first NWA territory to gain [[cable television|cable TV]] access. In 1983, Georgia Championship Wrestling changed the name of its television show (and thus its public face) to World Championship Wrestling since it was already starting to run shows in "neutral" territories such as [[Ohio]] and [[Michigan]]. Although many in the business felt that Anderson was mismanaging the company, Georgia Championship Wrestling had managed to compete against the other major territory trying to go national ([[Vince McMahon]]'s WWF).
{{main|Black Saturday (1984)}}
In [[1984#May|May 1984]], the Brisco brothers sold their shares in Georgia Championship Wrestling, including their timeslot on the [[TBS (TV network)|TBS]] cable TV [[television network|network]] to Vince McMahon. The WWF show did not fare well in [[Nielsen Ratings|ratings]]. World Championship Wrestling's core audience was not interested in the WWF's cartoony approach, preferring a more athletic style. Despite originally promising to produce original programming for the TBS timeslot in Atlanta, McMahon chose instead to provide only a [[clip show]] for TBS, featuring highlights from other WWF programming. In [[1985#May|May 1985]], McMahon sold the TBS timeslot to Jim Crockett Promotions, owned by [[Jim Crockett, Jr.]], under pressure from [[Ted Turner]], who resurrected the World Championship Wrestling name (Turner Broadcasting had copyrighted it and prevented McMahon from using it).

By 1986, Jim Crockett, Jr. controlled key portions of the NWA under the name [[Jim Crockett Promotions]], including the traditional NWA territories in [[The Carolinas]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], and [[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]]. Crockett merged his various NWA territories into one group, and promoted it under the name '''NWA World Championship Wrestling'''. A feud between Crockett and Vince McMahon's WWF sprang up, and both companies attempted to outmaneuver the other to acquire key [[television|TV]] slots.

In the same year, WCW also purchased [[Heart of America Sports Attractions Inc]] (HASA), which owned the rights to promote wrestling shows through several central states ([[Kansas]], [[Missouri]], and [[Iowa]]). HASA was known to fans as NWA Central States, and ran a [[television program|TV show]] called ''All Star Wrestling''.

In 1987, WCW would purchase [[Championship Wrestling from Florida]], and [[Mid-South Sports (United States)|Universal Wrestling Federation]] (which covered [[Oklahoma]], [[Mississippi]], [[Arkansas]], [[Texas]] and [[Louisiana]]), which was not an NWA member. Florida & Mid-South (and its wrestlers) were absorbed into WCW.

Crockett had almost accomplished his goal of creating a national promotion. Between his purchasing several NWA territories, [[World Class Championship Wrestling]] in Texas leaving the NWA in 1986 (and later merging with [[Jerry Jarrett]]'s [[Championship Wrestling Alliance]] in [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]] to create the [[United States Wrestling Association]]) brand, and the once highly viable [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]] territory going bankrupt (it closed in 1992), he was the last bastion of the NWA, and the last member with national TV exposure. Since it was all they now saw, many people began to believe that World Championship Wrestling ''was'' the NWA. Although WCW and the NWA were still two separate entities, with Crockett as NWA President, they were very much on the same page. The NWA was effectively an on-paper organization funded by Crockett, and allowed Crockett to use the NWA brand name for promoting.

With the large amount of capital needed to take a wrestling federation on a national tour, Crockett's territorial acquisitions had seriously drained WCW's coffers. He was in a similar situation to that of the WWF in the early 1980s: a large debt load, and the success or failure of a federation hinging on the success or failure of a series of [[pay-per-view|PPVs]]. Crockett marketed [[StarrCade#1987: Chi-Town Heat|StarrCade '87]] as the NWA's answer to [[WrestleMania]], even though Starrcade had been running since 1983, two years previous to the first WrestleMania. However, the WWF promoted [[Survivor Series#1987|Survivor Series]] on the same day, and threatened to withhold [[WrestleMania IV]] from any PPV company that refused to show it. Later, in [[1988#January|January 1988]], WCW promoted the ''[[Bunkhouse Stampede]]'' PPV, and McMahon counter-programmed with the first [[Royal Rumble (1988)|Royal Rumble]] on [[USA Network|USA]]. Both WCW PPVs achieved low buyrates.

In 1985, Crockett had signed [[Dusty Rhodes]] and made him [[booker (professional wrestling)|booker]] for WCW. Rhodes had a reputation for creativity and authored many of the memorable feuds and storylines of this period and [[gimmick (professional wrestling)|gimmick]] matches like ''WarGames''. By 1988, after three years of trying to compete with Vince McMahon, and a long, drawn-out political struggle with champion [[Ric Flair]], Rhodes was burned out. He was unable to draw fan interest in his storylines, and the [[Dusty finish]] had reduced the [[house show]] market. By the end of 1988, Rhodes was booking cards seemingly at random, and planning at one point to have mid-card wrestler [[Rick Steiner]] defeat Ric Flair in a five-minute match at ''StarrCade'' for the NWA World Championship. At the end of 1988, Rhodes was fired by the promotion after an angle he booked where [[Road Warrior Animal]] pulled a spike out of his shoulderpad and jammed it in Rhodes's eye busting it wide open.

To preserve the inexpensive network programming provided by professional wrestling, Jim Crockett Promotions was purchased outright by Turner on [[November 21]] [[1988]]. Originally incorporated by TBS as the '''Universal Wrestling Corporation''', Turner promised the fans that WCW would be the athlete-oriented style of NWA.

1989 proved to be a turnaround year for WCW, with Ric Flair on top for most of the year both as World Champion and also as head booker. Flair had helped bring in [[Ricky Steamboat]] and [[Terry Funk]], and his PPV matches with both were successful, financially and critically. Young stars such as [[Sid Eudy|Sid Vicious]], [[Sting (wrestler)|Sting]], [[Scott Steiner]], [[Road Warriors|The Road Warriors]], [[Brian Pillman]], [[Keiji Mutoh|The Great Muta]] and [[Lex Luger]] were given big storylines and championship opportunities.

Despite this influx of talent, WCW soon began working to gradually incorporate much of the glamor and showy gimmicks for which the WWF was better known. Virtually none of these stunts, such as the live cross-promotional appearance of [[RoboCop]] at a PPV event in 1990, the '''Chamber of Horrors''' gimmick and the notorious '''[[The Black Scorpion|Black Scorpion]]''' storyline, succeeded. Behind the scenes, WCW was also becoming more autonomous and slowly started separating itself from the historic NWA name. In [[1991#January|January 1991]], WCW officially split from the NWA and began to recognize its own [[WCW World Heavyweight Championship]] and [[WCW World Tag Team Championship]].
{{details|Jim Herd}}
Both the WCW and the NWA recognized Ric Flair (who was by now no longer the head booker) as their '''World Heavyweight Champion''' throughout most of the first half of 1991, but WCW, particularly recently-installed company president [[Jim Herd]], turned against Flair for various reasons and fired him just prior to the [[1991#July|July 1991]] [[The Great American Bash|Great American Bash]] PPV after failed contract negotiations. Reports claim that Herd wanted Flair to job in squash matches designed to ruin his reputation, and also to cut his hair short and wear an earring. In the process, they officially stripped him of the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. However, according to Flair's autobiography, they refused to return the [[United States dollar|$]]25,000 deposit he had put down on the (physical) belt, so he kept it and took it with him when he was hired by the WWF at the request of Vince McMahon. Flair then incorporated the belt into his [[gimmick (professional wrestling)|gimmick]], dubbing himself "The Real World's Champion".

WCW later renegotiated the use of the NWA name as a co-promotional gimmick with [[New Japan Pro Wrestling]], and sued the WWF to stop showing Flair with the old NWA World title belt on its programs, claiming a trademark on the physical design of the belt. The belt was returned to WCW by Flair when Jim Herd was let go and he received his deposit back plus interest, and it was brought back as the revived [[NWA World Heavyweight Championship]].

During the period that WCW operated with its own World Champion while also recognizing the NWA's world title, Flair quit the WWF and returned to WCW, regaining the title from [[Barry Windham]] in [[1993#July|July 1993]]. Immediately, the other, now smaller, member organizations of the NWA began demanding that Flair defend the title under their rules in their territories, as mandated by old NWA agreements. The title was later scheduled to be dropped by Flair to [[Richard Rood|Rick Rude]], a title change which was exposed by the '''[[Disney Tapings]]''', the months-in-advance taping of WCW's [[Television syndication|syndicated television]] shows at [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]]-owned studios in [[Orlando, Florida]]. The NWA board of directors, working separately from WCW, objected to Rude, with WCW finally leaving the NWA for good again in [[1993#September|September 1993]].
{{see also|WCW_Disney_tapings#Logistical_Errors}}
However, WCW still legally owned and used the actual belt which represented the NWA World Heavyweight Championship (Rick Rude even defended it as '''The [[Big Gold Belt]]''') but they could no longer use the '''NWA''' name. The title thus became known as the WCW International World Heavyweight Title (meaning the World heavyweight championship as sanctioned by "WCW International," a fictional organization made up of promoters from around the world, essentially their in-house version of the real NWA).

WCW realized that the title belt, because of its rich in-ring history and visual impact, was highly sought after and respected in [[Japan]] and as such created this fictional subsidiary dubbed '''WCW International''' to inject some credibility back into the belt. WCW claimed that "WCWI" still recognized the belt as a legitimate World Championship. For a short while, there were essentially two World titles up for competition in the organization.

Sting eventually won the [[WCW International World Heavyweight Championship|WCW International Championship]] and lost the belt to then-WCW World Champion Ric Flair in a [[Championship unification|unification]] match in [[1994#May|May 1994]] when the experiment was jettisoned. To make things more confusing, the WCW title belt, as introduced in 1991, was dropped and the old NWA Championship belt was revived and officially replaced it as the [[WCW World Heavyweight Championship]]. It was used as such until WCW's closure in 2001. The belt (in a slightly altered design) is still seen today in WWE as the [[World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)|World Heavyweight Championship]] on their [[WWE Friday Night SmackDown!|SmackDown!]] brand (previously on [[WWE RAW|RAW]]). However, WWE considers it a seperate title and WWE.com officially lists the title history of the World Heavyweight Championship as beginning with [[Triple H]] being awarded the belt by Eric Bischoff on ''RAW'' on [[September 2]], [[2002 in television|2002]].

bring back wcw

===Monday Night Wars===
{{main|Monday Night Wars}}

Bischoff would be instrumental in launching the weekly show ''[[WCW Monday Nitro]]'' in [[1995#September|September 1995]]. Turner asked Bischoff how WCW could conceivably compete with McMahon's WWF. Bischoff, not expecting Turner to comply, said that the only way would be a primetime slot on a weekday night, possibly up against the WWF's flagship show, ''[[WWE RAW|Monday Night RAW]]''. Turner granted him a live hour on [[Turner Network Television|TNT]] every Monday night, which specifically overlapped with ''Raw''. This format quickly expanded to two live hours in [[1996#May|May 1996]], and then later three. Bischoff himself was initially the host, alongside [[Bobby Heenan]] and ex-[[National Football League|NFL]] star [[Steve McMichael|Steve "Mongo" McMichael]].

McMahon later admitted to being bitter about Turner's decision to air ''Nitro'' live on Monday nights, saying that Turner and Bischoff's only reason for doing this could be to hurt and damage the WWF. Turner and McMahon certainly had something of a personal history: in the early 1980s, when McMahon began buying up local organizations in order to create a nationwide wrestling system, one of the promotions he took over was Georgia Championship Wrestling; thus he was in the position of providing a Saturday night show for Turner's TBS station. When viewers tuned to TBS on [[July 14]], [[1984 in television|1984]] (a date known as '''[[Black Saturday (1984)|Black Saturday]]''' by some in the wrestling community) and saw WWF programming instead of the GCW wrestlers they were used to seeing, many called the station and demanded the NWA's return; two weeks later, GCW returned, albeit on Saturday mornings. Turner quickly grew tired of the personality-driven glitz of McMahon's product and was upset at the fact that McMahon had gone back on his earlier promise not to dump second-rate stars and matches onto TBS. Turner therefore axed McMahon's show and turned to Jim Crockett for the Saturday night pro wrestling slot. It is rumored that on the very same day that Turner later acquired Crockett's territories, he called McMahon to say ''"Vince, I'm in the rasslin' business!"'' McMahon claims he congratulated him and then told him "That's great Ted. I'm in the [[sports entertainment]] business."

In [[1995 in television|1995]], Turner (as sole head and owner of both TBS and TNT), could air ''Nitro'' whenever he wanted. The WWF on the other hand was constrained by having to deal with the [[USA Network]], whose executives were pleased about the viewers ''RAW'' brought to their network, but were also weary of the stigma associated with being the '''wrestling channel'''. ''WCW Monday Nitro'' made its debut in [[1995#September|September 1995]] live from the [[Mall of America]] in [[Bloomington, Minnesota]], and featured the surprise appearance of [[Lex Luger]], who had been working on a handshake deal with WWF after his most recent contract expired, on a week when ''RAW'' was pre-empted by the [[U.S. Open (tennis)|US Open]].

In the first head-to-head ratings the following week, ''Nitro'' managed to convincingly defeat ''RAW'', seeing WCW beat the WWF for the first time ever. For most of ''Nitro's'' first year, the ratings battle between the two promotions were close. In the end, ''Nitro'' ended up beating ''RAW'' in the ratings for 84 straight weeks between [[1996 in television|1996]] and [[1998 in television|1998]].

''RAW'' and the WWF in general was consided to be at a creative nadir from 1995 to 1997, thus helping WCW's meteoric rise. The WWF tried in vain to fight back in early 1996 with the "Billionaire Ted" sketches, which occasionally starred an unbilled [[Vince Russo]] and [[parody|parodied]] Turner, Hogan ("The Huckster"), [[Gene Okerlund]] ("Scheme Gene") and Savage ("Nacho Man") in particular. Only when stars such as ex-WCW wrestler [["Stone Cold" Steve Austin]] began to emerge, and when McMahon selected Russo, a [[New York City|New York]] DJ and WWF magazine writer, as his head booker, did the WWF begin to pick up steam.

Siphoning off the WWF's talent and airing ''Nitro'' on Monday night was not the end of WCW's tactics to defeat the competition (a stunt McMahon himself pulled when he steamrolled over territories to monopolize the WWF, although McMahon would be the one crying "foul" this time). In the early days, as ''RAW'' was only live once every three weeks at that point, and as hours of upcoming shows would be taped in one arena on one night, announcers on ''Nitro'' could (and would) often give away the results of that week's ''RAW'' to keep viewers tuned to ''Nitro''. Much later, with the WWF firmly back on top, this tactic memorably backfired on [[January 4]], [[1999 in television|1999]], when WCW announcer [[Tony Schiavone]] was instructed by Bischoff over his headset to announce that [[Mick Foley]] (wrestling as Mankind in the WWF), would win the [[WWE Championship|WWF Championship]] that night on the USA Network. Schiavone then sarcastically remarked, ''"that would put a lot of butts in the seats."'' [[Nielsen Ratings|Nielsen ratings]] for that night showed that almost immediately after Schiavone's comment, around 300,000 to 600,000 viewers switched from ''Nitro'' to ''RAW'' in a matter of seconds. This startling ratings switch was seen as a true testament to Foley's dedication to wrestling and the WWF's ever-growing popularity.

Beefy bollocks

===Vince McMahon strikes back===
{{see also|Monday_Night_Wars#1999-2000:_The_Tide_Turns}}
When [[Bret Hart]] left the WWF after the [[Montreal Screwjob]] at the 1997 [[Survivor Series]] it looked as WCW was going to push the WWF right off the map. WCW had seemingly the big stars people wanted to see like Hogan, Nash, Hall, Hart, Flair, Etc. as the popular opinion was that this was a deathblow for the WWF and a major score for WCW. The combination of a company screwing over a popular wrestler and angering many fans should have dealt a massive blow to the WWF and given WCW a great amount of hype to work from. Sadly for WCW, the opposite effect was achieved. After [[WrestleMania XIV]] in [[1998#March|March 1998]], the WWF regained the lead in the Monday Night Wars with its new [[World Wrestling Entertainment#WWF Attitude|WWF Attitude]] brand, led in particular by rising stars "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, [[The Rock (entertainer)|The Rock]], [[Paul Levesque|Triple H]] and [[Mick Foley|Mankind]]. The classic feud between McMahon (who was re-imagined and re-branded as the evil company chairman character Mr. McMahon) and Austin (who, ironically, had been released by Bischoff in the summer of 1995 for not being marketable) caught the imaginations of fans. The [[April 13]], [[1998 in television|1998]] episode of ''RAW'', headlined by a match between Austin and McMahon, marked the first time that WCW had lost the head-to-head Monday night [[Nielsen Ratings|ratings]] battle in the 84 weeks since [[1996 in television|1996]]. WWF didn't stop there. Their ratings increased dramatically in the next two years, more than ever before. WCW attempted to counter this by dividing the nWo into the Hogan-led heel nWo Hollywood faction and the Nash-led face nWo Wolfpac faction, but many felt that it was a poor rehash of the original WCW vs. nWo storyline. Undeterred, WCW also launched a new Thursday TV show, the aforementioned ''WCW Thunder'', around this time.

WCW's next big attempt at ratings supremacy was marketing ex-[[National Football League|NFL]] newcomer [[Bill Goldberg]] as an invincible monster with a record-breaking winning streak. Goldberg was indeed incredibly popular from the outset, with chants of 'Gold-berg, Gold-berg' heralding his approach to the ring, but business still quickly fell off for WCW, especially as the list of stars ready to be [[squash (professional wrestling)|destroyed]] by Goldberg grew shorter. One of WCW's last big genuine wins in the Monday night ratings war was on [[July 6]], [[1998 in television|1998]], when WCW gave the long-awaited World Title match in Atlanta between Hogan and Goldberg (which Goldberg won), away for free on ''Nitro''. By doing this, they indeed 'spiked' and inflated their TV ratings for a week, but lost millions of possible PPV dollars in the process, as Hogan vs. Goldberg was a clear PPV main event. On [[September 14]], [[1998 in television|1998]], WCW won the ratings war once again with a memorable moment that featured Ric Flair's return to WCW and the reformation of the legendary [[Four Horsemen (professional wrestling)|Four Horsemen]]. On [[October 25]], [[1998 in television|1998]], WCW's [[Halloween Havoc#1998|Halloween Havoc]] PPV ended up running longer than the time allowed due to the last-minute addition of a [[WCW World Tag Team Championship|Tag Team Title]] match. As a result, several thousand people lost the PPV feed at 11pm which was during the World Title match between [[Dallas Page|Diamond Dallas Page]] and Goldberg. The following night, WCW decided to correct the problem by airing the entire match for free on ''Nitro'' and thus winning the ratings war for the final time.

WCW slowly slid into a period of extravagant overspending and what was viewed almost universally as creative decline with the reason why it happened and who let it happen still a matter of debate. One possible reason was the overuse of celebrities (such as [[Dennis Rodman]] and [[Jay Leno]]) to wrestle PPV matches. Another was that the WCW's credibility was badly damaged by embarrassing product placement, like [[Rick Steiner]] trading barbs with [[Chucky]] the killer doll (which was roundly booed by the in-house audience on the live Nitro broadcast) in the hopes of generating interest in the [[1998 in film|1998]] film ''[[Bride of Chucky]]''. Another reason vould be the stale, pointless, and at times self-serving storylines concocted by inexperienced bookers such as [[Kevin Nash]], and that the top-level stars had no motivation to excel in the ring due to their long-term guaranteed-money contracts, and only gave their utmost when it suited them to do so. What is known is that WCW programming slowly started to go downhill in quality with people turning off their TVs or switching to WWF programming, and in reaction the company began to panic and tried to solve its problems by throwing money at a variety of personalities, a practice it could ill-afford to engage in. Many talents were reportedly signed simply to keep them from appearing on WWF television. At one point, WCW held over 260 individual performers under guaranteed contracts, and often paid many of them to simply stay at home and collect a paycheck.

As mentioned above, people were growing suspicious of Nash's questionable storylines, which were dominated by his on-screen persona. After booking himself to win the [[WCW World War 3#1998|World War 3]] battle royal in [[1998#November|November 1998]], he went on to end Goldberg's winning streak and win the World Title on the [[1998#Starrcade|StarrCade]] PPV just one month later. Then came the infamous "[[Fingerpoke of Doom|fingerpoke of doom]]" match with Hulk Hogan in [[1999#January|January 1999]]. The particular Nitro in which this match aired was being advertised as a StarrCade rematch between Nash and Goldberg. As a result, the arena was a complete sellout, with over 40,000 people watching live and millions more around the world hoping for the rematch. Instead, a storyline that put Goldberg in a bad light called for him to be replaced by Hollywood Hogan. The World Heavyweight Championship changed hands when Hogan knocked Nash to the mat by prodding him in the chest with one finger and then pinning him, further damaging the credibility and perceived value of the title. Also damaged was the credibility of the company itself, which did not present the match that had been advertised, as well as what was perceived to be an underhanded way of selling out the arena for that night's telecast. It was also this same episode of ''Nitro'' that Tony Schiavone mockingly announced the Mick Foley WWF Title win, which shifted the ratings for the night in the World Wrestling Federation's favor.
{{details|Fingerpoke_of_Doom#The_Impact}}
Also in 1998, [[Warrior (wrestler)|The Ultimate Warrior]], a former WWF star, was recruited by Eric Bischoff to feud with Hogan (Warrior's [[WrestleMania VI]] opponent). Their [[1998#October|October 1998]] encounter at [[Halloween Havoc#1998|Halloween Havoc]] was mostly seen as sub-par, and Warrior vanished soon after. The Ultimate Warrior also insisted on a number of elaborate and costly apparatuses such as a trapdoor in the ring, which badly injured [[Davey Boy Smith|The British Bulldog]] when he landed on it.
{{details|Warrior_%28wrestler%29#World_Championship_Wrestling}}
In addition, no matter who was in charge, WCW did not like promoting its younger stars to the company's top slots. Despite having many talented younger wrestlers such as [[Chris Jericho]], [[Chris Benoit]], [[Peter Gruner|Billy Kidman]], [[Chavo Guerrero, Jr.]], [[Eddie Guerrero]], [[Perry Satullo|Perry Saturn]], [[Scott Levy|Raven]], [[Oscar Gutierrez|Rey Mysterio, Jr.]], and [[Booker Huffman|Booker T]] on its roster, they were kept away from the main event scene. What was seen as WCW's poor talent decisions combined with the massive popularity of the new, hip and edgy WWF Attitude Era, likely began WCW's rapid demise.

Bischoff was eventually removed from power by the Turner higher-ups on [[September 10]] [[1999]], the last straws perhaps being what was felt as a bizarre and mystifying [[push (professional wrestling)|push]] for the 1970s [[rock band|rock group]] [[KISS (band)|KISS]] through WCW shows, a storyline involving [[rapping|rapper]] [[Master P]] and The No Limit Soldiers that saw Master P last only two weeks (the "No Limit Soldiers" stable flopped so badly that the [[West Texas Rednecks]] heel stable that they were feuding with was cheered by the WCW's traditional southern fanbase); an announced million-dollar contest that was later cancelled; a planned ''Nitro'' [[animated series]] that was scrapped, as well; and Bischoff's long-standing desire to put on a huge, outdoor rock 'n' wrestling concert featuring KISS on [[December 31]] [[1999]].

{{see also|Eric_Bischoff#Downfall}}

===The Death of WCW===
{{see also|Vince_Russo#WCW}}
Bischoff was unexpectedly replaced by former WWF head writer [[Vince Russo]] and his colleague [[Ed Ferrera]]. Russo and Ferrera had been the head writers for the WWF at the beginning of the Attitude Era, subordinate only to Vince McMahon himself. WCW offered them lucrative contracts to jump ship in [[1999#October|October 1999]] in an effort to revitalize their own flagging product and weaken the product of the WWF. Russo and Ferrera tried to push the younger WCW talents straight away, and [[bury (professional wrestling)|phase out]] aging stars such as Hogan and Flair. However, Russo was thought by many to be incapable of recreating the intriguing and cutting-edge TV he had produced while working for McMahon.

Russo and Ferrera struggled to gain approval for their near-the-knuckle ideas from the WCW management, such as "[[Piñata]] on a Pole" matches between [[Mexico|Mexican]] wrestlers. In late 1999, Russo and Ferrera revived the nWo storyline, this time with [[Jeff Jarrett]] and [[Bret Hart]] at the helm. They next targeted WWF announcer Jim Ross with a parody character called "Oklahoma", who was played onscreen by Ferrera (Ross had been suffering from [[Bell's palsy]], and the character lampooned his resultant facial defects). Bad luck struck in [[1999#December|December 1999]] when Hart suffered a genuine (and ultimately career-ending) [[concussion]] at the hands of Goldberg, who severely damaged his own hand less than a week later while punching through a [[limousine]] window in [[Salisbury, Maryland]] as part of a storyline that was written by Russo. Russo himself became an onscreen character during this period, though one whose face was never shown on camera, in a manner similar to [[Doctor Claw]] from ''[[Inspector Gadget]]'' and the [[George Steinbrenner]] character from ''[[Seinfeld]]''. Only his hand and the back of his chair were ever actually seen, as he called wrestlers into his office to receive their marching orders for the night.
{{see also|Bret_Hart#World_Championship_Wrestling}}
Both Russo and Ferrera were suspended just three months later amid rumors that they wanted to make former [[Ultimate Fighting Championship|UFC]] fighter [[David L. Abbott|Tank Abbott]] the WCW Champion (Abbott, despite his legitimate fighting background, had little wrestling experience and had failed to connect with WCW audiences). [[Kevin Sullivan (wrestler)|Kevin Sullivan]], who had been an on/off booker over the course of several years, was placed in charge in the interim. The new writing team attempted to appease the demoralized wrestlers and fans by making Chris Benoit the WCW Champion at the [[Souled Out#2000|Souled Out]] PPV in January 2000. However, because of the real-life personal issues between himself and Sullivan, let alone that prior to the PPV he and a few other wrestlers demanded their releases from the company (due to their lack of being pushed to stardom as well as their similar hatred for Sullivan), Benoit handed the belt back right after winning it and the next day left WCW. He signed with the WWF along with his similarly frustrated friends [[Perry Satullo|Perry Saturn]], [[Eddie Guerrero]] and [[Dean Malenko]]. The four quickly became popular in the WWF as "[[The Radicalz]]".

On [[February 11]] [[2000]], [[African American|black]] wrestlers [[Bobby Walker]] and [[Harrison Norris]] and [[Japanese people|Japanese]] [[manager (professional wrestling)|manager]] [[Kazuo Onoo|Sonny Onoo]] launched [[racism|racial discrimination]] [[lawsuit]]s against WCW, claiming that they had not been pushed as a result of their ethnicities, had not been paid as well as other wrestlers and personalities, and had been given offensive gimmicks. Some speculated that the charges of racism brought against WCW (and the resultant bad publicity for the company, which had been dogged by accusations of racism for years), were partially responsible for black wrestler [[Booker Huffman|Booker T]] winning the WCW Championship later that year and his brother [[Lane Huffman|Stevie Ray]] being made a [[color commentator]], with Ray himself acknowledging that it might have been a factor.

In April 2000, with ratings hitting new lows, both Russo and Bischoff were reinstated by WCW. They formed an on-screen union that stood up for the younger talent in the company (which they dubbed the [[New Blood]]) in their battle against the [[Millionaires Club]], which consisted of the older, higher-paid, and more visible stars such as Hogan, Sting, and Diamond Dallas Page. Though initially well-received, the storyline quickly degenerated into yet another nWo rehash, with the heel nWo recast as the New Blood and the face WCW embodied in the Millionaire's Club. As well, the unorthodox and often controversial storylines continued. These included making [[actor]] [[David Arquette]] the WCW Champion in order to promote a WCW-themed [[film|movie]], ''[[Ready to Rumble]]''; Russo himself winning the WCW Championship in September 2000 (Russo, like Arquette, was not a trained wrestler); a [[botch (professional wrestling)|botched]] June heel turn for Goldberg that greatly diminished his drawing power; and a [[shoot (professional wrestling)|shoot speech]] by Russo at [[Bash at the Beach#2000|Bash at the Beach 2000]] aimed at Hulk Hogan which led to Hogan resigning and filing a [[slander and libel|defamation of character]] lawsuit against the company (which was eventually dismissed in 2002). Bischoff vanished once more in July 2000, and Russo was gone from WCW completely by late 2000, leaving [[Terry Taylor]] holding the reins.
{{details|Hulk_Hogan#The_end_of_Hogan_in_WCW}}
Meanwhile, when [[Time Warner]] bought out Turner's cable empire in 1996, it also purchased WCW. Even though Turner was a big fan and faithful to the professional wrestling shows on his stations (a professional wrestling program had helped get Turner's very first TV station, [[WTBS]], off the ground, and WCW was, in fact, the modern incarnation of the promotion that Turner had run on WTBS back in those days) regardless of whether it was losing him money, Time Warner did not share his loyalty, especially when accounts showed that WCW was losing between [[United States dollar|$]]12-$17 million a year because of its decline. However, Turner was still the single largest Time Warner shareholder, and WCW was supported at his behest. When [[America Online|AOL]] merged with Time Warner in 2000, Turner was effectively forced out of his own empire. The new [[Time Warner#AOL Merger|AOL Time Warner]] finally had the power to auction off WCW, which they saw as an unnecessary drain on resources.

In late 2000, Bischoff and a group of private investors, calling themselves [[Fusient Media Ventures]], inquired about buying WCW but backed out when Turner networks head (and [[WB Television Network|The WB]] founder) [[Jamie Kellner]] formally cancelled all WCW programming from its TV networks. With no network to air its programming, WCW was of little value to Fusient, whose offer was dependent on the Turner networks continuing to air WCW programming.

On [[March 23]] [[2001]], virtually all of WCW's trademarks and archived footage, was sold to Vince McMahon and World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. for a paltry [[United States dollar|$]]7 million (although the [[book]] ''The Death of WCW'' said it was less than $3 million).

A gloating McMahon opened the last-ever episode of ''WCW Monday Nitro'' simulcast with ''RAW'' on [[March 26]], [[2001 in television|2001]] with a self-praising speech. Sting vs. Ric Flair (won by Sting) was the highlight nostalgia match of the final broadcast, ending affectionately with a respectful embrace. The broadcast ended with the US Champion, Booker T, cleanly defeating the world champion, Scott Steiner, to become WCW's final World Heavyweight Champion, as well as its final US Heavyweight Champion.
[[Image:Wcwalliancelogo.gif|right|thumb|200px|The WCW logo used in the WWF during the 2001 Invasion storyline.]]
When Vince came on ''RAW'' after the Sting/Flair match to declare victory over WCW, Vince's son [[Shane McMahon]] appeared at the ''Nitro'' event, declaring that ''he'' had bought WCW. However, this was [[kayfabe]] and part of a WWF storyline that would have Shane leading the [[The Invasion|WCW Invasion of the WWF]] (a highly anticipated storyline which many considered a squandered opportunity), which lasted from March to November 2001 and marked the end of WCW. Despite aborted attempts to run WCW-branded events, the WWF only ran a handful of matches on ''RAW'' and ''SmackDown!'' under the WCW banner.

When the WWF bought WCW in March 2001, several top WCW wrestlers, including Goldberg, Scott Steiner, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Sting had high-priced contracts with AOL Time Warner that WWF was unwilling to pick up. Rather than trying to get a buyout of their contracts and taking a pay cut to go to WWF, they chose to sit home and got paid for the remainders of their WCW contracts. This is most often cited as being the main reason the planned WCW Invasion of WWF storyline failed. The WCW was not seen as a powerhouse organization invading WWF when most of their top stars did not appear. However, all of the above wrestlers except Sting signed contracts with the WWE after the Invasion subsided.

The WCW World Heavyweight Championship (which was renamed the World Championship) would continue to be used in WWF until it was merged with the WWF Championship into the [[WWE Undisputed Championship|WWF Undisputed Championship]] when Chris Jericho defeated The Rock and Steve Austin for the respective titles on [[December 9]], [[2001]] on the PPV, [[WWE Vengeance#2001|Vengeance]].

Although new professional wrestling alternatives such as [[Total Nonstop Action Wrestling]] and [[Ring of Honor]] have seen rising popularity in recent years, none have achieved the mainstream popularity or financial support that WCW enjoyed and thus are not yet considered competitive with WWE.

==Final champions==
This is a list of the champions as they were at the end of the last ''WCW Monday Nitro'' on [[March 26]], [[2001 in television|2001]] (though all these titles, with the exception of the Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship, continued to be active in WWF until November of that year).
{| class="wikitable"
!Championship
!Final champion(s)
|-
|[[WCW World Heavyweight Championship|WCW World Heavyweight Champion]]
|[[Booker Huffman|Booker T]]
|-
|[[WWE United States Championship|WCW United States Champion]]
|[[Booker Huffman|Booker T]]
|-
|[[WCW World Tag Team Championship|WCW World Tag Team Champions]]
|[[Chuck Palumbo]] and [[Sean O'Haire]]
|-
|[[WWE Cruiserweight Championship|WCW Cruiserweight Champion]]
|[[Gregory Helms|Shane Helms]]
|-
|[[WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship|WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Champions]]
|[[Peter Gruner|Billy Kidman]] and [[Oscar Gutierrez|Rey Mysterio]]
|-
|}

Here's a list of the final WCW Champions under the WWF banner.

{| class="wikitable"
!Championship
!Final champion(s)
|-
|[[WCW World Heavyweight Championship|WCW World Heavyweight Champion]]1
|[[Chris Jericho]]
|-
|[[WCW World Tag Team Championship|WCW World Tag Team Champions]]3
|[[Dudley Boyz|The Dudley Boyz]]
|-
|}

'''Footnotes'''
*1Renamed the '''World Championship''' after ''[[Survivor Series#2001|Survivor Series 2001]]''; unified with the [[WWE Championship|WWF Championship]] at ''[[WWE Vengeance#2001|Vengeance 2001]]''. The belt design was later reintroduced as the WWE sanctioned [[World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)|World Heavyweight Championship]] as a [[WWE RAW|RAW]] exclusive title in September 2002 (now exclusive to SmackDown!).
*2Unified with the [[WWE Intercontinental Championship|WWE Intercontinental Championship]] at ''Survivor Series 2001''; reactivated as a WWE sanctioned title on [[WWE Friday Night SmackDown!|''SmackDown!'']] in 2003 by then-General Manager [[Stephanie McMahon-Levesque|Stephanie McMahon]].
*3Unified with the [[WWE World Tag Team Championship|WWE World Tag Team Championship]] at ''Survivor Series 2001''.
*4Title adopted by the WWF after ''Survivor Series 2001''; renamed the WWF / WWE Cruiserweight Championship.

==WCW titles==
*[[WCW World Heavyweight Championship]]
*[[WWE United States Championship|WCW United States Heavyweight Championship]]
*[[WWE Cruiserweight Championship|WCW Cruiserweight Championship]]
*[[WCW World Tag Team Championship]]
*[[WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship]]
*[[WCW Television Championship|WCW World Television Championship]]
*[[WCW Hardcore Championship]]
*[[WCW United States Tag Team Championship]]
*[[WCW World Six-Man Tag Team Championship]]
*[[WCW International World Heavyweight Championship]]
*[[WCW Light Heavyweight Championship]]
*[[WCW Women's Championship]]
*[[WCW Women's Cruiserweight Championship]]

==WCW special tournaments==
*[[WCW Jesse "The Body" Ventura Strongest Arm Tournament]] (1992-1993)
*[[WCW King of Cable Tournament]] (1992)
*[[WCW/NWA Gauntlet Series]] (1990)
*[[WCW Battle Bowl]]
*[[WCW Lethal Lottery]]

==Books/DVD==
*''[[The Death of WCW]]'' by R.D. Reynolds and Bryan Alvarez, 2004, ISBN 1-55022-661-4.
*''[[The Monday Night War: WWE Raw vs. WCW Monday Nitro]]'' World Wrestling Entertainment, 2004, ASIN B0001CCXCA.

==See also==
*[[World Championship Wrestling alumni]]
*[[Wcw_women|WCW Women]]
*[[List of professional wrestlers]]
*[[List of professional wrestling stables]]
*[[List of WCW pay-per-view events]]
*[[List of WCW programming|List of WCW television programming]]
*[[Jim Crockett Promotions]]
*[[The Alliance]]
*[[Monday Night Wars]]
*[[Nitro Girls]]
*[[WCW Monday Nitro]]
*[[WCW Thunder]]
*[[WCW Power Plant]]

== External links ==
*[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/ WCW Title Histories]
*[http://www.ddtdigest.com/ DDT Digest - "The Unofficial Resting Place Of WCW"]

[[Category:1986 establishments]]
[[Category:2001 disestablishments]]
[[Category:Defunct companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Sports in Atlanta]]
[[Category:Time Warner subsidiaries]]
[[Category:World Championship Wrestling]]

[[da:World Championship Wrestling]]
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World Championship Wrestling

2006-09-02T02:42:03Z

71.201.198.12: /* In the beginning: The NWA years */

:'' For the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] video game, see [[WCW Wrestling]]. For the Australian promotion, see '''[[WCW Australia]]'''''. For the poet, see [[William Carlos Williams]].

{{Pwcompanybox |
name = World Championship Wrestling |
image =Wcwlogo.jpg |
acronym = WCW |
established = 1986 |
style = [[List of professional wrestling styles#American Wrestling|American Wrestling]] |
location = [[Atlanta, Georgia]] |
founder = [[Ted Turner]] |
owner = [[Turner Broadcasting System|Turner Broadcasting System (TBS)/Turner]] (1988-96) [[Time Warner]] (1996-2001) [[Vince McMahon]] (2001-present) |
parent = [[Turner Broadcasting System|Turner Broadcasting System (TBS)/Turner]] (1988-96) [[Time Warner]] (1996-2001) [[World Wrestling Entertainment|World Wrestling Entertainment]] (2001-Present) |
sister = |
formerly = NWA Eastern States Championship Wrestling NWA Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling [[Georgia Championship Wrestling]] [[Jim Crockett Promotions]] NWA World Championship Wrestling Universal Wrestling Corporation |
merged = [[World Wrestling Entertainment]] |
}}

'''World Championship Wrestling''' or '''WCW''', was a [[professional wrestling promotion]] based in [[Atlanta, Georgia]] that existed from 1986 to 2001. In March 2001, the company's assets, including trademarks, some wrestler contracts, and extensive [[WWE Tape Library|video library]] were purchased by the [[World Wrestling Entertainment|World Wrestling Federation]], who continued to use the name as part of a [[The Alliance|storyline]] until November 2001, when the promotion officially ceased.

==History==
===In the beginning: The NWA years===
Although World Championship Wrestling was a brand name used by promoter [[Jim Barnett]] for his Australian promotion, the first promotion in the [[United States]] to use the World Championship Wrestling brand name (though it was never referred to as "WCW") on a wide scale was Georgia Championship Wrestling (although Vincent James McMahon's Capitol Wrestling Corpotation did in fact use the name in some house show promotion).

This promotion, owned primarily by [[Jack Brisco]] and [[Gerald Brisco]] and [[booking (professional wrestling)|booked]] by [[Ole Anderson]], was the first NWA territory to gain [[cable television|cable TV]] access. In 1983, Georgia Championship Wrestling changed the name of its television show (and thus its public face) to World Championship Wrestling since it was already starting to run shows in "neutral" territories such as [[Ohio]] and [[Michigan]]. Although many in the business felt that Anderson was mismanaging the company, Georgia Championship Wrestling had managed to compete against the other major territory trying to go national ([[Vince McMahon]]'s WWF).
{{main|Black Saturday (1984)}}
In [[1984#May|May 1984]], the Brisco brothers sold their shares in Georgia Championship Wrestling, including their timeslot on the [[TBS (TV network)|TBS]] cable TV [[television network|network]] to Vince McMahon. The WWF show did not fare well in [[Nielsen Ratings|ratings]]. World Championship Wrestling's core audience was not interested in the WWF's cartoony approach, preferring a more athletic style. Despite originally promising to produce original programming for the TBS timeslot in Atlanta, McMahon chose instead to provide only a [[clip show]] for TBS, featuring highlights from other WWF programming. In [[1985#May|May 1985]], McMahon sold the TBS timeslot to Jim Crockett Promotions, owned by [[Jim Crockett, Jr.]], under pressure from [[Ted Turner]], who resurrected the World Championship Wrestling name (Turner Broadcasting had copyrighted it and prevented McMahon from using it).

By 1986, Jim Crockett, Jr. controlled key portions of the NWA under the name [[Jim Crockett Promotions]], including the traditional NWA territories in [[The Carolinas]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], and [[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]]. Crockett merged his various NWA territories into one group, and promoted it under the name '''NWA World Championship Wrestling'''. A feud between Crockett and Vince McMahon's WWF sprang up, and both companies attempted to outmaneuver the other to acquire key [[television|TV]] slots.

In the same year, WCW also purchased [[Heart of America Sports Attractions Inc]] (HASA), which owned the rights to promote wrestling shows through several central states ([[Kansas]], [[Missouri]], and [[Iowa]]). HASA was known to fans as NWA Central States, and ran a [[television program|TV show]] called ''All Star Wrestling''.

In 1987, WCW would purchase [[Championship Wrestling from Florida]], and [[Mid-South Sports (United States)|Universal Wrestling Federation]] (which covered [[Oklahoma]], [[Mississippi]], [[Arkansas]], [[Texas]] and [[Louisiana]]), which was not an NWA member. Florida & Mid-South (and its wrestlers) were absorbed into WCW.

Crockett had almost accomplished his goal of creating a national promotion. Between his purchasing several NWA territories, [[World Class Championship Wrestling]] in Texas leaving the NWA in 1986 (and later merging with [[Jerry Jarrett]]'s [[Championship Wrestling Alliance]] in [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]] to create the [[United States Wrestling Association]]) brand, and the once highly viable [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]] territory going bankrupt (it closed in 1992), he was the last bastion of the NWA, and the last member with national TV exposure. Since it was all they now saw, many people began to believe that World Championship Wrestling ''was'' the NWA. Although WCW and the NWA were still two separate entities, with Crockett as NWA President, they were very much on the same page. The NWA was effectively an on-paper organization funded by Crockett, and allowed Crockett to use the NWA brand name for promoting.

With the large amount of capital needed to take a wrestling federation on a national tour, Crockett's territorial acquisitions had seriously drained WCW's coffers. He was in a similar situation to that of the WWF in the early 1980s: a large debt load, and the success or failure of a federation hinging on the success or failure of a series of [[pay-per-view|PPVs]]. Crockett marketed [[StarrCade#1987: Chi-Town Heat|StarrCade '87]] as the NWA's answer to [[WrestleMania]], even though Starrcade had been running since 1983, two years previous to the first WrestleMania. However, the WWF promoted [[Survivor Series#1987|Survivor Series]] on the same day, and threatened to withhold [[WrestleMania IV]] from any PPV company that refused to show it. Later, in [[1988#January|January 1988]], WCW promoted the ''[[Bunkhouse Stampede]]'' PPV, and McMahon counter-programmed with the first [[Royal Rumble (1988)|Royal Rumble]] on [[USA Network|USA]]. Both WCW PPVs achieved low buyrates.

In 1985, Crockett had signed [[Dusty Rhodes]] and made him [[booker (professional wrestling)|booker]] for WCW. Rhodes had a reputation for creativity and authored many of the memorable feuds and storylines of this period and [[gimmick (professional wrestling)|gimmick]] matches like ''WarGames''. By 1988, after three years of trying to compete with Vince McMahon, and a long, drawn-out political struggle with champion [[Ric Flair]], Rhodes was burned out. He was unable to draw fan interest in his storylines, and the [[Dusty finish]] had reduced the [[house show]] market. By the end of 1988, Rhodes was booking cards seemingly at random, and planning at one point to have mid-card wrestler [[Rick Steiner]] defeat Ric Flair in a five-minute match at ''StarrCade'' for the NWA World Championship. At the end of 1988, Rhodes was fired by the promotion after an angle he booked where [[Road Warrior Animal]] pulled a spike out of his shoulderpad and jammed it in Rhodes's eye busting it wide open.

To preserve the inexpensive network programming provided by professional wrestling, Jim Crockett Promotions was purchased outright by Turner on [[November 21]] [[1988]]. Originally incorporated by TBS as the '''Universal Wrestling Corporation''', Turner promised the fans that WCW would be the athlete-oriented style of NWA.

1989 proved to be a turnaround year for WCW, with Ric Flair on top for most of the year both as World Champion and also as head booker. Flair had helped bring in [[Ricky Steamboat]] and [[Terry Funk]], and his PPV matches with both were successful, financially and critically. Young stars such as [[Sid Eudy|Sid Vicious]], [[Sting (wrestler)|Sting]], [[Scott Steiner]], [[Road Warriors|The Road Warriors]], [[Brian Pillman]], [[Keiji Mutoh|The Great Muta]] and [[Lex Luger]] were given big storylines and championship opportunities.

Despite this influx of talent, WCW soon began working to gradually incorporate much of the glamor and showy gimmicks for which the WWF was better known. Virtually none of these stunts, such as the live cross-promotional appearance of [[RoboCop]] at a PPV event in 1990, the '''Chamber of Horrors''' gimmick and the notorious '''[[The Black Scorpion|Black Scorpion]]''' storyline, succeeded. Behind the scenes, WCW was also becoming more autonomous and slowly started separating itself from the historic NWA name. In [[1991#January|January 1991]], WCW officially split from the NWA and began to recognize its own [[WCW World Heavyweight Championship]] and [[WCW World Tag Team Championship]].
{{details|Jim Herd}}
Both the WCW and the NWA recognized Ric Flair (who was by now no longer the head booker) as their '''World Heavyweight Champion''' throughout most of the first half of 1991, but WCW, particularly recently-installed company president [[Jim Herd]], turned against Flair for various reasons and fired him just prior to the [[1991#July|July 1991]] [[The Great American Bash|Great American Bash]] PPV after failed contract negotiations. In the process, they officially stripped him of the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. However, according to Flair's autobiography, they refused to return the [[United States dollar|$]]25,000 deposit he had put down on the (physical) belt, so he kept it and took it with him when he was hired by the WWF at the request of Vince McMahon. Flair then incorporated the belt into his [[gimmick (professional wrestling)|gimmick]], dubbing himself "The Real World's Champion".

WCW later renegotiated the use of the NWA name as a co-promotional gimmick with [[New Japan Pro Wrestling]], and sued the WWF to stop showing Flair with the old NWA World title belt on its programs, claiming a trademark on the physical design of the belt. The belt was returned to WCW by Flair when Jim Herd was let go and he received his deposit back plus interest, and it was brought back as the revived [[NWA World Heavyweight Championship]].

During the period that WCW operated with its own World Champion while also recognizing the NWA's world title, Flair quit the WWF and returned to WCW, regaining the title from [[Barry Windham]] in [[1993#July|July 1993]]. Immediately, the other, now smaller, member organizations of the NWA began demanding that Flair defend the title under their rules in their territories, as mandated by old NWA agreements. The title was later scheduled to be dropped by Flair to [[Richard Rood|Rick Rude]], a title change which was exposed by the '''[[Disney Tapings]]''', the months-in-advance taping of WCW's [[Television syndication|syndicated television]] shows at [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]]-owned studios in [[Orlando, Florida]]. The NWA board of directors, working separately from WCW, objected to Rude, with WCW finally leaving the NWA for good again in [[1993#September|September 1993]].
{{see also|WCW_Disney_tapings#Logistical_Errors}}
However, WCW still legally owned and used the actual belt which represented the NWA World Heavyweight Championship (Rick Rude even defended it as '''The [[Big Gold Belt]]''') but they could no longer use the '''NWA''' name. The title thus became known as the WCW International World Heavyweight Title (meaning the World heavyweight championship as sanctioned by "WCW International," a fictional organization made up of promoters from around the world, essentially their in-house version of the real NWA).

WCW realized that the title belt, because of its rich in-ring history and visual impact, was highly sought after and respected in [[Japan]] and as such created this fictional subsidiary dubbed '''WCW International''' to inject some credibility back into the belt. WCW claimed that "WCWI" still recognized the belt as a legitimate World Championship. For a short while, there were essentially two World titles up for competition in the organization.

Sting eventually won the [[WCW International World Heavyweight Championship|WCW International Championship]] and lost the belt to then-WCW World Champion Ric Flair in a [[Championship unification|unification]] match in [[1994#May|May 1994]] when the experiment was jettisoned. To make things more confusing, the WCW title belt, as introduced in 1991, was dropped and the old NWA Championship belt was revived and officially replaced it as the [[WCW World Heavyweight Championship]]. It was used as such until WCW's closure in 2001. The belt (in a slightly altered design) is still seen today in WWE as the [[World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)|World Heavyweight Championship]] on their [[WWE Friday Night SmackDown!|SmackDown!]] brand (previously on [[WWE RAW|RAW]]). However, WWE considers it a seperate title and WWE.com officially lists the title history of the World Heavyweight Championship as beginning with [[Triple H]] being awarded the belt by Eric Bischoff on ''RAW'' on [[September 2]], [[2002 in television|2002]].

bring back wcw

===Monday Night Wars===
{{main|Monday Night Wars}}

Bischoff would be instrumental in launching the weekly show ''[[WCW Monday Nitro]]'' in [[1995#September|September 1995]]. Turner asked Bischoff how WCW could conceivably compete with McMahon's WWF. Bischoff, not expecting Turner to comply, said that the only way would be a primetime slot on a weekday night, possibly up against the WWF's flagship show, ''[[WWE RAW|Monday Night RAW]]''. Turner granted him a live hour on [[Turner Network Television|TNT]] every Monday night, which specifically overlapped with ''Raw''. This format quickly expanded to two live hours in [[1996#May|May 1996]], and then later three. Bischoff himself was initially the host, alongside [[Bobby Heenan]] and ex-[[National Football League|NFL]] star [[Steve McMichael|Steve "Mongo" McMichael]].

McMahon later admitted to being bitter about Turner's decision to air ''Nitro'' live on Monday nights, saying that Turner and Bischoff's only reason for doing this could be to hurt and damage the WWF. Turner and McMahon certainly had something of a personal history: in the early 1980s, when McMahon began buying up local organizations in order to create a nationwide wrestling system, one of the promotions he took over was Georgia Championship Wrestling; thus he was in the position of providing a Saturday night show for Turner's TBS station. When viewers tuned to TBS on [[July 14]], [[1984 in television|1984]] (a date known as '''[[Black Saturday (1984)|Black Saturday]]''' by some in the wrestling community) and saw WWF programming instead of the GCW wrestlers they were used to seeing, many called the station and demanded the NWA's return; two weeks later, GCW returned, albeit on Saturday mornings. Turner quickly grew tired of the personality-driven glitz of McMahon's product and was upset at the fact that McMahon had gone back on his earlier promise not to dump second-rate stars and matches onto TBS. Turner therefore axed McMahon's show and turned to Jim Crockett for the Saturday night pro wrestling slot. It is rumored that on the very same day that Turner later acquired Crockett's territories, he called McMahon to say ''"Vince, I'm in the rasslin' business!"'' McMahon claims he congratulated him and then told him "That's great Ted. I'm in the [[sports entertainment]] business."

In [[1995 in television|1995]], Turner (as sole head and owner of both TBS and TNT), could air ''Nitro'' whenever he wanted. The WWF on the other hand was constrained by having to deal with the [[USA Network]], whose executives were pleased about the viewers ''RAW'' brought to their network, but were also weary of the stigma associated with being the '''wrestling channel'''. ''WCW Monday Nitro'' made its debut in [[1995#September|September 1995]] live from the [[Mall of America]] in [[Bloomington, Minnesota]], and featured the surprise appearance of [[Lex Luger]], who had been working on a handshake deal with WWF after his most recent contract expired, on a week when ''RAW'' was pre-empted by the [[U.S. Open (tennis)|US Open]].

In the first head-to-head ratings the following week, ''Nitro'' managed to convincingly defeat ''RAW'', seeing WCW beat the WWF for the first time ever. For most of ''Nitro's'' first year, the ratings battle between the two promotions were close. In the end, ''Nitro'' ended up beating ''RAW'' in the ratings for 84 straight weeks between [[1996 in television|1996]] and [[1998 in television|1998]].

''RAW'' and the WWF in general was consided to be at a creative nadir from 1995 to 1997, thus helping WCW's meteoric rise. The WWF tried in vain to fight back in early 1996 with the "Billionaire Ted" sketches, which occasionally starred an unbilled [[Vince Russo]] and [[parody|parodied]] Turner, Hogan ("The Huckster"), [[Gene Okerlund]] ("Scheme Gene") and Savage ("Nacho Man") in particular. Only when stars such as ex-WCW wrestler [["Stone Cold" Steve Austin]] began to emerge, and when McMahon selected Russo, a [[New York City|New York]] DJ and WWF magazine writer, as his head booker, did the WWF begin to pick up steam.

Siphoning off the WWF's talent and airing ''Nitro'' on Monday night was not the end of WCW's tactics to defeat the competition (a stunt McMahon himself pulled when he steamrolled over territories to monopolize the WWF, although McMahon would be the one crying "foul" this time). In the early days, as ''RAW'' was only live once every three weeks at that point, and as hours of upcoming shows would be taped in one arena on one night, announcers on ''Nitro'' could (and would) often give away the results of that week's ''RAW'' to keep viewers tuned to ''Nitro''. Much later, with the WWF firmly back on top, this tactic memorably backfired on [[January 4]], [[1999 in television|1999]], when WCW announcer [[Tony Schiavone]] was instructed by Bischoff over his headset to announce that [[Mick Foley]] (wrestling as Mankind in the WWF), would win the [[WWE Championship|WWF Championship]] that night on the USA Network. Schiavone then sarcastically remarked, ''"that would put a lot of butts in the seats."'' [[Nielsen Ratings|Nielsen ratings]] for that night showed that almost immediately after Schiavone's comment, around 300,000 to 600,000 viewers switched from ''Nitro'' to ''RAW'' in a matter of seconds. This startling ratings switch was seen as a true testament to Foley's dedication to wrestling and the WWF's ever-growing popularity.

Beefy bollocks

===Vince McMahon strikes back===
{{see also|Monday_Night_Wars#1999-2000:_The_Tide_Turns}}
When [[Bret Hart]] left the WWF after the [[Montreal Screwjob]] at the 1997 [[Survivor Series]] it looked as WCW was going to push the WWF right off the map. WCW had seemingly the big stars people wanted to see like Hogan, Nash, Hall, Hart, Flair, Etc. as the popular opinion was that this was a deathblow for the WWF and a major score for WCW. The combination of a company screwing over a popular wrestler and angering many fans should have dealt a massive blow to the WWF and given WCW a great amount of hype to work from. Sadly for WCW, the opposite effect was achieved. After [[WrestleMania XIV]] in [[1998#March|March 1998]], the WWF regained the lead in the Monday Night Wars with its new [[World Wrestling Entertainment#WWF Attitude|WWF Attitude]] brand, led in particular by rising stars "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, [[The Rock (entertainer)|The Rock]], [[Paul Levesque|Triple H]] and [[Mick Foley|Mankind]]. The classic feud between McMahon (who was re-imagined and re-branded as the evil company chairman character Mr. McMahon) and Austin (who, ironically, had been released by Bischoff in the summer of 1995 for not being marketable) caught the imaginations of fans. The [[April 13]], [[1998 in television|1998]] episode of ''RAW'', headlined by a match between Austin and McMahon, marked the first time that WCW had lost the head-to-head Monday night [[Nielsen Ratings|ratings]] battle in the 84 weeks since [[1996 in television|1996]]. WWF didn't stop there. Their ratings increased dramatically in the next two years, more than ever before. WCW attempted to counter this by dividing the nWo into the Hogan-led heel nWo Hollywood faction and the Nash-led face nWo Wolfpac faction, but many felt that it was a poor rehash of the original WCW vs. nWo storyline. Undeterred, WCW also launched a new Thursday TV show, the aforementioned ''WCW Thunder'', around this time.

WCW's next big attempt at ratings supremacy was marketing ex-[[National Football League|NFL]] newcomer [[Bill Goldberg]] as an invincible monster with a record-breaking winning streak. Goldberg was indeed incredibly popular from the outset, with chants of 'Gold-berg, Gold-berg' heralding his approach to the ring, but business still quickly fell off for WCW, especially as the list of stars ready to be [[squash (professional wrestling)|destroyed]] by Goldberg grew shorter. One of WCW's last big genuine wins in the Monday night ratings war was on [[July 6]], [[1998 in television|1998]], when WCW gave the long-awaited World Title match in Atlanta between Hogan and Goldberg (which Goldberg won), away for free on ''Nitro''. By doing this, they indeed 'spiked' and inflated their TV ratings for a week, but lost millions of possible PPV dollars in the process, as Hogan vs. Goldberg was a clear PPV main event. On [[September 14]], [[1998 in television|1998]], WCW won the ratings war once again with a memorable moment that featured Ric Flair's return to WCW and the reformation of the legendary [[Four Horsemen (professional wrestling)|Four Horsemen]]. On [[October 25]], [[1998 in television|1998]], WCW's [[Halloween Havoc#1998|Halloween Havoc]] PPV ended up running longer than the time allowed due to the last-minute addition of a [[WCW World Tag Team Championship|Tag Team Title]] match. As a result, several thousand people lost the PPV feed at 11pm which was during the World Title match between [[Dallas Page|Diamond Dallas Page]] and Goldberg. The following night, WCW decided to correct the problem by airing the entire match for free on ''Nitro'' and thus winning the ratings war for the final time.

WCW slowly slid into a period of extravagant overspending and what was viewed almost universally as creative decline with the reason why it happened and who let it happen still a matter of debate. One possible reason was the overuse of celebrities (such as [[Dennis Rodman]] and [[Jay Leno]]) to wrestle PPV matches. Another was that the WCW's credibility was badly damaged by embarrassing product placement, like [[Rick Steiner]] trading barbs with [[Chucky]] the killer doll (which was roundly booed by the in-house audience on the live Nitro broadcast) in the hopes of generating interest in the [[1998 in film|1998]] film ''[[Bride of Chucky]]''. Another reason vould be the stale, pointless, and at times self-serving storylines concocted by inexperienced bookers such as [[Kevin Nash]], and that the top-level stars had no motivation to excel in the ring due to their long-term guaranteed-money contracts, and only gave their utmost when it suited them to do so. What is known is that WCW programming slowly started to go downhill in quality with people turning off their TVs or switching to WWF programming, and in reaction the company began to panic and tried to solve its problems by throwing money at a variety of personalities, a practice it could ill-afford to engage in. Many talents were reportedly signed simply to keep them from appearing on WWF television. At one point, WCW held over 260 individual performers under guaranteed contracts, and often paid many of them to simply stay at home and collect a paycheck.

As mentioned above, people were growing suspicious of Nash's questionable storylines, which were dominated by his on-screen persona. After booking himself to win the [[WCW World War 3#1998|World War 3]] battle royal in [[1998#November|November 1998]], he went on to end Goldberg's winning streak and win the World Title on the [[1998#Starrcade|StarrCade]] PPV just one month later. Then came the infamous "[[Fingerpoke of Doom|fingerpoke of doom]]" match with Hulk Hogan in [[1999#January|January 1999]]. The particular Nitro in which this match aired was being advertised as a StarrCade rematch between Nash and Goldberg. As a result, the arena was a complete sellout, with over 40,000 people watching live and millions more around the world hoping for the rematch. Instead, a storyline that put Goldberg in a bad light called for him to be replaced by Hollywood Hogan. The World Heavyweight Championship changed hands when Hogan knocked Nash to the mat by prodding him in the chest with one finger and then pinning him, further damaging the credibility and perceived value of the title. Also damaged was the credibility of the company itself, which did not present the match that had been advertised, as well as what was perceived to be an underhanded way of selling out the arena for that night's telecast. It was also this same episode of ''Nitro'' that Tony Schiavone mockingly announced the Mick Foley WWF Title win, which shifted the ratings for the night in the World Wrestling Federation's favor.
{{details|Fingerpoke_of_Doom#The_Impact}}
Also in 1998, [[Warrior (wrestler)|The Ultimate Warrior]], a former WWF star, was recruited by Eric Bischoff to feud with Hogan (Warrior's [[WrestleMania VI]] opponent). Their [[1998#October|October 1998]] encounter at [[Halloween Havoc#1998|Halloween Havoc]] was mostly seen as sub-par, and Warrior vanished soon after. The Ultimate Warrior also insisted on a number of elaborate and costly apparatuses such as a trapdoor in the ring, which badly injured [[Davey Boy Smith|The British Bulldog]] when he landed on it.
{{details|Warrior_%28wrestler%29#World_Championship_Wrestling}}
In addition, no matter who was in charge, WCW did not like promoting its younger stars to the company's top slots. Despite having many talented younger wrestlers such as [[Chris Jericho]], [[Chris Benoit]], [[Peter Gruner|Billy Kidman]], [[Chavo Guerrero, Jr.]], [[Eddie Guerrero]], [[Perry Satullo|Perry Saturn]], [[Scott Levy|Raven]], [[Oscar Gutierrez|Rey Mysterio, Jr.]], and [[Booker Huffman|Booker T]] on its roster, they were kept away from the main event scene. What was seen as WCW's poor talent decisions combined with the massive popularity of the new, hip and edgy WWF Attitude Era, likely began WCW's rapid demise.

Bischoff was eventually removed from power by the Turner higher-ups on [[September 10]] [[1999]], the last straws perhaps being what was felt as a bizarre and mystifying [[push (professional wrestling)|push]] for the 1970s [[rock band|rock group]] [[KISS (band)|KISS]] through WCW shows, a storyline involving [[rapping|rapper]] [[Master P]] and The No Limit Soldiers that saw Master P last only two weeks (the "No Limit Soldiers" stable flopped so badly that the [[West Texas Rednecks]] heel stable that they were feuding with was cheered by the WCW's traditional southern fanbase); an announced million-dollar contest that was later cancelled; a planned ''Nitro'' [[animated series]] that was scrapped, as well; and Bischoff's long-standing desire to put on a huge, outdoor rock 'n' wrestling concert featuring KISS on [[December 31]] [[1999]].

{{see also|Eric_Bischoff#Downfall}}

===The Death of WCW===
{{see also|Vince_Russo#WCW}}
Bischoff was unexpectedly replaced by former WWF head writer [[Vince Russo]] and his colleague [[Ed Ferrera]]. Russo and Ferrera had been the head writers for the WWF at the beginning of the Attitude Era, subordinate only to Vince McMahon himself. WCW offered them lucrative contracts to jump ship in [[1999#October|October 1999]] in an effort to revitalize their own flagging product and weaken the product of the WWF. Russo and Ferrera tried to push the younger WCW talents straight away, and [[bury (professional wrestling)|phase out]] aging stars such as Hogan and Flair. However, Russo was thought by many to be incapable of recreating the intriguing and cutting-edge TV he had produced while working for McMahon.

Russo and Ferrera struggled to gain approval for their near-the-knuckle ideas from the WCW management, such as "[[Piñata]] on a Pole" matches between [[Mexico|Mexican]] wrestlers. In late 1999, Russo and Ferrera revived the nWo storyline, this time with [[Jeff Jarrett]] and [[Bret Hart]] at the helm. They next targeted WWF announcer Jim Ross with a parody character called "Oklahoma", who was played onscreen by Ferrera (Ross had been suffering from [[Bell's palsy]], and the character lampooned his resultant facial defects). Bad luck struck in [[1999#December|December 1999]] when Hart suffered a genuine (and ultimately career-ending) [[concussion]] at the hands of Goldberg, who severely damaged his own hand less than a week later while punching through a [[limousine]] window in [[Salisbury, Maryland]] as part of a storyline that was written by Russo. Russo himself became an onscreen character during this period, though one whose face was never shown on camera, in a manner similar to [[Doctor Claw]] from ''[[Inspector Gadget]]'' and the [[George Steinbrenner]] character from ''[[Seinfeld]]''. Only his hand and the back of his chair were ever actually seen, as he called wrestlers into his office to receive their marching orders for the night.
{{see also|Bret_Hart#World_Championship_Wrestling}}
Both Russo and Ferrera were suspended just three months later amid rumors that they wanted to make former [[Ultimate Fighting Championship|UFC]] fighter [[David L. Abbott|Tank Abbott]] the WCW Champion (Abbott, despite his legitimate fighting background, had little wrestling experience and had failed to connect with WCW audiences). [[Kevin Sullivan (wrestler)|Kevin Sullivan]], who had been an on/off booker over the course of several years, was placed in charge in the interim. The new writing team attempted to appease the demoralized wrestlers and fans by making Chris Benoit the WCW Champion at the [[Souled Out#2000|Souled Out]] PPV in January 2000. However, because of the real-life personal issues between himself and Sullivan, let alone that prior to the PPV he and a few other wrestlers demanded their releases from the company (due to their lack of being pushed to stardom as well as their similar hatred for Sullivan), Benoit handed the belt back right after winning it and the next day left WCW. He signed with the WWF along with his similarly frustrated friends [[Perry Satullo|Perry Saturn]], [[Eddie Guerrero]] and [[Dean Malenko]]. The four quickly became popular in the WWF as "[[The Radicalz]]".

On [[February 11]] [[2000]], [[African American|black]] wrestlers [[Bobby Walker]] and [[Harrison Norris]] and [[Japanese people|Japanese]] [[manager (professional wrestling)|manager]] [[Kazuo Onoo|Sonny Onoo]] launched [[racism|racial discrimination]] [[lawsuit]]s against WCW, claiming that they had not been pushed as a result of their ethnicities, had not been paid as well as other wrestlers and personalities, and had been given offensive gimmicks. Some speculated that the charges of racism brought against WCW (and the resultant bad publicity for the company, which had been dogged by accusations of racism for years), were partially responsible for black wrestler [[Booker Huffman|Booker T]] winning the WCW Championship later that year and his brother [[Lane Huffman|Stevie Ray]] being made a [[color commentator]], with Ray himself acknowledging that it might have been a factor.

In April 2000, with ratings hitting new lows, both Russo and Bischoff were reinstated by WCW. They formed an on-screen union that stood up for the younger talent in the company (which they dubbed the [[New Blood]]) in their battle against the [[Millionaires Club]], which consisted of the older, higher-paid, and more visible stars such as Hogan, Sting, and Diamond Dallas Page. Though initially well-received, the storyline quickly degenerated into yet another nWo rehash, with the heel nWo recast as the New Blood and the face WCW embodied in the Millionaire's Club. As well, the unorthodox and often controversial storylines continued. These included making [[actor]] [[David Arquette]] the WCW Champion in order to promote a WCW-themed [[film|movie]], ''[[Ready to Rumble]]''; Russo himself winning the WCW Championship in September 2000 (Russo, like Arquette, was not a trained wrestler); a [[botch (professional wrestling)|botched]] June heel turn for Goldberg that greatly diminished his drawing power; and a [[shoot (professional wrestling)|shoot speech]] by Russo at [[Bash at the Beach#2000|Bash at the Beach 2000]] aimed at Hulk Hogan which led to Hogan resigning and filing a [[slander and libel|defamation of character]] lawsuit against the company (which was eventually dismissed in 2002). Bischoff vanished once more in July 2000, and Russo was gone from WCW completely by late 2000, leaving [[Terry Taylor]] holding the reins.
{{details|Hulk_Hogan#The_end_of_Hogan_in_WCW}}
Meanwhile, when [[Time Warner]] bought out Turner's cable empire in 1996, it also purchased WCW. Even though Turner was a big fan and faithful to the professional wrestling shows on his stations (a professional wrestling program had helped get Turner's very first TV station, [[WTBS]], off the ground, and WCW was, in fact, the modern incarnation of the promotion that Turner had run on WTBS back in those days) regardless of whether it was losing him money, Time Warner did not share his loyalty, especially when accounts showed that WCW was losing between [[United States dollar|$]]12-$17 million a year because of its decline. However, Turner was still the single largest Time Warner shareholder, and WCW was supported at his behest. When [[America Online|AOL]] merged with Time Warner in 2000, Turner was effectively forced out of his own empire. The new [[Time Warner#AOL Merger|AOL Time Warner]] finally had the power to auction off WCW, which they saw as an unnecessary drain on resources.

In late 2000, Bischoff and a group of private investors, calling themselves [[Fusient Media Ventures]], inquired about buying WCW but backed out when Turner networks head (and [[WB Television Network|The WB]] founder) [[Jamie Kellner]] formally cancelled all WCW programming from its TV networks. With no network to air its programming, WCW was of little value to Fusient, whose offer was dependent on the Turner networks continuing to air WCW programming.

On [[March 23]] [[2001]], virtually all of WCW's trademarks and archived footage, was sold to Vince McMahon and World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. for a paltry [[United States dollar|$]]7 million (although the [[book]] ''The Death of WCW'' said it was less than $3 million).

A gloating McMahon opened the last-ever episode of ''WCW Monday Nitro'' simulcast with ''RAW'' on [[March 26]], [[2001 in television|2001]] with a self-praising speech. Sting vs. Ric Flair (won by Sting) was the highlight nostalgia match of the final broadcast, ending affectionately with a respectful embrace. The broadcast ended with the US Champion, Booker T, cleanly defeating the world champion, Scott Steiner, to become WCW's final World Heavyweight Champion, as well as its final US Heavyweight Champion.
[[Image:Wcwalliancelogo.gif|right|thumb|200px|The WCW logo used in the WWF during the 2001 Invasion storyline.]]
When Vince came on ''RAW'' after the Sting/Flair match to declare victory over WCW, Vince's son [[Shane McMahon]] appeared at the ''Nitro'' event, declaring that ''he'' had bought WCW. However, this was [[kayfabe]] and part of a WWF storyline that would have Shane leading the [[The Invasion|WCW Invasion of the WWF]] (a highly anticipated storyline which many considered a squandered opportunity), which lasted from March to November 2001 and marked the end of WCW. Despite aborted attempts to run WCW-branded events, the WWF only ran a handful of matches on ''RAW'' and ''SmackDown!'' under the WCW banner.

When the WWF bought WCW in March 2001, several top WCW wrestlers, including Goldberg, Scott Steiner, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Sting had high-priced contracts with AOL Time Warner that WWF was unwilling to pick up. Rather than trying to get a buyout of their contracts and taking a pay cut to go to WWF, they chose to sit home and got paid for the remainders of their WCW contracts. This is most often cited as being the main reason the planned WCW Invasion of WWF storyline failed. The WCW was not seen as a powerhouse organization invading WWF when most of their top stars did not appear. However, all of the above wrestlers except Sting signed contracts with the WWE after the Invasion subsided.

The WCW World Heavyweight Championship (which was renamed the World Championship) would continue to be used in WWF until it was merged with the WWF Championship into the [[WWE Undisputed Championship|WWF Undisputed Championship]] when Chris Jericho defeated The Rock and Steve Austin for the respective titles on [[December 9]], [[2001]] on the PPV, [[WWE Vengeance#2001|Vengeance]].

Although new professional wrestling alternatives such as [[Total Nonstop Action Wrestling]] and [[Ring of Honor]] have seen rising popularity in recent years, none have achieved the mainstream popularity or financial support that WCW enjoyed and thus are not yet considered competitive with WWE.

==Final champions==
This is a list of the champions as they were at the end of the last ''WCW Monday Nitro'' on [[March 26]], [[2001 in television|2001]] (though all these titles, with the exception of the Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship, continued to be active in WWF until November of that year).
{| class="wikitable"
!Championship
!Final champion(s)
|-
|[[WCW World Heavyweight Championship|WCW World Heavyweight Champion]]
|[[Booker Huffman|Booker T]]
|-
|[[WWE United States Championship|WCW United States Champion]]
|[[Booker Huffman|Booker T]]
|-
|[[WCW World Tag Team Championship|WCW World Tag Team Champions]]
|[[Chuck Palumbo]] and [[Sean O'Haire]]
|-
|[[WWE Cruiserweight Championship|WCW Cruiserweight Champion]]
|[[Gregory Helms|Shane Helms]]
|-
|[[WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship|WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Champions]]
|[[Peter Gruner|Billy Kidman]] and [[Oscar Gutierrez|Rey Mysterio]]
|-
|}

Here's a list of the final WCW Champions under the WWF banner.

{| class="wikitable"
!Championship
!Final champion(s)
|-
|[[WCW World Heavyweight Championship|WCW World Heavyweight Champion]]1
|[[Chris Jericho]]
|-
|[[WCW World Tag Team Championship|WCW World Tag Team Champions]]3
|[[Dudley Boyz|The Dudley Boyz]]
|-
|}

'''Footnotes'''
*1Renamed the '''World Championship''' after ''[[Survivor Series#2001|Survivor Series 2001]]''; unified with the [[WWE Championship|WWF Championship]] at ''[[WWE Vengeance#2001|Vengeance 2001]]''. The belt design was later reintroduced as the WWE sanctioned [[World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)|World Heavyweight Championship]] as a [[WWE RAW|RAW]] exclusive title in September 2002 (now exclusive to SmackDown!).
*2Unified with the [[WWE Intercontinental Championship|WWE Intercontinental Championship]] at ''Survivor Series 2001''; reactivated as a WWE sanctioned title on [[WWE Friday Night SmackDown!|''SmackDown!'']] in 2003 by then-General Manager [[Stephanie McMahon-Levesque|Stephanie McMahon]].
*3Unified with the [[WWE World Tag Team Championship|WWE World Tag Team Championship]] at ''Survivor Series 2001''.
*4Title adopted by the WWF after ''Survivor Series 2001''; renamed the WWF / WWE Cruiserweight Championship.

==WCW titles==
*[[WCW World Heavyweight Championship]]
*[[WWE United States Championship|WCW United States Heavyweight Championship]]
*[[WWE Cruiserweight Championship|WCW Cruiserweight Championship]]
*[[WCW World Tag Team Championship]]
*[[WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship]]
*[[WCW Television Championship|WCW World Television Championship]]
*[[WCW Hardcore Championship]]
*[[WCW United States Tag Team Championship]]
*[[WCW World Six-Man Tag Team Championship]]
*[[WCW International World Heavyweight Championship]]
*[[WCW Light Heavyweight Championship]]
*[[WCW Women's Championship]]
*[[WCW Women's Cruiserweight Championship]]

==WCW special tournaments==
*[[WCW Jesse "The Body" Ventura Strongest Arm Tournament]] (1992-1993)
*[[WCW King of Cable Tournament]] (1992)
*[[WCW/NWA Gauntlet Series]] (1990)
*[[WCW Battle Bowl]]
*[[WCW Lethal Lottery]]

==Books/DVD==
*''[[The Death of WCW]]'' by R.D. Reynolds and Bryan Alvarez, 2004, ISBN 1-55022-661-4.
*''[[The Monday Night War: WWE Raw vs. WCW Monday Nitro]]'' World Wrestling Entertainment, 2004, ASIN B0001CCXCA.

==See also==
*[[World Championship Wrestling alumni]]
*[[Wcw_women|WCW Women]]
*[[List of professional wrestlers]]
*[[List of professional wrestling stables]]
*[[List of WCW pay-per-view events]]
*[[List of WCW programming|List of WCW television programming]]
*[[Jim Crockett Promotions]]
*[[The Alliance]]
*[[Monday Night Wars]]
*[[Nitro Girls]]
*[[WCW Monday Nitro]]
*[[WCW Thunder]]
*[[WCW Power Plant]]

== External links ==
*[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/ WCW Title Histories]
*[http://www.ddtdigest.com/ DDT Digest - "The Unofficial Resting Place Of WCW"]

[[Category:1986 establishments]]
[[Category:2001 disestablishments]]
[[Category:Defunct companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Sports in Atlanta]]
[[Category:Time Warner subsidiaries]]
[[Category:World Championship Wrestling]]

[[da:World Championship Wrestling]]
[[de:World Championship Wrestling]]
[[es:World Championship Wrestling]]
[[it:World Championship Wrestling]]
[[nl:WCW]]
[[ja:WCW]]
[[no:World Championship Wrestling]]
[[pt:World Championship Wrestling]]
[[fi:WCW]]
[[tr:WCW]]

Ole Anderson

2006-09-02T00:05:43Z

71.201.198.12: /* Career */

{{Infobox Wrestler|name= Ole Anderson
|image= Ole_Anderson.jpg
|names=The Rock, Rock Rogowski, '''Ole Anderson'''
|height= 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
|weight= 256 lb (116 kg)
|birth_date = [[September 22]], [[1942]]
|death_date =
|birth_place = [[Minneapolis, Minnesota]]
|resides=
|billed=
|trainer= [[Verne Gagne]]
|debut= [[1967]]
|retired= [[1993]]
|}}

'''Alan Rogowski''', better known by his [[ring name]] '''Ole Anderson''', is a retired [[professional wrestling]] performer and a promoter. He held numerous [[NWA World Tag Team Championship]]s with [[Gene Anderson]] who was portrayed as his brother.

== Career ==
Anderson started wrestling in [[1967]] in the [[American Wrestling Association]] (AWA) as '''Rock Rogowski''', where he held the AWA Midwest Heavyweight and the AWA Midwest Tag Team Titles.

He went on to work for [[National Wrestling Alliance]]-sanctioned promotions such as [[Jim Crockett Promotions]] (JCP, out of [[Charlotte, North Carolina]]) and [[Georgia Championship Wrestling]] (GCW), where he adopted the ring name '''Ole Anderson''', and formed what became a legendary tag team called the [[Minnesota Wrecking Crew]] with his "brothers" [[Gene Anderson]] and Lars Anderson. Lars left the team in the early [[1970s]] and the team of Ole & Gene became synonomous with tag team wrestling in JCP and GCW for many years running.

The Andersons [[Feud (professional wrestling)|feuded]] with such stars as [[Tim Woods|Mr. Wrestling]] & [[Mr. Wrestling II]], [[Wahoo McDaniel]], [[Jack Brisco]], [[Gerald Brisco|Jerry Brisco]], [[Tommy Rich]], Johnny Weaver, Dino Bravo, Paul Jones, Ric Flair, Greg Valentine, Ricky Steamboat, Rufus R. Jones, The Mongols, and [[Claude Patterson|Thunderbolt Patterson]] throughout the 1970s and early 1980s.

Behind the scenes, Anderson was also the primary booker for GCW and also had a stint booking JCP in 1981-82. For a time he even booked both companies simultaneously, often times combining both rosters for supercards which were noted for offering some of the best action in the business at that time. He later left JCP to book and wrestle for GCW full-time.

When owners Jack and Jerry Brisco sold that [[Professional wrestling promotion|promotion]] to [[Vince McMahon]], Anderson resisted the change, and joined forces with longtime NWA-sanctioned promoters Fred Ward and Ralph Freed to start a new company called [[Championship Wrestling from Georgia]].

In April [[1985]], Jim Crockett Promotions and Championship Wrestling from Georgia essentially merged. Anderson was teaming with Thunderbolt Patterson in CWG just as Marty Lunde was debuting in JCP as [[Arn Anderson]]. It seemed like a natural fit to put the two "Andersons" together. Anderson soon turned on Thunderbolt and teamed with Arn as the [[Minnesota Wrecking Crew]].

In [[1986]], Anderson became part of the original [[Four Horsemen (professional wrestling)|Four Horsemen]], a heel [[stable]], with [[Ric Flair]], [[Arn Anderson]], [[Tully Blanchard]], and manager [[James J. Dillon]]. During his time in the Horsemen, Anderson feuded with [[Terry Allen (wrestler)|Magnum T.A.]], [[Virgil Runnels, Jr.|Dusty Rhodes]], The [[Rock 'N Roll Express]] and the [[Road Warriors]]. Anderson was later kicked out of the group in favor of [[Lex Luger]] in early 1987.

Anderson retired in 1988, when his son, Brian, was starting his own amateur wrestling career. Brian would wrestle later in [[World Championship Wrestling|WCW]] as [[Bryant Anderson]].

Anderson returned to wrestling with WCW in 1989 to reform the Four Horsemen with Flair, Arn and [[Sting (wrestler)|Sting]]. They quickly kicked Sting out of the group, and Anderson retired again to manage the Horsemen, who by then also included [[Barry Windham]] and [[Sid Eudy|Sid Vicious]].

By 1990, Anderson had been chosen to head the booking committee for WCW, which was at that time beginning to phase out the use of the NWA name on its television programming. Appearing in the credits for WCW [[Pay-per-view]]s (PPVs) under his real name, Anderson was responsible for some of the more infamous creative ideas tried by WCW. Among his creations were [[The Black Scorpion]], which was intended to be a nemesis from Sting's past. After several miscues, the Scorpion's identity was eventually revealed as Ric Flair, in a ploy to confuse Sting and force him to lose the [[WCW World Heavyweight Championship]].

[[Image:Ole_&_Gene_Anderson.jpg|right|thumb|170px|Gene & Ole Anderson]]

==Wrestling facts==
*'''Managers'''
*[[James J. Dillon]]

*'''Factions'''
*[[Four Horsemen (professional wrestling)|Four Horsemen]]
*[[Minnesota Wrecking Crew]]

*'''Wrestlers managed'''
{| border=0 |
| valign=top |
*[[Arn Anderson]]
*[[Bryant Anderson]]
*[[Wayne Bloom]]
*[[Paul Ellering]]
| valign=top |
*[[Mike Enos]]
*[[Ric Flair]]
*[[Michael Hayes]]
*[[Afa Anoai|Samoan Afa]]
| valign=top |
*[[Sika Anoai|Samoan Sika]]
*[[Sid Eudy|Sid Vicious]]
*[[Barry Windham]]
|}

==Championships and accomplishments==
*'''[[American Wrestling Association]]'''
**1-Time [[AWA Midwest Heavyweight Championship|AWA Midwest Heavyweight Champion]]
**2-Time [[AWA Midwest Tag Team Championship|AWA Midwest Tag Team Champion]] (with Ox Baker and The Claw)
*'''[[Florida Championship Wrestling]]'''
**1-Time [[NWA Florida Tag Team Championship|Florida Tag Team Champion]] (with [[Ron Garvin]])
**1-Time [[NWA Florida Television Championship|Florida Television Champion]]
*'''[[Georgia Championship Wrestling]]'''
**16-Time Georgia Tag Team Champion (with Gene Anderson 6 times, [[Oreeal Perras|Ivan Koloff]] 5 times, [[Lawrence Heinemi|Lars Anderson]] 2 times, Rene Goulet once, [[Ernie Ladd]] once and [[Floyd Gerald Brisco|Jerry Brisco]] once)
**1-Time Georgia Television Champion
*'''Halls of Fame'''
**Ole was inducted into the [[WCW Hall of Fame]] in 1994.
*'''[[National Wrestling Alliance]]'''
**10-Time [[NWA World Tag Team Championship|NWA World Tag Team Champion]] (with [[Gene Anderson]] 9 times and [[Stan Hansen]] once)
**5-Time [[NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship|NWA Atlantic Coast Tag Team Champion]] (with Gene Anderson)
**1-Time [[NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship|NWA Eastern States Heavyweight Champion]]
**1-Time [[NWA World Television Championship|"NWA" Mid-Atlantic Television Champion]]
**2-Time [[NWA National Tag Team Championship|"NWA" National Tag Team Champion]] (with [[Arn Anderson]] and Thunderbolt Patterson)
*'''[[Pro Wrestling Illustrated]]'''
**PWI ranked Ole '''#74''' of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003. He was also named to two of the best tag teams of the "PWI Years" in 2003. He was '''#66''' with [[Stan Hansen]] and '''#79''' with Arn Anderson. His team with Gene Anderson was before the "PWI Years", so they did not qualify.
**Ole also won two PWI Tag Team of the Year awards with Gene. They were in 1975 and 1977.
*'''Southeast Championship Wrestling'''
**1-Time [[NWA Southeast Heavyweight Championship|NWA Southeast Heavyweight Champion]]

*'''[[Wrestling Observer Newsletter]]'''
**1982 Tag Team of the Year (with Stan Hansen)

===Championship succession===
{{start box}}
| colspan = 3 align = center | '''[[NWA World Tag Team Championship]]'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''-'''
| width = 40% align = center | First w/ [[Gene Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''[[Wahoo McDaniel ]] & [[Paul Jones (wrestler)|Paul Jones]]'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''[[Wahoo McDaniel ]] & [[Paul Jones (wrestler)|Paul Jones]]'''
| width = 40% align = center | Second w/ [[Gene Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''[[Steve Keirn]] & Tiger Conway, Jr.'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''[[Steve Keirn]] & Tiger Conway, Jr.'''
| width = 40% align = center | Third w/ [[Gene Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''[[Wahoo McDaniel]] & Rufus R. Jones'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''[[Wahoo McDaniel]] & Rufus R. Jones'''
| width = 40% align = center | Fourth w/ [[Gene Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''[[Tim Woods (wrestler)|Mr. Wrestling]] & [[Adolfo Bresciano|Dino Bravo]]'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''[[Tim Woods (wrestler)|Mr. Wrestling]] & [[Adolfo Bresciano|Dino Bravo]]'''
| width = 40% align = center | Fifth w/ [[Gene Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''[[Ric Flair]] & [[Greg Valentine]]'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''[[Ric Flair]] & [[Greg Valentine]]'''
| width = 40% align = center | Sixth w/ [[Gene Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''[[Tim Woods (wrestler)|Mr. Wrestling]] & [[Mr. Wrestling II]]'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''[[Tim Woods (wrestler)|Mr. Wrestling]] & [[Mr. Wrestling II]]'''
| width = 40% align = center | Seventh w/ [[Gene Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''[[Virgil Runnels, Jr.|Dusty Rhodes]] & [[Dick Slater]]'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''[[Virgil Runnels, Jr.|Dusty Rhodes]] & [[Dick Slater]]'''
| width = 40% align = center | Eighth w/ [[Gene Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''[[Ric Flair]] & [[Greg Valentine]]'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''[[Paul Jones (wrestler)|Paul Jones]] & Masked Superstar'''
| width = 40% align = center | Ninth w/ [[Gene Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''-'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''-'''
| width = 40% align = center | Tenth w/ [[Stan Hansen]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''-'''
|-
| colspan = 3 align = center | '''[[NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship]]'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''Johnny Weaver & George Becker'''
| width = 40% align = center | First w/ [[Gene Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''[[Paul Jones (wrestler)|Paul Jones]] & Nelson Royal'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''Johnny Weaver & Art Neilson'''
| width = 40% align = center | Second w/ [[Gene Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''[[Gerald Brisco|Jerry Brisco]] & Thunderbolt Patterson'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''[[Gerald Brisco|Jerry Brisco]] & Thunderbolt Patterson'''
| width = 40% align = center | Third w/ [[Gene Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''Sandy Scott & Nelson Royal'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''Brute Bernard & Jay York'''
| width = 40% align = center | Fourth w/ [[Gene Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''[[Paul Jones (wrestler)|Paul Jones]] & Bob Bruggers'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''[[Paul Jones (wrestler)|Paul Jones]] & Bob Bruggers'''
| width = 40% align = center | Fifth w/ [[Gene Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''[[Paul Jones (wrestler)|Paul Jones]] & Bob Bruggers'''
|-
| colspan = 3 align = center | '''[[NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship|NWA Atlantic Coast Tag Team Championship]]'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''Johnny Weaver & George Becker'''
| width = 40% align = center | First w/ [[Gene Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''[[Paul Jones (wrestler)|Paul Jones]] & Nelson Royal'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''Johnny Weaver & Art Neilson'''
| width = 40% align = center | Second w/ [[Gene Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''[[Gerald Brisco|Jerry Brisco]] & Thunderbolt Patterson'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''[[Gerald Brisco|Jerry Brisco]] & Thunderbolt Patterson'''
| width = 40% align = center | Third w/ [[Gene Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''Sandy Scott & Nelson Royal'''
|-
| colspan = 3 align = center | '''[[NWA World Television Championship|NWA Mid-Atlantic Television Championship]]'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''-'''
| width = 40% align = center | First
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''Danny Miller'''
|-
| colspan = 3 align = center | '''[[NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship|NWA Eastern States Heavyweight Championship]]'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''[[Gerald Brisco|Jerry Brisco]]'''
| width = 40% align = center | First
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''[[Gerald Brisco|Jerry Brisco]]'''
|-
| colspan = 3 align = center | '''[[NWA National Tag Team Championship]]'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''[[Barney Irwin|Bill Irwin]] & [[Scott Irwin]]'''
| width = 40% align = center | First w/ Thunderbolt Patterson
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''-'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''-'''
| width = 40% align = center | Second w/ [[Arn Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''-'''
|-
{{end box}}

==Trivia==
Rogowski ''is not'' related to Ric Flair or any of the Andersons. His son, Brian Rogowski, wrestled as [[Bryant Anderson]] in [[WCW]]. Brian is Rogowski's only real relative involved in professional wrestling.

==Books==
Autobiography: ''Inside Out'', 2003 with Scott Teal, ISBN 0-9745545-0-2

[[Category:American professional wrestlers|Anderson, Ole]]
[[Category:AWA alumni|Anderson, Ole]]
[[Category:1942 births|Anderson, Ole]]
[[Category:Living people|Anderson, Ole]]
[[Category:Professional wrestling managers and valets|Anderson, Ole]]
[[Category:People from Minneapolis, Minnesota|Anderson, Ole]]
[[Category:Anderson wrestling family|Anderson, Ole]]
[[Category:Professional wrestling executives|Anderson, Ole]]
[[Category:Professional wrestling referees|Anderson, Ole]]
[[Category:The Four Horsemen|Anderson, Ole]]
[[Category:Polish-Americans|Anderson, Ole]]
[[Category:World Championship Wrestling alumni|Anderson, Ole]]

Ole Anderson

2006-09-01T23:57:32Z

71.201.198.12: /* Career */

{{Infobox Wrestler|name= Ole Anderson
|image= Ole_Anderson.jpg
|names=The Rock, Rock Rogowski, '''Ole Anderson'''
|height= 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
|weight= 256 lb (116 kg)
|birth_date = [[September 22]], [[1942]]
|death_date =
|birth_place = [[Minneapolis, Minnesota]]
|resides=
|billed=
|trainer= [[Verne Gagne]]
|debut= [[1967]]
|retired= [[1993]]
|}}

'''Alan Rogowski''', better known by his [[ring name]] '''Ole Anderson''', is a retired [[professional wrestling]] performer and a promoter. He held numerous [[NWA World Tag Team Championship]]s with [[Gene Anderson]] who was portrayed as his brother.

== Career ==
Anderson started wrestling in [[1967]] in the [[American Wrestling Association]] (AWA) as '''Rock Rogowski''', where he held the AWA Midwest Heavyweight and the AWA Midwest Tag Team Titles.

He went on to work for [[National Wrestling Alliance]]-sanctioned promotions such as [[Jim Crockett Promotions]] (JCP, out of [[Charlotte, North Carolina]]) and [[Georgia Championship Wrestling]] (GCW), where he adopted the ring name '''Ole Anderson''', and formed what became a legendary tag team called the [[Minnesota Wrecking Crew]] with his "brothers" [[Gene Anderson]] and Lars Anderson. Lars left the team in the early [[1970s]] and the team of Ole & Gene became synonomous with tag team wrestling in JCP and GCW for many years running.

The Andersons [[Feud (professional wrestling)|feuded]] with such stars as [[Tim Woods|Mr. Wrestling]] & [[Mr. Wrestling II]], [[Wahoo McDaniel]], [[Jack Brisco]], [[Gerald Brisco|Jerry Brisco]], [[Tommy Rich]], Johnny Weaver, Dino Bravo, Paul Jones, Ric Flair, Greg Valentine, Ricky Steamboat, Rufus R. Jones, The Mongols, and [[Claude Patterson|Thunderbolt Patterson]] throughout the 1970s and early 1980s.

Behind the scenes, Anderson was also the primary booker for GCW and also had a stint booking JCP in 1981-82. For a time he even booked both companies simultaneously, often times combining both rosters for supercards which were noted for offering some of the best action in the business at that time. He later left JCP to book and wrestle for GCW full-time.

When owners Jack and Jerry Brisco sold that [[Professional wrestling promotion|promotion]] to [[Vince McMahon]], Anderson resisted the change, and joined forces with longtime NWA-sanctioned promoters Fred Ward and Ralph Freed to start a new company called [[Championship Wrestling from Georgia]].

In April [[1985]], Jim Crockett Promotions and Championship Wrestling from Georgia essentially merged. Anderson was teaming with Thunderbolt Patterson in CWG just as Marty Lunde was debuting in JCP as [[Arn Anderson]]. It seemed like a natural fit to put the two "Andersons" together. Anderson soon turned on Thunderbolt and teamed with Arn as the [[Minnesota Wrecking Crew]].

In [[1986]], Anderson became part of the original [[Four Horsemen (professional wrestling)|Four Horsemen]], a heel [[stable]], with [[Ric Flair]], [[Arn Anderson]], [[Tully Blanchard]], and manager [[James J. Dillon]]. During his time in the Horsemen, Anderson feuded with [[Terry Allen (wrestler)|Magnum T.A.]], [[Virgil Runnels, Jr.|Dusty Rhodes]], The [[Rock 'N Roll Express]] and the [[Road Warriors]]. Anderson was later kicked out of the group in favor of [[Lex Luger]] in early 1987.

Anderson retired in 1988, when his son, Brian, was starting his own amateur wrestling career. Brian would wrestle later in [[World Championship Wrestling|WCW]] as [[Bryant Anderson]].

Anderson returned to wrestling with WCW in 1989 to reform the Four Horsemen with Flair, Arn and [[Sting (wrestler)|Sting]]. They quickly kicked Sting out of the group, and Anderson retired again to manage the Horsemen, who by then also included [[Barry Windham]] and [[Sid Eudy|Sid Vicious]].

By 1990, Anderson had been chosen to head the booking committee for WCW, which was at that time beginning to phase out the use of the NWA name on its television programming. Appearing in the credits for WCW [[Pay-per-view]]s (PPVs) under his real name, Anderson was responsible for some of the more infamous creative ideas tried by WCW. Among his creations were [[The Black Scorpion]], which was intended to be a nemesis from Sting's past. The poorly-conceived [[Gimmick (professional wrestling)|gimmick]] (originally voiced by Anderson) was intended to be a vehicle for bringing in [[Warrior (wrestler)|The Ultimate Warrior]], but Warrior had no interest in leaving the [[World Wrestling Entertainment|World Wrestling Federation]] (WWF). After several miscues, the Scorpion's identity was eventually revealed as Ric Flair, in a ploy to confuse Sting and force him to lose the [[WCW World Heavyweight Championship]].

Anderson briefly appeared on WCW TV in 1993 during a short-lived Four Horsemen reunion, but quickly disappeared from television soon after. He was fired from the company by new WCW head [[Eric Bischoff]] when he tried to get his son a job in [[Smoky Mountain Wrestling]] after his son got fired by Bischoff while training at the [[WCW Power Plant]] and letting Smoky Mountain head [[Jim Cornette]] on WCW property to consult with him. He is now mostly retired from wrestling, although he does make frequent appearances as wrestling conventions and other gatherings.

[[Image:Ole_&_Gene_Anderson.jpg|right|thumb|170px|Gene & Ole Anderson]]

==Wrestling facts==
*'''Managers'''
*[[James J. Dillon]]

*'''Factions'''
*[[Four Horsemen (professional wrestling)|Four Horsemen]]
*[[Minnesota Wrecking Crew]]

*'''Wrestlers managed'''
{| border=0 |
| valign=top |
*[[Arn Anderson]]
*[[Bryant Anderson]]
*[[Wayne Bloom]]
*[[Paul Ellering]]
| valign=top |
*[[Mike Enos]]
*[[Ric Flair]]
*[[Michael Hayes]]
*[[Afa Anoai|Samoan Afa]]
| valign=top |
*[[Sika Anoai|Samoan Sika]]
*[[Sid Eudy|Sid Vicious]]
*[[Barry Windham]]
|}

==Championships and accomplishments==
*'''[[American Wrestling Association]]'''
**1-Time [[AWA Midwest Heavyweight Championship|AWA Midwest Heavyweight Champion]]
**2-Time [[AWA Midwest Tag Team Championship|AWA Midwest Tag Team Champion]] (with Ox Baker and The Claw)
*'''[[Florida Championship Wrestling]]'''
**1-Time [[NWA Florida Tag Team Championship|Florida Tag Team Champion]] (with [[Ron Garvin]])
**1-Time [[NWA Florida Television Championship|Florida Television Champion]]
*'''[[Georgia Championship Wrestling]]'''
**16-Time Georgia Tag Team Champion (with Gene Anderson 6 times, [[Oreeal Perras|Ivan Koloff]] 5 times, [[Lawrence Heinemi|Lars Anderson]] 2 times, Rene Goulet once, [[Ernie Ladd]] once and [[Floyd Gerald Brisco|Jerry Brisco]] once)
**1-Time Georgia Television Champion
*'''Halls of Fame'''
**Ole was inducted into the [[WCW Hall of Fame]] in 1994.
*'''[[National Wrestling Alliance]]'''
**10-Time [[NWA World Tag Team Championship|NWA World Tag Team Champion]] (with [[Gene Anderson]] 9 times and [[Stan Hansen]] once)
**5-Time [[NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship|NWA Atlantic Coast Tag Team Champion]] (with Gene Anderson)
**1-Time [[NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship|NWA Eastern States Heavyweight Champion]]
**1-Time [[NWA World Television Championship|"NWA" Mid-Atlantic Television Champion]]
**2-Time [[NWA National Tag Team Championship|"NWA" National Tag Team Champion]] (with [[Arn Anderson]] and Thunderbolt Patterson)
*'''[[Pro Wrestling Illustrated]]'''
**PWI ranked Ole '''#74''' of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003. He was also named to two of the best tag teams of the "PWI Years" in 2003. He was '''#66''' with [[Stan Hansen]] and '''#79''' with Arn Anderson. His team with Gene Anderson was before the "PWI Years", so they did not qualify.
**Ole also won two PWI Tag Team of the Year awards with Gene. They were in 1975 and 1977.
*'''Southeast Championship Wrestling'''
**1-Time [[NWA Southeast Heavyweight Championship|NWA Southeast Heavyweight Champion]]

*'''[[Wrestling Observer Newsletter]]'''
**1982 Tag Team of the Year (with Stan Hansen)

===Championship succession===
{{start box}}
| colspan = 3 align = center | '''[[NWA World Tag Team Championship]]'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''-'''
| width = 40% align = center | First w/ [[Gene Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''[[Wahoo McDaniel ]] & [[Paul Jones (wrestler)|Paul Jones]]'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''[[Wahoo McDaniel ]] & [[Paul Jones (wrestler)|Paul Jones]]'''
| width = 40% align = center | Second w/ [[Gene Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''[[Steve Keirn]] & Tiger Conway, Jr.'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''[[Steve Keirn]] & Tiger Conway, Jr.'''
| width = 40% align = center | Third w/ [[Gene Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''[[Wahoo McDaniel]] & Rufus R. Jones'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''[[Wahoo McDaniel]] & Rufus R. Jones'''
| width = 40% align = center | Fourth w/ [[Gene Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''[[Tim Woods (wrestler)|Mr. Wrestling]] & [[Adolfo Bresciano|Dino Bravo]]'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''[[Tim Woods (wrestler)|Mr. Wrestling]] & [[Adolfo Bresciano|Dino Bravo]]'''
| width = 40% align = center | Fifth w/ [[Gene Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''[[Ric Flair]] & [[Greg Valentine]]'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''[[Ric Flair]] & [[Greg Valentine]]'''
| width = 40% align = center | Sixth w/ [[Gene Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''[[Tim Woods (wrestler)|Mr. Wrestling]] & [[Mr. Wrestling II]]'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''[[Tim Woods (wrestler)|Mr. Wrestling]] & [[Mr. Wrestling II]]'''
| width = 40% align = center | Seventh w/ [[Gene Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''[[Virgil Runnels, Jr.|Dusty Rhodes]] & [[Dick Slater]]'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''[[Virgil Runnels, Jr.|Dusty Rhodes]] & [[Dick Slater]]'''
| width = 40% align = center | Eighth w/ [[Gene Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''[[Ric Flair]] & [[Greg Valentine]]'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''[[Paul Jones (wrestler)|Paul Jones]] & Masked Superstar'''
| width = 40% align = center | Ninth w/ [[Gene Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''-'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''-'''
| width = 40% align = center | Tenth w/ [[Stan Hansen]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''-'''
|-
| colspan = 3 align = center | '''[[NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship]]'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''Johnny Weaver & George Becker'''
| width = 40% align = center | First w/ [[Gene Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''[[Paul Jones (wrestler)|Paul Jones]] & Nelson Royal'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''Johnny Weaver & Art Neilson'''
| width = 40% align = center | Second w/ [[Gene Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''[[Gerald Brisco|Jerry Brisco]] & Thunderbolt Patterson'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''[[Gerald Brisco|Jerry Brisco]] & Thunderbolt Patterson'''
| width = 40% align = center | Third w/ [[Gene Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''Sandy Scott & Nelson Royal'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''Brute Bernard & Jay York'''
| width = 40% align = center | Fourth w/ [[Gene Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''[[Paul Jones (wrestler)|Paul Jones]] & Bob Bruggers'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''[[Paul Jones (wrestler)|Paul Jones]] & Bob Bruggers'''
| width = 40% align = center | Fifth w/ [[Gene Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''[[Paul Jones (wrestler)|Paul Jones]] & Bob Bruggers'''
|-
| colspan = 3 align = center | '''[[NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship|NWA Atlantic Coast Tag Team Championship]]'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''Johnny Weaver & George Becker'''
| width = 40% align = center | First w/ [[Gene Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''[[Paul Jones (wrestler)|Paul Jones]] & Nelson Royal'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''Johnny Weaver & Art Neilson'''
| width = 40% align = center | Second w/ [[Gene Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''[[Gerald Brisco|Jerry Brisco]] & Thunderbolt Patterson'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''[[Gerald Brisco|Jerry Brisco]] & Thunderbolt Patterson'''
| width = 40% align = center | Third w/ [[Gene Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''Sandy Scott & Nelson Royal'''
|-
| colspan = 3 align = center | '''[[NWA World Television Championship|NWA Mid-Atlantic Television Championship]]'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''-'''
| width = 40% align = center | First
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''Danny Miller'''
|-
| colspan = 3 align = center | '''[[NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship|NWA Eastern States Heavyweight Championship]]'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''[[Gerald Brisco|Jerry Brisco]]'''
| width = 40% align = center | First
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''[[Gerald Brisco|Jerry Brisco]]'''
|-
| colspan = 3 align = center | '''[[NWA National Tag Team Championship]]'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''[[Barney Irwin|Bill Irwin]] & [[Scott Irwin]]'''
| width = 40% align = center | First w/ Thunderbolt Patterson
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''-'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''-'''
| width = 40% align = center | Second w/ [[Arn Anderson]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''-'''
|-
{{end box}}

==Trivia==
Rogowski ''is not'' related to Ric Flair or any of the Andersons. His son, Brian Rogowski, wrestled as [[Bryant Anderson]] in [[WCW]]. Brian is Rogowski's only real relative involved in professional wrestling.

==Books==
Autobiography: ''Inside Out'', 2003 with Scott Teal, ISBN 0-9745545-0-2

[[Category:American professional wrestlers|Anderson, Ole]]
[[Category:AWA alumni|Anderson, Ole]]
[[Category:1942 births|Anderson, Ole]]
[[Category:Living people|Anderson, Ole]]
[[Category:Professional wrestling managers and valets|Anderson, Ole]]
[[Category:People from Minneapolis, Minnesota|Anderson, Ole]]
[[Category:Anderson wrestling family|Anderson, Ole]]
[[Category:Professional wrestling executives|Anderson, Ole]]
[[Category:Professional wrestling referees|Anderson, Ole]]
[[Category:The Four Horsemen|Anderson, Ole]]
[[Category:Polish-Americans|Anderson, Ole]]
[[Category:World Championship Wrestling alumni|Anderson, Ole]]

Method acting

2006-08-31T04:37:50Z

71.201.198.12: /* Method Actors */

'''Method acting''' is an [[acting]] technique in which [[actor]]s try to replicate in real life the emotional conditions under which the character operates, in an effort to create a life-like, realistic performance. "The Method" typically refers to the generic practice of actors drawing on their own emotions, memories, and experiences to influence their portrayals of characters.

==Origins==
Mainly an [[United States|American]] school, "The Method" was popularized by [[Lee Strasberg]] at [[The Actors Studio]] and the [[Group Theatre]], in [[New York City]] in the [[1940s]] and [[1950s]]. It was derived from "the [[Stanislavski System]]", after [[Konstantin Stanislavski]], who pioneered similar ideas in his quest for "theatrical truth." This was done through friendships with Russia's leading actors as well as his teachings, writings, and acting at the [[Moscow Art Theater]] (founded [[1897]]).

Strasberg's students included many of America's most famous actors of the 20th century, including [[Paul Newman]], [[Al Pacino]], [[James Dean]], [[Marilyn Monroe]] and many others.

==Technique==

Some consider Method acting difficult to teach. Partially this is because of a common misconception that there is a single "method." "The Method" (versus "the method" with a lower-case m) usually refers to [[Lee Strasberg]]'s teachings but really no one method has been laid down. [[Stanislavski]] himself changed his method constantly and dramatically over the course of his career. This plurality and ambiguity can make it hard to teach a single method. It is also partially because sometimes method acting is characterized by outsiders as lacking in any specific or technical approach to acting, while the abundance of training schools, syllabi and years spent learning contradict this. In general, however, method acting combines a careful consideration of the psychological motives of the character and some sort of personal identification with and possibly the reproduction of the character's emotional state in a realistic way. It usually forms an antithesis to clichéd, unrealistic, and so-called rubber-stamp or indicated acting. Mostly, however, the surmising done about the character and the elusive, capricious or sensitive nature of emotions combine to make method acting difficult to teach.

Depending on the exact version taught by the numerous directors and teachers who claim to propagate the fundamentals of this technique, the process can include various ideologies and practices such as "as if", "[[substitution (theatre)|substitution]]," "[[emotional memory]]" and "preparation".

[[Sanford Meisner]], another [[Group Theatre]] pioneer, championed a separate, though closely related, school of acting which came to be called the [[Meisner technique]]. Meisner broke from Strasberg on the subject of "sense memory" or "emotion memory", one of the basic [[doctrine|tenet]]s of the American Method at the time. Those trained by Strasberg often tried to experience all sensations as the character would and often used personal experience on stage to identify with the emotional life of the character and portray it. Meisner found that too cerebral and advocated fully immersing oneself in the moment of a character and gaining spontaniety through an understanding of the character's objectives and through exercises he designed to help the actor gain emotional investment in the scene and then free him or her to react as the character.

[[Stella Adler]], the coach whose fame was cemented by the success of her students [[Marlon Brando]] and [[Robert DeNiro]], as well as the only teacher from the Group Theatre to have studied Acting Technique with Stanislavski himself, also broke with Strasberg and developed yet another form of acting. Her technique is founded in the idea that one must not use memories from their own past to conjure up emotion, but rather using the Given Circumstances. [[Stella Adler]]'s technique relies on the carrying through of tasks,wants,needs,and objectives. It also seeks to stimulate the actor's imagination with the use of [[As-If's]]. As she often preached, we are what we do, not what we say.

==Teachers==

[[Stanislavski]]'s work, including the autobiography ''My Life in Art'', and his trilogy of books set in a fictionalized acting-school as a pretense for his own teachings: ''An Actor Prepares'', ''Building a Character'', and ''Creating a Role'', inspired many others who have followed the example of Stanislavski as prominent Method teachers. They include:

* [[Yevgeny Vakhtangov|Eugeny Vakhtangov]], a Stanislavski student and protegé as well as an actor and director.
* [[Uta Hagen]], actress, the author of ''Respect for Acting'' and ''Challenge to the Actor''. (She emphasized "identity" and "substitution.")
* [[Ryszard Bolesławski|Richard Boleslawski]], actor and film director.
* [[Stella Adler]], actress.
* [[Lee Strasberg]], director, actor, producer.
* [[Robert Lewis]], cofounder of [[The Actors Studio]] and author of ''Method — or Madness?''
* Herbert Berghof, founder of HB Studios.
* [[Harold Clurman]], director and critic.
* [[Sanford Meisner]], actor.
* [[Michael Chekhov]], actor, director, author. (His method, largely an outside-in approach and somewhat more "metaphysical," diverged from and converged back to [[Stanislavski]]'s over the course of his career.)

==Method Actors==

These actors have acknowledged using Method Acting as part of their technique:

* [[Robert De Niro]]
* [[Bill Bixby]] (during filming of The Incredible Hulk, when David Banner changed into The Hulk, Bixby would walk off-set, as David Banner would always have amnesia regarding what happened during the time he was "hulked out", so similarly, Bixby did not want to know what the script would call for The Hulk's actor [[Lou Ferrigno]] to do.
* [[Michael Ironside]]
* [[Marilyn Monroe]]
* [[Al Pacino]]
* [[Marlon Brando]]
* [[James Dean]]
* [[Daniel Day-Lewis]]
* [[Dustin Hoffman]]
* [[Steve McQueen]]
* [[Robert Duvall]]
* [[Diane Keaton]]
* [[Brad Dourif]]
* [[Geraldine Page]]
* [[Paul Newman]] "I wanted to be the first animated character on screen to demonstrate method acting," referring to his role in the animated 2006 movie ''[[Cars]]''. [http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=inDepthNews&storyID=2006-06-06T130643Z_01_N05306578_RTRUKOC_0_US-NEWMAN.xml]
* [[George Peppard]] employed the technique in ''[[Breakfast at Tiffany's]]'' [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054698/trivia]
* [[Rod Steiger]]
* [[Dennis Hopper]] said in the documentary ''Mysteries of Love'' that he reverted to a "[[Lee Strasberg]]" acting method for his role in the film ''[[Blue Velvet]]''.
* [[Christian Bale]] losing 63lb for his role in The Machinist
* [[Angelina Jolie]]
* [[Mickey Rourke]]

== External references ==
Major books on Method:
* ''Respect for Acting'' by [[Uta Hagen]]
* ''An Actor Prepares'' by [[Constantin Stanislavski]]
* ''To the Actor'' by [[Michael Chekhov]]
* ''A Dream of Passion'' by [[Lee Strasberg]]
* ''Sanford Meisner on Acting'' by [[Sanford Meisner]]
* ''Method or Madness'' by [[Robert Lewis]]
* ''Advice to the Players'' by [[Robert Lewis]]
* ''The Method Manual'' for teachers and actors by [[Ed Kovens]]
* ''The Actor's Studio: A Player's Place'' by David Garfield
* ''Miranda is Beautiul: A Biography'' by Miranda Vittoria Graham

== External Links ==
* [http://slate.msn.com/id/2096421/ Article about Method acting at Slate]
* [http://www.instantcast.com/casting/become_an_actor.asp Article Debunking Method Acting] - review of David Mamet's book, True and False -- Heresy and Common Sense, which debunks the Method

[[Category:Acting]]
[[Category:Role-playing]]

[[de:Method Acting]]
[[fr:La Méthode (théâtre)]]
[[nl:Method acting]]
[[fi:Metodinäytteleminen]]
[[zh:方法演技]]

Freddie Blassie

2006-08-29T02:26:00Z

71.201.198.12: /* Biography */

'''"Classy" Freddie Blassie''' ([[February 8]], [[1918]] – [[June 2]], [[2003]]) was an [[United States|American]] [[professional wrestling|professional wrestler]] and manager born in [[St. Louis, Missouri]] who was a popular [[heel (professional wrestling)|wrestling villain]].

==Biography==
'''Fred Blassie''' was born in [[St. Louis, Missouri]] and raised in nearby [[Normandy, Missouri]]. He excelled at [[baseball]], [[American football|football]], and [[boxing]] while in [[high school]]. After school he chose professional wrestling over boxing as a career, while working as a [[butcher]] for his day job; Blassie claimed to have made his pro wrestling debut in [[1935]] after training with [[Billy Hanson]]. He joined the [[United States Navy]] at the onset of [[World War II]], and earned titles in boxing and [[sport wrestling]] while in service in the [[Pacific Theater]]. He also continued professional wrestling under the name Sailor Fred Blassie when in port.

His first match was against [[Don McIntyre]] in [[Birmingham, Alabama]] for the [[NWA Southern Heavyweight Title]] on his 26th [[birthday]]. As he became one of [[National Wrestling Alliance|NWA's]] top wrestlers, Blassie [[Bleach (chemical)|bleached]] his [[hair]] and adopted his trademark rulebreaking style. In [[Japan]], his penchant for drawing [[blood]] earned him the [[nickname]] "The Vampire" because he had filed down his teeth to sharp points so he could cause bloody [[massacre]]s. He was also stabbed 23 different times, had his car set on fire, had acid poured on him, and became blind in the right eye when a fan threw a hard-boiled egg at his face. Every time the fans saw him, they would run away in terror.
Based on his success, Blassie was brought back to [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]] by promoter [[Jules Strongbow]].

Blassie had been wrestling many competitors like [[Dick Beyer|The Destroyer (Dick Beyer)]], [[Bearcat Wright]], [[Mr. Moto (wrestler)|Mr. Moto]], [[Mil Mascaras]], [[Bobo Brazil]], to name but a scant few. The "Blassie Cage" matches then flourished. The best remembered moment in his life is his legendary [[feud (professional wrestling)|feud]] with [[John Tolos|John "The Golden Greek" Tolos]], which dates back four decades, and set new levels for violence in the wrestling ring.

Blassie retired as a wrestler at the end of [[1973]] and focused on being a manager. Here he was equally successful at drawing heat, especially during his run as part of the [[World Wrestling Federation]]'s Evil Trinity of managers with [[Lou Albano|"The Captain" Lou Albano]] and [[Ernie Roth|The Grand Wizard of Wrestling]].

With his recording of the song "Pencil Neck Geek" and the bizarre [[film|movie]] ''[[My Breakfast with Blassie]]'' (co-starring [[comedian]] [[Andy Kaufman]]), he maintained a devoted [[cult]] following, which was only heightened by his continued wrestling appearances throughout the [[1980s]] in the WWF. Even after he retired as an active performer in [[1986]], Blassie was still one of the most popular wrestling personalities in the world.

He appears as a lyric in the [[R.E.M. (band)|R.E.M.]] song "Man on The Moon": ''Mister Fred Blassie in a breakfast mess'', with "breakfast" referring to the title of his movie.

In the early 1990s, the wrestler starred in a bizarro documentary directed by [[Jeff Krulik]], titled ''Mr. Blassie Goes To Washington''. In it, Blassie is picked up at the Washington DC airport by a [[limo]] full of young women, escorted around the nation's capitol, gives his opinions and confronts tourists. When meeting someone, he would ask where they were from, and no matter their response, he would reply with, "Oh, that's God's country!" [http://www.b-independent.com/reviews/mrblassie.htm]

Before his death, he released his [[autobiography]], ''[[Listen Up, You Pencil Neck Geeks]]''. Even as his life was ending, he was still involved in wrestling. His last appearance on WWE television was exactly three weeks before his death, when he came out to ringside in his wheelchair and participated in a [[angle (professional wrestling)|storyline]] with [[Dudley Boyz|The Dudley Boyz]], climaxing his appearance by telling the Dudleys to "get the tables!"

He died on [[June 2]], [[2003]] from [[heart]] and [[kidney]] trouble. Blassie was 85 years old. He is survived by his wife Miyako. From "The Hollywood Fashion Plate" and "The King of Men" to "The Vampire" and just plain "Classy" Freddie Blassie, he will always be remembered by fans.

==Wrestlers Managed==
*[[Jim Harris (wrestler)|Kamala]]
*[[Terry Bollea|Hulk Hogan]]
*[[The Iron Sheik]]
*[[Nikolai Volkoff]]
*[[Adrian Adonis]]

==Trivia==
*The modern style of Cage match, where competitors must escape the cage, was developed for Blassie in Los Angeles in the 1960s.
*A popular urban legend has it that Blassie's real last name was Blassman and that he was Jewish. Both are untrue.
*Blassie's name is dropped in the REM song "Man on the Moon"
*In 1965, Freddie Blassie had one of his kidneys removed. During an operation to remove a kidney stone in Hawaii, the doctor performing the operation punctured his bladder, and he had to be administered a blood transfusion. He returned to the ring too soon, and upon returning to the doctors, was diagnosed with hepatitis and, as a result of the botched surgery, had to have one of his kidneys removed. For most of 1966, he worked as a car salesman in [[Decatur, Georgia]], while rumors circulated among fans about his demise. However, he would make a full recovery and return to the ring by the next year.
*Blassie made a special appearance on an episode of [[The Dick Van Dyke Show]] called "The Twizzle". He also made occasional appearances on [[The Tonight Show]], [[Dragnet]] and many other shows.

==Championships and accomplishments==
*'''[[National Wrestling Alliance]]'''
**1-Time [[NWA Florida World Tag Team Championship]] (with Tarzan Tyler)
**2-Time [[NWA Georgia World Tag Team Championship|NWA Georgia World Tag Team Champion]] (with Bill Blassie)
**1-Time [[NWA Hawaii United States Championship|NWA Hawaii United States Champion]]
**1-Time [[NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship|NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion]]

==External links==
*[http://www.otherarena.com/htm/cgi-bin/biography.cgi?fredblas The Other Arena biography] covering his wrestling years
*[http://atlantatimemachine.com/misc/blassie3.htm 1853 Shepherd Circle SW, Blassie's Atlanta home (1960)]
*[http://atlantatimemachine.com/misc/blassie4.htm 1950 Campbellton Road SW, Blassies Atlanta home (1966)]

[[Category:1918 births|Blassie, Fred]]
[[Category:2003 deaths|Blassie, Fred]]
[[Category:American professional wrestlers|Blassie, Fred]]
[[Category:American World War II veterans|Blassie, Fred]]
[[Category:People from St. Louis|Blassie, Fred]]
[[Category:Professional wrestling managers and valets|Blassie, Fred]]
[[Category:People from St. Louis County, Missouri|Blassie, Fred]]

[[ja:フレッド・ブラッシー]]

Sonny the Cuckoo Bird

2006-08-28T00:42:13Z

71.201.198.12:

'''Sonny the Cuckoo Bird''' is the [[cartoon]] [[mascot]] for [[Cocoa Puffs]], a [[General Mills]]-produced cereal. He often appears in its [[television]] [[television commercial|commercial]]s.

In the commercials, Sonny attempts to concentrate on a normal task and ends up coming across some reference to Cocoa Puffs themselves (usually described by the adjectives "crunchy, chewy, chocolatey") and bursts with enthusiasm, exclaiming, "I'm cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs!"

He was designed by [[Total Television]] in the early 1960s, but a new design was chosen in [[2004]]. The old design can be seen on many retro shirts sold in stores such as PacSun and Delia's. [[As of 2005]], Sonny was voiced by [[Tex Brashear]]. He was formerly voiced by [[Larry Kenney]], who voiced Lion-O in the cartoon [[Thundercats]].

== Parodies ==

[[Randal L. Schwartz]] added the phrase [[Gogopuffs]] to his home page, so that he could "google for gogopuffs" to find it. It took a mere two days for the keyword to be indexed. Subsequently, many other web pages picked up the phrase, destroying the effectiveness of the unique linking.

In an [[Foxxy vs. the Board of Education|episode]] of Comedy Central's animated show ''[[Drawn Together]]'', a character with Sonny's likeness was shown at a hospital wearing a [[straitjacket]], repetitively stating his desire for "puffs".

An episode of [[Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends]] was titled Cuckoo for
Coco cards, a parodie on Sonny's phrase "Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs".

[[Category:General Mills characters]]
[[Category:Fictional birds]]
[[Category:Cereal advertising characters]]
{{ad-stub}}

Kimberly Beck

2006-08-27T20:55:42Z

71.201.198.12:

'''Kimberly Beck''' (born [[January 9]], [[1956]] in [[Glendale, California]]) is an [[United States|American]] [[actor|actress]].

Beck has starred in such movies as ''[[Massacre at Central High]]'', ''[[Roller Boogie]]'', and ''[[Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter]]''. Among her notable television credits are ''[[Capitol (TV series)|Capitol]]'' (as Kimberly Beck-Hilton), ''[[Fantasy Island]]'', ''[[Westwind (television show)|Westwind]]'', ''[[Dynasty (TV series)|Dynasty]]'', ''[[Lucas Tanner]]'' and ''[[Peyton Place (TV series)|Peyton Place]]''. She also starred in the pilot episode of [[Eight Is Enough]] as Nancy Bradford, the role that would eventually go to [[Dianne Kay]]. All told, she has appeared in more than sixty movies and television series.

==External links==

* {{imdb name|id=0065206|name=Kimberly Beck}}

[[Category:American film actors|Beck, Kimberly]]
[[Category:American television actors|Beck, Kimberly]]
[[Category:Friday the 13th actors|Beck, Kimberly]]
[[Category:Dynasty actors|Beck, Kimberly]]
[[Category:People from the Greater Los Angeles Area|Beck, Kimberly]]
[[Category:1956 births|Beck, Kimberly]]
[[Category:Living people|Beck, Kimberly]]

{{US-screen-actor-stub}}

Roselyn Sánchez

2006-08-27T00:19:09Z

71.201.198.12:

'''Roselyn Sanchez''' (born [[April 2]], [[1973]] in [[San Juan, Puerto Rico|San Juan, Puerto Rico]]) is a model and film/television actress.

Roselyn is the youngest of four siblings - having three older brothers. She received her primary education in San Juan. At a young age, she showed an interest in both dancing and acting and would put on shows for her family.

In [[1991]], at the age of 18, Roselyn moved to [[New York City]], where she took classes in dancing, acting and singing. She returned to Puerto Rico and in [[1992]], she made her movie debut, having landed a small part as an island girl in the movie ''Captain Ron'', which was partly filmed on the island, starring [[Martin Short]] and [[Kurt Russell]].

Roselyn enrolled in the [[University of Puerto Rico]], where like her father and brothers she was to study marketing. However, this was not her calling and after three years she left the course.

In [[1993]], Roselyn won the Miss Puerto Rico Petite contest and in [[1994]] she won the international title of Miss America Petite. In [[Puerto Rico]], she gained public attention as a dancer and co-host of the island's #1 variety show, at that time, "Que Vacilon". She also starred in the short-lived TV show [[Fame L.A.]].

Roselyn returned to New York and landed her first English speaking role in the [[CBS]] [[soap opera]], ''[[As The World Turns]]''. She played the role of "Pilar Domingo" from [[1996]] until [[1997]].

In [[2001]], Roselyn was cast as "Isabella Molina", a secret customs agent who was [[Chris Tucker]]'s love interest in the movie ''[[Rush Hour 2]]''. In [[2003]], she played the role of "Lorena" in the movie ''[[Chasing Papi]]'' starring alongside [[Jaci Velasquez]] and [[Sofia Vergara]].

Roselyn Sanchez has already acted in 20 movies, including the role of Maria in ''[[Edison (movie)|Edison]]'' as well as the role of Karen Lopez in ''[[Underclassman]]''. She is also cast in the movies ''Venus & Vegas'' and ''Cayo'' which are in the post-prodution stages. She is in the process of composing a musical about a singer/dancer/actress who leaves Puerto Rico to hit the big time in New York, in this she is going to play the principal part. In [[2005]], her first musical recording "[[Puerto Rican|Borinqueña]]" was released. She is preparing for her role in ''The Perfect Sleep'', a neo-noir drama, where she is co-staring with [[Patrick Bauchau]], [[Tony Amendola]], Isaac Singleton, and Peter Lucas. She has also joined the cast of ''[[Without a Trace]]''.

Sánchez was married to actor [[Gary Stretch]] from [[1999]] to [[2001]]. In December [[2005]], she announced that she had ended her longtime relationship with [[Salsa music|salsa]] singer, Víctor Manuelle. The separation was amicable.

Roselyn is a supporter of [[animal rights]] and active member of [[PETA]]. She recently appeared nude in a [[PETA]] ad in support of anti-fur campaign efforts [http://www.furisdead.com/feat-rsanchez.asp]

==See also==
* [[List of famous Puerto Ricans]]

==External links==
* {{imdb name|id=0761052|name=Roselyn Sanchez}}
* [http://www.mxdpi.com/main/index.cgi?direct=ACTRESSES/Roselyn_Sanchez&img=0 Photo gallery]
* [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Roselyn/ Roselyn Sanchez yahoo group]
* [http://www.furisdead.com/pdfs/roselynsanchez72.pdf| Roselyn Print Advertisement]
* [http://www.furisdead.com/pdfs/roselynsanchez72.pdf Roselyn's Fur is Dead Ad]



[[Category:1973 births|Sanchez, Roselyn]]
[[Category:Film actors|Sanchez, Roselyn]]
[[Category:Living people|Sanchez, Roselyn]]
[[Category:Puerto Rican actors|Sanchez, Roselyn]]
[[Category:Soap opera actors|Sanchez, Roselyn]]
[[Category:Television actors|Sanchez, Roselyn]]

[[de:Roselyn Sanchez]]
[[fi:Roselyn Sanchez]]

Dennis Rodman

2006-08-27T00:12:04Z

71.201.198.12: /* Professional wrestling */

{{Infobox NBA Player
| image = rodmachi.jpg
| position = [[Power forward (basketball)|Power forward]]
| height_ft = 6 | height_in = 8
| weight_lbs = 210
| birth_date = [[May 13]], [[1961]]
| birth_place = [[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]], [[New Jersey]]
| nationality = USA
| college = [[Southeastern Oklahoma State University|Southeastern Oklahoma State]]
| draft = 27th overall
| draft_year = 1986
| draft_team = [[Detroit Pistons]]
| career_start = 1986
| career_end = 2000
| former_teams = [[Detroit Pistons]] (1986-93) [[San Antonio Spurs]] (1993-95) [[Chicago Bulls]] (1995-98) [[Los Angeles Lakers]] (1999) [[Dallas Mavericks]] (2000)
| awards = [[NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award|NBA Defensive Player of the Year]] (1990, 1991)
}}
'''Dennis Keith Rodman''' (born [[May 13]] [[1961]], in [[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]], [[New Jersey]]) is a professional [[basketball]] player best known for his defensive and [[rebound (basketball)|rebounding]] ability, leading the [[National Basketball Association]] in rebounds per game for a record seven consecutive years and earning [[NBA All-Defensive First Team]] honors seven times. He is also well-known for his controversial antics on and off the court. He has been featured in several television and film roles.

When Rodman entered the NBA in [[1986]], he was officially listed as {{height|ft=6|in=6}} while playing one of the most physical positions in basketball at [[Power forward (basketball)|power forward]]. Despite often being matched at a height disadvantage, he became one of the most dominant rebounders in NBA history, and was also a two-time [[NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award|NBA Defensive Player of the Year]]. Rodman was able to overcome being a few inches shorter than his counterparts with his willingness to put his body on the line for any rebound, his intense work ethic, his incredible physical strength, and his expert knowledge of the game.

== Career ==
=== Pre-NBA and amateur career ===
Rodman, who grew up in [[Dallas, Texas|Dallas]], [[Texas]], was far from a basketball prospect in [[high school]]; he only became one when he grew 11 inches (27 cm) in one year, late in his teenage years. After a stint at [[North Central Texas College|Cooke County College]] in [[Gainesville, Texas]], he played for [[Southeastern Oklahoma State University]], an [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics|NAIA]] school. There, he was a good scorer as well as a good rebounder, but was not yet known for his antics..

===Detroit Pistons===
The [[Detroit Pistons]] took sufficient notice of him to select him in the second round of the [[1986 NBA Draft]]. At that time, the Pistons were an up-and-coming team led by [[Isiah Thomas]] at point guard, [[Joe Dumars]] at shooting guard, [[Adrian Dantley]] at small forward, and [[Bill Laimbeer]] at center. They had notable role players in [[Vinnie Johnson]], [[John Salley]], and [[Rick Mahorn]]. Rodman's intensity was a perfect fit for a team known for its rough style of play and tenacious defense. The Pistons were knocked out of the playoffs in [[1987]] by their nemesis [[Boston Celtics]], although Rodman did a decent job of guarding their star player, [[Larry Bird]].

In [[1988]], Rodman seemed to show even more star potential, crashing the boards more and defending better than before. In [[1989]], he was finally recognized for his work by being named Defensive Player of the Year, the first of his two consecutive DPOY awards. He finished second to Laimbeer in rebounding on the team, and Rodman helped the Pistons put away the young [[Chicago Bulls]] for the second straight year as they won their first NBA championship. The following year was almost identical, with the Pistons beating the Bulls in the Eastern Conference finals again, winning their second straight championship, and Rodman again winning Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Rodman led the Pistons with 12.5 rebounds per game in 1991. In 1992, Rodman improved significantly, averaging over eighteen per game as he won the first of seven straight rebounding titles. In a March 1992 game, he totaled a career high 34 total rebounds <ref>http://www.basketballreference.com/teams/boxscore.htm?yr=1991&b=19920304&tm=det</ref>. Rodman's second best rebounding performance was in [[1993]], in his last season with the Pistons.

====A fateful night====
One night late during the [[1992-93 NBA season]], he was found sitting in his pickup truck with a loaded shotgun in the Pistons' parking lot. Rodman claimed in one of his two autobiographies that that night was when he killed the old Dennis and let the new Dennis emerge. In the offseason he was traded to the [[San Antonio Spurs]] for [[Sean Elliott]].

===San Antonio Spurs===
In [[San Antonio, Texas|San Antonio]], Rodman continued his glass-cleaning expertise and allowed center [[David Robinson (basketball)|David Robinson]] to focus more on scoring; Robinson won the scoring title. It marked the first time that teammates won both the scoring and rebounding title, but it would not be the last for Rodman. The following season, Rodman helped San Antonio to their then-franchise best win-loss record of 62-20, and they made it to the Western Conference finals. However, his increasingly erratic off-court life, including a brief but heavily-publicized relationship with singer [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]], and on-court antics, such as dying his hair, proved too much for the Spurs.

===Chicago Bulls===

Following the [[1994-95 NBA season|1994-95 season]], Rodman was traded to the [[Chicago Bulls]] for center [[Will Perdue]] in order to fill a large void at power forward left by [[Horace Grant]]. The Bulls, with Rodman and [[Michael Jordan]]'s return from retirement improved 25 games from the previous year's 47-35 record to an NBA record 72-10 regular season finish in the 1995-96 season. Later, in the playoffs, the Bulls easily made their way to the [[NBA Finals]] and the NBA championship. Rodman, Jordan, and [[Scottie Pippen]] all made the All-Defensive First Team, the first time three players from the same team made it on the first team. Rodman led the league in rebounding for the fifth straight year, and Jordan won the scoring title, the second time that teammates had led the league in scoring and rebounding. They would repeat in 1997 and 1998 as the team [[three-peat]]ed for the second time in the decade.

Rodman was known for his shocking behavior on the court, including his [[head butt]] of referee [[Ted Bernhardt]] <ref>http://goinside.com/97/6/rodman.html</ref> during a game in [[New Jersey]] on [[March 16]], [[1996]]. On [[January 15]], [[1997]], Rodman was involved in another notorious incident during a game against the [[Minnesota Timberwolves]]. After tripping over cameraman Eugene Amos, Rodman kicked Amos in the groin <ref>http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9505EED7103BF932A15752C0A961958260&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fR%2fRodman%2c%20Dennis</ref>. Though he was not assessed a [[technical foul]] at the time, Rodman ultimately paid Amos a $200,000 settlement, and the league suspended Rodman for 11 games.

Rodman left Chicago after the [[1997-98 NBA season|1997-98 season]] as the Bulls started a massive rebuilding phase. He also finished his last major season, as he would only have brief stints with other NBA teams. Rodman was the premier rebounder of the 1990s with seven straight titles, and matched up defensively with players ranging from Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, [[Magic Johnson]], and Larry Bird, to [[Shaquille O'Neal]], [[Alonzo Mourning]], [[Shawn Kemp]], [[Karl Malone]], and [[Charles Barkley]]. His most impressive feat was during the [[1996]] Eastern Conference Finals against the [[Orlando Magic]], when Rodman shut down the {{height|ft=6|in=10}}, {{weight|lbs=235}} Horace Grant and helped contain the {{height|ft=7|in=1}}, {{weight|lbs=330}} O'Neal, key to the Bulls' eventual sweep of the defending Eastern Conference champs.

===Post-Bulls career===
After his stint with the Bulls, Rodman became a journeyman, briefly joining the [[Los Angeles Lakers]] and the [[Dallas Mavericks]], creating more controversy than actually contributing athletically. After a long break, he has played for the [[Tijuana Dragons]] of the newly-formed [[American Basketball Association (21st century)|American Basketball Association]] and competed in two games for the [[Brighton Bears]] of the [[British Basketball League]].

=== Career awards and accomplishments ===
* NBA Champion (1989, 1990, 1996–98)
* All-NBA Third Team (1992, 1995)
* NBA All-Star Team (1990, 1992)
* [[NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award]] (1990, 1991)
* NBA All-Defensive First Team (1989–93, 1995, 1996)
* NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1994)
* NBA Top Rebounds-per-game average (1992–98)
* NBA Top Total Rebounds (1992–94, 1998)
* NBA Top Offensive Rebounds (1991–94, 1996, 1997)
* NBA Top Defensive Rebounds (1992, 1994, 1998)
* NBA Top Field Goal Percentage (1989)

== Other work ==
Rodman is known for his controversial behavior and outlandish appearance and being notoriously prone to cursing in public or on live television during his playing career. He sported numerous [[tattoo]]s and [[piercings]], and frequently dyed his hair a bright, artificial color.

Rodman was also briefly married to [[Carmen Electra]], and famously wore a [[wedding dress]] at a public appearance to promote his autobiography ''As Bad as I Wanna Be'', ISBN 0440222664. He was the winner of the Yucatan edition of the [[reality television series]] ''[[Celebrity Mole]]'', shocking many since he virtually took no notes during the show, and when he did, he would simply write them down on a piece of napkin.

He also dated [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]], and claims in his first autobiography that she actively tried to have a baby with him.

===Professional wrestling===
Rodman wrestled a few matches for [[World Championship Wrestling]] and was a member of the [[New World Order (professional wrestling)|nWo]] with [[Hulk Hogan]], a friend of his. There was much controversy because Rodman was red hot due to his Bulls career, and Hogan made sure to make the most of it, sticking close to Rodman during any publicity to insure he would receive some publicity himself. His first match was at [[Bash At the Beach]] '97 on [[July 13]], 1997. He teamed with Hogan and lost to [[Lex Luger]] and [[Paul Wight|The Giant]]. He skipped practice with the Bulls to wrestle, infuriating both basketball fans, as well as Head Coach [[Phil Jackson]]. He was fined for it by the NBA for skipping practice. At Bash At the Beach '98 on [[July 12]], 1998, Rodman & Hogan defeated [[Karl Malone]] & [[Dallas Page|Diamond Dallas Page]]. He later appeared in TNA, generating boos from the crowd for being in the event and doing nothing. During his time in wrestling, he displayed little knowledge of what to do in the ring.

===Acting career===
In 1997 Rodman made his [[feature film]] debut in the action film ''[[Double Team]]'' alongside [[Jean Claude Van Damme]]. The film was critically panned and his performance earned him ''three'' [[Golden Raspberry Awards]]: Worst New Star, Worst Supporting Actor and Worst Screen Couple (shared with Van Damme). Rodman also starred in ''[[Simon Sez]]'', a 1999 action/comedy and co-starred with Tom Beringer in a 2000 action film about skydyving titled ''Cutaway''. Since then he has appeared in few acting roles outside of playing himself. Rodman also voiced [[Zack]], a character resembling him, in [[Dead or Alive: Extreme Beach Volleyball]].

===Rodman World Tour===
In 1996 Dennis Rodman had his own MTV reality talk show called ''[[The Rodman World Tour]]'' which featured Rodman in a series of odd-ball situations.

==Recent actions==
Rodman was present at or participated in at least two different contests in [[Finland]] in [[2005]]. In the summer, he was present at [[Sonkajärvi]] in a [[wife-carrying]] contest, but he resigned from the contest due to health problems. On [[November 6]], [[2005]], he played one match with the [[Torpan Pojat]], playing against the [[Tapiolan Honka]]. He played 28 minutes, scored 17 points, and grabbed 6 rebounds. Fifteen of his 17 points were made behind the 3-point line, with a total of 13 attempts from beyond the arc. Rodman's presence drew a Finnish National League record crowd of 7,420 people to Helsinki Ice Hockey Dome.

Rodman released another autobiography entitled ''I Should Be Dead By Now'', written with Jack Isenhour in 2005.

Rodman was named Commissioner of the [[Lingerie Football League]] in 2005.

Rodman has appeared in a number of [[reality TV]] series. In January 2006, Rodman appeared on ''[[Celebrity Big Brother (UK)|Celebrity Big Brother]]'' in the [[United Kingdom|UK]]. He entered the house at approximately 22:00 on [[January 5]] and was shocked to find fellow American and friend [[Traci Bingham]] in the house. He took into the house with him a pack of "extra large" [[condom]]s and did not pack any underwear. During one of the tasks in the house where the housemates had to rank themselves and the others in order of fame, Rodman was put second to the British former [[comedian]] and comic [[quiz show]] host [[Michael Barrymore]]. He disagreed with this, saying that he should have been ranked highest. He struck up an unlikely romantic liaison with [[Faria Alam]], but it was short-lived and ended after Alam was voted out. Whilst on the show Rodman also claimed that he previously has had sex with nearly 2000 women. Rodman was the fifth housemate evicted on a double eviction night with [[George Galloway]], Rodman annoyed producers of the show and presenter [[Davina McCall]] by refusing to remove his baseball cap and sunglasses at the post eviction interview and by not directly answering questions on his opinions of other housemates. Dennis was subsequently banned from the reunion party on the following Sunday, although he recorded a message to his former housemates.

In July 2006, he also appeared in UK series [[Love Island]] as a houseguest contracted to stay for a week. Whilst in the show he flirted outrageously with [[Colleen Shannon]] much to the annoyance of [[Lee Otway]], who later confronted him after a remark [[Paul Danan]] had made about Dennis' comments. After four days Dennis quit the show claiming it wasn't what he went in for.

In addition, he has appeared in ''[[Pros VS Joes]]'' on [[Spike TV]].

On [[January 26]], [[2006]], it was announced that Rodman had signed a one-game "experiment" deal for the [[British Basketball League|UK basketball]] team [[Brighton Bears]] to play [[Guildford Heat]] on [[28 January]]. If successful, the Bears have an option on further matches.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/basketball/4611798.stm]

Rodman was the first man, and the first sports star to pose (naked) for [[PETA]]'s advertisement campaign "Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur".

Rodman, along with NBA legends [[Darryl Dawkins]], [[Kevin Willis]], [[Calvin Murphy]], [[Otis Birdsong]] and [[Alex English]] are slated to play two exhibition games in the Philippines. On April 27, they defeated a team of former [[Philippine Basketball Association]] stars in [[Mandaue City]]. Rodman delighted the crowd with his antics, scoring 5 points and grabbing 18 rebounds. [http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2006/04/29/sports/nba.legends.entertain.html]. However, on May 1, Rodman's team lost to the [[Philippine national basketball team]] 110-102 at the [[Araneta Coliseum]].

In [[Mandaue City]], [[Cebu Province|Cebu]], locals were shocked at Rodman's snub of them and the media during his group's visit at the Mandaue City Hall where they met with mayor Teddy Ouano [http://www.inq7.net/globalnation/sec_cdn/2006/apr/met/apr28_01.htm]. There were even children who never got the opportunity to present their prepared song in greeting him. West End Sports Tours president Mario Whitmire claimed that Rodman lacked sleep and has yet to adjust to the hot tropical weather.

Most shocking of all was an incident that happened during the visit when Rodman ate [[budbod]] (Philippine rice cake) that was served to them. He ate the delicacy without even peeling off the banana leaves wrapped around it. Immediately after the incident, Rodman isolated himself from the embarrassment.[http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2006/04/28/sports/rodman.samples.delicacy.eats.leaf.wrapper.too.html]

==Trivia==
*His nicknames include "[[Dennis the Menace (US)|Dennis the Menace]]", "[[Rodzilla]]", "Rod the Bod", and "[[Worm]]", given to him by his mother for wriggling around while playing [[pinball]]. In [[WCW]], [[Hulk Hogan]] would call him '''"The Real Hot Rod"''' as a taunt toward rival wrestler [[Roderick Toombs|"Rowdy" Roddy Piper]], who had the nickname of '''"Hot Rod"'''

*It's believed by some that part of the key to Rodman's success was his scientific approach to calculate how the ball would ricochet off the basket to be in prime position to grab it. He would also use his athletic ability and unparalled conditioning to tip the ball countless times if he was challenged.

One of Rodman's most acrobatic plays of his basketball career took place in a game in the 1996/97 season in which he dove to save the ball from falling out of bounds. His perfect horizontal dive, three feet above the court, caused WGN announcer Wayne Larivee to joke it was "a 10.0 dive from all but the East German judge"

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*{{imdb|name=Dennis Rodman|id=0005379}}
*[http://www.nba.com/playerfile/dennis_rodman/ Profile at NBA.com]
*[http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup/Prefs.asp?video=dennis_rodman Ink not Mink video]
*[http://www.chicagosportsreview.com/redesign/inprint/contentview.asp?c=172731 The Worm Says] from the [[Chicago Sports Review]]

[[Category:1961 births|Rodman, Dennis]]
[[Category:African-American actors|Rodman, Dennis]]
[[Category:African American basketball players|Rodman, Dennis]]
[[Category:American basketball players|Rodman, Dennis]]
[[Category:American film actors|Rodman, Dennis]]
[[Category:American professional wrestlers|Rodman, Dennis]]
[[Category:Big Brother (UK TV series)|Rodman, Dennis]]
[[Category:Chicago Bulls players|Rodman, Dennis]]
[[Category:Dallas Mavericks players|Rodman, Dennis]]
[[Category:People from Dallas|Rodman, Dennis]]
[[Category:Detroit Pistons players|Rodman, Dennis]]
[[Category:Lingerie Football League|Rodman, Dennis]]
[[Category:Living people|Rodman, Dennis]]
[[Category:Los Angeles Lakers players|Rodman, Dennis]]
[[Category:New World Order wrestlers|Rodman, Dennis]]
[[Category:People from New Jersey|Rodman, Dennis]]
[[Category:San Antonio Spurs players|Rodman, Dennis]]
[[Category:Worst Supporting Actor Razzie|Rodman, Dennis]]
[[Category:NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award winners|Rodman, Dennis]]
[[Category:World Championship Wrestling alumni|Rodman, Dennis]]
[[Category:Celebrity Poker Showdown players|Rodman, Dennis]]

[[de:Dennis Rodman]]
[[es:Dennis Rodman]]
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[[he:דניס רודמן]]
[[nl:Dennis Rodman]]
[[ja:デニス・ロッドマン]]
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[[zh:丹尼士·洛文]]

American Airlines Flight 191

2006-08-20T13:28:08Z

71.201.198.12:

{{Crash infobox|name=American Airlines Flight 191|
Crash image=AA191-bank.png|360px|Image caption='''Flight 191''', its #1 Engine severed on the runway, in an unrecoverable bank just moments before the crash.|
Date=[[May 25]], [[1979]] |
Type=Severe Mechanical failure |
Site=[[Chicago, Illinois|Chicago]], [[Illinois]] |
Fatalities=273 (2 on ground) |
Injuries=2 (on ground) |
Aircraft Type=[[McDonnell Douglas DC-10|McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10]] |
Operator=American Airlines |
Tail Number={{airreg|N|110AA|disaster}} |
Passengers=258 |
Crew=13 |
Survivors = 0 |
}}

'''[[American Airlines]] Flight 191''' [[air safety|crashed]] on [[May 25]], [[1979]], killing all 271 on board and two on the ground. Flight 191 remains the deadliest single [[airliner]] disaster on [[United States|U.S.]] soil.

The flight originated from [[O'Hare International Airport]] in [[Chicago, Illinois]] to [[Los Angeles International Airport]] in [[Los Angeles, California]]. The aircraft was a [[McDonnell Douglas DC-10|Douglas DC-10-10]].

==The crash==
On takeoff from O'Hare the plane carried 258 passengers and 13 crew members. The captain was veteran Walter Lux, his first officer was James Dillard and the flight engineer was Alfred Udovich. At 15:02 [[CDT]], the aircraft began its takeoff down Runway 32R (Right).

Shortly before the takeoff rotation began, with 6,000 feet of runway covered, tower controllers witnessed the number one engine (left wing) separate from the aircraft and fly up and over the wing to crash onto the runway. The aircraft continued in a normal climb momentarily to around 350 feet (AGL), as fuel and leaking hydraulic fluid spewed in a vapour trail behind the plane. Such an incident is survivable in a DC-10, the shift in [[center of gravity]] and mean aerodynamic chord was within tolerances, and the aircraft could have landed safely if the engine loss had not caused other failures. However, in subsequent flight simulation testing, only pilots who were aware of Flight 191's specific problems were able to successfully recover the stall.

[[Image:AA191-crash-site.png|thumb|left|360px|'''Flight 191''''s final resting place, damaged [[mobile homes]] can be seen to the right. Two occupants of these homes were killed.]]
The pilots aimed to reduce speed from 165 [[knot (speed)|knots]] to the recommended engine-out climb speed of 153 knots, but the engine separation had severed the hydraulic lines that controlled the aircraft's leading-edge wing [[slats]] (retractable devices that increase a wing's lift during takeoff and landing). Further, the missing engine supplied the electricity to the captain's instruments - notably stall warning, slats disagreement, and [[stick shaker]], which were only available to the captain and not replicated in the first officer's instruments. Unusually, the backup power to the captain's instruments was not engaged by the flight engineer. This meant that the pilots were unaware of the aircraft's true configuration. DC-10 aircraft engines are not visible from the cockpit windows and the control tower did not inform the [[flight crew]] of what they had seen.

As the [[hydraulic fluid]] bled away, the slats retracted on the left wing, raising that wing's stall speed from 124 knots to around 160 knots. As the pilots slowed the aircraft the left wing [[Stall (flight)|stalled]], and with the right wing still providing lift the aircraft quickly entered an uncontrollable 112-degree left bank and pitched nose-down from around 325 feet, slamming into an open field approximately 4,600 ft from the end of the runway northwest of the airport at 15:04 CDT after about 31 seconds in the air. The plane struck an abandoned hangar, but the site was mostly an empty field north of Touhy Ave and just east of a [[mobile home]] park ([http://local.google.com/local?f=q&hl=en&q=42.0097,+-87.9292&btnG=Search&t=h map]). With a full load of fuel, the crash generated a huge fireball causing a plume of smoke so large it could be seen from the Downtown [[Chicago Loop]]. The aircraft disintegrated and burned, all 271 people on board were killed during the impact and explosion. In addition some wreckage was thrown into a nearby mobile home park killing two residents and seriously injuring two others.

[[Image:AAFlight191 newspapers.jpg|thumb||left|220px|Press cuttings from the time of the crash.]]

Although the plane's [[cockpit voice recorder]] was powered by the amputated number #1 engine, it picked up one of the crew saying "V.. Damn.." before recording ceased [http://lessons.air.mmac.faa.gov/l2/Am191/avcr/]. The [[control tower]] radioed the cockpit when they witnessed the engine separation just after take-off, but the crew didn't answer as they were too busy trying to save the aircraft: "Alright American 1, 91 heavy, ..You wanna come back?.. and what runway?."... "He's not talkin to me ... " [http://www.knies.org/airlines/downloads/atc-audio/aa191.wav sound clip].

The disaster and investigation was quickly and thoroughly covered by the [[Mass media|media]] assisted by new [[Electronic News Gathering|news gathering technologies]]. The public impact of the accident was greatly enhanced by dramatic amateur [[photography|photos]] [http://www.airdisaster.com/photos/aa191/photo.shtml] taken of the incident, which were published on the banner of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' the following day.`

At the time, American Airlines allowed passengers to watch their planes' takeoffs and landings  on [[CCTV|closed-circuit TV]]. It is not known whether passengers were able to thus see the crash occurring.
One Michael Laughlin from [[Toronto]] actually filmed the flight and crash through a window at the O'Hare [[airport terminal|terminal]].
The destination airport, [[LAX]], was careful to keep the arriving media away from passenger relatives who were waiting for Flight 191.

==The NTSB Investigation==
''See also: [[Joe White]]''

[[Image:DC10-eng-assy.png|thumb|right|360px|An [[FAA]] diagram of the DC-10 engine and pylon assembly indicating the failed aft pylon attach fitting.]]
The resulting investigation by the [[National Transportation Safety Board]] (NTSB) was released on [[December 21]] [[1979]]. It revealed the probable cause to be attributable to damage to the left wing engine pylon that occurred during an earlier engine change at American Airlines's aircraft [[Tulsa International Airport|overhaul facility]] in [[Tulsa, Oklahoma]]. The pylon was damaged due to an incorrectly executed engine removal procedure. The correct procedure called for removal of the engine prior to the removal of the engine pylon. To save time and costs, American Airlines instructed its mechanics to remove the engine together with the pylon all at one time. A large [[Forklift truck|forklift]] was used to hold the engine up while it was detached from the wing. During the procedure a crew shift change occurred, leaving the forklift unmonitored for a period of time. A problem in the fork lift's hydraulic system caused it to tilt the engine while still under the wing. This exerted enough pressure on the engine pylon to create a large indentation and a serious fracture in its body. The fracture went unnoticed for several flights, getting worse with each flight that the plane had taken. During flight 191's takeoff, enough force was generated to finally cause the pylon to fail. With the failure the left engine detached from under the wing and tore away. With the loss of the engine and the position of the slats, the plane was destined for disaster. The NTSB concluded that given the circumstances of the situation, the pilots were not in any way to blame for the resulting accident. The lead mechanic, who had performed the overhaul techniques, killed himself just hours before he was to give a deposition to the investigation.[http://www.druggingamerica.com/EUnfriendly_Skies_part.pdf]

This method of engine-pylon removal saved [[man hour]]s and was encouraged despite the manufacturer issuing bulletins that specified how the procedure should have taken place. These were not binding.
The accident investigation also concluded that the [[Fault (technology)|design]] of the pylon and adjacent surfaces made the parts difficult to service and prone to damage by [[Groundcrew|maintenance crew]]s.

In his book ''Blind Trust'', John J. Nance argues that the [[1978]] [[Airline Deregulation Act]] caused havoc and induced [[Profit maximization|cost-cutting]] in the industry producing a serious erosion of the margin of safety for passengers. Nance argues that the industry "reverted from an industry under partial surveillance to an industry running on the honor system..". [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0688069673].

==Afterwards==
[[Image:AA191-responders.png|thumb|left|360px|First responders survey the '''Flight 191''' crash site in [[Des Plaines, Illinois]].]]
Problems with DC-10s were discovered as a cause of the accident, including deficiences in both design specifications and maintenance procedures which made damage very likely. Since this tragedy happened just before a [[Western Airlines]] DC-10 crashed in [[Mexico City, Mexico|Mexico City]] and six years after a [[Turkish Airlines]] DC-10 crashed in [[Paris, France|Paris]], the [[Federal Aviation Administration|FAA]] quickly ordered all DC-10s to be grounded until all problems were solved. The result of the problem-solving was an arguably more efficient and safe DC-10.

==Notable facts==
[[Itzhak Bentov]], the celebrated biomedical inventor (the cardiac catheter), [[New Age]] author (''Stalking the Wild Pendulum'' and ''A Cosmic Book'') and [[kundalini]]-researcher was one of the crash victims.

Another victim was author [[Judith Wax]], who perished along with her husband, [[Sheldon Wax]]. Judith was a frequent contributor to [[Playboy magazine]] (of which Sheldon was managing editor), notably the annual "Christmas cards" piece that "presented" short satirical poems to various public figures. It was reported at the time that in her 1979 book ''Starting in the Middle'', she had talked about her fear of flying... and that her comments appeared on Page 191. The magazine's fiction editor [[Vicki Haider]] also lost her life in the crash [http://vtvt.essortment.com/americanairline_reuj.htm].

Several victims were members of the [[American Booksellers Association]] on their way to its annual convention at the [[Los Angeles Convention Center]] where they were to have a joint party organised by ''Playboy'' founder [[Hugh Hefner]].

Actress [[Lindsay Wagner]], TV's "[[Bionic Woman]]," was scheduled to fly on the ill-fated plane, but she felt uneasy about it just prior to boarding. So Wagner -- who believes in premonitions -- decided to skip the flight, a decision that saved her life.

[[Arthur C. Clarke]]'s "[[World of Strange Powers]]" reports the case of [[David Booth]]. In 1979 he had a series of recurring premonitory dreams that tormented him for ten consecutive nights. He saw a plane take off from an airport, bank steeply and then crash. On 22 May he rang the [[FAA]] at [[Greater Cincinnati International Airport]] as well as American Airlines and a psychiatrist at [[University of Cincinnati]]. The authorities took him seriously - the FAA had guessed from Booth's description that the plane was a DC-10 - but they could do nothing about it. Three days after, the DC-10 crash of Chicago occurred, almost exactly as in Booth's dreams.

The crash in Chicago remains the largest single-aircraft air crash in [[United States of America|United States]] history. Another flight with the same number, [[Delta Air Lines Flight 191]], crashed at [[Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport]] in [[1985]]. Neither company has ever used the 191 flight number again. In addition, [[Puerto Rican]] airline [[Prinair]] also had a fatal flight numbered [[Prinair Flight 191|Fight 191]]. The only fatal [[North American X-15|X-15]] crash was also [[X-15 Flight 191|Flight No. 191]].

The [[cable television|cable]]/[[satellite television|satellite]] TV channel "[[The History Channel]]" produced a documentary on the crash: [http://store.aetv.com/html/product/index.jhtml?id=71451 The Crash of Flight 191]. In [[2004]] it was awarded Gold Word Medals by the [[NewYorkFestivals]] awards company. The programme was awarded "Best Show" in the History and Society category and "Best Writing" for a Documentary and Informational program.

The "Bible & Literature Missionary Foundation" issued a 1979 pamphlet by Kenny McComas entitled "The Sad Fate of Flight 191" [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FEWJWS].

==In popular culture==
This crash was mentioned by the character Kenny Burns in [[Michael Crichton]]'s ''[[Airframe (novel)|Airframe]]''.

==See also==
*[[Accidents and incidents in aviation|List of accidents and incidents on commercial airliners]]

==Reference==
Nance, John J., ''Blind Trust'', William Morrow & Co, 1987. ISBN 0688053602

==External links==
* [http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19790525-2 Aviation-Safety.net report on the disaster]
* [http://amelia.db.erau.edu/reports/ntsb/aar/AAR79-17.pdf NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) Report (pdf)]
* [http://lessons.air.mmac.faa.gov/l2/Am191/ FAA "Public Lessons Learned from Accidents -American Airlines Flight 191"]
* [http://www.anchoragepress.com/newarchives/feature1vol12ed43.html Article on a journalist's investigation of DC-10 aircraft and the Flight 191 crash]
* [http://www.prairieghosts.com/flight.html Ghost of the Prairie - Lingering Spirits of Flight 191]
* [http://www.planecrashinfo.com/1979/1979-32.htm PlaneCrashInfo.Com - American Airlines Flight 191]
* [http://cpl.lib.uic.edu/004chicago/disasters/flight191_crash.html Chicago Public Library article on Flight 191]
* [http://www.foxchicago.com/_ezpost/data/13514.shtml Flight 191 Remembered (FOX Chicago website)]

[[Category:Accidents and incidents on commercial airliners in the United States]]
[[Category:In-flight airliner structural failures]]
[[Category:1979]]
[[Category:Chicago, Illinois]]

Jodie Foster

2006-08-20T05:38:20Z

71.201.198.12: /* Trivia */

{{Female adult bio|
|photo= 
|birth= [[November 19]], [[1962]]
|location= Los Angeles, California
|birthname= Alicia Christian Foster
|height= 5 ft. 3 in. [http://www.celebheights.com/s/Jodie-Foster-117.html]
|imdb= 0000149
}}
'''Jodie Foster''' (born [[November 19]] [[1962]]) is a two-time [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]]–winning [[United States|American]] [[Actor|actress]], [[Film director|director]], and [[film producer|producer]].

==Biography==
===Early life===
'''Alicia Christian Foster''' was born to Lucius Foster and Brandy Almond in [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]], [[California]]. She attended an exclusive [[University-preparatory school|prep school]], the [[Lycée Français de Los Angeles]], before going to [[Yale University]] where she earned a [[Bachelor of Arts|B.A.]] in [[literature]] and graduated ''[[magna cum laude]]'' in [[1985]]. While at Yale, Foster, like fellow 1985 Yale graduate [[Jennifer Beals]] of "Flashdance" fame, led a fairly normal life, considering her celebrity status. She often would spend time with friends at the local dive bar Anchor, and she occasionally partied in the haunts of one of the secret societies, [[Manuscript Society]] (a scene recounting such an event is noted in [[Tom Perrotta]]'s novel ''Joe College'').

===Career===
Foster has appeared in more than 100 [[film]] and [[television]] shows since beginning her career at age three as the [[Coppertone Girl]] in a [[child modeling|television commercial]]. Foster debuted as a television actress in a [[1968]] episode of ''[[Mayberry R.F.D.]]''. Her first film appearance came in the [[1970]] [[TV movie]] ''Menace on the Mountain''. Foster made a number of [[Walt Disney Pictures|Disney]] movies, including ''[[Napoleon and Samantha]]'' ([[1972]]), ''[[One Little Indian]]'' ([[1973]]), ''[[Freaky Friday]]'' ([[1976]]) and ''[[Candleshoe]]'' ([[1977]]). She also co-starred with Christopher Connelly in the [[1974]] [[TV series]] version of ''[[Paper Moon]]'' and alongside [[Martin Sheen]] in the 1976 cult classic ''[[The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane]]''. As a teenager, Foster made several appearances on the French pop circuit as a singer. Commenting on her years as a child actress, which she describes as an "actor’s career", Foster has said that "it was very clear to me at a young age that I had to fight for my life and that if I didn’t, my life would get gobbled up and taken away from me".<ref name="childstar">{{cite web | title=The StarPhoenix | work=A class act: Jodie Foster riding high with Flightplan and Inside Man | url=http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/story.html?id=d0c7154f-bd14-498a-bd45-6e8bf9d2e1e0&k=3533 | accessdate=March 31 | accessyear=2006}}</ref>
[[Image:Taxi Driver still 2.jpg|thumb|200px|Publicity still of Foster as "Iris", the 12 year old prostitute in ''[[Taxi Driver]]'' (1976)]]

At age 14, Jodie received a nomination for the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress]] for her role as a preteen [[prostitute]] in [[Martin Scorsese]]'s film, ''[[Taxi Driver]]'' opposite [[Robert De Niro]]. De Niro's character in ''Taxi Driver'' intended to assassinate a presidential candidate. In [[1981]], [[John Hinckley, Jr.]] shot [[President of the United States of America|U.S. President]] [[Ronald Reagan]] and three other people. He claimed his motive was to impress Foster. His obsession with Foster came after repeated viewings of the film, and he stalked her while she attended Yale University. This has been an incident of intense discomfort for Foster, who has been known to walk out of interviews if Hinckley's name is even mentioned. The punk band [[JFA (band)|Jodie Foster's Army]] is named in reference to Hinckley's actions.

Unlike child stars such as [[Shirley Temple]] or [[Tatum O'Neal]], Foster successfully transitioned to adult roles, but not without initial difficulty. She gained significant weight while at Yale and, after several unsuccessful films post-''Taxi Driver'', was forced to audition for her role in ''[[The Accused]]''. She won the part and the first of her two [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama|Golden Globes]] and [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Academy Awards]] as Best Actress for her role as a [[gang-rape]] survivor. She earned her second for her role as [[Clarice Starling]], opposite [[Anthony Hopkins]] as [[Hannibal Lecter]], in the 1991 film, ''[[The Silence of the Lambs]]''.

Foster made her directoral debut in 1991 with ''[[Little Man Tate]]'', an unsuccessful drama about a [[child prodigy]], in which she also costarred. She also directed ''[[Home for the Holidays (film)|Home for the Holidays]]'' (1995), a black comedy starring [[Holly Hunter]] and [[Robert Downey Jr.]]. In 1992, Foster founded a production company called '''Egg Pictures''' in Los Angeles, and she began working as a producer in 1994 with the acclaimed ''[[Nell]]'', the story of young woman raised in an isolated place who has to return to civilization. [[Image:SOTLClariceLecter.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Foster as [[Clarice Starling]] in the [[1991]] film adaptation of ''[[The Silence of the Lambs]]''. [[Anthony Hopkins]] as [[Hannibal Lecter]] in the reflection]]

Foster has appeared in a number of [[Japan]]ese commercials, mostly in the [[1990s]]. These include advertisements for the [[Honda Civic]], Keri cosmetics, Mt. Rainier ice coffee, and the Pasona Temporary Agency.

In 1997 she starred alongside [[Matthew Mcconaughey]] in the sci-fi movie ''[[Contact (film)|Contact]]'', based on the novel by scientist [[Carl Sagan]]. She portrayed a scientist searching for extra-terrestrial life in the [[SETI]] project.

In 1998, an [[asteroid]], [[List of asteroids (17001-18000)|17744 Jodiefoster]], was named in her honor.

After taking time away from the spotlight, Foster returned in the [[2005]] blockbuster, ''[[Flightplan]]''. Foster portrayed a woman whose daughter disappears on an airplane which Foster's character had helped to build.

Foster's latest film, ''[[Inside Man]]'', a thriller co-starring [[Denzel Washington]], was released on [[March 24]], [[2006]] and opened at #1 at the box office. Her next film will be ''The Brave One'', a thriller which is being filmed in [[New York City]], both in [[Manhattan]] and [[Brooklyn]]. It is directed by [[Neil Jordan]] and co-stars [[Terrence Howard]]. Commenting on her latest roles, Foster has said that she enjoys appearing in mainstream [[genre]] films that have a "real heart to them".<ref name="foster">{{cite web | title=UPI | work=Foster, Howard to star in Neil Jordan film | url=http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060327-104543-8602r | accessdate=March 27 | accessyear=2006}}</ref>

Foster gave the Class of [[2006]] [[University of Pennsylvania]] commencement address on [[May 15]], [[2006]], the university's 250th Commencement. The university also conferred to her the [[Doctor of Arts]] (honoris causa) degree for her lifelong achievement and contribution to film in both acting and directing[http://www.upenn.edu/commencement/event/honbio.html][http://www.upenn.edu/almanac/volumes/v52/n24/commencement.html]. Her [http://www.upenn.edu/commencement/webcast.html address] is available in webcast (jump to 1:44:08) and mp3 format.

===Personal life===
Foster is intensely private about certain aspects of her personal life. She has two sons, Charles (b. [[1998]]) and Kit (b. [[2001]]), both of whom she has revealed were conceived by [[artificial insemination]] through a [[sperm bank]] donor [http://www.suntimes.co.za/2001/11/11/backpage/back05.asp].
It has been rumored that she is a [[lesbian]], although she has never confirmed such.

==Trivia==
*Chosen by ''Empire'' magazine as one of the 100 "Sexiest Stars" in film history (#45). [1995]
*Was supposed to be Commencement Speaker for Smith College in [[Massachusetts]] but eventually had to decline. [2000]
*Uses her own voice in all of the French versions of any of her movies because she can speak French fluently.
*As a youngster, was mauled by a lion and carried briefly in its mouth after a day of filming ''[[Napoleon and Samantha]]'', a Disney movie.
*Hosted ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' at age 14, making her the youngest person to host (until a seven-year-old [[Drew Barrymore]] hosted in the 1980's). The episode she hosted was also the last episode featuring [[Chevy Chase]] as a castmember.
*Had to pull out of ''[[Double Jeopardy (film)|Double Jeopardy]]'' (1999) because she became pregnant.
*Ranked #18 in ''[[Empire]]'' (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time.
*She has two sisters and a brother, Lucinda "Cindy" Foster (b. 1954), Constance "Connie" Foster (b. 1955), and Lucius "Buddy" Foster (b. 1957).
*During the filming of both ''Taxi Driver'' and ''[[The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane]]'' her stand-in was her older sister, Connie.
*Is a member of [[MENSA]].
*As a result of attending an exclusive French-speaking private school in Los Angeles, Foster is fluent in [[French language|French]], which she speaks with almost no accent, and has performed in French-language films, such as ''[[A Very Long Engagement|Un long dimanche de fiançailles]]'' (2004).
*Made her debut (and only official) musical recordings in France in 1977: two 7" singles, "Je T'attends Depuis la Nuit des Temps" b/w "La Vie C'est Chouette" and "When I Looked at Your Face" b/w "La Vie C'est Chouette". The A-side of the former is sung in French, the A-side of the latter in English. The B-side of both is mostly spoken word and is performed in both French and English These three recordings were included on the soundtrack to Foster's 1977 French film ''Moi, fleur bleue''.
*There have been at least 20+ [[punk rock|punk]], [[hardcore punk|hardcore]], [[heavy metal]], [[New Wave music|New Wave]] and [[No Wave]] recordings that directly or indirectly reference Foster, included works by UK Subs, [[JFA (band)|JFA]], PH2, [[Half Japanese]], [[Sonic Youth]], Darlington and Caustic Christ. Foster's voice has been [[sampling|sampled]] from interviews and film performances and included on some tracks.
*Canadian poet [[R. W. Watkins]] dedicated a 2002 broadside of [[haiku]]s to "Foster on her 40th". The haiku are based on her 1976 film ''[[The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane]]'' (and the 1974 novel of the same name by [[Laird Koenig]]), and were expanded to 24-page [[chapbook]]-size for a 2005 republication by Nocturnal Iris Publications. The new edition features at least one avant-garde drawing of Foster by Watkins dating from 1988. Watkins also publishes the [[fanzine]] ''[[Cellar]]'', which concentrates on Foster's early and/or darker cinematic work, as well as that of Koenig, and (in particular) the point at which their careers intersect: ''The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane''.
*She is a fan of the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]].
*Loves organic food.
*Had to get a pie in her face during the film Bugsy Malone, and is probably the only Academy Award-winning actress to participate in a pie fight.

==Quotes==
*"Kids talk like sailors now. Adults don't want to know." -- at age 14.

*On the advantages of being an actress who is months from turning 40: "They've lived longer, they're more confident about their choices and they don't have to be hip and cool anymore, which I think is a godsend - you make really bad choices when you are trying to be hip." -- April 2004

*"If I fail, at least I will have failed my way."

*On "Foster Child", her brother, Buddy Foster's unauthorized biography about her: "A cheap cry for attention and money filled with hazy recollections, fantasies and borrowed press releases. Buddy has done nothing but break our mother's heart his whole life."

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[2007]] || ''Sugarland'' || || Announced
|-
| ''The Brave One'' || Erica || In Production
|-
| [[2006]] || ''[[Inside Man]]'' || Madeline White ||
|-
| [[2005]] || ''[[Flightplan]]'' || Kyle Pratt ||
|-
| [[2004]] || ''[[A Very Long Engagement]]'' (''Un long dimanche de fiançailles'') || Elodie Gordes ||
|-
| [[2003]] || ''[[Abby Singer]]'' || Herself ||
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[2002]] || ''[[Panic Room]]'' || Meg Altman ||
|-
| ''[[The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys]]'' || Sister Assumpta || Also producer
|-
| [[1999]] || ''[[Anna and the King]]'' || [[Anna Leonowens]] ||
|-
| [[1998]] || ''The Uttmost'' || Herself || Documentary
|-
| [[1997]] || ''[[Contact (film)|Contact]]'' || Ellie Arroway ||
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[1994]] || ''[[Nell]]'' || Nell Kellty || Also producer
|-
| ''[[Maverick (film)|Maverick]]'' || Mrs. Annabelle Bransford ||
|-
| [[1993]] || ''[[Sommersby]]'' || Laurel Sommersby ||
|-
| [[1992]] || ''[[Shadows and Fog]]'' || Prostitute ||
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[1991]] || ''[[Little Man Tate]]'' || Dede Tate || Also director
|-
| ''[[The Silence of the Lambs]]'' || [[Clarice Starling]] ||
|-
| [[1990]] || ''[[Catchfire]]'' || Anne Benton || aka ''Backtrack''
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[1988]] || ''[[The Accused]]'' || Sarah Tobias ||
|-
| ''[[Stealing Home]]'' || Katie Chandler ||
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[1987]] || ''[[Siesta]]'' || Nancy ||
|-
| ''[[Five Corners]]'' || Linda ||
|-
| [[1986]] || ''Mesmerized'' || Victoria Thompson|| Also co-producer
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[1984]] || ''The Blood of Others'' (''Le Sang des autres'') || Hélène Bertrand||
|-
| ''[[The Hotel New Hampshire]]'' || Frannie Berry ||
|-
| [[1983]] || ''[[Svengali]]'' || Zoe Alexander ||
|-
| [[1982]] || ''O'Hara's Wife'' || Barbara O'Hara ||
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[1980]] || ''[[Foxes (1980 film)|Foxes]]'' || Jeanie ||
|-
| ''[[Carny]]'' || Donna ||
|-
|rowspan="3"| [[1977]] || ''[[Candleshoe]]'' || Casey Brown ||
|-
| ''Casotto'' || Teresina Fedeli || aka ''Beach House''
|-
| ''Stop Calling Me Baby!'' (''Moi, fleur bleue'') || Isabelle Tristan (aka Fleur bleue) ||
|-
|rowspan="5"| [[1976]] || ''[[The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane]]'' || Rynn Jacobs||
|-
| ''[[Freaky Friday]]'' || Annabel Andrews ||
|-
| ''[[Bugsy Malone]]'' || Tallulah ||
|-
| ''[[Taxi Driver]]'' || Iris Steensma ||
|-
| ''Echoes of a Summer'' || Deirdre Striden || aka ''The Last Castle''
|-
| [[1975]] || ''The Secret Life of T.K. Dearing'' || T.K. Dearing || TV
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[1974]] || ''[[Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore]]'' || Audrey ||
|-
| ''Smile, Jenny, You're Dead'' || Liberty Cole || TV
|-
|rowspan="6"| [[1973]] || ''Rookie of the Year'' || Sharon Lee || TV
|-
| ''Alexander, Alexander'' || Sue || TV
|-
| ''[[The Addams Family]]'' || Pugsley (voice) || TV
|-
| ''[[Kung Fu (TV series)|Kung Fu]]'' || Alethea Patricia Ingram || TV
|-
| ''[[Tom Sawyer (1973 film/I)|Tom Sawyer]]'' || [[List of characters in the Tom Sawyer series#Becky Thatcher|Becky Thatcher]] ||
|-
| ''One Little Indian'' || Martha McIver ||
|-
|rowspan="3"| [[1972]] || ''Kansas City Bomber'' || Rita ||
|-
| ''[[Napoleon and Samantha]]'' || Samantha ||
|-
| ''My Sister Hank'' || Henrietta "Hank" Bennett || TV
|-
| [[1970]] || ''Menace on the Mountain'' || Suellen McIver || TV
|}

==Award Nominations==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Group !! Award !! Won? !! Film
|-
| [[1976]]
| [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts|BAFTA]]
| Best Supporting Actress and Best Newcomer
| style="background: #ddffdd" | Yes
| ''[[Bugsy Malone]]''
|-
| [[1977]]
| [[Golden Globe]]
| Best Motion Picture Actress - Musical/Comedy
| style="background: #ffdddd" | No
| ''[[Freaky Friday]]''
|-
| [[1977]]
| [[Academy Awards]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]]
| style="background: #ffdddd" | No
| ''[[Taxi Driver]]''
|-
| [[1977]]
| [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts|BAFTA]]
| Best Actress in a Supporting Role
| style="background: #ddffdd" | Yes
| ''[[Taxi Driver]]''
|-
| [[1978]]
| [[Saturn Award]]
| [[Saturn Award for Best Actress (Film)|Best Actress]]
| style="background: #ffdddd" | No
| ''[[The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane]]''
|-
| [[1988]]
| [[Golden Globe]]
| Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
| style="background: #ddffdd" | Yes
| ''[[The Accused]]''
|-
| [[1988]]
| [[Academy Awards]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
| style="background: #ddffdd" | Yes
| ''[[The Accused]]''
|-
|rowspan="4"| [[1991]]
| [[New York Film Critics Circle Awards]]
| [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
|rowspan="4" style="background: #ddffdd" | Yes
|rowspan="4"| ''[[The Silence of the Lambs]]''
|-
| [[Academy Awards]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Actress]]
|-
| [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts|BAFTA]]
| [[BAFTA Award|BAFTA Award for Best Actress]]
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award]]
| Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
|-
| [[1992]]
| [[Saturn Award]]
| [[Saturn Award for Best Actress (Film)|Best Actress]]
| style="background: #ffdddd" | No
| ''[[The Silence of the Lambs]]''
|-
| [[1995]]
| [[Screen Actors Guild]]
| [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture]]
| style="background: #ddffdd" | Yes
| ''[[Nell]]''
|-
| [[1995]]
| [[Academy Awards]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Actress]]
| style="background: #ffdddd" | No
| ''[[Nell]]''
|-
| [[1997]]
| [[Golden Globe]]
| Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
| style="background: #ffdddd" | No
| ''[[Contact (film)|Contact]]''
|-
| [[1998]]
| [[Saturn Award]]
| [[Saturn Award for Best Actress (Film)|Best Actress]]
| style="background: #ddffdd" | Yes
| ''[[Contact (film)|Contact]]''
|-
| [[2003]]
| [[Saturn Award]]
| [[Saturn Award for Best Actress (Film)|Best Actress]]
| style="background: #ffdddd" | No
| ''[[Panic Room]]''
|-
| [[2006]]
| [[Saturn Award]]
| [[Saturn Award for Best Actress (Film)|Best Actress]]
| style="background: #ffdddd" | No
| ''[[Flightplan]]''
|}

{{start box}}
{{succession box
| title=[[Academy Award for Best Actress]]
| years=1988 '''for ''[[The Accused]]'' '''
| before=[[Cher (entertainer)|Cher]] for ''[[Moonstruck]]''
| after=[[Jessica Tandy]] for ''[[Driving Miss Daisy]]''
}}
{{succession box
| title=Academy Award for Best Actress
| years=1991 '''for ''[[The Silence of the Lambs]]'' '''
| before=[[Kathy Bates]] for ''[[Misery]]''
| after=[[Emma Thompson]] for ''[[Howards End]]''
}}
{{end}}

==References==
===Footnotes===
<div class="references-small"><references /></div>
*[http://www.japander.com/japander/foster.htm Japanese commercials]
==Web sites==
*{{imdb name|id=0000149|name=Jodie Foster}}
*{{nndb name|id=756/000023687|name=Jodie Foster}}
*{{tvtome person|id=18158|name=Jodie Foster}}





[[Category:1962 births|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:Best Actress Academy Award winners|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:Best Actress Academy Award nominees|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:Best Supporting Actress Academy Award nominees|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:American child actors|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:American film actors|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:American film directors|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:American atheists|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:Female film directors|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:Living people|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:People from Los Angeles|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:Yale University alumni|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:English-language film directors|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:Film actors|Foster, Jodie]]

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2006-08-20T05:37:56Z

71.201.198.12: /* Trivia */

{{Female adult bio|
|photo= 
|birth= [[November 19]], [[1962]]
|location= Los Angeles, California
|birthname= Alicia Christian Foster
|height= 5 ft. 3 in. [http://www.celebheights.com/s/Jodie-Foster-117.html]
|imdb= 0000149
}}
'''Jodie Foster''' (born [[November 19]] [[1962]]) is a two-time [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]]–winning [[United States|American]] [[Actor|actress]], [[Film director|director]], and [[film producer|producer]].

==Biography==
===Early life===
'''Alicia Christian Foster''' was born to Lucius Foster and Brandy Almond in [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]], [[California]]. She attended an exclusive [[University-preparatory school|prep school]], the [[Lycée Français de Los Angeles]], before going to [[Yale University]] where she earned a [[Bachelor of Arts|B.A.]] in [[literature]] and graduated ''[[magna cum laude]]'' in [[1985]]. While at Yale, Foster, like fellow 1985 Yale graduate [[Jennifer Beals]] of "Flashdance" fame, led a fairly normal life, considering her celebrity status. She often would spend time with friends at the local dive bar Anchor, and she occasionally partied in the haunts of one of the secret societies, [[Manuscript Society]] (a scene recounting such an event is noted in [[Tom Perrotta]]'s novel ''Joe College'').

===Career===
Foster has appeared in more than 100 [[film]] and [[television]] shows since beginning her career at age three as the [[Coppertone Girl]] in a [[child modeling|television commercial]]. Foster debuted as a television actress in a [[1968]] episode of ''[[Mayberry R.F.D.]]''. Her first film appearance came in the [[1970]] [[TV movie]] ''Menace on the Mountain''. Foster made a number of [[Walt Disney Pictures|Disney]] movies, including ''[[Napoleon and Samantha]]'' ([[1972]]), ''[[One Little Indian]]'' ([[1973]]), ''[[Freaky Friday]]'' ([[1976]]) and ''[[Candleshoe]]'' ([[1977]]). She also co-starred with Christopher Connelly in the [[1974]] [[TV series]] version of ''[[Paper Moon]]'' and alongside [[Martin Sheen]] in the 1976 cult classic ''[[The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane]]''. As a teenager, Foster made several appearances on the French pop circuit as a singer. Commenting on her years as a child actress, which she describes as an "actor’s career", Foster has said that "it was very clear to me at a young age that I had to fight for my life and that if I didn’t, my life would get gobbled up and taken away from me".<ref name="childstar">{{cite web | title=The StarPhoenix | work=A class act: Jodie Foster riding high with Flightplan and Inside Man | url=http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/story.html?id=d0c7154f-bd14-498a-bd45-6e8bf9d2e1e0&k=3533 | accessdate=March 31 | accessyear=2006}}</ref>
[[Image:Taxi Driver still 2.jpg|thumb|200px|Publicity still of Foster as "Iris", the 12 year old prostitute in ''[[Taxi Driver]]'' (1976)]]

At age 14, Jodie received a nomination for the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress]] for her role as a preteen [[prostitute]] in [[Martin Scorsese]]'s film, ''[[Taxi Driver]]'' opposite [[Robert De Niro]]. De Niro's character in ''Taxi Driver'' intended to assassinate a presidential candidate. In [[1981]], [[John Hinckley, Jr.]] shot [[President of the United States of America|U.S. President]] [[Ronald Reagan]] and three other people. He claimed his motive was to impress Foster. His obsession with Foster came after repeated viewings of the film, and he stalked her while she attended Yale University. This has been an incident of intense discomfort for Foster, who has been known to walk out of interviews if Hinckley's name is even mentioned. The punk band [[JFA (band)|Jodie Foster's Army]] is named in reference to Hinckley's actions.

Unlike child stars such as [[Shirley Temple]] or [[Tatum O'Neal]], Foster successfully transitioned to adult roles, but not without initial difficulty. She gained significant weight while at Yale and, after several unsuccessful films post-''Taxi Driver'', was forced to audition for her role in ''[[The Accused]]''. She won the part and the first of her two [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama|Golden Globes]] and [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Academy Awards]] as Best Actress for her role as a [[gang-rape]] survivor. She earned her second for her role as [[Clarice Starling]], opposite [[Anthony Hopkins]] as [[Hannibal Lecter]], in the 1991 film, ''[[The Silence of the Lambs]]''.

Foster made her directoral debut in 1991 with ''[[Little Man Tate]]'', an unsuccessful drama about a [[child prodigy]], in which she also costarred. She also directed ''[[Home for the Holidays (film)|Home for the Holidays]]'' (1995), a black comedy starring [[Holly Hunter]] and [[Robert Downey Jr.]]. In 1992, Foster founded a production company called '''Egg Pictures''' in Los Angeles, and she began working as a producer in 1994 with the acclaimed ''[[Nell]]'', the story of young woman raised in an isolated place who has to return to civilization. [[Image:SOTLClariceLecter.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Foster as [[Clarice Starling]] in the [[1991]] film adaptation of ''[[The Silence of the Lambs]]''. [[Anthony Hopkins]] as [[Hannibal Lecter]] in the reflection]]

Foster has appeared in a number of [[Japan]]ese commercials, mostly in the [[1990s]]. These include advertisements for the [[Honda Civic]], Keri cosmetics, Mt. Rainier ice coffee, and the Pasona Temporary Agency.

In 1997 she starred alongside [[Matthew Mcconaughey]] in the sci-fi movie ''[[Contact (film)|Contact]]'', based on the novel by scientist [[Carl Sagan]]. She portrayed a scientist searching for extra-terrestrial life in the [[SETI]] project.

In 1998, an [[asteroid]], [[List of asteroids (17001-18000)|17744 Jodiefoster]], was named in her honor.

After taking time away from the spotlight, Foster returned in the [[2005]] blockbuster, ''[[Flightplan]]''. Foster portrayed a woman whose daughter disappears on an airplane which Foster's character had helped to build.

Foster's latest film, ''[[Inside Man]]'', a thriller co-starring [[Denzel Washington]], was released on [[March 24]], [[2006]] and opened at #1 at the box office. Her next film will be ''The Brave One'', a thriller which is being filmed in [[New York City]], both in [[Manhattan]] and [[Brooklyn]]. It is directed by [[Neil Jordan]] and co-stars [[Terrence Howard]]. Commenting on her latest roles, Foster has said that she enjoys appearing in mainstream [[genre]] films that have a "real heart to them".<ref name="foster">{{cite web | title=UPI | work=Foster, Howard to star in Neil Jordan film | url=http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060327-104543-8602r | accessdate=March 27 | accessyear=2006}}</ref>

Foster gave the Class of [[2006]] [[University of Pennsylvania]] commencement address on [[May 15]], [[2006]], the university's 250th Commencement. The university also conferred to her the [[Doctor of Arts]] (honoris causa) degree for her lifelong achievement and contribution to film in both acting and directing[http://www.upenn.edu/commencement/event/honbio.html][http://www.upenn.edu/almanac/volumes/v52/n24/commencement.html]. Her [http://www.upenn.edu/commencement/webcast.html address] is available in webcast (jump to 1:44:08) and mp3 format.

===Personal life===
Foster is intensely private about certain aspects of her personal life. She has two sons, Charles (b. [[1998]]) and Kit (b. [[2001]]), both of whom she has revealed were conceived by [[artificial insemination]] through a [[sperm bank]] donor [http://www.suntimes.co.za/2001/11/11/backpage/back05.asp].
It has been rumored that she is a [[lesbian]], although she has never confirmed such.

==Trivia==
*Chosen by ''Empire'' magazine as one of the 100 "Sexiest Stars" in film history (#45). [1995]
*Was supposed to be Commencement Speaker for Smith College in [[Massachusetts]] but eventually had to decline. [2000]
*Uses her own voice in all of the French versions of any of her movies because she can speak French fluently.
*As a youngster, was mauled by a lion and carried briefly in its mouth after a day of filming ''[[Napoleon and Samantha]]'', a Disney movie.
*Hosted ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' at age 14, making her the youngest person to host (until a seven-year-old [[Drew Barrymore]] hosted in the 1980's). The episode she hosted was also the last episode featuring [[Chevy Chase]] as a castmember.
*Had to pull out of ''[[Double Jeopardy (film)|Double Jeopardy]]'' (1999) because she became pregnant.
*Ranked #18 in ''[[Empire]]'' (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time.
*She has two sisters and a brother, Lucinda "Cindy" Foster (b. 1954), Constance "Connie" Foster (b. 1955), and Lucius "Buddy" Foster (b. 1957).
*During the filming of both ''Taxi Driver'' and ''[[The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane]]'' her stand-in was her older sister, Connie.
*Is a member of [[MENSA]].
*As a result of attending an exclusive French-speaking private school in Los Angeles, Foster is fluent in [[French language|French]], which she speaks with almost no accent, and has performed in French-language films, such as ''[[A Very Long Engagement|Un long dimanche de fiançailles]]'' (2004).
*Made her debut (and only official) musical recordings in France in 1977: two 7" singles, "Je T'attends Depuis la Nuit des Temps" b/w "La Vie C'est Chouette" and "When I Looked at Your Face" b/w "La Vie C'est Chouette". The A-side of the former is sung in French, the A-side of the latter in English. The B-side of both is mostly spoken word and is performed in both French and English These three recordings were included on the soundtrack to Foster's 1977 French film ''Moi, fleur bleue''.
*There have been at least 20+ [[punk rock|punk]], [[hardcore punk|hardcore]], [[heavy metal]], [[New Wave music|New Wave]] and [[No Wave]] recordings that directly or indirectly reference Foster, included works by UK Subs, [[JFA (band)|JFA]], PH2, [[Half Japanese]], [[Sonic Youth]], Darlington and Caustic Christ. Foster's voice has been [[sampling|sampled]] from interviews and film performances and included on some tracks.
*Canadian poet [[R. W. Watkins]] dedicated a 2002 broadside of [[haiku]]s to "Foster on her 40th". The haiku are based on her 1976 film ''[[The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane]]'' (and the 1974 novel of the same name by [[Laird Koenig]]), and were expanded to 24-page [[chapbook]]-size for a 2005 republication by Nocturnal Iris Publications. The new edition features at least one avant-garde drawing of Foster by Watkins dating from 1988. Watkins also publishes the [[fanzine]] ''[[Cellar]]'', which concentrates on Foster's early and/or darker cinematic work, as well as that of Koenig, and (in particular) the point at which their careers intersect: ''The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane''.
*She is a fan of the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]].
*Loves organic food.
*Had to get a pie in her face during the film Bugsy Malone, and is probably the only Academy-Award winning actress to participate in a pie fight.

==Quotes==
*"Kids talk like sailors now. Adults don't want to know." -- at age 14.

*On the advantages of being an actress who is months from turning 40: "They've lived longer, they're more confident about their choices and they don't have to be hip and cool anymore, which I think is a godsend - you make really bad choices when you are trying to be hip." -- April 2004

*"If I fail, at least I will have failed my way."

*On "Foster Child", her brother, Buddy Foster's unauthorized biography about her: "A cheap cry for attention and money filled with hazy recollections, fantasies and borrowed press releases. Buddy has done nothing but break our mother's heart his whole life."

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[2007]] || ''Sugarland'' || || Announced
|-
| ''The Brave One'' || Erica || In Production
|-
| [[2006]] || ''[[Inside Man]]'' || Madeline White ||
|-
| [[2005]] || ''[[Flightplan]]'' || Kyle Pratt ||
|-
| [[2004]] || ''[[A Very Long Engagement]]'' (''Un long dimanche de fiançailles'') || Elodie Gordes ||
|-
| [[2003]] || ''[[Abby Singer]]'' || Herself ||
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[2002]] || ''[[Panic Room]]'' || Meg Altman ||
|-
| ''[[The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys]]'' || Sister Assumpta || Also producer
|-
| [[1999]] || ''[[Anna and the King]]'' || [[Anna Leonowens]] ||
|-
| [[1998]] || ''The Uttmost'' || Herself || Documentary
|-
| [[1997]] || ''[[Contact (film)|Contact]]'' || Ellie Arroway ||
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[1994]] || ''[[Nell]]'' || Nell Kellty || Also producer
|-
| ''[[Maverick (film)|Maverick]]'' || Mrs. Annabelle Bransford ||
|-
| [[1993]] || ''[[Sommersby]]'' || Laurel Sommersby ||
|-
| [[1992]] || ''[[Shadows and Fog]]'' || Prostitute ||
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[1991]] || ''[[Little Man Tate]]'' || Dede Tate || Also director
|-
| ''[[The Silence of the Lambs]]'' || [[Clarice Starling]] ||
|-
| [[1990]] || ''[[Catchfire]]'' || Anne Benton || aka ''Backtrack''
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[1988]] || ''[[The Accused]]'' || Sarah Tobias ||
|-
| ''[[Stealing Home]]'' || Katie Chandler ||
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[1987]] || ''[[Siesta]]'' || Nancy ||
|-
| ''[[Five Corners]]'' || Linda ||
|-
| [[1986]] || ''Mesmerized'' || Victoria Thompson|| Also co-producer
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[1984]] || ''The Blood of Others'' (''Le Sang des autres'') || Hélène Bertrand||
|-
| ''[[The Hotel New Hampshire]]'' || Frannie Berry ||
|-
| [[1983]] || ''[[Svengali]]'' || Zoe Alexander ||
|-
| [[1982]] || ''O'Hara's Wife'' || Barbara O'Hara ||
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[1980]] || ''[[Foxes (1980 film)|Foxes]]'' || Jeanie ||
|-
| ''[[Carny]]'' || Donna ||
|-
|rowspan="3"| [[1977]] || ''[[Candleshoe]]'' || Casey Brown ||
|-
| ''Casotto'' || Teresina Fedeli || aka ''Beach House''
|-
| ''Stop Calling Me Baby!'' (''Moi, fleur bleue'') || Isabelle Tristan (aka Fleur bleue) ||
|-
|rowspan="5"| [[1976]] || ''[[The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane]]'' || Rynn Jacobs||
|-
| ''[[Freaky Friday]]'' || Annabel Andrews ||
|-
| ''[[Bugsy Malone]]'' || Tallulah ||
|-
| ''[[Taxi Driver]]'' || Iris Steensma ||
|-
| ''Echoes of a Summer'' || Deirdre Striden || aka ''The Last Castle''
|-
| [[1975]] || ''The Secret Life of T.K. Dearing'' || T.K. Dearing || TV
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[1974]] || ''[[Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore]]'' || Audrey ||
|-
| ''Smile, Jenny, You're Dead'' || Liberty Cole || TV
|-
|rowspan="6"| [[1973]] || ''Rookie of the Year'' || Sharon Lee || TV
|-
| ''Alexander, Alexander'' || Sue || TV
|-
| ''[[The Addams Family]]'' || Pugsley (voice) || TV
|-
| ''[[Kung Fu (TV series)|Kung Fu]]'' || Alethea Patricia Ingram || TV
|-
| ''[[Tom Sawyer (1973 film/I)|Tom Sawyer]]'' || [[List of characters in the Tom Sawyer series#Becky Thatcher|Becky Thatcher]] ||
|-
| ''One Little Indian'' || Martha McIver ||
|-
|rowspan="3"| [[1972]] || ''Kansas City Bomber'' || Rita ||
|-
| ''[[Napoleon and Samantha]]'' || Samantha ||
|-
| ''My Sister Hank'' || Henrietta "Hank" Bennett || TV
|-
| [[1970]] || ''Menace on the Mountain'' || Suellen McIver || TV
|}

==Award Nominations==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Group !! Award !! Won? !! Film
|-
| [[1976]]
| [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts|BAFTA]]
| Best Supporting Actress and Best Newcomer
| style="background: #ddffdd" | Yes
| ''[[Bugsy Malone]]''
|-
| [[1977]]
| [[Golden Globe]]
| Best Motion Picture Actress - Musical/Comedy
| style="background: #ffdddd" | No
| ''[[Freaky Friday]]''
|-
| [[1977]]
| [[Academy Awards]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]]
| style="background: #ffdddd" | No
| ''[[Taxi Driver]]''
|-
| [[1977]]
| [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts|BAFTA]]
| Best Actress in a Supporting Role
| style="background: #ddffdd" | Yes
| ''[[Taxi Driver]]''
|-
| [[1978]]
| [[Saturn Award]]
| [[Saturn Award for Best Actress (Film)|Best Actress]]
| style="background: #ffdddd" | No
| ''[[The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane]]''
|-
| [[1988]]
| [[Golden Globe]]
| Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
| style="background: #ddffdd" | Yes
| ''[[The Accused]]''
|-
| [[1988]]
| [[Academy Awards]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
| style="background: #ddffdd" | Yes
| ''[[The Accused]]''
|-
|rowspan="4"| [[1991]]
| [[New York Film Critics Circle Awards]]
| [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
|rowspan="4" style="background: #ddffdd" | Yes
|rowspan="4"| ''[[The Silence of the Lambs]]''
|-
| [[Academy Awards]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Actress]]
|-
| [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts|BAFTA]]
| [[BAFTA Award|BAFTA Award for Best Actress]]
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award]]
| Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
|-
| [[1992]]
| [[Saturn Award]]
| [[Saturn Award for Best Actress (Film)|Best Actress]]
| style="background: #ffdddd" | No
| ''[[The Silence of the Lambs]]''
|-
| [[1995]]
| [[Screen Actors Guild]]
| [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture]]
| style="background: #ddffdd" | Yes
| ''[[Nell]]''
|-
| [[1995]]
| [[Academy Awards]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Actress]]
| style="background: #ffdddd" | No
| ''[[Nell]]''
|-
| [[1997]]
| [[Golden Globe]]
| Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
| style="background: #ffdddd" | No
| ''[[Contact (film)|Contact]]''
|-
| [[1998]]
| [[Saturn Award]]
| [[Saturn Award for Best Actress (Film)|Best Actress]]
| style="background: #ddffdd" | Yes
| ''[[Contact (film)|Contact]]''
|-
| [[2003]]
| [[Saturn Award]]
| [[Saturn Award for Best Actress (Film)|Best Actress]]
| style="background: #ffdddd" | No
| ''[[Panic Room]]''
|-
| [[2006]]
| [[Saturn Award]]
| [[Saturn Award for Best Actress (Film)|Best Actress]]
| style="background: #ffdddd" | No
| ''[[Flightplan]]''
|}

{{start box}}
{{succession box
| title=[[Academy Award for Best Actress]]
| years=1988 '''for ''[[The Accused]]'' '''
| before=[[Cher (entertainer)|Cher]] for ''[[Moonstruck]]''
| after=[[Jessica Tandy]] for ''[[Driving Miss Daisy]]''
}}
{{succession box
| title=Academy Award for Best Actress
| years=1991 '''for ''[[The Silence of the Lambs]]'' '''
| before=[[Kathy Bates]] for ''[[Misery]]''
| after=[[Emma Thompson]] for ''[[Howards End]]''
}}
{{end}}

==References==
===Footnotes===
<div class="references-small"><references /></div>
*[http://www.japander.com/japander/foster.htm Japanese commercials]
==Web sites==
*{{imdb name|id=0000149|name=Jodie Foster}}
*{{nndb name|id=756/000023687|name=Jodie Foster}}
*{{tvtome person|id=18158|name=Jodie Foster}}





[[Category:1962 births|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:Best Actress Academy Award winners|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:Best Actress Academy Award nominees|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:Best Supporting Actress Academy Award nominees|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:American child actors|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:American film actors|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:American film directors|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:American atheists|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:Female film directors|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:Living people|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:People from Los Angeles|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:Yale University alumni|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:English-language film directors|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:Film actors|Foster, Jodie]]

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A Few Good Men (play)

2006-08-20T05:22:12Z

71.201.198.12: /* Famous quotes */

{{Infobox Film | name = A Few Good Men
| image = A Few Good Med DVD.jpg
| caption = A Few Good Men DVD cover
| director = [[Rob Reiner]]
| producer = David Brown Rob Reiner Andrew Scheinman
| writer = [[Aaron Sorkin]]
| starring =[[Tom Cruise]] [[Demi Moore]] [[Jack Nicholson]] [[Kevin Pollak]] [[Kevin Bacon]] [[J.T. Walsh]] [[Kiefer Sutherland]] |
| music =[[Marc Shaiman]]
| cinematography = Robert Richardson
| editing =
| distributor = [[Columbia Pictures]]
| released = [[December 9]], [[1992]]
| runtime = 138 min
| language = English
| budget =
| imdb_id = 0104257
}}
'''''A Few Good Men''''', written by [[Aaron Sorkin]], was an acclaimed [[Broadway theater|Broadway]] play and subsequently a well-received 1992 film [[drama]] that tells the story of military lawyers at a [[court-martial]] who uncover a high-level conspiracy in the course of defending their clients, [[United States Marine Corps|United States Marine]]s accused of [[murder]]. The film version, directed by [[Rob Reiner]], starred [[Tom Cruise]] as LTJG Daniel Kaffee, [[Jack Nicholson]] as Col. Nathan R. Jessep, [[Demi Moore]] as LCDR JoAnne Galloway, [[Kevin Bacon]] as Capt. Jack Ross, [[Kiefer Sutherland]] as Lt. Jonathan Kendrick, [[Kevin Pollak]] as LT Sam Weinberg, [[J.T. Walsh]] as LtCol. Matthew Markinson, and [[Wolfgang Bodison]] as Lance Cpl Harold W. Dawson. Aaron Sorkin also makes a cameo in the film.

It was nominated for [[Academy Awards]] for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Actor in a Supporting Role]] (Jack Nicholson), [[Academy Award for Film Editing|Best Film Editing]], [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]] and [[Academy Award for Sound|Best Sound]].

The original stage production starred [[Tom Hulce]] as Lt. Kaffee and [[Stephen Lang]] as Col. Jessep. A stage adaptation of the film starring [[Rob Lowe]] in the role of Lt. Daniel Kaffee and [[Suranne Jones]] as Lt. Cmdr. JoAnne Galloway, opened at the [[Theatre Royal Haymarket]], [[London]] in late August 2005 for preview showings, followed by a 3 month run in early September 2005. The stage show was directed by [[David Esbjornson]].

==Plot synopsis==
{{Spoiler}}
An inexperienced [[Navy]] lawyer, Lt. Daniel Kaffee, son of late Lionel Kaffee (who held the positions of [[Attorney General]] and [[Navy]] [[Judge Advocate General's Corps|Judge Advocate General]]), leads the defense in the court-martial of two Marines who are accused of murdering a fellow Marine of their unit, PFC William T. Santiago.

Kaffee attempts to portray the accused as men following orders, trying to establish that the defendants were in fact acting under the orders of their commanding officer, Col. Nathan R. Jessep, a powerful senior Marine officer being considered for the position of Director of Operations for the [[National Security Council]]. The two Marines on trial claim that they were ordered to give the victim a "Code Red" -- a military slang term for an extra-judicial and officially unsanctioned form of punishment (something created for the movie. There is no real "Code Red".). Kaffee eventually begins to suspect that he was specifically chosen to defend the two Marines due to his history of quickly settling cases by plea bargains, which would have prevented the case from ever going to trial, bringing the Marine Corps embarrassment and potentially mar the Colonel's chances of advancement.

Over the course of the story, Kaffee progresses from a novice lawyer to an experienced Navy attorney. His relationship with LCDR JoAnn Galloway evolves as well: There is friction between them the instant they meet. She believes that he doesn't care about his clients and that he settles cases quickly because he's afraid to actually argue in court. He thinks she is interfering with his handling of the case. They come to realize that they both want to learn the truth and give their clients a vigorous defense, and they know that they will have to work together to achieve this. Although there are some flirtatious moments between Galloway and Kaffee, they don't become romantically involved. What is more important is that they learn to cooperate and respect each other.

Kaffee is shown to have a high level of common sense and sharpness, which helps him win the case by proving that Jessep ordered a "Code Red" -- in retaliation for the Marine going outside the chain of command as a whistleblower -- by subtly provoking Jessep and causing him to voluntarily confess the truth in court in a moment's anger. Frustrated overall with the proceedings, Jessep leaves the stand and is ready to depart the courtroom until the judge orders him not to. Jessep is charged with crime stemming from the incident and will be brought to trial. He is disbelieving of the charges and lunges at Kaffee, realizing that he's been taken down from his mantle and his career possibly destroyed. Jessep is detained and led out of the room. The two Marines are then found not guilty of murder and conspiracy to commit murder, but are found guilty on the charge of conduct unbecoming a United States Marine by the court, and subsequently are dishonorably discharged from the Corps.

On the level of [[ethics|moral philosophy]], the drama examines questions of [[duty]], [[Honour|honor]], [[patriotism]], [[justice]], and the [[rule of law]].

==Famous quotes==
{{wikiquote}}
*'''Jessep:''' You want answers?
:'''Kaffee:''' I think I'm entitled to them.
:'''Jessep:''' ''You want answers?!''
:'''Kaffee:''' ''I want the truth!''
:'''Jessep:''' You can't handle the truth! Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lieutenant Weinberg? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it! I would rather you just said, "Thank you," and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand opposed. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to!
:'''Kaffee:''' Did you order the Code Red?
:'''Jessep:''' ''(quietly)'' I did the job I was sent to do--
:'''Kaffee:''' Did you order the Code Red?!
:'''Jessep:''' ''(shouting)'' You're goddamn right I did!!
:''[stunned silence]''
:'''Kaffee:''' Please the court, I suggest the members be dismissed, so that we can move to an immediate article 39A session. The witness has rights.
:'''Judge:''' Captain Ross?
:'''Kaffee:''' Jack?
:'''Ross:''' ''[nods head]''
:'''Judge:''' The court members will retire to an anteroom until further instructed.
:'''MP:''' All rise!
:'''Jessep:''' What is this? I did my job, I'd do it again. I'm gonna get in a plane and go back to my base.
:'''Judge:''' You're not going anywhere, Colonel. MP's, guard the Colonel.
:'''MP:''' Yes, sir!
:'''Judge:''' Captain Ross.
:'''Ross:''' Colonel Jessep, you have the right to remain silent--
:'''Jessep:''' What is this? I'm being charged with a crime? Is that what this is? I'm being charged with a crime? This is funny. That's what this is. This is-- ''[leaps towards Kaffee, MP's restrain him]'' I'm gonna rip the eyes out of your head and piss into your dead skull! You fucked with the wrong Marine!
:'''Ross:''' Colonel Jessep, do you understand these rights as I have just read them to you?
:'''Jessep:''' You fuckin' people. You have no idea how to defend a nation. All you did was weaken a country today, Kaffee. That's all you did. You put people's lives in danger. Sweet dreams, son.
:'''Kaffee:''' Don't call me son. I'm a lawyer and an officer in the United States Navy. And you're under arrest, you son of a bitch. The witness is excused.

*'''Kaffee:''' He can make an ''entire flight'' disappear?
:'''Markinson:''' Nathan Jessep is about to be appointed Director of Operations for the National Security Council. You don't get to that position without knowing how to sidestep a few landmines.

*'''Kaffee:''' ''Really'' gotta hand it to those Federal Marshalls boy.

*'''Lt. Kendrick:''' "I have two books at my bedside, Lieutenant: the Marine Corps Code of Conduct and the King James Bible. The only proper authorities I am aware of are my commanding officer, Colonel Nathan R. Jessep, and the Lord our God."

*'''Lt. Kendrick:''' "Commander, I believe in God and His Son Jesus Christ. Because I do I can say this; Private Santiago is dead, and that is a tragedy. But he is dead because he had no Code. He is dead because he had no Honor. And God was watching. "

*'''Kaffee:''' Is the colonel's [[underwear]] a matter of [[national security]]?

*'''Jessep:''' What do you want to discuss now? My favorite color?

* '''PFC Downey:''' I don't understand. Colonel Jessep ''said'' he ordered the Code Red. What did we do wrong?
:'''Galloway:''' It's not that simple.
:'''PFC Downey:''' What did we do wrong?! We did nothing wrong!
:'''Lance Cpl. Dawson:''' ...yeah we did. We were supposed to fight for people who couldn't fight for themselves. We were supposed to fight for Willy.

* '''Kaffee:''' Harold. You don't need to wear a badge on your arm to have Honor.
:'''Lance Cpl. Dawson:''' Ten-Hut! There's an officer on deck.

==Spoofs==
* In an episode of [[Seinfeld]], George walks into Jerry's apartment and says "You can't handle the truth!" When Jerry asks him what he is doing, George says he is practicing his Jack Nicholson.
* In an episode of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' called "[[Sideshow Bob Roberts]]", [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] and [[Sideshow Bob]] are in a courtroom and Bart says, "I want the truth!" Sideshow Bob responds, "You want the truth? You can't handle the truth! No truth-handler are you! Bah! I deride your truth-handling abilities!"
* In a promo for ''[[WrestleMania 21]]'', [[John Cena]] played the Lt. Kaffee part and [[John Layfield|JBL]] played the Col. Jessup part to promote their match. This was a part of a series of promos the [[World Wrestling Entertainment|WWE]] made for ''WrestleMania 21'' (which was held in [[Los Angeles]] that year) that were [[parodies]] of movies.
* A [[machinima]], using the [[Source Engine]], titled "A Few Good G-Men" ([http://www.nailbiter.net]), portrays the famous scene and quote, as well as showing Source's lip-syncing and emotion display ability.
* In the film ''[[The Big Hit]]'', Cisco berates Melvin for his relationship troubles, telling him that he doesn't see the women he is involved with for what they truly are. Melvin exclaims that he wants the truth, and Crunch interupts them to shout "You can't handle the truth" in an obvious quote of ''A Few Good Men''. Cisco impatiently tells Crunch to "Shut the fuck up".
* In his stand-up show ''I'm Swiss'', comedian [[Bill Maher]] referred to the dishonesty in government by spoofing the famous line: "You want the truth? I can't remember the truth!"
* In an episode of ''[[Spin City]]'' the mayor quotes ''A Few Good Men'' in the press room.

==Trivia==
* Jack Nicholson based his performance of Col. Nathan R. Jessep on the demeanor of the professional wrestler [[Harley Race]].{{fact}}

==External links==
*{{imdb_title|title=A Few Good Men|id=0104257}}



[[Category:1992 films|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Drama films|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Legal films|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:American films|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Best Picture Academy Award nominees|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award nominated performance|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Films directed by Rob Reiner|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Films based on plays|Few Good Me, A]]
[[Category:Columbia Pictures films|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:English-language films]]

[[de:Eine Frage der Ehre]]
[[es:A Few Good Men]]
[[it:Codice d'onore (film 1992)]]
[[nl:A Few Good Men]]
[[ru:Несколько хороших парней (фильм)]]
[[sv:På heder och samvete (film)]]

A Few Good Men (play)

2006-08-20T05:14:50Z

71.201.198.12: /* Famous quotes */

{{Infobox Film | name = A Few Good Men
| image = A Few Good Med DVD.jpg
| caption = A Few Good Men DVD cover
| director = [[Rob Reiner]]
| producer = David Brown Rob Reiner Andrew Scheinman
| writer = [[Aaron Sorkin]]
| starring =[[Tom Cruise]] [[Demi Moore]] [[Jack Nicholson]] [[Kevin Pollak]] [[Kevin Bacon]] [[J.T. Walsh]] [[Kiefer Sutherland]] |
| music =[[Marc Shaiman]]
| cinematography = Robert Richardson
| editing =
| distributor = [[Columbia Pictures]]
| released = [[December 9]], [[1992]]
| runtime = 138 min
| language = English
| budget =
| imdb_id = 0104257
}}
'''''A Few Good Men''''', written by [[Aaron Sorkin]], was an acclaimed [[Broadway theater|Broadway]] play and subsequently a well-received 1992 film [[drama]] that tells the story of military lawyers at a [[court-martial]] who uncover a high-level conspiracy in the course of defending their clients, [[United States Marine Corps|United States Marine]]s accused of [[murder]]. The film version, directed by [[Rob Reiner]], starred [[Tom Cruise]] as LTJG Daniel Kaffee, [[Jack Nicholson]] as Col. Nathan R. Jessep, [[Demi Moore]] as LCDR JoAnne Galloway, [[Kevin Bacon]] as Capt. Jack Ross, [[Kiefer Sutherland]] as Lt. Jonathan Kendrick, [[Kevin Pollak]] as LT Sam Weinberg, [[J.T. Walsh]] as LtCol. Matthew Markinson, and [[Wolfgang Bodison]] as Lance Cpl Harold W. Dawson. Aaron Sorkin also makes a cameo in the film.

It was nominated for [[Academy Awards]] for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Actor in a Supporting Role]] (Jack Nicholson), [[Academy Award for Film Editing|Best Film Editing]], [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]] and [[Academy Award for Sound|Best Sound]].

The original stage production starred [[Tom Hulce]] as Lt. Kaffee and [[Stephen Lang]] as Col. Jessep. A stage adaptation of the film starring [[Rob Lowe]] in the role of Lt. Daniel Kaffee and [[Suranne Jones]] as Lt. Cmdr. JoAnne Galloway, opened at the [[Theatre Royal Haymarket]], [[London]] in late August 2005 for preview showings, followed by a 3 month run in early September 2005. The stage show was directed by [[David Esbjornson]].

==Plot synopsis==
{{Spoiler}}
An inexperienced [[Navy]] lawyer, Lt. Daniel Kaffee, son of late Lionel Kaffee (who held the positions of [[Attorney General]] and [[Navy]] [[Judge Advocate General's Corps|Judge Advocate General]]), leads the defense in the court-martial of two Marines who are accused of murdering a fellow Marine of their unit, PFC William T. Santiago.

Kaffee attempts to portray the accused as men following orders, trying to establish that the defendants were in fact acting under the orders of their commanding officer, Col. Nathan R. Jessep, a powerful senior Marine officer being considered for the position of Director of Operations for the [[National Security Council]]. The two Marines on trial claim that they were ordered to give the victim a "Code Red" -- a military slang term for an extra-judicial and officially unsanctioned form of punishment (something created for the movie. There is no real "Code Red".). Kaffee eventually begins to suspect that he was specifically chosen to defend the two Marines due to his history of quickly settling cases by plea bargains, which would have prevented the case from ever going to trial, bringing the Marine Corps embarrassment and potentially mar the Colonel's chances of advancement.

Over the course of the story, Kaffee progresses from a novice lawyer to an experienced Navy attorney. His relationship with LCDR JoAnn Galloway evolves as well: There is friction between them the instant they meet. She believes that he doesn't care about his clients and that he settles cases quickly because he's afraid to actually argue in court. He thinks she is interfering with his handling of the case. They come to realize that they both want to learn the truth and give their clients a vigorous defense, and they know that they will have to work together to achieve this. Although there are some flirtatious moments between Galloway and Kaffee, they don't become romantically involved. What is more important is that they learn to cooperate and respect each other.

Kaffee is shown to have a high level of common sense and sharpness, which helps him win the case by proving that Jessep ordered a "Code Red" -- in retaliation for the Marine going outside the chain of command as a whistleblower -- by subtly provoking Jessep and causing him to voluntarily confess the truth in court in a moment's anger. Frustrated overall with the proceedings, Jessep leaves the stand and is ready to depart the courtroom until the judge orders him not to. Jessep is charged with crime stemming from the incident and will be brought to trial. He is disbelieving of the charges and lunges at Kaffee, realizing that he's been taken down from his mantle and his career possibly destroyed. Jessep is detained and led out of the room. The two Marines are then found not guilty of murder and conspiracy to commit murder, but are found guilty on the charge of conduct unbecoming a United States Marine by the court, and subsequently are dishonorably discharged from the Corps.

On the level of [[ethics|moral philosophy]], the drama examines questions of [[duty]], [[Honour|honor]], [[patriotism]], [[justice]], and the [[rule of law]].

==Famous quotes==
{{wikiquote}}
*'''Jessep:''' You want answers?
:'''Kaffee:''' I think I'm entitled to them.
:'''Jessep:''' ''You want answers?!''
:'''Kaffee:''' ''I want the truth!''
:'''Jessep:''' You can't handle the truth! Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lieutenant Weinberg? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it! I would rather you just said, "Thank you," and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand opposed. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to!
:'''Kaffee:''' Did you order the Code Red?
:'''Jessep:''' ''(quietly)'' I did the job I was sent to do--
:'''Kaffee:''' Did you order the Code Red?!
:'''Jessep:''' ''(shouting)'' You're goddamn right I did!!
:''[stunned silence]''
:'''Kaffee:''' Please the court, I suggest the members be dismissed, so that we can move to an immediate article 39A session. The witness has rights.
:'''Judge:''' Captain Ross?
:'''Kaffee:''' Jack?
:'''Ross:''' ''[nods head]''
:'''Judge:''' The court members will retire to an anteroom until further instructed.
:'''MP:''' All rise!
:'''Jessep:''' What is this? I did my job, I'd do it again. I'm gonna get in a plane and go back to my base.
:'''Judge:''' You're not going anywhere, Colonel. MP's, guard the Colonel.
:'''MP:''' Yes, sir!
:'''Judge:''' Captain Ross.
:'''Ross:''' Colonel Jessep, you have the right to remain silent--
:'''Jessep:''' What is this? I'm being charged with a crime? Is that what this is? I'm being charged with a crime? This is funny. That's what this is. This is-- ''[leaps towards Kaffee, MP's restrain him]'' I'm gonna rip the eyes out of your head and piss into your dead skull! You fucked with the wrong Marine!
:'''Ross:''' Colonel Jessep, do you understand these rights as I have just read them to you?
:'''Jessep:''' You fuckin' people. You have no idea how to defend a nation. All you did was weaken a country today, Kaffee. That's all you did. You put people's lives in danger. Sweet dreams, son.
:'''Kaffee:''' Don't call me son. I'm a lawyer and an officer in the United States Navy. And you're under arrest, you son of a bitch. The witness is excused.

*'''Kaffee:''' He can make an ''entire flight'' disappear?
:'''Markinson:''' Nathan Jessep is about to be appointed Director of Operations for the National Security Council. You don't get to that position without knowing how to sidestep a few landmines.

*'''Kaffee:''' ''Really'' gotta hand it to those Federal Marshalls boy.

*'''Lt. Kendrick:''' "I have two books at my bedside, Lieutenant: the Marine Corps Code of Conduct and the King James Bible. The only proper authorities I am aware of are my commanding officer, Colonel Nathan R. Jessep, and the Lord our God."

*'''Lt. Kendrick:''' "Commander, I believe in God and His Son Jesus Christ. Because I do I can say this; Private Santiago is dead, and that is a tragedy. But he is dead because he had no Code. He is dead because he had no Honor. And God was watching. "

*'''Kaffee:''' Is the colonel's [[underwear]] a matter of [[national security]]?

*'''Jessep:''' What do you want to discuss now? My favorite color?

* '''Pfc. Downey:''' I don't understand. Colonel Jessep ''said'' he ordered the Code Red. What did we do wrong?
:'''Galloway:''' It's not that simple.
:'''Pfc. Downey:''' What did we do wrong?! We did nothing wrong!
:'''Lance Cpl. Dawson:''' ...yeah we did. We were supposed to fight for people who couldn't fight for themselves. We were supposed to fight for Willy.

* '''Kaffee:''' Harold. You don't need to wear a badge on your arm to have Honor.
:'''Lance Cpl. Dawson:''' Ten-Hut! There's an officer on deck.

==Spoofs==
* In an episode of [[Seinfeld]], George walks into Jerry's apartment and says "You can't handle the truth!" When Jerry asks him what he is doing, George says he is practicing his Jack Nicholson.
* In an episode of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' called "[[Sideshow Bob Roberts]]", [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] and [[Sideshow Bob]] are in a courtroom and Bart says, "I want the truth!" Sideshow Bob responds, "You want the truth? You can't handle the truth! No truth-handler are you! Bah! I deride your truth-handling abilities!"
* In a promo for ''[[WrestleMania 21]]'', [[John Cena]] played the Lt. Kaffee part and [[John Layfield|JBL]] played the Col. Jessup part to promote their match. This was a part of a series of promos the [[World Wrestling Entertainment|WWE]] made for ''WrestleMania 21'' (which was held in [[Los Angeles]] that year) that were [[parodies]] of movies.
* A [[machinima]], using the [[Source Engine]], titled "A Few Good G-Men" ([http://www.nailbiter.net]), portrays the famous scene and quote, as well as showing Source's lip-syncing and emotion display ability.
* In the film ''[[The Big Hit]]'', Cisco berates Melvin for his relationship troubles, telling him that he doesn't see the women he is involved with for what they truly are. Melvin exclaims that he wants the truth, and Crunch interupts them to shout "You can't handle the truth" in an obvious quote of ''A Few Good Men''. Cisco impatiently tells Crunch to "Shut the fuck up".
* In his stand-up show ''I'm Swiss'', comedian [[Bill Maher]] referred to the dishonesty in government by spoofing the famous line: "You want the truth? I can't remember the truth!"
* In an episode of ''[[Spin City]]'' the mayor quotes ''A Few Good Men'' in the press room.

==Trivia==
* Jack Nicholson based his performance of Col. Nathan R. Jessep on the demeanor of the professional wrestler [[Harley Race]].{{fact}}

==External links==
*{{imdb_title|title=A Few Good Men|id=0104257}}



[[Category:1992 films|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Drama films|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Legal films|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:American films|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Best Picture Academy Award nominees|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award nominated performance|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Films directed by Rob Reiner|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Films based on plays|Few Good Me, A]]
[[Category:Columbia Pictures films|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:English-language films]]

[[de:Eine Frage der Ehre]]
[[es:A Few Good Men]]
[[it:Codice d'onore (film 1992)]]
[[nl:A Few Good Men]]
[[ru:Несколько хороших парней (фильм)]]
[[sv:På heder och samvete (film)]]

A Few Good Men (play)

2006-08-20T05:11:33Z

71.201.198.12: /* Plot synopsis */

{{Infobox Film | name = A Few Good Men
| image = A Few Good Med DVD.jpg
| caption = A Few Good Men DVD cover
| director = [[Rob Reiner]]
| producer = David Brown Rob Reiner Andrew Scheinman
| writer = [[Aaron Sorkin]]
| starring =[[Tom Cruise]] [[Demi Moore]] [[Jack Nicholson]] [[Kevin Pollak]] [[Kevin Bacon]] [[J.T. Walsh]] [[Kiefer Sutherland]] |
| music =[[Marc Shaiman]]
| cinematography = Robert Richardson
| editing =
| distributor = [[Columbia Pictures]]
| released = [[December 9]], [[1992]]
| runtime = 138 min
| language = English
| budget =
| imdb_id = 0104257
}}
'''''A Few Good Men''''', written by [[Aaron Sorkin]], was an acclaimed [[Broadway theater|Broadway]] play and subsequently a well-received 1992 film [[drama]] that tells the story of military lawyers at a [[court-martial]] who uncover a high-level conspiracy in the course of defending their clients, [[United States Marine Corps|United States Marine]]s accused of [[murder]]. The film version, directed by [[Rob Reiner]], starred [[Tom Cruise]] as LTJG Daniel Kaffee, [[Jack Nicholson]] as Col. Nathan R. Jessep, [[Demi Moore]] as LCDR JoAnne Galloway, [[Kevin Bacon]] as Capt. Jack Ross, [[Kiefer Sutherland]] as Lt. Jonathan Kendrick, [[Kevin Pollak]] as LT Sam Weinberg, [[J.T. Walsh]] as LtCol. Matthew Markinson, and [[Wolfgang Bodison]] as Lance Cpl Harold W. Dawson. Aaron Sorkin also makes a cameo in the film.

It was nominated for [[Academy Awards]] for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Actor in a Supporting Role]] (Jack Nicholson), [[Academy Award for Film Editing|Best Film Editing]], [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]] and [[Academy Award for Sound|Best Sound]].

The original stage production starred [[Tom Hulce]] as Lt. Kaffee and [[Stephen Lang]] as Col. Jessep. A stage adaptation of the film starring [[Rob Lowe]] in the role of Lt. Daniel Kaffee and [[Suranne Jones]] as Lt. Cmdr. JoAnne Galloway, opened at the [[Theatre Royal Haymarket]], [[London]] in late August 2005 for preview showings, followed by a 3 month run in early September 2005. The stage show was directed by [[David Esbjornson]].

==Plot synopsis==
{{Spoiler}}
An inexperienced [[Navy]] lawyer, Lt. Daniel Kaffee, son of late Lionel Kaffee (who held the positions of [[Attorney General]] and [[Navy]] [[Judge Advocate General's Corps|Judge Advocate General]]), leads the defense in the court-martial of two Marines who are accused of murdering a fellow Marine of their unit, PFC William T. Santiago.

Kaffee attempts to portray the accused as men following orders, trying to establish that the defendants were in fact acting under the orders of their commanding officer, Col. Nathan R. Jessep, a powerful senior Marine officer being considered for the position of Director of Operations for the [[National Security Council]]. The two Marines on trial claim that they were ordered to give the victim a "Code Red" -- a military slang term for an extra-judicial and officially unsanctioned form of punishment (something created for the movie. There is no real "Code Red".). Kaffee eventually begins to suspect that he was specifically chosen to defend the two Marines due to his history of quickly settling cases by plea bargains, which would have prevented the case from ever going to trial, bringing the Marine Corps embarrassment and potentially mar the Colonel's chances of advancement.

Over the course of the story, Kaffee progresses from a novice lawyer to an experienced Navy attorney. His relationship with LCDR JoAnn Galloway evolves as well: There is friction between them the instant they meet. She believes that he doesn't care about his clients and that he settles cases quickly because he's afraid to actually argue in court. He thinks she is interfering with his handling of the case. They come to realize that they both want to learn the truth and give their clients a vigorous defense, and they know that they will have to work together to achieve this. Although there are some flirtatious moments between Galloway and Kaffee, they don't become romantically involved. What is more important is that they learn to cooperate and respect each other.

Kaffee is shown to have a high level of common sense and sharpness, which helps him win the case by proving that Jessep ordered a "Code Red" -- in retaliation for the Marine going outside the chain of command as a whistleblower -- by subtly provoking Jessep and causing him to voluntarily confess the truth in court in a moment's anger. Frustrated overall with the proceedings, Jessep leaves the stand and is ready to depart the courtroom until the judge orders him not to. Jessep is charged with crime stemming from the incident and will be brought to trial. He is disbelieving of the charges and lunges at Kaffee, realizing that he's been taken down from his mantle and his career possibly destroyed. Jessep is detained and led out of the room. The two Marines are then found not guilty of murder and conspiracy to commit murder, but are found guilty on the charge of conduct unbecoming a United States Marine by the court, and subsequently are dishonorably discharged from the Corps.

On the level of [[ethics|moral philosophy]], the drama examines questions of [[duty]], [[Honour|honor]], [[patriotism]], [[justice]], and the [[rule of law]].

==Famous quotes==
{{wikiquote}}
*'''Jessep:''' You want answers?
:'''Kaffee:''' I think I'm entitled to-
:'''Jessep:''' ''You want answers?!''
:'''Kaffee:''' ''I want the truth!''
:'''Jessep:''' You can't handle the truth! Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lieutenant Weinberg? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it! I would rather you just said, "Thank you," and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand opposed. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to!
:'''Kaffee:''' Did you order the Code Red?
:'''Jessep:''' ''(quietly)'' I did the job I was sent to do--
:'''Kaffee:''' Did you order the Code Red?!
:'''Jessep:''' ''(shouting)'' You're goddamn right I did!!
:''[stunned silence]''
:'''Kaffee:''' Please the court, I suggest the members be dismissed, so that we can move to an immediate article 39A session. The witness has rights.
:'''Judge:''' Captain Ross?
:'''Kaffee:''' Jack?
:'''Ross:''' ''[nods head]''
:'''Judge:''' The court members will retire to an anteroom until further instructed.
:'''MP:''' All rise!
:'''Jessep:''' What is this? I did my job, I'd do it again. I'm gonna get in a plane and go back to my base.
:'''Judge:''' You're not going anywhere, Colonel. MP's, guard the Colonel.
:'''MP:''' Yes, sir!
:'''Judge:''' Captain Ross.
:'''Ross:''' Colonel Jessep, you have the right to remain silent--
:'''Jessep:''' What is this? I'm being charged with a crime? Is that what this is? I'm being charged with a crime? This is funny. That's what this is. This is-- ''[leaps towards Kaffee, MP's restrain him]'' I'm gonna rip the eyes out of your head and piss into your dead skull! You fucked with the wrong Marine!
:'''Ross:''' Colonel Jessep, do you understand these rights as I have just read them to you?
:'''Jessep:''' You fuckin' people. You have no idea how to defend a nation. All you did was weaken a country today, Kaffee. That's all you did. You put people's lives in danger. Sweet dreams, son.
:'''Kaffee:''' Don't call me son. I'm a lawyer and an officer in the United States Navy. And you're under arrest, you son of a bitch. The witness is excused.

*'''Kaffee:''' He can make an ''entire flight'' disappear?
:'''Markinson:''' Nathan Jessep is about to be appointed Director of Operations for the National Security Council. You don't get to that position without knowing how to sidestep a few landmines.

*'''Kaffee:''' ''Really'' gotta hand it to those Federal Marshalls boy.

*'''Lt. Kendrick:''' "I have two books at my bedside, Lieutenant: the Marine Corps Code of Conduct and the King James Bible. The only proper authorities I am aware of are my commanding officer, Colonel Nathan R. Jessep, and the Lord our God."

*'''Lt. Kendrick:''' "Commander, I believe in God and His Son Jesus Christ. Because I do I can say this; Private Santiago is dead, and that is a tragedy. But he is dead because he had no Code. He is dead because he had no Honor. And God was watching. "

*'''Kaffee:''' Is the colonel's [[underwear]] a matter of [[national security]]?

*'''Jessep:''' What do you want to discuss now? My favorite color?

* '''Pfc. Downey:''' I don't understand. Colonel Jessep ''said'' he ordered the Code Red. What did we do wrong?
:'''Galloway:''' It's not that simple.
:'''Pfc. Downey:''' What did we do wrong?! We did nothing wrong!
:'''Lance Cpl. Dawson:''' ...yeah we did. We were supposed to fight for people who couldn't fight for themselves. We were supposed to fight for Willy.

* '''Kaffee:''' Harold. You don't need to wear a badge on your arm to have Honor.
:'''Lance Cpl. Dawson:''' Ten-Hut! There's an officer on deck.

==Spoofs==
* In an episode of [[Seinfeld]], George walks into Jerry's apartment and says "You can't handle the truth!" When Jerry asks him what he is doing, George says he is practicing his Jack Nicholson.
* In an episode of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' called "[[Sideshow Bob Roberts]]", [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] and [[Sideshow Bob]] are in a courtroom and Bart says, "I want the truth!" Sideshow Bob responds, "You want the truth? You can't handle the truth! No truth-handler are you! Bah! I deride your truth-handling abilities!"
* In a promo for ''[[WrestleMania 21]]'', [[John Cena]] played the Lt. Kaffee part and [[John Layfield|JBL]] played the Col. Jessup part to promote their match. This was a part of a series of promos the [[World Wrestling Entertainment|WWE]] made for ''WrestleMania 21'' (which was held in [[Los Angeles]] that year) that were [[parodies]] of movies.
* A [[machinima]], using the [[Source Engine]], titled "A Few Good G-Men" ([http://www.nailbiter.net]), portrays the famous scene and quote, as well as showing Source's lip-syncing and emotion display ability.
* In the film ''[[The Big Hit]]'', Cisco berates Melvin for his relationship troubles, telling him that he doesn't see the women he is involved with for what they truly are. Melvin exclaims that he wants the truth, and Crunch interupts them to shout "You can't handle the truth" in an obvious quote of ''A Few Good Men''. Cisco impatiently tells Crunch to "Shut the fuck up".
* In his stand-up show ''I'm Swiss'', comedian [[Bill Maher]] referred to the dishonesty in government by spoofing the famous line: "You want the truth? I can't remember the truth!"
* In an episode of ''[[Spin City]]'' the mayor quotes ''A Few Good Men'' in the press room.

==Trivia==
* Jack Nicholson based his performance of Col. Nathan R. Jessep on the demeanor of the professional wrestler [[Harley Race]].{{fact}}

==External links==
*{{imdb_title|title=A Few Good Men|id=0104257}}



[[Category:1992 films|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Drama films|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Legal films|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:American films|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Best Picture Academy Award nominees|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award nominated performance|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Films directed by Rob Reiner|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Films based on plays|Few Good Me, A]]
[[Category:Columbia Pictures films|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:English-language films]]

[[de:Eine Frage der Ehre]]
[[es:A Few Good Men]]
[[it:Codice d'onore (film 1992)]]
[[nl:A Few Good Men]]
[[ru:Несколько хороших парней (фильм)]]
[[sv:På heder och samvete (film)]]

A Few Good Men (play)

2006-08-20T05:10:50Z

71.201.198.12: /* Plot synopsis */

{{Infobox Film | name = A Few Good Men
| image = A Few Good Med DVD.jpg
| caption = A Few Good Men DVD cover
| director = [[Rob Reiner]]
| producer = David Brown Rob Reiner Andrew Scheinman
| writer = [[Aaron Sorkin]]
| starring =[[Tom Cruise]] [[Demi Moore]] [[Jack Nicholson]] [[Kevin Pollak]] [[Kevin Bacon]] [[J.T. Walsh]] [[Kiefer Sutherland]] |
| music =[[Marc Shaiman]]
| cinematography = Robert Richardson
| editing =
| distributor = [[Columbia Pictures]]
| released = [[December 9]], [[1992]]
| runtime = 138 min
| language = English
| budget =
| imdb_id = 0104257
}}
'''''A Few Good Men''''', written by [[Aaron Sorkin]], was an acclaimed [[Broadway theater|Broadway]] play and subsequently a well-received 1992 film [[drama]] that tells the story of military lawyers at a [[court-martial]] who uncover a high-level conspiracy in the course of defending their clients, [[United States Marine Corps|United States Marine]]s accused of [[murder]]. The film version, directed by [[Rob Reiner]], starred [[Tom Cruise]] as LTJG Daniel Kaffee, [[Jack Nicholson]] as Col. Nathan R. Jessep, [[Demi Moore]] as LCDR JoAnne Galloway, [[Kevin Bacon]] as Capt. Jack Ross, [[Kiefer Sutherland]] as Lt. Jonathan Kendrick, [[Kevin Pollak]] as LT Sam Weinberg, [[J.T. Walsh]] as LtCol. Matthew Markinson, and [[Wolfgang Bodison]] as Lance Cpl Harold W. Dawson. Aaron Sorkin also makes a cameo in the film.

It was nominated for [[Academy Awards]] for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Actor in a Supporting Role]] (Jack Nicholson), [[Academy Award for Film Editing|Best Film Editing]], [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]] and [[Academy Award for Sound|Best Sound]].

The original stage production starred [[Tom Hulce]] as Lt. Kaffee and [[Stephen Lang]] as Col. Jessep. A stage adaptation of the film starring [[Rob Lowe]] in the role of Lt. Daniel Kaffee and [[Suranne Jones]] as Lt. Cmdr. JoAnne Galloway, opened at the [[Theatre Royal Haymarket]], [[London]] in late August 2005 for preview showings, followed by a 3 month run in early September 2005. The stage show was directed by [[David Esbjornson]].

==Plot synopsis==
{{Spoiler}}
An inexperienced [[Navy]] lawyer, Lt. Daniel Kaffee, son of late Lionel Kaffee (who held the positions of [[Attorney General]] and [[Navy]] [[Judge Advocate General's Corps|Judge Advocate General]]), leads the defense in the court-martial of two Marines who are accused of murdering a fellow Marine of their unit, PFC William T. Santiago.

Kaffee attempts to portray the accused as men following orders, trying to establish that the defendants were in fact acting under the orders of their commanding officer, Col. Nathan R. Jessep, a powerful senior Marine officer being considered for the position of Director of Operations for the [[National Security Council]]. The two Marines on trial claim that they were ordered to give the victim a "Code Red" -- a military slang term for an extra-judicial and officially unsanctioned form of punishment (something created for the movie. There is no real "Code Red".). Kaffee eventually begins to suspect that he was specifically chosen to defend the two Marines due to his history of quickly settling cases by plea bargains, which would have prevented the case from ever going to trial, bringing the Marine Corps embarrassment and potentially mar the Colonel's chances of advancement.

Over the course of the story, Kaffee progresses from a novice lawyer to an experienced Navy attorney. His relationship with Lt. Cmdr. JoAnn Galloway evolves as well: There is friction between them the instant they meet. She believes that he doesn't care about his clients and that he settles cases quickly because he's afraid to actually argue in court. He thinks she is interfering with his handling of the case. They come to realize that they both want to learn the truth and give their clients a vigorous defense, and they know that they will have to work together to achieve this. Although there are some flirtatious moments between Galloway and Kaffee, they don't become romantically involved. What is more important is that they learn to cooperate and respect each other.

Kaffee is shown to have a high level of common sense and sharpness, which helps him win the case by proving that Jessep ordered a "Code Red" -- in retaliation for the Marine going outside the chain of command as a whistleblower -- by subtly provoking Jessep and causing him to voluntarily confess the truth in court in a moment's anger. Frustrated overall with the proceedings, Jessep leaves the stand and is ready to depart the courtroom until the judge orders him not to. Jessep is charged with crime stemming from the incident and will be brought to trial. He is disbelieving of the charges and lunges at Kaffee, realizing that he's been taken down from his mantle and his career possibly destroyed. Jessep is detained and led out of the room. The two Marines are then found not guilty of murder and conspiracy to commit murder, but are found guilty on the charge of conduct unbecoming a United States Marine by the court, and subsequently are dishonorably discharged from the Corps.

On the level of [[ethics|moral philosophy]], the drama examines questions of [[duty]], [[Honour|honor]], [[patriotism]], [[justice]], and the [[rule of law]].

==Famous quotes==
{{wikiquote}}
*'''Jessep:''' You want answers?
:'''Kaffee:''' I think I'm entitled to-
:'''Jessep:''' ''You want answers?!''
:'''Kaffee:''' ''I want the truth!''
:'''Jessep:''' You can't handle the truth! Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lieutenant Weinberg? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it! I would rather you just said, "Thank you," and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand opposed. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to!
:'''Kaffee:''' Did you order the Code Red?
:'''Jessep:''' ''(quietly)'' I did the job I was sent to do--
:'''Kaffee:''' Did you order the Code Red?!
:'''Jessep:''' ''(shouting)'' You're goddamn right I did!!
:''[stunned silence]''
:'''Kaffee:''' Please the court, I suggest the members be dismissed, so that we can move to an immediate article 39A session. The witness has rights.
:'''Judge:''' Captain Ross?
:'''Kaffee:''' Jack?
:'''Ross:''' ''[nods head]''
:'''Judge:''' The court members will retire to an anteroom until further instructed.
:'''MP:''' All rise!
:'''Jessep:''' What is this? I did my job, I'd do it again. I'm gonna get in a plane and go back to my base.
:'''Judge:''' You're not going anywhere, Colonel. MP's, guard the Colonel.
:'''MP:''' Yes, sir!
:'''Judge:''' Captain Ross.
:'''Ross:''' Colonel Jessep, you have the right to remain silent--
:'''Jessep:''' What is this? I'm being charged with a crime? Is that what this is? I'm being charged with a crime? This is funny. That's what this is. This is-- ''[leaps towards Kaffee, MP's restrain him]'' I'm gonna rip the eyes out of your head and piss into your dead skull! You fucked with the wrong Marine!
:'''Ross:''' Colonel Jessep, do you understand these rights as I have just read them to you?
:'''Jessep:''' You fuckin' people. You have no idea how to defend a nation. All you did was weaken a country today, Kaffee. That's all you did. You put people's lives in danger. Sweet dreams, son.
:'''Kaffee:''' Don't call me son. I'm a lawyer and an officer in the United States Navy. And you're under arrest, you son of a bitch. The witness is excused.

*'''Kaffee:''' He can make an ''entire flight'' disappear?
:'''Markinson:''' Nathan Jessep is about to be appointed Director of Operations for the National Security Council. You don't get to that position without knowing how to sidestep a few landmines.

*'''Kaffee:''' ''Really'' gotta hand it to those Federal Marshalls boy.

*'''Lt. Kendrick:''' "I have two books at my bedside, Lieutenant: the Marine Corps Code of Conduct and the King James Bible. The only proper authorities I am aware of are my commanding officer, Colonel Nathan R. Jessep, and the Lord our God."

*'''Lt. Kendrick:''' "Commander, I believe in God and His Son Jesus Christ. Because I do I can say this; Private Santiago is dead, and that is a tragedy. But he is dead because he had no Code. He is dead because he had no Honor. And God was watching. "

*'''Kaffee:''' Is the colonel's [[underwear]] a matter of [[national security]]?

*'''Jessep:''' What do you want to discuss now? My favorite color?

* '''Pfc. Downey:''' I don't understand. Colonel Jessep ''said'' he ordered the Code Red. What did we do wrong?
:'''Galloway:''' It's not that simple.
:'''Pfc. Downey:''' What did we do wrong?! We did nothing wrong!
:'''Lance Cpl. Dawson:''' ...yeah we did. We were supposed to fight for people who couldn't fight for themselves. We were supposed to fight for Willy.

* '''Kaffee:''' Harold. You don't need to wear a badge on your arm to have Honor.
:'''Lance Cpl. Dawson:''' Ten-Hut! There's an officer on deck.

==Spoofs==
* In an episode of [[Seinfeld]], George walks into Jerry's apartment and says "You can't handle the truth!" When Jerry asks him what he is doing, George says he is practicing his Jack Nicholson.
* In an episode of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' called "[[Sideshow Bob Roberts]]", [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] and [[Sideshow Bob]] are in a courtroom and Bart says, "I want the truth!" Sideshow Bob responds, "You want the truth? You can't handle the truth! No truth-handler are you! Bah! I deride your truth-handling abilities!"
* In a promo for ''[[WrestleMania 21]]'', [[John Cena]] played the Lt. Kaffee part and [[John Layfield|JBL]] played the Col. Jessup part to promote their match. This was a part of a series of promos the [[World Wrestling Entertainment|WWE]] made for ''WrestleMania 21'' (which was held in [[Los Angeles]] that year) that were [[parodies]] of movies.
* A [[machinima]], using the [[Source Engine]], titled "A Few Good G-Men" ([http://www.nailbiter.net]), portrays the famous scene and quote, as well as showing Source's lip-syncing and emotion display ability.
* In the film ''[[The Big Hit]]'', Cisco berates Melvin for his relationship troubles, telling him that he doesn't see the women he is involved with for what they truly are. Melvin exclaims that he wants the truth, and Crunch interupts them to shout "You can't handle the truth" in an obvious quote of ''A Few Good Men''. Cisco impatiently tells Crunch to "Shut the fuck up".
* In his stand-up show ''I'm Swiss'', comedian [[Bill Maher]] referred to the dishonesty in government by spoofing the famous line: "You want the truth? I can't remember the truth!"
* In an episode of ''[[Spin City]]'' the mayor quotes ''A Few Good Men'' in the press room.

==Trivia==
* Jack Nicholson based his performance of Col. Nathan R. Jessep on the demeanor of the professional wrestler [[Harley Race]].{{fact}}

==External links==
*{{imdb_title|title=A Few Good Men|id=0104257}}



[[Category:1992 films|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Drama films|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Legal films|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:American films|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Best Picture Academy Award nominees|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award nominated performance|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Films directed by Rob Reiner|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Films based on plays|Few Good Me, A]]
[[Category:Columbia Pictures films|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:English-language films]]

[[de:Eine Frage der Ehre]]
[[es:A Few Good Men]]
[[it:Codice d'onore (film 1992)]]
[[nl:A Few Good Men]]
[[ru:Несколько хороших парней (фильм)]]
[[sv:På heder och samvete (film)]]

A Few Good Men (play)

2006-08-20T05:09:47Z

71.201.198.12:

{{Infobox Film | name = A Few Good Men
| image = A Few Good Med DVD.jpg
| caption = A Few Good Men DVD cover
| director = [[Rob Reiner]]
| producer = David Brown Rob Reiner Andrew Scheinman
| writer = [[Aaron Sorkin]]
| starring =[[Tom Cruise]] [[Demi Moore]] [[Jack Nicholson]] [[Kevin Pollak]] [[Kevin Bacon]] [[J.T. Walsh]] [[Kiefer Sutherland]] |
| music =[[Marc Shaiman]]
| cinematography = Robert Richardson
| editing =
| distributor = [[Columbia Pictures]]
| released = [[December 9]], [[1992]]
| runtime = 138 min
| language = English
| budget =
| imdb_id = 0104257
}}
'''''A Few Good Men''''', written by [[Aaron Sorkin]], was an acclaimed [[Broadway theater|Broadway]] play and subsequently a well-received 1992 film [[drama]] that tells the story of military lawyers at a [[court-martial]] who uncover a high-level conspiracy in the course of defending their clients, [[United States Marine Corps|United States Marine]]s accused of [[murder]]. The film version, directed by [[Rob Reiner]], starred [[Tom Cruise]] as LTJG Daniel Kaffee, [[Jack Nicholson]] as Col. Nathan R. Jessep, [[Demi Moore]] as LCDR JoAnne Galloway, [[Kevin Bacon]] as Capt. Jack Ross, [[Kiefer Sutherland]] as Lt. Jonathan Kendrick, [[Kevin Pollak]] as LT Sam Weinberg, [[J.T. Walsh]] as LtCol. Matthew Markinson, and [[Wolfgang Bodison]] as Lance Cpl Harold W. Dawson. Aaron Sorkin also makes a cameo in the film.

It was nominated for [[Academy Awards]] for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Actor in a Supporting Role]] (Jack Nicholson), [[Academy Award for Film Editing|Best Film Editing]], [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]] and [[Academy Award for Sound|Best Sound]].

The original stage production starred [[Tom Hulce]] as Lt. Kaffee and [[Stephen Lang]] as Col. Jessep. A stage adaptation of the film starring [[Rob Lowe]] in the role of Lt. Daniel Kaffee and [[Suranne Jones]] as Lt. Cmdr. JoAnne Galloway, opened at the [[Theatre Royal Haymarket]], [[London]] in late August 2005 for preview showings, followed by a 3 month run in early September 2005. The stage show was directed by [[David Esbjornson]].

==Plot synopsis==
{{Spoiler}}
An inexperienced [[Navy]] lawyer, Lt. Daniel Kaffee, son of late Lionel Kaffee (who held the positions of [[Attorney General]] and [[Navy]] [[Judge Advocate General's Corps|Judge Advocate General]]), leads the defense in the court-martial of two Marines who are accused of murdering a fellow Marine of their unit, Pfc. William T. Santiago.

Kaffee attempts to portray the accused as men following orders, trying to establish that the defendants were in fact acting under the orders of their commanding officer, Col. Nathan R. Jessep, a powerful senior Marine officer being considered for the position of Director of Operations for the [[National Security Council]]. The two Marines on trial claim that they were ordered to give the victim a "Code Red" -- a military slang term for an extra-judicial and officially unsanctioned form of punishment (something created for the movie. There is no real "Code Red".). Kaffee eventually begins to suspect that he was specifically chosen to defend the two Marines due to his history of quickly settling cases by plea bargains, which would have prevented the case from ever going to trial, bringing the Marine Corps embarrassment and potentially mar the Colonel's chances of advancement.

Over the course of the story, Kaffee progresses from a novice lawyer to an experienced Navy attorney. His relationship with Lt. Cmdr. JoAnn Galloway evolves as well: There is friction between them the instant they meet. She believes that he doesn't care about his clients and that he settles cases quickly because he's afraid to actually argue in court. He thinks she is interfering with his handling of the case. They come to realize that they both want to learn the truth and give their clients a vigorous defense, and they know that they will have to work together to achieve this. Although there are some flirtatious moments between Galloway and Kaffee, they don't become romantically involved. What is more important is that they learn to cooperate and respect each other.

Kaffee is shown to have a high level of common sense and sharpness, which helps him win the case by proving that Jessep ordered a "Code Red" -- in retaliation for the Marine going outside the chain of command as a whistleblower -- by subtly provoking Jessep and causing him to voluntarily confess the truth in court in a moment's anger. Frustrated overall with the proceedings, Jessep leaves the stand and is ready to depart the courtroom until the judge orders him not to. Jessep is charged with crime stemming from the incident and will be brought to trial. He is disbelieving of the charges and lunges at Kaffee, realizing that he's been taken down from his mantle and his career possibly destroyed. Jessep is detained and led out of the room. The two Marines are then found not guilty of murder and conspiracy to commit murder, but are found guilty on the charge of conduct unbecoming a United States Marine by the court, and subsequently are dishonorably discharged from the Corps.

On the level of [[ethics|moral philosophy]], the drama examines questions of [[duty]], [[Honour|honor]], [[patriotism]], [[justice]], and the [[rule of law]].

==Famous quotes==
{{wikiquote}}
*'''Jessep:''' You want answers?
:'''Kaffee:''' I think I'm entitled to-
:'''Jessep:''' ''You want answers?!''
:'''Kaffee:''' ''I want the truth!''
:'''Jessep:''' You can't handle the truth! Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lieutenant Weinberg? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it! I would rather you just said, "Thank you," and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand opposed. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to!
:'''Kaffee:''' Did you order the Code Red?
:'''Jessep:''' ''(quietly)'' I did the job I was sent to do--
:'''Kaffee:''' Did you order the Code Red?!
:'''Jessep:''' ''(shouting)'' You're goddamn right I did!!
:''[stunned silence]''
:'''Kaffee:''' Please the court, I suggest the members be dismissed, so that we can move to an immediate article 39A session. The witness has rights.
:'''Judge:''' Captain Ross?
:'''Kaffee:''' Jack?
:'''Ross:''' ''[nods head]''
:'''Judge:''' The court members will retire to an anteroom until further instructed.
:'''MP:''' All rise!
:'''Jessep:''' What is this? I did my job, I'd do it again. I'm gonna get in a plane and go back to my base.
:'''Judge:''' You're not going anywhere, Colonel. MP's, guard the Colonel.
:'''MP:''' Yes, sir!
:'''Judge:''' Captain Ross.
:'''Ross:''' Colonel Jessep, you have the right to remain silent--
:'''Jessep:''' What is this? I'm being charged with a crime? Is that what this is? I'm being charged with a crime? This is funny. That's what this is. This is-- ''[leaps towards Kaffee, MP's restrain him]'' I'm gonna rip the eyes out of your head and piss into your dead skull! You fucked with the wrong Marine!
:'''Ross:''' Colonel Jessep, do you understand these rights as I have just read them to you?
:'''Jessep:''' You fuckin' people. You have no idea how to defend a nation. All you did was weaken a country today, Kaffee. That's all you did. You put people's lives in danger. Sweet dreams, son.
:'''Kaffee:''' Don't call me son. I'm a lawyer and an officer in the United States Navy. And you're under arrest, you son of a bitch. The witness is excused.

*'''Kaffee:''' He can make an ''entire flight'' disappear?
:'''Markinson:''' Nathan Jessep is about to be appointed Director of Operations for the National Security Council. You don't get to that position without knowing how to sidestep a few landmines.

*'''Kaffee:''' ''Really'' gotta hand it to those Federal Marshalls boy.

*'''Lt. Kendrick:''' "I have two books at my bedside, Lieutenant: the Marine Corps Code of Conduct and the King James Bible. The only proper authorities I am aware of are my commanding officer, Colonel Nathan R. Jessep, and the Lord our God."

*'''Lt. Kendrick:''' "Commander, I believe in God and His Son Jesus Christ. Because I do I can say this; Private Santiago is dead, and that is a tragedy. But he is dead because he had no Code. He is dead because he had no Honor. And God was watching. "

*'''Kaffee:''' Is the colonel's [[underwear]] a matter of [[national security]]?

*'''Jessep:''' What do you want to discuss now? My favorite color?

* '''Pfc. Downey:''' I don't understand. Colonel Jessep ''said'' he ordered the Code Red. What did we do wrong?
:'''Galloway:''' It's not that simple.
:'''Pfc. Downey:''' What did we do wrong?! We did nothing wrong!
:'''Lance Cpl. Dawson:''' ...yeah we did. We were supposed to fight for people who couldn't fight for themselves. We were supposed to fight for Willy.

* '''Kaffee:''' Harold. You don't need to wear a badge on your arm to have Honor.
:'''Lance Cpl. Dawson:''' Ten-Hut! There's an officer on deck.

==Spoofs==
* In an episode of [[Seinfeld]], George walks into Jerry's apartment and says "You can't handle the truth!" When Jerry asks him what he is doing, George says he is practicing his Jack Nicholson.
* In an episode of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' called "[[Sideshow Bob Roberts]]", [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] and [[Sideshow Bob]] are in a courtroom and Bart says, "I want the truth!" Sideshow Bob responds, "You want the truth? You can't handle the truth! No truth-handler are you! Bah! I deride your truth-handling abilities!"
* In a promo for ''[[WrestleMania 21]]'', [[John Cena]] played the Lt. Kaffee part and [[John Layfield|JBL]] played the Col. Jessup part to promote their match. This was a part of a series of promos the [[World Wrestling Entertainment|WWE]] made for ''WrestleMania 21'' (which was held in [[Los Angeles]] that year) that were [[parodies]] of movies.
* A [[machinima]], using the [[Source Engine]], titled "A Few Good G-Men" ([http://www.nailbiter.net]), portrays the famous scene and quote, as well as showing Source's lip-syncing and emotion display ability.
* In the film ''[[The Big Hit]]'', Cisco berates Melvin for his relationship troubles, telling him that he doesn't see the women he is involved with for what they truly are. Melvin exclaims that he wants the truth, and Crunch interupts them to shout "You can't handle the truth" in an obvious quote of ''A Few Good Men''. Cisco impatiently tells Crunch to "Shut the fuck up".
* In his stand-up show ''I'm Swiss'', comedian [[Bill Maher]] referred to the dishonesty in government by spoofing the famous line: "You want the truth? I can't remember the truth!"
* In an episode of ''[[Spin City]]'' the mayor quotes ''A Few Good Men'' in the press room.

==Trivia==
* Jack Nicholson based his performance of Col. Nathan R. Jessep on the demeanor of the professional wrestler [[Harley Race]].{{fact}}

==External links==
*{{imdb_title|title=A Few Good Men|id=0104257}}



[[Category:1992 films|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Drama films|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Legal films|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:American films|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Best Picture Academy Award nominees|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award nominated performance|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Films directed by Rob Reiner|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Films based on plays|Few Good Me, A]]
[[Category:Columbia Pictures films|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:English-language films]]

[[de:Eine Frage der Ehre]]
[[es:A Few Good Men]]
[[it:Codice d'onore (film 1992)]]
[[nl:A Few Good Men]]
[[ru:Несколько хороших парней (фильм)]]
[[sv:På heder och samvete (film)]]

A Few Good Men (play)

2006-08-20T05:06:25Z

71.201.198.12:

{{Infobox Film | name = A Few Good Men
| image = A Few Good Med DVD.jpg
| caption = A Few Good Men DVD cover
| director = [[Rob Reiner]]
| producer = David Brown Rob Reiner Andrew Scheinman
| writer = [[Aaron Sorkin]]
| starring =[[Tom Cruise]] [[Demi Moore]] [[Jack Nicholson]] [[Kevin Pollak]] [[Kevin Bacon]] [[J.T. Walsh]] [[Kiefer Sutherland]] |
| music =[[Marc Shaiman]]
| cinematography = Robert Richardson
| editing =
| distributor = [[Columbia Pictures]]
| released = [[December 9]], [[1992]]
| runtime = 138 min
| language = English
| budget =
| imdb_id = 0104257
}}
'''''A Few Good Men''''', written by [[Aaron Sorkin]], was an acclaimed [[Broadway theater|Broadway]] play and subsequently a well-received 1992 film [[drama]] that tells the story of military lawyers at a [[court-martial]] who uncover a high-level conspiracy in the course of defending their clients, [[United States Marine Corps|United States Marine]]s accused of [[murder]]. The film version, directed by [[Rob Reiner]], starred [[Tom Cruise]] as LTJG Daniel Kaffee, [[Jack Nicholson]] as Col. Nathan R. Jessep, [[Demi Moore]] as LCDR JoAnne Galloway, [[Kevin Bacon]] as Capt. Jack Ross, [[Kiefer Sutherland]] as Lt. Jonathan Kendrick, [[Kevin Pollak]] as LT Sam Weinberg, [[J.T. Walsh]] as LtCol. Matthew Markinson, and [[Wolfgang Bodison]] as Lance Cpl Harold W. Dawson. Aaron Sorkin also makes a cameo in the film.

It was nominated for [[Academy Awards]] for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Actor in a Supporting Role]] (Jack Nicholson), [[Academy Award for Film Editing|Best Film Editing]], [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]] and [[Academy Award for Sound|Best Sound]].

The original stage production starred [[Tom Hulce]] as Lt. Kaffee and [[Stephen Lang]] as Col. Jessep. A stage adaptation of the film starring [[Rob Lowe]] in the role of Lt. Daniel Kaffee and [[Suranne Jones]] as Lt. Cmdr. JoAnne Galloway, opened at the [[Theatre Royal Haymarket]], [[London]] in late August 2005 for preview showings, followed by a 3 month run in early September 2005. The stage show was directed by [[David Esbjornson]].

==Plot synopsis==
{{Spoiler}}
An inexperienced [[Navy]] lawyer, Lt. Daniel Kaffee, son of late Lionel Kaffee (who held the positions of [[Attorney General]] and [[Navy]] [[Judge Advocate General's Corps|Judge Advocate General]]), leads the defense in the court-martial of two Marines who are accused of murdering a fellow Marine of their unit, Pfc. William T. Santiago.

Kaffee attempts to portray the accused as men following orders, trying to establish that the defendants were in fact acting under the orders of their commanding officer, Col. Nathan R. Jessep, a powerful senior Marine officer being considered for the position of Director of Operations for the [[National Security Council]]. The two Marines on trial claim that they were ordered to give the victim a "Code Red" -- a military slang term for an extra-judicial and officially unsanctioned form of punishment. Kaffee eventually begins to suspect that he was specifically chosen to defend the two Marines due to his history of quickly settling cases by plea bargains, which would have prevented the case from ever going to trial, bringing the Marine Corps embarrassment and potentially mar the Colonel's chances of advancement.

Over the course of the story, Kaffee progresses from a novice lawyer to an experienced Navy attorney. His relationship with Lt. Cmdr. JoAnn Galloway evolves as well: There is friction between them the instant they meet. She believes that he doesn't care about his clients and that he settles cases quickly because he's afraid to actually argue in court. He thinks she is interfering with his handling of the case. They come to realize that they both want to learn the truth and give their clients a vigorous defense, and they know that they will have to work together to achieve this. Although there are some flirtatious moments between Galloway and Kaffee, they don't become romantically involved. What is more important is that they learn to cooperate and respect each other.

Kaffee is shown to have a high level of common sense and sharpness, which helps him win the case by proving that Jessep ordered a "Code Red" -- in retaliation for the Marine going outside the chain of command as a whistleblower -- by subtly provoking Jessep and causing him to voluntarily confess the truth in court in a moment's anger. Frustrated overall with the proceedings, Jessep leaves the stand and is ready to depart the courtroom until the judge orders him not to. Jessep is charged with crime stemming from the incident and will be brought to trial. He is disbelieving of the charges and lunges at Kaffee, realizing that he's been taken down from his mantle and his career possibly destroyed. Jessep is detained and led out of the room. The two Marines are then found not guilty of murder and conspiracy to commit murder, but are found guilty on the charge of conduct unbecoming a United States Marine by the court, and subsequently are dishonorably discharged from the Corps.

On the level of [[ethics|moral philosophy]], the drama examines questions of [[duty]], [[Honour|honor]], [[patriotism]], [[justice]], and the [[rule of law]].

==Famous quotes==
{{wikiquote}}
*'''Jessep:''' You want answers?
:'''Kaffee:''' I think I'm entitled to-
:'''Jessep:''' ''You want answers?!''
:'''Kaffee:''' ''I want the truth!''
:'''Jessep:''' You can't handle the truth! Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lieutenant Weinberg? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it! I would rather you just said, "Thank you," and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand opposed. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to!
:'''Kaffee:''' Did you order the Code Red?
:'''Jessep:''' ''(quietly)'' I did the job I was sent to do--
:'''Kaffee:''' Did you order the Code Red?!
:'''Jessep:''' ''(shouting)'' You're goddamn right I did!!
:''[stunned silence]''
:'''Kaffee:''' Please the court, I suggest the members be dismissed, so that we can move to an immediate article 39A session. The witness has rights.
:'''Judge:''' Captain Ross?
:'''Kaffee:''' Jack?
:'''Ross:''' ''[nods head]''
:'''Judge:''' The court members will retire to an anteroom until further instructed.
:'''MP:''' All rise!
:'''Jessep:''' What is this? I did my job, I'd do it again. I'm gonna get in a plane and go back to my base.
:'''Judge:''' You're not going anywhere, Colonel. MP's, guard the Colonel.
:'''MP:''' Yes, sir!
:'''Judge:''' Captain Ross.
:'''Ross:''' Colonel Jessep, you have the right to remain silent--
:'''Jessep:''' What is this? I'm being charged with a crime? Is that what this is? I'm being charged with a crime? This is funny. That's what this is. This is-- ''[leaps towards Kaffee, MP's restrain him]'' I'm gonna rip the eyes out of your head and piss into your dead skull! You fucked with the wrong Marine!
:'''Ross:''' Colonel Jessep, do you understand these rights as I have just read them to you?
:'''Jessep:''' You fuckin' people. You have no idea how to defend a nation. All you did was weaken a country today, Kaffee. That's all you did. You put people's lives in danger. Sweet dreams, son.
:'''Kaffee:''' Don't call me son. I'm a lawyer and an officer in the United States Navy. And you're under arrest, you son of a bitch. The witness is excused.

*'''Kaffee:''' He can make an ''entire flight'' disappear?
:'''Markinson:''' Nathan Jessep is about to be appointed Director of Operations for the National Security Council. You don't get to that position without knowing how to sidestep a few landmines.

*'''Kaffee:''' ''Really'' gotta hand it to those Federal Marshalls boy.

*'''Lt. Kendrick:''' "I have two books at my bedside, Lieutenant: the Marine Corps Code of Conduct and the King James Bible. The only proper authorities I am aware of are my commanding officer, Colonel Nathan R. Jessep, and the Lord our God."

*'''Lt. Kendrick:''' "Commander, I believe in God and His Son Jesus Christ. Because I do I can say this; Private Santiago is dead, and that is a tragedy. But he is dead because he had no Code. He is dead because he had no Honor. And God was watching. "

*'''Kaffee:''' Is the colonel's [[underwear]] a matter of [[national security]]?

*'''Jessep:''' What do you want to discuss now? My favorite color?

* '''Pfc. Downey:''' I don't understand. Colonel Jessep ''said'' he ordered the Code Red. What did we do wrong?
:'''Galloway:''' It's not that simple.
:'''Pfc. Downey:''' What did we do wrong?! We did nothing wrong!
:'''Lance Cpl. Dawson:''' ...yeah we did. We were supposed to fight for people who couldn't fight for themselves. We were supposed to fight for Willy.

* '''Kaffee:''' Harold. You don't need to wear a badge on your arm to have Honor.
:'''Lance Cpl. Dawson:''' Ten-Hut! There's an officer on deck.

==Spoofs==
* In an episode of [[Seinfeld]], George walks into Jerry's apartment and says "You can't handle the truth!" When Jerry asks him what he is doing, George says he is practicing his Jack Nicholson.
* In an episode of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' called "[[Sideshow Bob Roberts]]", [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] and [[Sideshow Bob]] are in a courtroom and Bart says, "I want the truth!" Sideshow Bob responds, "You want the truth? You can't handle the truth! No truth-handler are you! Bah! I deride your truth-handling abilities!"
* In a promo for ''[[WrestleMania 21]]'', [[John Cena]] played the Lt. Kaffee part and [[John Layfield|JBL]] played the Col. Jessup part to promote their match. This was a part of a series of promos the [[World Wrestling Entertainment|WWE]] made for ''WrestleMania 21'' (which was held in [[Los Angeles]] that year) that were [[parodies]] of movies.
* A [[machinima]], using the [[Source Engine]], titled "A Few Good G-Men" ([http://www.nailbiter.net]), portrays the famous scene and quote, as well as showing Source's lip-syncing and emotion display ability.
* In the film ''[[The Big Hit]]'', Cisco berates Melvin for his relationship troubles, telling him that he doesn't see the women he is involved with for what they truly are. Melvin exclaims that he wants the truth, and Crunch interupts them to shout "You can't handle the truth" in an obvious quote of ''A Few Good Men''. Cisco impatiently tells Crunch to "Shut the fuck up".
* In his stand-up show ''I'm Swiss'', comedian [[Bill Maher]] referred to the dishonesty in government by spoofing the famous line: "You want the truth? I can't remember the truth!"
* In an episode of ''[[Spin City]]'' the mayor quotes ''A Few Good Men'' in the press room.

==Trivia==
* Jack Nicholson based his performance of Col. Nathan R. Jessep on the demeanor of the professional wrestler [[Harley Race]].{{fact}}

==External links==
*{{imdb_title|title=A Few Good Men|id=0104257}}



[[Category:1992 films|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Drama films|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Legal films|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:American films|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Best Picture Academy Award nominees|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award nominated performance|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Films directed by Rob Reiner|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:Films based on plays|Few Good Me, A]]
[[Category:Columbia Pictures films|Few Good Men, A]]
[[Category:English-language films]]

[[de:Eine Frage der Ehre]]
[[es:A Few Good Men]]
[[it:Codice d'onore (film 1992)]]
[[nl:A Few Good Men]]
[[ru:Несколько хороших парней (фильм)]]
[[sv:På heder och samvete (film)]]

Syracuse University

2006-08-19T21:47:19Z

71.201.198.12: /* Syracuse Trivia */

{{infobox University
|name= Syracuse University
|image= [[Image:BWSEAL.GIF|center]]
|established= 1870
|type= [[Private school|Private]]
|endowment = US $818 million
|motto = ''Suos Cultores Scientia Coronat'' ([[Latin]]: "Knowledge crowns those who seek her.")
|faculty= 1,353
|chancellor= [[Nancy Cantor]]
|students= 18,734
|city= [[Syracuse, New York|Syracuse]]
|state= [[New York|NY]]
|country= [[United States|USA]]
|campus= [[Urban area|Urban]] and [[Suburban]]
|free_label=
|free=
|nickname = [[Syracuse University Orange|The Orange]]
|mascot= Otto the Orange
|website= [http://www.syracuse.edu/ www.syracuse.edu]
}}

'''Syracuse University''' (SU) is a private research university located in [[Syracuse, New York]]. The University is set on a mostly residential campus, which features an eclectic mix of buildings, ranging from nineteenth-century Romanesque structures to contemporary buildings designed by renowned architects such as [[I.M. Pei]]. The center of campus, with its grass quadrangle, landscaped walkways, and outdoor sculptures offers students the amenities of a traditional college experience. At the same time, since the university overlooks downtown Syracuse, students can enjoy the social, cultural, and recreational opportunities of a medium-sized city. The school also owns a [[Sheraton Hotel]] and a [[golf course]] near campus, as well as properties in [[New York City]], [[Washington, D.C.]] and a 30 acre (121,000 m²) conference center in the [[Adirondack mountains|Adirondack Mountains]] of [[Upstate New York]].
Officially chartered in 1870, Syracuse traces its institutional roots back to 1832 when it was founded as a seminary by the Methodists. Syracuse University’s undergraduate and graduate programs are highly regarded. The university is especially well known for its programs in the fields of public affairs, communications, creative writing, architecture and information studies.

The university had a total [[2005]]-[[2006]] [http://sumweb.syr.edu/ir/enr_fy06.htm enrollment] of 18,734 students: 12,905 undergraduates, 5,067 graduates, and 762 law students. Recently, 3 undergraduate students achieved national recognition by their selection as a [[Rhodes Scholarship|Rhodes Scholar]], [[Truman Scholar]] and [[Goldwater Scholar]]. Syracuse University is one of only 8 institutions in the country whose students have won all three of these honors in one year.

== Brief Timeline ==
[[Image:SU Campus midcentury.jpg|thumb|right|400px|The "Old Row"]]
* 1832 - Genesee Wesleyan Seminary founded by the Genesee [[Methodist]] Conference in [[Lima, New York|Lima]], [[New York]], south of [[Rochester, New York|Rochester]]
* 1849 - The Seminary creates a companion college – Genesee College
* 1866 - After several hard years, the trustees of the struggling college decide to seek a locale whose economic and transportation advantages could provide a better base of support
* 1869 - The city of [[Syracuse, New York]] is selected
* 1870 - State of New York grants Syracuse University its charter
* 1871 - Syracuse chapter of the Mystical Seven appears (later evolves into the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity)
* 1872 - The medical school opens
* 1873 - Hall of Languages opens
* 1873 - Syracuse adds an architecture program, one of the first in the U.S.
* 1874 - Syracuse creates the nation's first bachelor of fine arts degree
* 1876 - The school offerers its first post-graduate courses in the College of Arts and Sciences
* 1877 - Holden Observatory opens
* 1886 - John D. Archbold (President of [[Standard Oil of New Jersey]]) becomes a member of the Board of Trustees
* 1887 - The university purchases the internationally renowned library of German historian Leopold von Ranke, putting Syracuse on the bibliothecal map
* 1889 - Von Ranke Library opens
* 1889 - Crouse College opens
* 1890 - The color orange is adopted as the school's official color
* 1891 - [[Stephen Crane]] enrolls as a student but drops out after a semester
* 1893 - University benefactor John Archbold becomes Chairman of the Board of Trustees
* 1905 - Industrialist [[Andrew Carnegie]] makes a surprise donation to erect the library that will bear his name
* 1906 - One hundred spectators are injured and one is killed when bleachers collapse during a Syracuse-Colgate football game
* 1907 - Archbold stadium opens
* 1907 - Sims Hall opens
* 1909 - First doctoral program added
* 1909 - Archbold gymnasium opens
* 1910 - Photograph of [[Halley's Comet]] taken from Holden Observatory
* 1934 - Journalism school founded
* 1946 - Syracuse earns praise from President [[Harry S. Truman]] by admitting 9,464 students under the G.I. Bill, tripling enrollment overnight
* 1946 - Syracuse opens a cooperative extension in Endicott, NY in order to help educate the returning war veterans. Today, that extension is no longer part of SU, and has become [[Binghamton University]].
* 1950 - The College of Medicine becomes part of the State University of New York system
* 1953 - Yates Castle is razed
* 1956 - Running back Jim Brown scores an NCAA-record 43 points in the football team's 61-7 rout of Colgate
* 1966 - Syracuse joins the Association of American Universities
* 1980 - [[Carrier Dome]] opens on the former site of Archbold Stadium

== Schools and colleges ==
[[Image:Yts-stairs.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Yates Castle, The former home of the School of Education and Journalism (demolished)]]
[[Image:CROUSE4A.JPG|thumb|right|150px|Crouse College, The home of the School of Visual and Performing Arts]]
[[Image:Bridgeteacherscollege.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Bridge to Yates Castle]]
*[[Syracuse University School of Architecture|School of Architecture]] [http://soa.syr.edu/], [[1873]]
The Syracuse University School of Architecture, founded in 1873, is the fourth oldest program of its type in the United States and is located in Slocum Hall- a building completed in 1918 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The School of Architecture is ranked fourth nationally and number one on the East Coast among architecture and design schools for its undergraduate program, according to the latest survey by the Design Futures Council.

*[http://www-hl.syr.edu College of Arts and Sciences], [[1870]]
The College of Arts and Sciences was established in 1870 as Syracuse University's founding college. Today, The College remains at the center of undergraduate learning at Syracuse, where all University students take classes.
It includes 3,400 students and 530 faculty in a university of 12,500 total undergraduate students and 1,360 total faculty. Its programs and departments provide intellectual leadership in the liberal arts. Its faculty, nationally renowned leaders, poets and scientists, create a student-centered environment of discovery, creativity and excellence.

*[http://soeweb.syr.edu/ School of Education], [[1906]]
Syracuse University's School of Education, a national leader in improving and informing educational practice for diverse communities, is committed to the principle that diverse learning communities create the conditions that both enrich the educational experience and provide opportunities for all to realize their full potential. The School of Education pioneered the inclusion movement in the United States, making way for all learners to participate fully in mainstream classrooms and other inclusive learning environments.

*[http://www.ecs.syr.edu/ L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science], [[1901]]
The college offers 35 bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs. U.S. News & World Reports ranks the overall graduate program in ECS in the top one-third of schools of engineering that grant degrees through the Ph.D.
ECS is ranked among the top 30 private engineering colleges that grant Ph.D.s In 1958, the Institute for Sensory Research was established under the direction of Dr. Jozef Zwislocki (now Distinguished Research Professor of Neuroscience and a member of the National Academy of Sciences), who developed a community of faculty, staff, and students that is world-renowned for multidisciplinary studies of the structure and function of sensory systems. From this community, the undergraduate program in bioengineering was established in 1971. ECS's computer engineering and bioengineering programs, both established in 1971, are the second-oldest programs of their kind in the nation. The Center for Advanced Technology in Computer Applications and Software Engineering was created in 1984 under the leadership of Dr. Bradley J. Strait, professor of electrical engineering who served as dean of the college from 1981-1984 and 1989-1992. The Northeast Parallel Architectures Center, an interdisciplinary center for high performance computing followed in 1987, and the Center for Hypersonics, supported by NASA to focus on studies in air and space travel, was created in 1993. Among its recent achievements, the College unveiled a $4.5 million environmental systems complex in Fall 2001. This facility provides sophisticated research and teaching facilities for programs in environmental, chemical, civil, and mechanical engineering programs. In May 2001, a consortium of colleges and universities, led by the College, was awarded $15.9 million by the New York State Office of Science, Technology, and Research to fund the establishment of the New York Environmental Quality Systems Center at Syracuse University. Also in 2001, the College received a $3 million grant from NASA and the State of New York to establish the Advanced Interactive Discovery Environment for Engineering Education, a state-of-the-art virtual learning environment.
[[Image:MaxwellSchool.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs]]

*[http://www.ist.syr.edu School of Information Studies], [[1896]]
The School of Information Studies at Syracuse University was the first school in the nation to read the winds of change and anticipate the coming of the Information Age. Over 25 years ago, it changed its name from the School of Library Science and revamped its curriculum accordingly, offering the first master's degree in Information Resources Management. Today the School of Information Studies is recognized as one of the top information schools in the country, and its graduate programs in Information Systems and Library Science are ranked second and third in the nation, respectively, by U.S. News & World Report.

*[[Martin J. Whitman School of Management]], [[1919]]
In 2005, Entrepreneur magazine once again recognized the Whitman School among the top-13 entrepreneurship programs in the nation and USASBE named Whitman the National Model Undergraduate Program of the Year. Top-40 honors for the undergraduate program were announced by U.S. News in September, and in October the supply chain management program was ranked 10th-best in the nation in Supply Chain Management Review.
The new home for the Martin J. Whitman School of Management opened in January. With 160,000 square feet, the new building includes 22 state-of-the-art classrooms; 20 undergraduate and 20 graduate breakout rooms; a 200-seat auditorium; and a three-story, 4,000-square-foot Grand Hall.

*[[Syracuse University College of Law|College of Law]], [[1895]]
Founded in 1895, It is one of only four law schools in Upstate New York (the other three being Albany, Buffalo, and Cornell). Syracuse was accredited by the American Bar Association in 1923 and is a charter member of the Association of American Law Schools. As of the 2005-2006 academic year, 768 students were enrolled in the College of Law. The library is a congressionally designated depository for federal materials and also houses a collection of former Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson's artifacts and documents.

*[[Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs]], [[1924]]
The Maxwell School of Syracuse University, founded in 1924, was the first school to offer a graduate professional degree in public administration and the first to bring together the social sciences for public administration education. Maxwell is consistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the nation's top graduate school for public administration.
[[Image:crouseaud.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Setnor Auditorium, Home of the Music Department]]

*[[S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications]], [[1934]]
Syracuse University established one of the nation's first schools of journalism, now known as the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, in 1934. Newhouse has given a jump-start to the careers of Ted Koppel, Steve Kroft, Paula Walker Madison, Bob Costas, Fred Silverman, Pat Adcroft, Mike Tirico and many others.

*[[College of Visual and Performing Arts]], [[1873]]
VPA contains the School of Art and Design, Department of Communication and Rhetorical Studies, Department of Drama, Setnor School of Music, and Department of Transmedia. Together, these five areas offer a total of 36 undergraduate programs and 26 graduate programs. The college is located in seven different buildings on campus and in the University’s downtown Syracuse building, the Warehouse. Origins of the college date to 1873, when the College of Fine Arts opened at SU. The college was the first degree-conferring institution of its kind in the United States. Its first alumnus graduated in 1875 with a bachelor of painting degree.

*[[The Graduate School]], Founded [[1911]]
The Syracuse University Graduate School oversees all academic policy, graduate degree and certificate program modification and development, and the professional development programs for graduate study at Syracuse University.

*[[College of Human Services and Health Professions]], [[1918]]
The College of Human Services and Health Professions offers bachelor's (B.S.), master's (M.A., M.S.W.) and doctoral (Ph.D.) degrees in Child and Family Studies, Hospitality and Food Service Management, Marriage and Family Therapy, Nursing, Nutrition, Sport Management, Selected Studies, and Social Work, as well as a certificate of advanced study in Human Services Management.

*[[University College]] (Continuing Education)
University College offers a variety of degree programs, certificates, and noncredit courses in formats tailored to the busy schedules of part-time students. Courses are offered in the evenings, on weekends, online, and through short residency programs. During the summer, courses are offered during the daytime. In addition to serving the academic needs of students pursuing their degrees part-time, UC also offers award-winning workforce training programs and sponsors community service programs.

*[[Medical School]], Founded [[1872]]
In the 1870s the SU College of Medicine was (along with Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Michigan) among the first to institute a graded medical instruction program, with definite pre-clinical and clinical years. In the 1890s it was again (along with Johns Hopkins, Harvard, Penn, and a few others) among the first in America to organize its curriculum according to the so-called "German model," with intense scientific and especially laboratory training for students in the first two years, and rigorous clinical training on rounds thereafter. The school was sold to the State of New York in [[1950]] and is now called [[SUNY]] [[Upstate Medical University]]).

==Campuses==
===Main Campus===
[[Image:SyracuseUniversityStairwaytoHL.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The [[stairway]] to the Hall of Languages, the main building of the College of Arts and Sciences, and the oldest building on campus. The monument to the faculty and students lost on [[Pan Am Flight 103]] is located in the foreground.]]
[[Image:Syracuse U Quad Spring 2005.jpg|thumb|200px|The Quad, the center of the Main Campus, on a warm April day. Located at the west end is Hendricks Chapel, with the [[Carrier Dome]] to its left and immediately behind the photographer would be Link Hall.]]
[[Image:Syracuse Dunk and Bright.JPG|thumb|200px|The former Dunk & Bright Furniture [[The Warehouse (Syracuse)|The Warehouse]] will permanently house the Communications Design and Advertising Design programs from the College of Visual and Performing Arts and temporarily house SU's School of Architecture.]]
Also called "North Campus," the Main Campus contains nearly all academic buildings and residence halls. Its centerpiece is "The Quad" which is surrounded by academic buildings, especially those of the College of Arts and Sciences. Most of the roads of the Main Campus are traffic-restricted during weekdays. Some university buildings lie outside of this area, particularly in the urban area north of the campus around [[Marshall Street]]. To the south of the main campus is [[Oakwood Cemetery]], of the rural cemetery type that was popular during the epoch. To the east lies [[Thornden Park]], one of the largest parks within the city proper. Medical complexes, along with [[Interstate 81]] border it to the west.

Approximately 5,000 students live in the sixteen residence halls on the Main Campus. Most residence halls are co-ed by room and all are smoke-free. Some still have gender-specific floors. North campus housing includes singles, open doubles, split (wall-segmented) doubles, and multi-person suites. Residence hall height ranges from three to twenty-one floors.

The North Campus represents a large portion of the [[University Hill, Syracuse|University Hill]] neighborhood. Busses run to South Campus as well as [[Downtown Syracuse]] and other locations in the city. [[OnTrack]] also provides service to Downtown and the [[Carousel Center]] mall from its station near the Carrier Dome. [http://www.syr.edu/syracwis/imagerep/maps/main.jpg Map]

===South Campus===
After [[World War II]], a large undeveloped hill owned by the university was used to house returning veterans in military-style campus housing. During the 1970s this housing was replaced by permanent two-level townhouses for two or three students each, or for graduate family housing. There are also three small residence halls which feature large singles with a kitchen on every floor.

South Campus is also home to the Institute for Sensory Research, Tennity Ice Pavilion, Goldstein Student Center, and the InnComplete Pub. Just north are the headquarters of SU Athletics. Approximately 2,500 students live on the South Campus, which is connected to the main campus by frequent bus service. [http://www.syr.edu/syracwis/imagerep/maps/south.jpg Map]

===Downtown===
In December [[2004]] the university announced that it had purchased or leased twelve buildings in [[Downtown Syracuse]]. There will be two programs, Communications Design and Advertising Design, from the College of Visual and Performing Arts that will reside permanently in the newly renovated facilities, fittingly called [[The Warehouse (Syracuse)|The Warehouse]]. Both programs were chosen to be located in the downtown area because of their history of working on projects directly with the community. Hundreds of students and faculty have also been affected by the temporary move of the School of Architecture downtown for the $12 million renovation of its campus facility, Slocum Hall. The Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems is scheduled for completion in [[2006]]. The Paul Robeson Performing Arts Company and the Community Folk Art Center will also be located downtown.

On March 31, [[2006]], the university and the city announced the beginning of an initiative to connect the main campus of the university with the arts and culture areas of downtown Syracuse and the university's new presence at The Warehouse [http://sunews.syr.edu/story_details.cfm?id=3172]. The Connective Corridor project, supported by a combination of public and private funds, will begin with an international design competition, with the finalists being named sometime in the Fall of [[2006]].

These projects are part of an effort by Chancellor Cantor to integrate downtown with the university. The separation of the university from downtown has been largely blamed on [[Interstate 81]], which creates a virtual wall between the two.

===Rome, New York===

Syracuse University offers all the classes necessary for a [[Master's degree|Masters of Science]] in [[Computer Engineering]] at [[Rome Laboratory]] in [[Rome, New York]]. This program has been in place since Fall 2005.

===Syracuse in Florence===

'''The Villa Rossa:'''
Ever since its inception in 1959, SU Florence has been hosted in the “Villa Rossa,” a historical building constructed by a noble family, the Gigliucci, in 1892. SU acquired the Villa Rossa from the Gigliucci family in 1963. The Villa Rossa is comprised of three floors and is the central hub of the SU Florence campus, housing the administrative offices, eleven classrooms, the computer lab, a student lounge and study areas. The garden area, recently renovated, is now connected to the garden of the Villino, home of the SU Florence library.

'''The Villino:'''
The newly-acquired and renovated Villino, a historical building that was originally a private residence, was built in 1884. It covers 420 square meters on four floors. While the building serves primarily as the home of the library, the Villino also houses an audio-visual room as well as a faculty and TA lounge, and the media lab & slide library.

===Former Campuses===

'''Triple Cities:'''
Located in [[Endicott, New York]], this former branch campus of Syracuse University, founded in [[1946]], became SUNY Harpur College in 1950 and later moved across the [[Susquehanna River]] to [[Vestal, New York|Vestal]] and became the [[State University of New York at Binghamton]]. Now called [[Binghamton University]], it is the top ranked public university in the Northeast United States.

'''Utica:'''
Located in [[Utica, New York]] and also founded in [[1946]], UC was founded as a branch campus for returning WWII veterans. This campus remained part of Syracuse University until [[1995]]. [[Utica College]] still offers degrees conferred by Syracuse University and continues to have a very similar academic structure. It is officially mentioned in SU's Charter's Article 1, Section 3: "Utica College shall be represented by the President, appointed ex officio, and by the dean of the college, and another representative selected by the college."

'''Thompson Road:''' In [[1947]], Syracuse University acquired a portion of the former US Naval War Plant on Thompson Road in East Syracuse. The L. C. Smith College of Applied Science was relocated to the Thompson Road campus, and the University's relatively short-lived Institute for Industrial Research was also located there. The University sold the property to Carrier Corporation in [[1952]].

==Libraries==
[[Image:Syracuse_Carnegie_Library.jpg|thumb|left|300px|The Carnegie Library]]
Syracuse University's main library is the Ernest S. Bird Library, which opened in [[1973]]. Its seven levels contain 2.3 million books, 11,500 periodicals, 45,000 linear feet (13.71 linear kilometers) of manuscripts, and 3.6 million [[microform]]s.

Prior to Bird Library's opening, the Carnegie Library served as the main library. It was opened in [[1907]], and now contains the mathematics and science libraries, as well as several classrooms. It was funded by a $150,000 matching gift by [[Andrew Carnegie]]. It replaced the library in what is now the Tolley Administration Building.[[Image:Carnegie2a.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Carnegie Reading Room]]

Several other departments also have their own libraries:

* Architecture Reading Room
* Geology Library
* [http://aas.syr.edu/mlk/ Martin Luther King Library] (African American Studies)
* Physics Library
* H. Douglas Barclay Law Library

== Special Collections ==
[[Image:Leopold_von_Ranke_1868.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Syracuse outbid the Prussian government and purchased all 19 tons of Von Ranke's prized personal library]]

Many of the landmarks in the history of recorded communication between people are in the university's collection, from cuneiform tablet and papyrus to several codices dating from the 11th century to the invention of printing. The collection also includes works by Galileo, Luther, Calvin, Voltaire, Ben Jonson, Sir Isaac Newton, Descartes, Sir Francis Bacon, Samuel Johnson, Hobbes, Malthus, Jeremy Bentham and Goethe amongst others. In addition, the collection includes the personal library of Leopold Von Ranke- one of the greatest German historians of the 19th century and often considered the founder of "scientific" history.

The university also has a large audio archive. Holdings total approximately 340,000 recordings in all formats, primarily cylinders, discs and magnetic tapes. Some of the voices to be found include Thomas Edison, Amelia Earhart, Albert Einstein, and Oscar Wilde.

== Art Collection ==

SU has an impressive permanent art collection of over 45,000 objects from such famous artists as Picasso, Rembrandt, Hopper, Tiffany and Wyeth. Art lovers can enjoy seeing more than 100 important paintings, sculptures and murals displayed in public places around campus. Notable sculptures on campus include Anna Hyatt Huntington's "Diana", Jean Houdon's "George Washington", Emille Antoine Bourdelle's "Herakles", James Earle Fraser's "Lincoln", and Ivan Mestrovic's "Supplicant Persephone". [http://suart.syr.edu/ SUART Galleries]

<gallery>
Image:JobIM.jpg |Job
Image:MosesIM.jpg|Moses
Image:Supplicant PersephoneIM.jpg|Supplicant Persephone
</gallery>

== Student Life ==

=== Student Groups ===
{{main|Syracuse University Student Groups}}
Syracuse University is the host of approximately 300 recognized student organizations.

=== Greek Life ===
{{main|Syracuse University Greek Organizations}}
The Syracuse University fraternity and sorority system offers organizations under the Panhellenic Council, the Interfraternity Council, the Latino Greek Council, the Multicultural Greek Council, and the National Pan-Hellenic Council. There are almost 50 fraternities and sororities on campus who's membership makes up approximately 20 percent of the campus population.

=== Traditions ===
{{main|Syracuse University Traditions}}

== Pan Am Flight 103 ==
[[Image:Syracuse University Flight 103 Memorial.jpg|thumb|200px|SU's Flight 103 Memorial]]
On [[December 21]], [[1988]], 35 SU students were among the 270 fatalities and among 189 American fatalities in the terrorist bombing of [[Pan Am Flight 103]] over [[Lockerbie, Scotland]]. The students were returning from a study-abroad program in Europe. That evening, Syracuse University went on with a basketball game. The university was severely criticized for going on with the game, just hours after the attack. The conduct of university officials in making the decision was also brought to the attention of the NCAA. The day after the bombing, the university's chancellor then, Dr. Melvin Eggers, himself criticized for allowing the game to be played, said on nationwide television that he should have canceled the event. Lingering memories of this public relations disaster undoubtedly influenced the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] cancellation of all football games set for the weekend following the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]] (The bombing of Flight 103 was the worst ever terrorist attack against the United States before September 11, 2001).<ref>Deppa, Joan, Media and Disasters: Pan Am 103; New York; University Press, 1994.</ref> <ref>Yen, Marianne, "A Tragic End to the Semester." ''The Washington Post'', December 23, 1988, page A07</ref>

The school later dedicated a memorial to the students killed on Flight 103. Every year, during the fall semester, the university holds an event known as "Remembrance Week," to commemorate the students. Every [[December 21]], a service is held in the university's chapel by the university's chaplains at 2:03 p.m. (19:03 [[UTC]]), marking the exact moment in 1988 the plane was bombed. The University also maintains a link to this tragedy with the "Remembrance Scholars" program in which 35 senior students receive scholarships during their final year at the University. Syracuse and Lockerbie maintain strong ties, including the "Lockerbie Scholars" program in which two graduating students from Lockerbie Academy study at Syracuse for one year.

==Athletics==
{{main|Syracuse University Orange}}
Syracuse University's sports teams are officially known as the Orange, although the former (until 2004) names of Orangemen and Orangewomen are still affectionately used. The school's mascot is Otto the Orange. The teams all participate in [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] Division I in the [[Big East Conference]]. The men's basketball, football, and men's lacrosse teams play in the [[Carrier Dome]]. Other sports facilities are located at the nearby Manley Field House.
[[Image:History17.jpg|thumb|right|600px|The Crew Team]]
*Rowing team founded: [[1873]]
*Baseball team founded: [[1872]]
*First recorded football game: [[1884]] vs. Medical College of Syracuse
*First intercollegiate football game: [[1889]] vs. University of Rochester
*First recorded basketball game: [[1899]] vs. Christian Association of Hamilton (Ontario)
*Lacrosse team organized: [[1917]]
*First Women's basketball game: [[1898]]

===Archbold Stadium and the Carrier Dome===
[[Image:Jarchbold.jpg|thumb|left|250px|John Archbold and the stadium bearing his name]]
[[Image:Scrane.gif|thumb|200px|right|[[Stephen Crane]] played baseball at the university before dropping out in [[1891]] after a semester of study.]]
[[Image:CarrierDomeInside.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The [[Carrier Dome]] during a football game]]

Thanks to a $600,000 gift by Syracuse University trustee and Standard Oil President, John D. Archbold, what was publicized as the “Greatest Athletic Arena in America” opened in [[1907]]. Designed to resemble the Roman Coliseum and to never become outdated, [[Archbold Stadium]] became a trademark of Syracuse football. The stadium formed a massive oval, 670 feet (204 m) long and 475 feet (145 m) wide. It was 100 feet (30 m) longer and only 22 feet (7 m) thinner than the Carrier Dome and more than 6 million Orange football fans passed through its gates.
From [[1907]] to [[1978]], Archbold Stadium was the home of SU football. Archbold opened up with a bang when the Orange defeated Hobart 28-0. It went out in style 71 years later with an improbable victory over second-ranked Navy 20-17. Syracuse posted a record of 265-112-50 at Archbold and it housed many great teams. It was home of the [[1915]] squad who was invited to play in the prestigious Rose Bowl and outscored its opponents 331 to 16. The [[1959]] team also called Archbold home en route to SU’s only National Championship.
In [[1978]], SU fans said good-bye forever to the historic stadium. Archbold was demolished to make way for the new on-campus facility, the Carrier Dome, which opened in [[1980]]. (Source: SU Athletics)

=== Athletic championships ===
*[[1908]] - Rowing
*[[1913]] - Rowing
*[[1916]] - Rowing
*[[1918]] - Men's Basketball
*[[1920]] - Rowing
*[[1924]] - Men's Lacrosse
*[[1925]] - Men's Lacrosse
*[[1926]] - Men's Basketball
*[[1949]] - Cross Country
*[[1951]] - Cross Country
*[[1959]] - Rowing (Pan American Championship)
*[[1959]] - Football
*[[1978]] - Rowing
*[[1983]] - Men's Lacrosse
*[[1988]] - Men's Lacrosse
*[[1989]] - Men's Lacrosse
*[[1990]] - Men's Lacrosse
*[[1993]] - Men's Lacrosse
*[[1995]] - Men's Lacrosse
*[[2000]] - Men's Lacrosse
*[[2002]] - Men's Lacrosse
*[[2003]] - Men's Basketball
*[[2004]] - Men's Lacrosse

==Alma Mater==
[[Image:June03_007.jpg|thumb|500px|Crouse College, "On her hilltop high"]]
The SU Alma Mater was written by Junius W. Stevens ([[1895]]) in [[1893]]. It was first sung under the title "Song of Syracuse" by the University Glee and Banjo Club on March 15, [[1893]]. The song includes three verses, but only the first verse is commonly sung.

According to the [[1997]]-[[1998]] "Syracuse University Student Handbook," author Junius W. Stevens recalled "while I was walking home across the city an idea for the song came to me. I had often noticed how the setting sun lighted up the walls of [[Crouse College]] long after dusk had fallen over the city and valley. As I walked through the empty streets, the words of a song took shape in my mind. By the time I reached home, the song was finished."

<blockquote>Where the vale of Onondaga 
Meets the eastern sky 
Proudly stands our Alma Mater 
On her hilltop high. 
Flag we love! Orange! Float for aye- 
Old Syracuse, o'er thee, 
Loyal be thy sons and daughters 
To thy memory.

When the evening twilight deepens and the shadows fall, 
Linger long the golden sunbeams on the western wall. 
Flag we love, Orange, 
Float for aye, 
Old Syracuse o'er thee! 
Loyal be thy sons and daughters 
To thy memory

When the shades of life shall gather, dark the heart may be, 
Still the ray of youth and love shall linger long o'er thee'. 
Flag we love, Orange, 
Float for aye, 
Old Syracuse o'er thee! 
Loyal be thy sons and daughters 
To thy memory 
</blockquote>

The university also has a fight song entitled "Down the Field," which is commonly played after SU scores in athletic matches.

== Syracuse Trivia ==

* In [[1929]], SU played the first night football game in the east, beating [[Hobart and William Smith Colleges|Hobart College]] 77-0.

* In 1915, SU became the first East Coast team to garner a Rose Bowl invitation. However, the school had to decline having already played on the West Coast that season.

* A new NCAA rule was implemented after a controversial Syracuse-Notre Dame football game in 1961 which stipulated that a game could no longer end on a penalty.

* A 19th century professor at Syracuse coined the word "[[sorority]]" especially for newly formed [[Gamma Phi Beta]].

*[[North-American Interfraternity Conference]] member fraternity [[Alpha Phi Delta]] was founded at Syracuse in [[1914]].

* Three [[National Panhellenic Conference]] sororities were founded at Syracuse. They are [[Alpha Phi]] in 1872, [[Gamma Phi Beta]] in 1874, and [[Alpha Gamma Delta]] in 1904. They are collectively known as the [[Syracuse Triad]]. Alpha Phi also built the world's first sorority house.

* A Syracuse graduate student who fought in the French Resistance coined the term "[[weapons of mass destruction]]".

* President Lyndon B. Johnson delivered his notable "Gulf of Tonkin" speech at the dedication of the Newhouse Communications Center on August 5, 1964

* The L.C. Smith College of Engineering was founded in 1896 by trustee [[Lyman Cornelius Smith|Lyman C. Smith]] - the founder of the [[Smith Corona|Smith-Corona Typewriter Company]]

* Syracuse alumnus Arthur Rock was the 1st and only Venture Capitalist ever to be featured on the cover of Time Magazine.

* The school chose orange as its color in [[1890]], replacing the unpopular combination of pink and pea green. Blue is often used with the orange as a contrasting color, but is not officially a school color.

* The Oliver Stone film "[[Born on the Fourth of July]]" briefly recreates the Syracuse University student anti-war riots of [[1970]]. The scene was actually filmed in Dallas, Texas. ([[Tom Cruise]], who won a Golden Globe for his performance in the film, was born in Syracuse.)

* According to a recent article in the Daily Orange{{citation needed}}, designer Tommy Hilfiger is a big Syracuse fan. In the mid-1980s, when Hilfiger started his clothing business, he incorporated orange and Davis' 44 into several of his designs.

* Syracuse University is one of the five hosts of the IRA Regatta- the oldest collegiate rowing championship in the US. The other schools are Columbia, Cornell, Pennsylvania and the US Naval Academy.

* The Syracuse rowing team is Dartmouth College's oldest continuously active heavyweight competitor. The two schools race for the Packard Cup.

* The Syracuse men's lacrosse team has been to 22 straight semifinals of the NCAA men's lacrosse tournament. That impressive streak was finally broken in ([[2005]]) with a 16-15 loss to the [[University of Massachusetts|Massachusetts]] in the quarterfinals.

* In collegiate lacrosse, Syracuse and Princeton have accounted for 14 of the past 18 NCAA championships.

* Pro wrestler [[Mike Rotunda]] is a legitimate graduate of Syracuse, having wrestled for them during his time in the University, and when he did his [[Varsity_Club|"Varsity Club"]] gimmick with other standout collegiate wrestlers in WCW, he wore the gear of Syracuse University, his alma mater.

* The number 44 is the most revered in SU athletic history, having been worn by football players Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, and Floyd Little, and basketball players Derrick Coleman and John Wallace. This is why the University's administrative [[ZIP code]] is 132'''''44''''' (the other, 13210, applies to the residence halls, which have regular city addresses), and all on-campus phone numbers have started with "44" since 1987. The football team retired number 44 in 2005; before that it was semi-retired, available only to deserving backs. The men's basketball team retired #44 for [[Derrick Coleman]] in 2006.

==See also==
===Other Syracuse University Articles===

* [[List of Syracuse University People]]
* [[List of Chancellors of Syracuse University]]
* [[Syracuse University Orange]], the SU athletics article.
* [[Burton Blatt Institute]]

===Student Life===

* [[Armory Square]]: Historic downtown shopping, dining and nightlife center where SU's Warehouse is located
* [[Marshall Street]]: Retail street adjacent to SU with some nightlife
* [[University Hill, Syracuse|University Hill]]: The neighborhood where the main campus is located
* [[University Neighborhood]]: The adjacent neighborhood where many SU students live
* [[Westcott, Syracuse|Westcott]]: Another adjacent neighborhood where SU students live

==References==
<references/>

== External links ==
* [http://www.syr.edu/ Syracuse University website]
* [http://photo.syr.edu/ Syracuse University Pictures]
* [http://www.suathletics.com/ Syracuse University Athletics Department]
* [http://connectivecorridor.syr.edu/ The Connective Corridor Project]
* [http://www.dailyorange.com/ ''The Daily Orange'']
* [http://www.waer.org/ WAER-FM]
* [http://www.z89.com/ WJPZ-FM]
* [http://werw.org/ WERW-AM]
* [http://www.citrustv.net/ CitrusTV] -
* [http://sumagazine.syr.edu/summer02/features/feature3/ Over 100 Syracuse alumni are involved in sports broadcasting]
* [http://newmedia.syr.edu/proseminar New Media Graduate Program Experiments in Interactive Storytelling]

{{Big East Conference}}
{{Template:Association of American Universities}}

[[Category:Educational institutions established in 1870]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges in New York]]
[[Category:Syracuse University| ]]
[[Category:Association of American Universities]]
[[Category:Greater Syracuse, New York]]
[[Category:Big East Conference]]
[[Category:Pan Am Flight 103]]

[[da:Syracuse University]]
[[it:Syracuse University]]
[[nl:Syracuse University]]
[[ja:シラキュース大学]]
[[th:มหาวิทยาลัยไซราคิวส์]]
[[zh:雪城大學]]

Syracuse University

2006-08-19T21:45:02Z

71.201.198.12: /* Syracuse Trivia */

{{infobox University
|name= Syracuse University
|image= [[Image:BWSEAL.GIF|center]]
|established= 1870
|type= [[Private school|Private]]
|endowment = US $818 million
|motto = ''Suos Cultores Scientia Coronat'' ([[Latin]]: "Knowledge crowns those who seek her.")
|faculty= 1,353
|chancellor= [[Nancy Cantor]]
|students= 18,734
|city= [[Syracuse, New York|Syracuse]]
|state= [[New York|NY]]
|country= [[United States|USA]]
|campus= [[Urban area|Urban]] and [[Suburban]]
|free_label=
|free=
|nickname = [[Syracuse University Orange|The Orange]]
|mascot= Otto the Orange
|website= [http://www.syracuse.edu/ www.syracuse.edu]
}}

'''Syracuse University''' (SU) is a private research university located in [[Syracuse, New York]]. The University is set on a mostly residential campus, which features an eclectic mix of buildings, ranging from nineteenth-century Romanesque structures to contemporary buildings designed by renowned architects such as [[I.M. Pei]]. The center of campus, with its grass quadrangle, landscaped walkways, and outdoor sculptures offers students the amenities of a traditional college experience. At the same time, since the university overlooks downtown Syracuse, students can enjoy the social, cultural, and recreational opportunities of a medium-sized city. The school also owns a [[Sheraton Hotel]] and a [[golf course]] near campus, as well as properties in [[New York City]], [[Washington, D.C.]] and a 30 acre (121,000 m²) conference center in the [[Adirondack mountains|Adirondack Mountains]] of [[Upstate New York]].
Officially chartered in 1870, Syracuse traces its institutional roots back to 1832 when it was founded as a seminary by the Methodists. Syracuse University’s undergraduate and graduate programs are highly regarded. The university is especially well known for its programs in the fields of public affairs, communications, creative writing, architecture and information studies.

The university had a total [[2005]]-[[2006]] [http://sumweb.syr.edu/ir/enr_fy06.htm enrollment] of 18,734 students: 12,905 undergraduates, 5,067 graduates, and 762 law students. Recently, 3 undergraduate students achieved national recognition by their selection as a [[Rhodes Scholarship|Rhodes Scholar]], [[Truman Scholar]] and [[Goldwater Scholar]]. Syracuse University is one of only 8 institutions in the country whose students have won all three of these honors in one year.

== Brief Timeline ==
[[Image:SU Campus midcentury.jpg|thumb|right|400px|The "Old Row"]]
* 1832 - Genesee Wesleyan Seminary founded by the Genesee [[Methodist]] Conference in [[Lima, New York|Lima]], [[New York]], south of [[Rochester, New York|Rochester]]
* 1849 - The Seminary creates a companion college – Genesee College
* 1866 - After several hard years, the trustees of the struggling college decide to seek a locale whose economic and transportation advantages could provide a better base of support
* 1869 - The city of [[Syracuse, New York]] is selected
* 1870 - State of New York grants Syracuse University its charter
* 1871 - Syracuse chapter of the Mystical Seven appears (later evolves into the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity)
* 1872 - The medical school opens
* 1873 - Hall of Languages opens
* 1873 - Syracuse adds an architecture program, one of the first in the U.S.
* 1874 - Syracuse creates the nation's first bachelor of fine arts degree
* 1876 - The school offerers its first post-graduate courses in the College of Arts and Sciences
* 1877 - Holden Observatory opens
* 1886 - John D. Archbold (President of [[Standard Oil of New Jersey]]) becomes a member of the Board of Trustees
* 1887 - The university purchases the internationally renowned library of German historian Leopold von Ranke, putting Syracuse on the bibliothecal map
* 1889 - Von Ranke Library opens
* 1889 - Crouse College opens
* 1890 - The color orange is adopted as the school's official color
* 1891 - [[Stephen Crane]] enrolls as a student but drops out after a semester
* 1893 - University benefactor John Archbold becomes Chairman of the Board of Trustees
* 1905 - Industrialist [[Andrew Carnegie]] makes a surprise donation to erect the library that will bear his name
* 1906 - One hundred spectators are injured and one is killed when bleachers collapse during a Syracuse-Colgate football game
* 1907 - Archbold stadium opens
* 1907 - Sims Hall opens
* 1909 - First doctoral program added
* 1909 - Archbold gymnasium opens
* 1910 - Photograph of [[Halley's Comet]] taken from Holden Observatory
* 1934 - Journalism school founded
* 1946 - Syracuse earns praise from President [[Harry S. Truman]] by admitting 9,464 students under the G.I. Bill, tripling enrollment overnight
* 1946 - Syracuse opens a cooperative extension in Endicott, NY in order to help educate the returning war veterans. Today, that extension is no longer part of SU, and has become [[Binghamton University]].
* 1950 - The College of Medicine becomes part of the State University of New York system
* 1953 - Yates Castle is razed
* 1956 - Running back Jim Brown scores an NCAA-record 43 points in the football team's 61-7 rout of Colgate
* 1966 - Syracuse joins the Association of American Universities
* 1980 - [[Carrier Dome]] opens on the former site of Archbold Stadium

== Schools and colleges ==
[[Image:Yts-stairs.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Yates Castle, The former home of the School of Education and Journalism (demolished)]]
[[Image:CROUSE4A.JPG|thumb|right|150px|Crouse College, The home of the School of Visual and Performing Arts]]
[[Image:Bridgeteacherscollege.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Bridge to Yates Castle]]
*[[Syracuse University School of Architecture|School of Architecture]] [http://soa.syr.edu/], [[1873]]
The Syracuse University School of Architecture, founded in 1873, is the fourth oldest program of its type in the United States and is located in Slocum Hall- a building completed in 1918 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The School of Architecture is ranked fourth nationally and number one on the East Coast among architecture and design schools for its undergraduate program, according to the latest survey by the Design Futures Council.

*[http://www-hl.syr.edu College of Arts and Sciences], [[1870]]
The College of Arts and Sciences was established in 1870 as Syracuse University's founding college. Today, The College remains at the center of undergraduate learning at Syracuse, where all University students take classes.
It includes 3,400 students and 530 faculty in a university of 12,500 total undergraduate students and 1,360 total faculty. Its programs and departments provide intellectual leadership in the liberal arts. Its faculty, nationally renowned leaders, poets and scientists, create a student-centered environment of discovery, creativity and excellence.

*[http://soeweb.syr.edu/ School of Education], [[1906]]
Syracuse University's School of Education, a national leader in improving and informing educational practice for diverse communities, is committed to the principle that diverse learning communities create the conditions that both enrich the educational experience and provide opportunities for all to realize their full potential. The School of Education pioneered the inclusion movement in the United States, making way for all learners to participate fully in mainstream classrooms and other inclusive learning environments.

*[http://www.ecs.syr.edu/ L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science], [[1901]]
The college offers 35 bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs. U.S. News & World Reports ranks the overall graduate program in ECS in the top one-third of schools of engineering that grant degrees through the Ph.D.
ECS is ranked among the top 30 private engineering colleges that grant Ph.D.s In 1958, the Institute for Sensory Research was established under the direction of Dr. Jozef Zwislocki (now Distinguished Research Professor of Neuroscience and a member of the National Academy of Sciences), who developed a community of faculty, staff, and students that is world-renowned for multidisciplinary studies of the structure and function of sensory systems. From this community, the undergraduate program in bioengineering was established in 1971. ECS's computer engineering and bioengineering programs, both established in 1971, are the second-oldest programs of their kind in the nation. The Center for Advanced Technology in Computer Applications and Software Engineering was created in 1984 under the leadership of Dr. Bradley J. Strait, professor of electrical engineering who served as dean of the college from 1981-1984 and 1989-1992. The Northeast Parallel Architectures Center, an interdisciplinary center for high performance computing followed in 1987, and the Center for Hypersonics, supported by NASA to focus on studies in air and space travel, was created in 1993. Among its recent achievements, the College unveiled a $4.5 million environmental systems complex in Fall 2001. This facility provides sophisticated research and teaching facilities for programs in environmental, chemical, civil, and mechanical engineering programs. In May 2001, a consortium of colleges and universities, led by the College, was awarded $15.9 million by the New York State Office of Science, Technology, and Research to fund the establishment of the New York Environmental Quality Systems Center at Syracuse University. Also in 2001, the College received a $3 million grant from NASA and the State of New York to establish the Advanced Interactive Discovery Environment for Engineering Education, a state-of-the-art virtual learning environment.
[[Image:MaxwellSchool.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs]]

*[http://www.ist.syr.edu School of Information Studies], [[1896]]
The School of Information Studies at Syracuse University was the first school in the nation to read the winds of change and anticipate the coming of the Information Age. Over 25 years ago, it changed its name from the School of Library Science and revamped its curriculum accordingly, offering the first master's degree in Information Resources Management. Today the School of Information Studies is recognized as one of the top information schools in the country, and its graduate programs in Information Systems and Library Science are ranked second and third in the nation, respectively, by U.S. News & World Report.

*[[Martin J. Whitman School of Management]], [[1919]]
In 2005, Entrepreneur magazine once again recognized the Whitman School among the top-13 entrepreneurship programs in the nation and USASBE named Whitman the National Model Undergraduate Program of the Year. Top-40 honors for the undergraduate program were announced by U.S. News in September, and in October the supply chain management program was ranked 10th-best in the nation in Supply Chain Management Review.
The new home for the Martin J. Whitman School of Management opened in January. With 160,000 square feet, the new building includes 22 state-of-the-art classrooms; 20 undergraduate and 20 graduate breakout rooms; a 200-seat auditorium; and a three-story, 4,000-square-foot Grand Hall.

*[[Syracuse University College of Law|College of Law]], [[1895]]
Founded in 1895, It is one of only four law schools in Upstate New York (the other three being Albany, Buffalo, and Cornell). Syracuse was accredited by the American Bar Association in 1923 and is a charter member of the Association of American Law Schools. As of the 2005-2006 academic year, 768 students were enrolled in the College of Law. The library is a congressionally designated depository for federal materials and also houses a collection of former Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson's artifacts and documents.

*[[Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs]], [[1924]]
The Maxwell School of Syracuse University, founded in 1924, was the first school to offer a graduate professional degree in public administration and the first to bring together the social sciences for public administration education. Maxwell is consistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the nation's top graduate school for public administration.
[[Image:crouseaud.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Setnor Auditorium, Home of the Music Department]]

*[[S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications]], [[1934]]
Syracuse University established one of the nation's first schools of journalism, now known as the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, in 1934. Newhouse has given a jump-start to the careers of Ted Koppel, Steve Kroft, Paula Walker Madison, Bob Costas, Fred Silverman, Pat Adcroft, Mike Tirico and many others.

*[[College of Visual and Performing Arts]], [[1873]]
VPA contains the School of Art and Design, Department of Communication and Rhetorical Studies, Department of Drama, Setnor School of Music, and Department of Transmedia. Together, these five areas offer a total of 36 undergraduate programs and 26 graduate programs. The college is located in seven different buildings on campus and in the University’s downtown Syracuse building, the Warehouse. Origins of the college date to 1873, when the College of Fine Arts opened at SU. The college was the first degree-conferring institution of its kind in the United States. Its first alumnus graduated in 1875 with a bachelor of painting degree.

*[[The Graduate School]], Founded [[1911]]
The Syracuse University Graduate School oversees all academic policy, graduate degree and certificate program modification and development, and the professional development programs for graduate study at Syracuse University.

*[[College of Human Services and Health Professions]], [[1918]]
The College of Human Services and Health Professions offers bachelor's (B.S.), master's (M.A., M.S.W.) and doctoral (Ph.D.) degrees in Child and Family Studies, Hospitality and Food Service Management, Marriage and Family Therapy, Nursing, Nutrition, Sport Management, Selected Studies, and Social Work, as well as a certificate of advanced study in Human Services Management.

*[[University College]] (Continuing Education)
University College offers a variety of degree programs, certificates, and noncredit courses in formats tailored to the busy schedules of part-time students. Courses are offered in the evenings, on weekends, online, and through short residency programs. During the summer, courses are offered during the daytime. In addition to serving the academic needs of students pursuing their degrees part-time, UC also offers award-winning workforce training programs and sponsors community service programs.

*[[Medical School]], Founded [[1872]]
In the 1870s the SU College of Medicine was (along with Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Michigan) among the first to institute a graded medical instruction program, with definite pre-clinical and clinical years. In the 1890s it was again (along with Johns Hopkins, Harvard, Penn, and a few others) among the first in America to organize its curriculum according to the so-called "German model," with intense scientific and especially laboratory training for students in the first two years, and rigorous clinical training on rounds thereafter. The school was sold to the State of New York in [[1950]] and is now called [[SUNY]] [[Upstate Medical University]]).

==Campuses==
===Main Campus===
[[Image:SyracuseUniversityStairwaytoHL.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The [[stairway]] to the Hall of Languages, the main building of the College of Arts and Sciences, and the oldest building on campus. The monument to the faculty and students lost on [[Pan Am Flight 103]] is located in the foreground.]]
[[Image:Syracuse U Quad Spring 2005.jpg|thumb|200px|The Quad, the center of the Main Campus, on a warm April day. Located at the west end is Hendricks Chapel, with the [[Carrier Dome]] to its left and immediately behind the photographer would be Link Hall.]]
[[Image:Syracuse Dunk and Bright.JPG|thumb|200px|The former Dunk & Bright Furniture [[The Warehouse (Syracuse)|The Warehouse]] will permanently house the Communications Design and Advertising Design programs from the College of Visual and Performing Arts and temporarily house SU's School of Architecture.]]
Also called "North Campus," the Main Campus contains nearly all academic buildings and residence halls. Its centerpiece is "The Quad" which is surrounded by academic buildings, especially those of the College of Arts and Sciences. Most of the roads of the Main Campus are traffic-restricted during weekdays. Some university buildings lie outside of this area, particularly in the urban area north of the campus around [[Marshall Street]]. To the south of the main campus is [[Oakwood Cemetery]], of the rural cemetery type that was popular during the epoch. To the east lies [[Thornden Park]], one of the largest parks within the city proper. Medical complexes, along with [[Interstate 81]] border it to the west.

Approximately 5,000 students live in the sixteen residence halls on the Main Campus. Most residence halls are co-ed by room and all are smoke-free. Some still have gender-specific floors. North campus housing includes singles, open doubles, split (wall-segmented) doubles, and multi-person suites. Residence hall height ranges from three to twenty-one floors.

The North Campus represents a large portion of the [[University Hill, Syracuse|University Hill]] neighborhood. Busses run to South Campus as well as [[Downtown Syracuse]] and other locations in the city. [[OnTrack]] also provides service to Downtown and the [[Carousel Center]] mall from its station near the Carrier Dome. [http://www.syr.edu/syracwis/imagerep/maps/main.jpg Map]

===South Campus===
After [[World War II]], a large undeveloped hill owned by the university was used to house returning veterans in military-style campus housing. During the 1970s this housing was replaced by permanent two-level townhouses for two or three students each, or for graduate family housing. There are also three small residence halls which feature large singles with a kitchen on every floor.

South Campus is also home to the Institute for Sensory Research, Tennity Ice Pavilion, Goldstein Student Center, and the InnComplete Pub. Just north are the headquarters of SU Athletics. Approximately 2,500 students live on the South Campus, which is connected to the main campus by frequent bus service. [http://www.syr.edu/syracwis/imagerep/maps/south.jpg Map]

===Downtown===
In December [[2004]] the university announced that it had purchased or leased twelve buildings in [[Downtown Syracuse]]. There will be two programs, Communications Design and Advertising Design, from the College of Visual and Performing Arts that will reside permanently in the newly renovated facilities, fittingly called [[The Warehouse (Syracuse)|The Warehouse]]. Both programs were chosen to be located in the downtown area because of their history of working on projects directly with the community. Hundreds of students and faculty have also been affected by the temporary move of the School of Architecture downtown for the $12 million renovation of its campus facility, Slocum Hall. The Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems is scheduled for completion in [[2006]]. The Paul Robeson Performing Arts Company and the Community Folk Art Center will also be located downtown.

On March 31, [[2006]], the university and the city announced the beginning of an initiative to connect the main campus of the university with the arts and culture areas of downtown Syracuse and the university's new presence at The Warehouse [http://sunews.syr.edu/story_details.cfm?id=3172]. The Connective Corridor project, supported by a combination of public and private funds, will begin with an international design competition, with the finalists being named sometime in the Fall of [[2006]].

These projects are part of an effort by Chancellor Cantor to integrate downtown with the university. The separation of the university from downtown has been largely blamed on [[Interstate 81]], which creates a virtual wall between the two.

===Rome, New York===

Syracuse University offers all the classes necessary for a [[Master's degree|Masters of Science]] in [[Computer Engineering]] at [[Rome Laboratory]] in [[Rome, New York]]. This program has been in place since Fall 2005.

===Syracuse in Florence===

'''The Villa Rossa:'''
Ever since its inception in 1959, SU Florence has been hosted in the “Villa Rossa,” a historical building constructed by a noble family, the Gigliucci, in 1892. SU acquired the Villa Rossa from the Gigliucci family in 1963. The Villa Rossa is comprised of three floors and is the central hub of the SU Florence campus, housing the administrative offices, eleven classrooms, the computer lab, a student lounge and study areas. The garden area, recently renovated, is now connected to the garden of the Villino, home of the SU Florence library.

'''The Villino:'''
The newly-acquired and renovated Villino, a historical building that was originally a private residence, was built in 1884. It covers 420 square meters on four floors. While the building serves primarily as the home of the library, the Villino also houses an audio-visual room as well as a faculty and TA lounge, and the media lab & slide library.

===Former Campuses===

'''Triple Cities:'''
Located in [[Endicott, New York]], this former branch campus of Syracuse University, founded in [[1946]], became SUNY Harpur College in 1950 and later moved across the [[Susquehanna River]] to [[Vestal, New York|Vestal]] and became the [[State University of New York at Binghamton]]. Now called [[Binghamton University]], it is the top ranked public university in the Northeast United States.

'''Utica:'''
Located in [[Utica, New York]] and also founded in [[1946]], UC was founded as a branch campus for returning WWII veterans. This campus remained part of Syracuse University until [[1995]]. [[Utica College]] still offers degrees conferred by Syracuse University and continues to have a very similar academic structure. It is officially mentioned in SU's Charter's Article 1, Section 3: "Utica College shall be represented by the President, appointed ex officio, and by the dean of the college, and another representative selected by the college."

'''Thompson Road:''' In [[1947]], Syracuse University acquired a portion of the former US Naval War Plant on Thompson Road in East Syracuse. The L. C. Smith College of Applied Science was relocated to the Thompson Road campus, and the University's relatively short-lived Institute for Industrial Research was also located there. The University sold the property to Carrier Corporation in [[1952]].

==Libraries==
[[Image:Syracuse_Carnegie_Library.jpg|thumb|left|300px|The Carnegie Library]]
Syracuse University's main library is the Ernest S. Bird Library, which opened in [[1973]]. Its seven levels contain 2.3 million books, 11,500 periodicals, 45,000 linear feet (13.71 linear kilometers) of manuscripts, and 3.6 million [[microform]]s.

Prior to Bird Library's opening, the Carnegie Library served as the main library. It was opened in [[1907]], and now contains the mathematics and science libraries, as well as several classrooms. It was funded by a $150,000 matching gift by [[Andrew Carnegie]]. It replaced the library in what is now the Tolley Administration Building.[[Image:Carnegie2a.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Carnegie Reading Room]]

Several other departments also have their own libraries:

* Architecture Reading Room
* Geology Library
* [http://aas.syr.edu/mlk/ Martin Luther King Library] (African American Studies)
* Physics Library
* H. Douglas Barclay Law Library

== Special Collections ==
[[Image:Leopold_von_Ranke_1868.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Syracuse outbid the Prussian government and purchased all 19 tons of Von Ranke's prized personal library]]

Many of the landmarks in the history of recorded communication between people are in the university's collection, from cuneiform tablet and papyrus to several codices dating from the 11th century to the invention of printing. The collection also includes works by Galileo, Luther, Calvin, Voltaire, Ben Jonson, Sir Isaac Newton, Descartes, Sir Francis Bacon, Samuel Johnson, Hobbes, Malthus, Jeremy Bentham and Goethe amongst others. In addition, the collection includes the personal library of Leopold Von Ranke- one of the greatest German historians of the 19th century and often considered the founder of "scientific" history.

The university also has a large audio archive. Holdings total approximately 340,000 recordings in all formats, primarily cylinders, discs and magnetic tapes. Some of the voices to be found include Thomas Edison, Amelia Earhart, Albert Einstein, and Oscar Wilde.

== Art Collection ==

SU has an impressive permanent art collection of over 45,000 objects from such famous artists as Picasso, Rembrandt, Hopper, Tiffany and Wyeth. Art lovers can enjoy seeing more than 100 important paintings, sculptures and murals displayed in public places around campus. Notable sculptures on campus include Anna Hyatt Huntington's "Diana", Jean Houdon's "George Washington", Emille Antoine Bourdelle's "Herakles", James Earle Fraser's "Lincoln", and Ivan Mestrovic's "Supplicant Persephone". [http://suart.syr.edu/ SUART Galleries]

<gallery>
Image:JobIM.jpg |Job
Image:MosesIM.jpg|Moses
Image:Supplicant PersephoneIM.jpg|Supplicant Persephone
</gallery>

== Student Life ==

=== Student Groups ===
{{main|Syracuse University Student Groups}}
Syracuse University is the host of approximately 300 recognized student organizations.

=== Greek Life ===
{{main|Syracuse University Greek Organizations}}
The Syracuse University fraternity and sorority system offers organizations under the Panhellenic Council, the Interfraternity Council, the Latino Greek Council, the Multicultural Greek Council, and the National Pan-Hellenic Council. There are almost 50 fraternities and sororities on campus who's membership makes up approximately 20 percent of the campus population.

=== Traditions ===
{{main|Syracuse University Traditions}}

== Pan Am Flight 103 ==
[[Image:Syracuse University Flight 103 Memorial.jpg|thumb|200px|SU's Flight 103 Memorial]]
On [[December 21]], [[1988]], 35 SU students were among the 270 fatalities and among 189 American fatalities in the terrorist bombing of [[Pan Am Flight 103]] over [[Lockerbie, Scotland]]. The students were returning from a study-abroad program in Europe. That evening, Syracuse University went on with a basketball game. The university was severely criticized for going on with the game, just hours after the attack. The conduct of university officials in making the decision was also brought to the attention of the NCAA. The day after the bombing, the university's chancellor then, Dr. Melvin Eggers, himself criticized for allowing the game to be played, said on nationwide television that he should have canceled the event. Lingering memories of this public relations disaster undoubtedly influenced the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] cancellation of all football games set for the weekend following the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]] (The bombing of Flight 103 was the worst ever terrorist attack against the United States before September 11, 2001).<ref>Deppa, Joan, Media and Disasters: Pan Am 103; New York; University Press, 1994.</ref> <ref>Yen, Marianne, "A Tragic End to the Semester." ''The Washington Post'', December 23, 1988, page A07</ref>

The school later dedicated a memorial to the students killed on Flight 103. Every year, during the fall semester, the university holds an event known as "Remembrance Week," to commemorate the students. Every [[December 21]], a service is held in the university's chapel by the university's chaplains at 2:03 p.m. (19:03 [[UTC]]), marking the exact moment in 1988 the plane was bombed. The University also maintains a link to this tragedy with the "Remembrance Scholars" program in which 35 senior students receive scholarships during their final year at the University. Syracuse and Lockerbie maintain strong ties, including the "Lockerbie Scholars" program in which two graduating students from Lockerbie Academy study at Syracuse for one year.

==Athletics==
{{main|Syracuse University Orange}}
Syracuse University's sports teams are officially known as the Orange, although the former (until 2004) names of Orangemen and Orangewomen are still affectionately used. The school's mascot is Otto the Orange. The teams all participate in [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] Division I in the [[Big East Conference]]. The men's basketball, football, and men's lacrosse teams play in the [[Carrier Dome]]. Other sports facilities are located at the nearby Manley Field House.
[[Image:History17.jpg|thumb|right|600px|The Crew Team]]
*Rowing team founded: [[1873]]
*Baseball team founded: [[1872]]
*First recorded football game: [[1884]] vs. Medical College of Syracuse
*First intercollegiate football game: [[1889]] vs. University of Rochester
*First recorded basketball game: [[1899]] vs. Christian Association of Hamilton (Ontario)
*Lacrosse team organized: [[1917]]
*First Women's basketball game: [[1898]]

===Archbold Stadium and the Carrier Dome===
[[Image:Jarchbold.jpg|thumb|left|250px|John Archbold and the stadium bearing his name]]
[[Image:Scrane.gif|thumb|200px|right|[[Stephen Crane]] played baseball at the university before dropping out in [[1891]] after a semester of study.]]
[[Image:CarrierDomeInside.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The [[Carrier Dome]] during a football game]]

Thanks to a $600,000 gift by Syracuse University trustee and Standard Oil President, John D. Archbold, what was publicized as the “Greatest Athletic Arena in America” opened in [[1907]]. Designed to resemble the Roman Coliseum and to never become outdated, [[Archbold Stadium]] became a trademark of Syracuse football. The stadium formed a massive oval, 670 feet (204 m) long and 475 feet (145 m) wide. It was 100 feet (30 m) longer and only 22 feet (7 m) thinner than the Carrier Dome and more than 6 million Orange football fans passed through its gates.
From [[1907]] to [[1978]], Archbold Stadium was the home of SU football. Archbold opened up with a bang when the Orange defeated Hobart 28-0. It went out in style 71 years later with an improbable victory over second-ranked Navy 20-17. Syracuse posted a record of 265-112-50 at Archbold and it housed many great teams. It was home of the [[1915]] squad who was invited to play in the prestigious Rose Bowl and outscored its opponents 331 to 16. The [[1959]] team also called Archbold home en route to SU’s only National Championship.
In [[1978]], SU fans said good-bye forever to the historic stadium. Archbold was demolished to make way for the new on-campus facility, the Carrier Dome, which opened in [[1980]]. (Source: SU Athletics)

=== Athletic championships ===
*[[1908]] - Rowing
*[[1913]] - Rowing
*[[1916]] - Rowing
*[[1918]] - Men's Basketball
*[[1920]] - Rowing
*[[1924]] - Men's Lacrosse
*[[1925]] - Men's Lacrosse
*[[1926]] - Men's Basketball
*[[1949]] - Cross Country
*[[1951]] - Cross Country
*[[1959]] - Rowing (Pan American Championship)
*[[1959]] - Football
*[[1978]] - Rowing
*[[1983]] - Men's Lacrosse
*[[1988]] - Men's Lacrosse
*[[1989]] - Men's Lacrosse
*[[1990]] - Men's Lacrosse
*[[1993]] - Men's Lacrosse
*[[1995]] - Men's Lacrosse
*[[2000]] - Men's Lacrosse
*[[2002]] - Men's Lacrosse
*[[2003]] - Men's Basketball
*[[2004]] - Men's Lacrosse

==Alma Mater==
[[Image:June03_007.jpg|thumb|500px|Crouse College, "On her hilltop high"]]
The SU Alma Mater was written by Junius W. Stevens ([[1895]]) in [[1893]]. It was first sung under the title "Song of Syracuse" by the University Glee and Banjo Club on March 15, [[1893]]. The song includes three verses, but only the first verse is commonly sung.

According to the [[1997]]-[[1998]] "Syracuse University Student Handbook," author Junius W. Stevens recalled "while I was walking home across the city an idea for the song came to me. I had often noticed how the setting sun lighted up the walls of [[Crouse College]] long after dusk had fallen over the city and valley. As I walked through the empty streets, the words of a song took shape in my mind. By the time I reached home, the song was finished."

<blockquote>Where the vale of Onondaga 
Meets the eastern sky 
Proudly stands our Alma Mater 
On her hilltop high. 
Flag we love! Orange! Float for aye- 
Old Syracuse, o'er thee, 
Loyal be thy sons and daughters 
To thy memory.

When the evening twilight deepens and the shadows fall, 
Linger long the golden sunbeams on the western wall. 
Flag we love, Orange, 
Float for aye, 
Old Syracuse o'er thee! 
Loyal be thy sons and daughters 
To thy memory

When the shades of life shall gather, dark the heart may be, 
Still the ray of youth and love shall linger long o'er thee'. 
Flag we love, Orange, 
Float for aye, 
Old Syracuse o'er thee! 
Loyal be thy sons and daughters 
To thy memory 
</blockquote>

The university also has a fight song entitled "Down the Field," which is commonly played after SU scores in athletic matches.

== Syracuse Trivia ==

* In [[1929]], SU played the first night football game in the east, beating [[Hobart and William Smith Colleges|Hobart College]] 77-0.

* In 1915, SU became the first East Coast team to garner a Rose Bowl invitation. However, the school had to decline having already played on the West Coast that season.

* A new NCAA rule was implemented after a controversial Syracuse-Notre Dame football game in 1961 which stipulated that a game could no longer end on a penalty.

* A 19th century professor at Syracuse coined the word "[[sorority]]" especially for newly formed [[Gamma Phi Beta]].

*[[North-American Interfraternity Conference]] member fraternity [[Alpha Phi Delta]] was founded at Syracuse in [[1914]].

* Three [[National Panhellenic Conference]] sororities were founded at Syracuse. They are [[Alpha Phi]] in 1872, [[Gamma Phi Beta]] in 1874, and [[Alpha Gamma Delta]] in 1904. They are collectively known as the [[Syracuse Triad]]. Alpha Phi also built the world's first sorority house.

* A Syracuse graduate student who fought in the French Resistance coined the term "[[weapons of mass destruction]]".

* President Lyndon B. Johnson delivered his notable "Gulf of Tonkin" speech at the dedication of the Newhouse Communications Center on August 5, 1964

* The L.C. Smith College of Engineering was founded in 1896 by trustee [[Lyman Cornelius Smith|Lyman C. Smith]] - the founder of the [[Smith Corona|Smith-Corona Typewriter Company]]

* Syracuse alumnus Arthur Rock was the 1st and only Venture Capitalist ever to be featured on the cover of Time Magazine.

* The school chose orange as its color in [[1890]], replacing the unpopular combination of pink and pea green. Blue is often used with the orange as a contrasting color, but is not officially a school color.

* The Oliver Stone film "[[Born on the Fourth of July]]" briefly recreates the Syracuse University student anti-war riots of [[1970]]. The scene was actually filmed in Dallas, Texas. ([[Tom Cruise]], who won a Golden Globe for his performance in the film, was born in Syracuse.)

* According to a recent article in the Daily Orange{{citation needed}}, designer Tommy Hilfiger is a big Syracuse fan. In the mid-1980s, when Hilfiger started his clothing business, he incorporated orange and Davis' 44 into several of his designs.

* Syracuse University is one of the five hosts of the IRA Regatta- the oldest collegiate rowing championship in the US. The other schools are Columbia, Cornell, Pennsylvania and the US Naval Academy.

* The Syracuse rowing team is Dartmouth College's oldest continuously active heavyweight competitor. The two schools race for the Packard Cup.

* The Syracuse men's lacrosse team has been to 22 straight semifinals of the NCAA men's lacrosse tournament. That impressive streak was finally broken in ([[2005]]) with a 16-15 loss to the [[University of Massachusetts|Massachusetts]] in the quarterfinals.

* In collegiate lacrosse, Syracuse and Princeton have accounted for 14 of the past 18 NCAA championships.

* Pro wrestler [[Mike Rotunda]] is a legitimate graduate of Syracuse, having wrestled for them during his time in the University, and when he did his "Varsity Club" gimmick with other standout collegiate wrestlers in WCW, he wore the gear of Syracuse University, his alma mater.

* The number 44 is the most revered in SU athletic history, having been worn by football players Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, and Floyd Little, and basketball players Derrick Coleman and John Wallace. This is why the University's administrative [[ZIP code]] is 132'''''44''''' (the other, 13210, applies to the residence halls, which have regular city addresses), and all on-campus phone numbers have started with "44" since 1987. The football team retired number 44 in 2005; before that it was semi-retired, available only to deserving backs. The men's basketball team retired #44 for [[Derrick Coleman]] in 2006.

==See also==
===Other Syracuse University Articles===

* [[List of Syracuse University People]]
* [[List of Chancellors of Syracuse University]]
* [[Syracuse University Orange]], the SU athletics article.
* [[Burton Blatt Institute]]

===Student Life===

* [[Armory Square]]: Historic downtown shopping, dining and nightlife center where SU's Warehouse is located
* [[Marshall Street]]: Retail street adjacent to SU with some nightlife
* [[University Hill, Syracuse|University Hill]]: The neighborhood where the main campus is located
* [[University Neighborhood]]: The adjacent neighborhood where many SU students live
* [[Westcott, Syracuse|Westcott]]: Another adjacent neighborhood where SU students live

==References==
<references/>

== External links ==
* [http://www.syr.edu/ Syracuse University website]
* [http://photo.syr.edu/ Syracuse University Pictures]
* [http://www.suathletics.com/ Syracuse University Athletics Department]
* [http://connectivecorridor.syr.edu/ The Connective Corridor Project]
* [http://www.dailyorange.com/ ''The Daily Orange'']
* [http://www.waer.org/ WAER-FM]
* [http://www.z89.com/ WJPZ-FM]
* [http://werw.org/ WERW-AM]
* [http://www.citrustv.net/ CitrusTV] -
* [http://sumagazine.syr.edu/summer02/features/feature3/ Over 100 Syracuse alumni are involved in sports broadcasting]
* [http://newmedia.syr.edu/proseminar New Media Graduate Program Experiments in Interactive Storytelling]

{{Big East Conference}}
{{Template:Association of American Universities}}

[[Category:Educational institutions established in 1870]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges in New York]]
[[Category:Syracuse University| ]]
[[Category:Association of American Universities]]
[[Category:Greater Syracuse, New York]]
[[Category:Big East Conference]]
[[Category:Pan Am Flight 103]]

[[da:Syracuse University]]
[[it:Syracuse University]]
[[nl:Syracuse University]]
[[ja:シラキュース大学]]
[[th:มหาวิทยาลัยไซราคิวส์]]
[[zh:雪城大學]]

Syracuse University

2006-08-19T21:43:27Z

71.201.198.12: /* Syracuse Trivia */

{{infobox University
|name= Syracuse University
|image= [[Image:BWSEAL.GIF|center]]
|established= 1870
|type= [[Private school|Private]]
|endowment = US $818 million
|motto = ''Suos Cultores Scientia Coronat'' ([[Latin]]: "Knowledge crowns those who seek her.")
|faculty= 1,353
|chancellor= [[Nancy Cantor]]
|students= 18,734
|city= [[Syracuse, New York|Syracuse]]
|state= [[New York|NY]]
|country= [[United States|USA]]
|campus= [[Urban area|Urban]] and [[Suburban]]
|free_label=
|free=
|nickname = [[Syracuse University Orange|The Orange]]
|mascot= Otto the Orange
|website= [http://www.syracuse.edu/ www.syracuse.edu]
}}

'''Syracuse University''' (SU) is a private research university located in [[Syracuse, New York]]. The University is set on a mostly residential campus, which features an eclectic mix of buildings, ranging from nineteenth-century Romanesque structures to contemporary buildings designed by renowned architects such as [[I.M. Pei]]. The center of campus, with its grass quadrangle, landscaped walkways, and outdoor sculptures offers students the amenities of a traditional college experience. At the same time, since the university overlooks downtown Syracuse, students can enjoy the social, cultural, and recreational opportunities of a medium-sized city. The school also owns a [[Sheraton Hotel]] and a [[golf course]] near campus, as well as properties in [[New York City]], [[Washington, D.C.]] and a 30 acre (121,000 m²) conference center in the [[Adirondack mountains|Adirondack Mountains]] of [[Upstate New York]].
Officially chartered in 1870, Syracuse traces its institutional roots back to 1832 when it was founded as a seminary by the Methodists. Syracuse University’s undergraduate and graduate programs are highly regarded. The university is especially well known for its programs in the fields of public affairs, communications, creative writing, architecture and information studies.

The university had a total [[2005]]-[[2006]] [http://sumweb.syr.edu/ir/enr_fy06.htm enrollment] of 18,734 students: 12,905 undergraduates, 5,067 graduates, and 762 law students. Recently, 3 undergraduate students achieved national recognition by their selection as a [[Rhodes Scholarship|Rhodes Scholar]], [[Truman Scholar]] and [[Goldwater Scholar]]. Syracuse University is one of only 8 institutions in the country whose students have won all three of these honors in one year.

== Brief Timeline ==
[[Image:SU Campus midcentury.jpg|thumb|right|400px|The "Old Row"]]
* 1832 - Genesee Wesleyan Seminary founded by the Genesee [[Methodist]] Conference in [[Lima, New York|Lima]], [[New York]], south of [[Rochester, New York|Rochester]]
* 1849 - The Seminary creates a companion college – Genesee College
* 1866 - After several hard years, the trustees of the struggling college decide to seek a locale whose economic and transportation advantages could provide a better base of support
* 1869 - The city of [[Syracuse, New York]] is selected
* 1870 - State of New York grants Syracuse University its charter
* 1871 - Syracuse chapter of the Mystical Seven appears (later evolves into the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity)
* 1872 - The medical school opens
* 1873 - Hall of Languages opens
* 1873 - Syracuse adds an architecture program, one of the first in the U.S.
* 1874 - Syracuse creates the nation's first bachelor of fine arts degree
* 1876 - The school offerers its first post-graduate courses in the College of Arts and Sciences
* 1877 - Holden Observatory opens
* 1886 - John D. Archbold (President of [[Standard Oil of New Jersey]]) becomes a member of the Board of Trustees
* 1887 - The university purchases the internationally renowned library of German historian Leopold von Ranke, putting Syracuse on the bibliothecal map
* 1889 - Von Ranke Library opens
* 1889 - Crouse College opens
* 1890 - The color orange is adopted as the school's official color
* 1891 - [[Stephen Crane]] enrolls as a student but drops out after a semester
* 1893 - University benefactor John Archbold becomes Chairman of the Board of Trustees
* 1905 - Industrialist [[Andrew Carnegie]] makes a surprise donation to erect the library that will bear his name
* 1906 - One hundred spectators are injured and one is killed when bleachers collapse during a Syracuse-Colgate football game
* 1907 - Archbold stadium opens
* 1907 - Sims Hall opens
* 1909 - First doctoral program added
* 1909 - Archbold gymnasium opens
* 1910 - Photograph of [[Halley's Comet]] taken from Holden Observatory
* 1934 - Journalism school founded
* 1946 - Syracuse earns praise from President [[Harry S. Truman]] by admitting 9,464 students under the G.I. Bill, tripling enrollment overnight
* 1946 - Syracuse opens a cooperative extension in Endicott, NY in order to help educate the returning war veterans. Today, that extension is no longer part of SU, and has become [[Binghamton University]].
* 1950 - The College of Medicine becomes part of the State University of New York system
* 1953 - Yates Castle is razed
* 1956 - Running back Jim Brown scores an NCAA-record 43 points in the football team's 61-7 rout of Colgate
* 1966 - Syracuse joins the Association of American Universities
* 1980 - [[Carrier Dome]] opens on the former site of Archbold Stadium

== Schools and colleges ==
[[Image:Yts-stairs.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Yates Castle, The former home of the School of Education and Journalism (demolished)]]
[[Image:CROUSE4A.JPG|thumb|right|150px|Crouse College, The home of the School of Visual and Performing Arts]]
[[Image:Bridgeteacherscollege.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Bridge to Yates Castle]]
*[[Syracuse University School of Architecture|School of Architecture]] [http://soa.syr.edu/], [[1873]]
The Syracuse University School of Architecture, founded in 1873, is the fourth oldest program of its type in the United States and is located in Slocum Hall- a building completed in 1918 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The School of Architecture is ranked fourth nationally and number one on the East Coast among architecture and design schools for its undergraduate program, according to the latest survey by the Design Futures Council.

*[http://www-hl.syr.edu College of Arts and Sciences], [[1870]]
The College of Arts and Sciences was established in 1870 as Syracuse University's founding college. Today, The College remains at the center of undergraduate learning at Syracuse, where all University students take classes.
It includes 3,400 students and 530 faculty in a university of 12,500 total undergraduate students and 1,360 total faculty. Its programs and departments provide intellectual leadership in the liberal arts. Its faculty, nationally renowned leaders, poets and scientists, create a student-centered environment of discovery, creativity and excellence.

*[http://soeweb.syr.edu/ School of Education], [[1906]]
Syracuse University's School of Education, a national leader in improving and informing educational practice for diverse communities, is committed to the principle that diverse learning communities create the conditions that both enrich the educational experience and provide opportunities for all to realize their full potential. The School of Education pioneered the inclusion movement in the United States, making way for all learners to participate fully in mainstream classrooms and other inclusive learning environments.

*[http://www.ecs.syr.edu/ L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science], [[1901]]
The college offers 35 bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs. U.S. News & World Reports ranks the overall graduate program in ECS in the top one-third of schools of engineering that grant degrees through the Ph.D.
ECS is ranked among the top 30 private engineering colleges that grant Ph.D.s In 1958, the Institute for Sensory Research was established under the direction of Dr. Jozef Zwislocki (now Distinguished Research Professor of Neuroscience and a member of the National Academy of Sciences), who developed a community of faculty, staff, and students that is world-renowned for multidisciplinary studies of the structure and function of sensory systems. From this community, the undergraduate program in bioengineering was established in 1971. ECS's computer engineering and bioengineering programs, both established in 1971, are the second-oldest programs of their kind in the nation. The Center for Advanced Technology in Computer Applications and Software Engineering was created in 1984 under the leadership of Dr. Bradley J. Strait, professor of electrical engineering who served as dean of the college from 1981-1984 and 1989-1992. The Northeast Parallel Architectures Center, an interdisciplinary center for high performance computing followed in 1987, and the Center for Hypersonics, supported by NASA to focus on studies in air and space travel, was created in 1993. Among its recent achievements, the College unveiled a $4.5 million environmental systems complex in Fall 2001. This facility provides sophisticated research and teaching facilities for programs in environmental, chemical, civil, and mechanical engineering programs. In May 2001, a consortium of colleges and universities, led by the College, was awarded $15.9 million by the New York State Office of Science, Technology, and Research to fund the establishment of the New York Environmental Quality Systems Center at Syracuse University. Also in 2001, the College received a $3 million grant from NASA and the State of New York to establish the Advanced Interactive Discovery Environment for Engineering Education, a state-of-the-art virtual learning environment.
[[Image:MaxwellSchool.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs]]

*[http://www.ist.syr.edu School of Information Studies], [[1896]]
The School of Information Studies at Syracuse University was the first school in the nation to read the winds of change and anticipate the coming of the Information Age. Over 25 years ago, it changed its name from the School of Library Science and revamped its curriculum accordingly, offering the first master's degree in Information Resources Management. Today the School of Information Studies is recognized as one of the top information schools in the country, and its graduate programs in Information Systems and Library Science are ranked second and third in the nation, respectively, by U.S. News & World Report.

*[[Martin J. Whitman School of Management]], [[1919]]
In 2005, Entrepreneur magazine once again recognized the Whitman School among the top-13 entrepreneurship programs in the nation and USASBE named Whitman the National Model Undergraduate Program of the Year. Top-40 honors for the undergraduate program were announced by U.S. News in September, and in October the supply chain management program was ranked 10th-best in the nation in Supply Chain Management Review.
The new home for the Martin J. Whitman School of Management opened in January. With 160,000 square feet, the new building includes 22 state-of-the-art classrooms; 20 undergraduate and 20 graduate breakout rooms; a 200-seat auditorium; and a three-story, 4,000-square-foot Grand Hall.

*[[Syracuse University College of Law|College of Law]], [[1895]]
Founded in 1895, It is one of only four law schools in Upstate New York (the other three being Albany, Buffalo, and Cornell). Syracuse was accredited by the American Bar Association in 1923 and is a charter member of the Association of American Law Schools. As of the 2005-2006 academic year, 768 students were enrolled in the College of Law. The library is a congressionally designated depository for federal materials and also houses a collection of former Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson's artifacts and documents.

*[[Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs]], [[1924]]
The Maxwell School of Syracuse University, founded in 1924, was the first school to offer a graduate professional degree in public administration and the first to bring together the social sciences for public administration education. Maxwell is consistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the nation's top graduate school for public administration.
[[Image:crouseaud.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Setnor Auditorium, Home of the Music Department]]

*[[S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications]], [[1934]]
Syracuse University established one of the nation's first schools of journalism, now known as the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, in 1934. Newhouse has given a jump-start to the careers of Ted Koppel, Steve Kroft, Paula Walker Madison, Bob Costas, Fred Silverman, Pat Adcroft, Mike Tirico and many others.

*[[College of Visual and Performing Arts]], [[1873]]
VPA contains the School of Art and Design, Department of Communication and Rhetorical Studies, Department of Drama, Setnor School of Music, and Department of Transmedia. Together, these five areas offer a total of 36 undergraduate programs and 26 graduate programs. The college is located in seven different buildings on campus and in the University’s downtown Syracuse building, the Warehouse. Origins of the college date to 1873, when the College of Fine Arts opened at SU. The college was the first degree-conferring institution of its kind in the United States. Its first alumnus graduated in 1875 with a bachelor of painting degree.

*[[The Graduate School]], Founded [[1911]]
The Syracuse University Graduate School oversees all academic policy, graduate degree and certificate program modification and development, and the professional development programs for graduate study at Syracuse University.

*[[College of Human Services and Health Professions]], [[1918]]
The College of Human Services and Health Professions offers bachelor's (B.S.), master's (M.A., M.S.W.) and doctoral (Ph.D.) degrees in Child and Family Studies, Hospitality and Food Service Management, Marriage and Family Therapy, Nursing, Nutrition, Sport Management, Selected Studies, and Social Work, as well as a certificate of advanced study in Human Services Management.

*[[University College]] (Continuing Education)
University College offers a variety of degree programs, certificates, and noncredit courses in formats tailored to the busy schedules of part-time students. Courses are offered in the evenings, on weekends, online, and through short residency programs. During the summer, courses are offered during the daytime. In addition to serving the academic needs of students pursuing their degrees part-time, UC also offers award-winning workforce training programs and sponsors community service programs.

*[[Medical School]], Founded [[1872]]
In the 1870s the SU College of Medicine was (along with Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Michigan) among the first to institute a graded medical instruction program, with definite pre-clinical and clinical years. In the 1890s it was again (along with Johns Hopkins, Harvard, Penn, and a few others) among the first in America to organize its curriculum according to the so-called "German model," with intense scientific and especially laboratory training for students in the first two years, and rigorous clinical training on rounds thereafter. The school was sold to the State of New York in [[1950]] and is now called [[SUNY]] [[Upstate Medical University]]).

==Campuses==
===Main Campus===
[[Image:SyracuseUniversityStairwaytoHL.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The [[stairway]] to the Hall of Languages, the main building of the College of Arts and Sciences, and the oldest building on campus. The monument to the faculty and students lost on [[Pan Am Flight 103]] is located in the foreground.]]
[[Image:Syracuse U Quad Spring 2005.jpg|thumb|200px|The Quad, the center of the Main Campus, on a warm April day. Located at the west end is Hendricks Chapel, with the [[Carrier Dome]] to its left and immediately behind the photographer would be Link Hall.]]
[[Image:Syracuse Dunk and Bright.JPG|thumb|200px|The former Dunk & Bright Furniture [[The Warehouse (Syracuse)|The Warehouse]] will permanently house the Communications Design and Advertising Design programs from the College of Visual and Performing Arts and temporarily house SU's School of Architecture.]]
Also called "North Campus," the Main Campus contains nearly all academic buildings and residence halls. Its centerpiece is "The Quad" which is surrounded by academic buildings, especially those of the College of Arts and Sciences. Most of the roads of the Main Campus are traffic-restricted during weekdays. Some university buildings lie outside of this area, particularly in the urban area north of the campus around [[Marshall Street]]. To the south of the main campus is [[Oakwood Cemetery]], of the rural cemetery type that was popular during the epoch. To the east lies [[Thornden Park]], one of the largest parks within the city proper. Medical complexes, along with [[Interstate 81]] border it to the west.

Approximately 5,000 students live in the sixteen residence halls on the Main Campus. Most residence halls are co-ed by room and all are smoke-free. Some still have gender-specific floors. North campus housing includes singles, open doubles, split (wall-segmented) doubles, and multi-person suites. Residence hall height ranges from three to twenty-one floors.

The North Campus represents a large portion of the [[University Hill, Syracuse|University Hill]] neighborhood. Busses run to South Campus as well as [[Downtown Syracuse]] and other locations in the city. [[OnTrack]] also provides service to Downtown and the [[Carousel Center]] mall from its station near the Carrier Dome. [http://www.syr.edu/syracwis/imagerep/maps/main.jpg Map]

===South Campus===
After [[World War II]], a large undeveloped hill owned by the university was used to house returning veterans in military-style campus housing. During the 1970s this housing was replaced by permanent two-level townhouses for two or three students each, or for graduate family housing. There are also three small residence halls which feature large singles with a kitchen on every floor.

South Campus is also home to the Institute for Sensory Research, Tennity Ice Pavilion, Goldstein Student Center, and the InnComplete Pub. Just north are the headquarters of SU Athletics. Approximately 2,500 students live on the South Campus, which is connected to the main campus by frequent bus service. [http://www.syr.edu/syracwis/imagerep/maps/south.jpg Map]

===Downtown===
In December [[2004]] the university announced that it had purchased or leased twelve buildings in [[Downtown Syracuse]]. There will be two programs, Communications Design and Advertising Design, from the College of Visual and Performing Arts that will reside permanently in the newly renovated facilities, fittingly called [[The Warehouse (Syracuse)|The Warehouse]]. Both programs were chosen to be located in the downtown area because of their history of working on projects directly with the community. Hundreds of students and faculty have also been affected by the temporary move of the School of Architecture downtown for the $12 million renovation of its campus facility, Slocum Hall. The Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems is scheduled for completion in [[2006]]. The Paul Robeson Performing Arts Company and the Community Folk Art Center will also be located downtown.

On March 31, [[2006]], the university and the city announced the beginning of an initiative to connect the main campus of the university with the arts and culture areas of downtown Syracuse and the university's new presence at The Warehouse [http://sunews.syr.edu/story_details.cfm?id=3172]. The Connective Corridor project, supported by a combination of public and private funds, will begin with an international design competition, with the finalists being named sometime in the Fall of [[2006]].

These projects are part of an effort by Chancellor Cantor to integrate downtown with the university. The separation of the university from downtown has been largely blamed on [[Interstate 81]], which creates a virtual wall between the two.

===Rome, New York===

Syracuse University offers all the classes necessary for a [[Master's degree|Masters of Science]] in [[Computer Engineering]] at [[Rome Laboratory]] in [[Rome, New York]]. This program has been in place since Fall 2005.

===Syracuse in Florence===

'''The Villa Rossa:'''
Ever since its inception in 1959, SU Florence has been hosted in the “Villa Rossa,” a historical building constructed by a noble family, the Gigliucci, in 1892. SU acquired the Villa Rossa from the Gigliucci family in 1963. The Villa Rossa is comprised of three floors and is the central hub of the SU Florence campus, housing the administrative offices, eleven classrooms, the computer lab, a student lounge and study areas. The garden area, recently renovated, is now connected to the garden of the Villino, home of the SU Florence library.

'''The Villino:'''
The newly-acquired and renovated Villino, a historical building that was originally a private residence, was built in 1884. It covers 420 square meters on four floors. While the building serves primarily as the home of the library, the Villino also houses an audio-visual room as well as a faculty and TA lounge, and the media lab & slide library.

===Former Campuses===

'''Triple Cities:'''
Located in [[Endicott, New York]], this former branch campus of Syracuse University, founded in [[1946]], became SUNY Harpur College in 1950 and later moved across the [[Susquehanna River]] to [[Vestal, New York|Vestal]] and became the [[State University of New York at Binghamton]]. Now called [[Binghamton University]], it is the top ranked public university in the Northeast United States.

'''Utica:'''
Located in [[Utica, New York]] and also founded in [[1946]], UC was founded as a branch campus for returning WWII veterans. This campus remained part of Syracuse University until [[1995]]. [[Utica College]] still offers degrees conferred by Syracuse University and continues to have a very similar academic structure. It is officially mentioned in SU's Charter's Article 1, Section 3: "Utica College shall be represented by the President, appointed ex officio, and by the dean of the college, and another representative selected by the college."

'''Thompson Road:''' In [[1947]], Syracuse University acquired a portion of the former US Naval War Plant on Thompson Road in East Syracuse. The L. C. Smith College of Applied Science was relocated to the Thompson Road campus, and the University's relatively short-lived Institute for Industrial Research was also located there. The University sold the property to Carrier Corporation in [[1952]].

==Libraries==
[[Image:Syracuse_Carnegie_Library.jpg|thumb|left|300px|The Carnegie Library]]
Syracuse University's main library is the Ernest S. Bird Library, which opened in [[1973]]. Its seven levels contain 2.3 million books, 11,500 periodicals, 45,000 linear feet (13.71 linear kilometers) of manuscripts, and 3.6 million [[microform]]s.

Prior to Bird Library's opening, the Carnegie Library served as the main library. It was opened in [[1907]], and now contains the mathematics and science libraries, as well as several classrooms. It was funded by a $150,000 matching gift by [[Andrew Carnegie]]. It replaced the library in what is now the Tolley Administration Building.[[Image:Carnegie2a.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Carnegie Reading Room]]

Several other departments also have their own libraries:

* Architecture Reading Room
* Geology Library
* [http://aas.syr.edu/mlk/ Martin Luther King Library] (African American Studies)
* Physics Library
* H. Douglas Barclay Law Library

== Special Collections ==
[[Image:Leopold_von_Ranke_1868.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Syracuse outbid the Prussian government and purchased all 19 tons of Von Ranke's prized personal library]]

Many of the landmarks in the history of recorded communication between people are in the university's collection, from cuneiform tablet and papyrus to several codices dating from the 11th century to the invention of printing. The collection also includes works by Galileo, Luther, Calvin, Voltaire, Ben Jonson, Sir Isaac Newton, Descartes, Sir Francis Bacon, Samuel Johnson, Hobbes, Malthus, Jeremy Bentham and Goethe amongst others. In addition, the collection includes the personal library of Leopold Von Ranke- one of the greatest German historians of the 19th century and often considered the founder of "scientific" history.

The university also has a large audio archive. Holdings total approximately 340,000 recordings in all formats, primarily cylinders, discs and magnetic tapes. Some of the voices to be found include Thomas Edison, Amelia Earhart, Albert Einstein, and Oscar Wilde.

== Art Collection ==

SU has an impressive permanent art collection of over 45,000 objects from such famous artists as Picasso, Rembrandt, Hopper, Tiffany and Wyeth. Art lovers can enjoy seeing more than 100 important paintings, sculptures and murals displayed in public places around campus. Notable sculptures on campus include Anna Hyatt Huntington's "Diana", Jean Houdon's "George Washington", Emille Antoine Bourdelle's "Herakles", James Earle Fraser's "Lincoln", and Ivan Mestrovic's "Supplicant Persephone". [http://suart.syr.edu/ SUART Galleries]

<gallery>
Image:JobIM.jpg |Job
Image:MosesIM.jpg|Moses
Image:Supplicant PersephoneIM.jpg|Supplicant Persephone
</gallery>

== Student Life ==

=== Student Groups ===
{{main|Syracuse University Student Groups}}
Syracuse University is the host of approximately 300 recognized student organizations.

=== Greek Life ===
{{main|Syracuse University Greek Organizations}}
The Syracuse University fraternity and sorority system offers organizations under the Panhellenic Council, the Interfraternity Council, the Latino Greek Council, the Multicultural Greek Council, and the National Pan-Hellenic Council. There are almost 50 fraternities and sororities on campus who's membership makes up approximately 20 percent of the campus population.

=== Traditions ===
{{main|Syracuse University Traditions}}

== Pan Am Flight 103 ==
[[Image:Syracuse University Flight 103 Memorial.jpg|thumb|200px|SU's Flight 103 Memorial]]
On [[December 21]], [[1988]], 35 SU students were among the 270 fatalities and among 189 American fatalities in the terrorist bombing of [[Pan Am Flight 103]] over [[Lockerbie, Scotland]]. The students were returning from a study-abroad program in Europe. That evening, Syracuse University went on with a basketball game. The university was severely criticized for going on with the game, just hours after the attack. The conduct of university officials in making the decision was also brought to the attention of the NCAA. The day after the bombing, the university's chancellor then, Dr. Melvin Eggers, himself criticized for allowing the game to be played, said on nationwide television that he should have canceled the event. Lingering memories of this public relations disaster undoubtedly influenced the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] cancellation of all football games set for the weekend following the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]] (The bombing of Flight 103 was the worst ever terrorist attack against the United States before September 11, 2001).<ref>Deppa, Joan, Media and Disasters: Pan Am 103; New York; University Press, 1994.</ref> <ref>Yen, Marianne, "A Tragic End to the Semester." ''The Washington Post'', December 23, 1988, page A07</ref>

The school later dedicated a memorial to the students killed on Flight 103. Every year, during the fall semester, the university holds an event known as "Remembrance Week," to commemorate the students. Every [[December 21]], a service is held in the university's chapel by the university's chaplains at 2:03 p.m. (19:03 [[UTC]]), marking the exact moment in 1988 the plane was bombed. The University also maintains a link to this tragedy with the "Remembrance Scholars" program in which 35 senior students receive scholarships during their final year at the University. Syracuse and Lockerbie maintain strong ties, including the "Lockerbie Scholars" program in which two graduating students from Lockerbie Academy study at Syracuse for one year.

==Athletics==
{{main|Syracuse University Orange}}
Syracuse University's sports teams are officially known as the Orange, although the former (until 2004) names of Orangemen and Orangewomen are still affectionately used. The school's mascot is Otto the Orange. The teams all participate in [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] Division I in the [[Big East Conference]]. The men's basketball, football, and men's lacrosse teams play in the [[Carrier Dome]]. Other sports facilities are located at the nearby Manley Field House.
[[Image:History17.jpg|thumb|right|600px|The Crew Team]]
*Rowing team founded: [[1873]]
*Baseball team founded: [[1872]]
*First recorded football game: [[1884]] vs. Medical College of Syracuse
*First intercollegiate football game: [[1889]] vs. University of Rochester
*First recorded basketball game: [[1899]] vs. Christian Association of Hamilton (Ontario)
*Lacrosse team organized: [[1917]]
*First Women's basketball game: [[1898]]

===Archbold Stadium and the Carrier Dome===
[[Image:Jarchbold.jpg|thumb|left|250px|John Archbold and the stadium bearing his name]]
[[Image:Scrane.gif|thumb|200px|right|[[Stephen Crane]] played baseball at the university before dropping out in [[1891]] after a semester of study.]]
[[Image:CarrierDomeInside.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The [[Carrier Dome]] during a football game]]

Thanks to a $600,000 gift by Syracuse University trustee and Standard Oil President, John D. Archbold, what was publicized as the “Greatest Athletic Arena in America” opened in [[1907]]. Designed to resemble the Roman Coliseum and to never become outdated, [[Archbold Stadium]] became a trademark of Syracuse football. The stadium formed a massive oval, 670 feet (204 m) long and 475 feet (145 m) wide. It was 100 feet (30 m) longer and only 22 feet (7 m) thinner than the Carrier Dome and more than 6 million Orange football fans passed through its gates.
From [[1907]] to [[1978]], Archbold Stadium was the home of SU football. Archbold opened up with a bang when the Orange defeated Hobart 28-0. It went out in style 71 years later with an improbable victory over second-ranked Navy 20-17. Syracuse posted a record of 265-112-50 at Archbold and it housed many great teams. It was home of the [[1915]] squad who was invited to play in the prestigious Rose Bowl and outscored its opponents 331 to 16. The [[1959]] team also called Archbold home en route to SU’s only National Championship.
In [[1978]], SU fans said good-bye forever to the historic stadium. Archbold was demolished to make way for the new on-campus facility, the Carrier Dome, which opened in [[1980]]. (Source: SU Athletics)

=== Athletic championships ===
*[[1908]] - Rowing
*[[1913]] - Rowing
*[[1916]] - Rowing
*[[1918]] - Men's Basketball
*[[1920]] - Rowing
*[[1924]] - Men's Lacrosse
*[[1925]] - Men's Lacrosse
*[[1926]] - Men's Basketball
*[[1949]] - Cross Country
*[[1951]] - Cross Country
*[[1959]] - Rowing (Pan American Championship)
*[[1959]] - Football
*[[1978]] - Rowing
*[[1983]] - Men's Lacrosse
*[[1988]] - Men's Lacrosse
*[[1989]] - Men's Lacrosse
*[[1990]] - Men's Lacrosse
*[[1993]] - Men's Lacrosse
*[[1995]] - Men's Lacrosse
*[[2000]] - Men's Lacrosse
*[[2002]] - Men's Lacrosse
*[[2003]] - Men's Basketball
*[[2004]] - Men's Lacrosse

==Alma Mater==
[[Image:June03_007.jpg|thumb|500px|Crouse College, "On her hilltop high"]]
The SU Alma Mater was written by Junius W. Stevens ([[1895]]) in [[1893]]. It was first sung under the title "Song of Syracuse" by the University Glee and Banjo Club on March 15, [[1893]]. The song includes three verses, but only the first verse is commonly sung.

According to the [[1997]]-[[1998]] "Syracuse University Student Handbook," author Junius W. Stevens recalled "while I was walking home across the city an idea for the song came to me. I had often noticed how the setting sun lighted up the walls of [[Crouse College]] long after dusk had fallen over the city and valley. As I walked through the empty streets, the words of a song took shape in my mind. By the time I reached home, the song was finished."

<blockquote>Where the vale of Onondaga 
Meets the eastern sky 
Proudly stands our Alma Mater 
On her hilltop high. 
Flag we love! Orange! Float for aye- 
Old Syracuse, o'er thee, 
Loyal be thy sons and daughters 
To thy memory.

When the evening twilight deepens and the shadows fall, 
Linger long the golden sunbeams on the western wall. 
Flag we love, Orange, 
Float for aye, 
Old Syracuse o'er thee! 
Loyal be thy sons and daughters 
To thy memory

When the shades of life shall gather, dark the heart may be, 
Still the ray of youth and love shall linger long o'er thee'. 
Flag we love, Orange, 
Float for aye, 
Old Syracuse o'er thee! 
Loyal be thy sons and daughters 
To thy memory 
</blockquote>

The university also has a fight song entitled "Down the Field," which is commonly played after SU scores in athletic matches.

== Syracuse Trivia ==

* In [[1929]], SU played the first night football game in the east, beating [[Hobart and William Smith Colleges|Hobart College]] 77-0.

* In 1915, SU became the first East Coast team to garner a Rose Bowl invitation. However, the school had to decline having already played on the West Coast that season.

* A new NCAA rule was implemented after a controversial Syracuse-Notre Dame football game in 1961 which stipulated that a game could no longer end on a penalty.

* A 19th century professor at Syracuse coined the word "[[sorority]]" especially for newly formed [[Gamma Phi Beta]].

*[[North-American Interfraternity Conference]] member fraternity [[Alpha Phi Delta]] was founded at Syracuse in [[1914]].

* Three [[National Panhellenic Conference]] sororities were founded at Syracuse. They are [[Alpha Phi]] in 1872, [[Gamma Phi Beta]] in 1874, and [[Alpha Gamma Delta]] in 1904. They are collectively known as the [[Syracuse Triad]]. Alpha Phi also built the world's first sorority house.

* A Syracuse graduate student who fought in the French Resistance coined the term "[[weapons of mass destruction]]".

* President Lyndon B. Johnson delivered his notable "Gulf of Tonkin" speech at the dedication of the Newhouse Communications Center on August 5, 1964

* The L.C. Smith College of Engineering was founded in 1896 by trustee [[Lyman Cornelius Smith|Lyman C. Smith]] - the founder of the [[Smith Corona|Smith-Corona Typewriter Company]]

* Syracuse alumnus Arthur Rock was the 1st and only Venture Capitalist ever to be featured on the cover of Time Magazine.

* The school chose orange as its color in [[1890]], replacing the unpopular combination of pink and pea green. Blue is often used with the orange as a contrasting color, but is not officially a school color.

* The Oliver Stone film "[[Born on the Fourth of July]]" briefly recreates the Syracuse University student anti-war riots of [[1970]]. The scene was actually filmed in Dallas, Texas. ([[Tom Cruise]], who won a Golden Globe for his performance in the film, was born in Syracuse.)

* According to a recent article in the Daily Orange{{citation needed}}, designer Tommy Hilfiger is a big Syracuse fan. In the mid-1980s, when Hilfiger started his clothing business, he incorporated orange and Davis' 44 into several of his designs.

* Syracuse University is one of the five hosts of the IRA Regatta- the oldest collegiate rowing championship in the US. The other schools are Columbia, Cornell, Pennsylvania and the US Naval Academy.

* The Syracuse rowing team is Dartmouth College's oldest continuously active heavyweight competitor. The two schools race for the Packard Cup.

* The Syracuse men's lacrosse team has been to 22 straight semifinals of the NCAA men's lacrosse tournament. That impressive streak was finally broken in ([[2005]]) with a 16-15 loss to the [[University of Massachusetts|Massachusetts]] in the quarterfinals.

* In collegiate lacrosse, Syracuse and Princeton have accounted for 14 of the past 18 NCAA championships.

* Pro wrestler Mike Rotunda is a legitimate graduate of Syracuse, having wrestled for them during his time in the University, and when he did his "Varsity Club" gimmick with other standout collegiate wrestlers in WCW, he wore the gear of Syracuse University, his alma mater.

* The number 44 is the most revered in SU athletic history, having been worn by football players Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, and Floyd Little, and basketball players Derrick Coleman and John Wallace. This is why the University's administrative [[ZIP code]] is 132'''''44''''' (the other, 13210, applies to the residence halls, which have regular city addresses), and all on-campus phone numbers have started with "44" since 1987. The football team retired number 44 in 2005; before that it was semi-retired, available only to deserving backs. The men's basketball team retired #44 for [[Derrick Coleman]] in 2006.

==See also==
===Other Syracuse University Articles===

* [[List of Syracuse University People]]
* [[List of Chancellors of Syracuse University]]
* [[Syracuse University Orange]], the SU athletics article.
* [[Burton Blatt Institute]]

===Student Life===

* [[Armory Square]]: Historic downtown shopping, dining and nightlife center where SU's Warehouse is located
* [[Marshall Street]]: Retail street adjacent to SU with some nightlife
* [[University Hill, Syracuse|University Hill]]: The neighborhood where the main campus is located
* [[University Neighborhood]]: The adjacent neighborhood where many SU students live
* [[Westcott, Syracuse|Westcott]]: Another adjacent neighborhood where SU students live

==References==
<references/>

== External links ==
* [http://www.syr.edu/ Syracuse University website]
* [http://photo.syr.edu/ Syracuse University Pictures]
* [http://www.suathletics.com/ Syracuse University Athletics Department]
* [http://connectivecorridor.syr.edu/ The Connective Corridor Project]
* [http://www.dailyorange.com/ ''The Daily Orange'']
* [http://www.waer.org/ WAER-FM]
* [http://www.z89.com/ WJPZ-FM]
* [http://werw.org/ WERW-AM]
* [http://www.citrustv.net/ CitrusTV] -
* [http://sumagazine.syr.edu/summer02/features/feature3/ Over 100 Syracuse alumni are involved in sports broadcasting]
* [http://newmedia.syr.edu/proseminar New Media Graduate Program Experiments in Interactive Storytelling]

{{Big East Conference}}
{{Template:Association of American Universities}}

[[Category:Educational institutions established in 1870]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges in New York]]
[[Category:Syracuse University| ]]
[[Category:Association of American Universities]]
[[Category:Greater Syracuse, New York]]
[[Category:Big East Conference]]
[[Category:Pan Am Flight 103]]

[[da:Syracuse University]]
[[it:Syracuse University]]
[[nl:Syracuse University]]
[[ja:シラキュース大学]]
[[th:มหาวิทยาลัยไซราคิวส์]]
[[zh:雪城大學]]

Cultural depictions of spiders

2006-08-15T03:52:26Z

71.201.198.12: /* In literature */

There are many references to the '''[[spider]]''' in '''popular culture''', '''folklore''' and '''symbolism'''. The spider symbolizes patience for its hunting with web traps, and mischief and malice for its poison and the slow death this causes. It symbolises possessiveness for its spinning its prey into a ball and taking it to its burrow (for burrowing species).

==In folklore==
Some fictional and mythological characters are related to spiders:
*[[Arachne]], a weaver turned spider in [[Greek mythology]].
* [[Anansi]] is a famous character from [[African folklore]], often depicted as a spider. Anansi is also known as:
** [[Kwaku Ananse]], the West African [[trickster]].
**[[Aunt Nancy]] (or Sister Nancy), a variant specifically found in some of the islands of the West Indies, but also in South America and the United States.
**[[Bouki and Ti Malice]], Anansi adventures in Haiti.
* A famous legend, probably apocryphal. states that King [[Robert the Bruce]] of Scotland, when fighting the English, took refuge in a cave after a series of military failures. In the cave he saw a spider, which after repeatedly failing to weave its web, eventually succeeded due to perseverance. The moral of the story is "try, try and try again". Bruce eventually won Scotland's independence, and many places claim the cave, most notably [[Rathlin island]].
* [[Itsy Bitsy Spider]] is a well-known children's song.
* [[Little Miss Muffet]] is a [[nursery rhyme]] involving a spider.
* The Italian dance and music [[tarantella]] is related to the spider ''[[Lycosa taruntela]]'', once thought to be [[poisonous spiders|venemous to humans]], either as a [[folk medicine|folk remedy]] for bites or from its vigorous movements.
==In literature==
* ''[[Charlotte's Web]]'' is a [[1952]] children's novel by [[E. B. White]] about an intelligent farm spider whose machinations save a young [[pig]] from the slaughterhouse.
* The novel ''Web'' by [[John Wyndham]] is set on an island populated by spiders that have developed a co-operative social structure similar to ants.
* [[Shelob]] is a giant spider-like creature in the [[Lord of the Rings]] saga.
* ''Spider Boys'' (ISBN 068812858) is a novel by [[Ming Cher]]. Written in the fractured but vibrant English of street kids in [[Singapore]], the kids capture, nurture, sell, and send into combat the male jumping spiders indigenous to that clime.
* In ''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]]'' by [[J. K. Rowling]], [[Hagrid]]'s pet Aragog is a giant spider, which then runs away to live in the forest.
* [[Lolth]] is the spider queen in [[Dungeons & Dragons ]]. Literature references appear in many [[Wizards of the Coast]] publications, many written by [[R.A. Salvatore]].
* In The Three Investigators series, one book is called The Mystery of the Silver Spider, where an entire kingdom's symbol is the spider, based on the legend that when the throne was attempted to be overthrown, the king hid in the cellar. Almost immediately after, a spider spun a web over the trap door, and the troops pursuing the king did not look in the cellar due to the web over the door misleading them into thinking it had not been touched in a long time. Due to the spider "saving his life", it became the symbol of the nation, and sacred. Spiders were never to be harmed, under penalty of death.

===In comics, manga, and cartoons===
*[[Spider-Man]] is a [[Marvel Comics]] character with spider-like powers, created by writer [[Stan Lee]] and artist [[Steve Ditko]]. Spider-Man was originally a young student who becomes a [[superhero]] after being bitten by a "radioactive spider" and gaining superhuman abilities. Several derivative characters have also been developed, including [[Spider-Woman]] and [[Spiderboy]]. Spider-Man's [[Spider-Man#Other Spider-Men|avatars]] include [[Pavitr Prabhakar]], his Indian version, and [[Yu Komori]], his manga version.
**''[[Spider-Man (movie)|Spider-Man]] (2002)'' is a feature film, directed by [[Sam Raimi]] and starring [[Tobey Maguire]], [[Willem Dafoe]], and [[Kirsten Dunst]]. ''[[Spider-Man 2]]'' (2004) is a sequel, and ''[[Spider-Man 3]]'' (2007) is a planned second sequel.
**See [[Spider-Man (disambiguation)]] for other references and works based on the Spider-Man character.
* [[Spinarak]] and [[Ariados]] are spider-like monsters from the [[Pokémon]] franchise.
*[[Anansi (Static Shock)|Anansi the Spider]] is a superhero in the ''[[Static Shock]]'' animated series.

==In motion pictures and television==
*''[[Arachnophobia (film)|Arachnophobia]]'' (named for [[arachnophobia]], fear of spiders) is a [[1990 in film|1990]] movie directed by [[Frank Marshall (movie producer)|Frank Marshall]], in which spiders multiply in large numbers and kill humans. The movie inspired a [[Arachnophobia (video game)|video game of the same name]], developed by BlueSky Software and Disney for the [[DOS]] and [[Commodore 64]] platforms.
*''[[Spider!]]'' is a [[1998 in film|1998]] feature film in which a giant spider comes from outer space through a shuttle which is sent on an outer space mission. Once the Spider arrives on Earth, it eats human beings, and uses their bodies to lay eggs, and more spiders come out of the human body.
*''[[Eight Legged Freaks]]'' is a [[2002 in film|2002]] feature film in which spiders get mutated because of harmful nuclear waste in mines and hence become over-sized creatures and hunt humans.
* ''Kingdom of the Spiders'' ([[1977 in film|1977]]) is a feature film starring [[William Shatner]] as a veterinarian forced to deal with spiders after the spiders' normal food sources were destroyed by heavy use of pesticides.
* In ''[[Jumanji (film)|Jumanji]]'' ([[1995 in film|1995]]), one of the group of creatures which appears is a group of giant spiders.
* A famous deleted scene from the [[King Kong (1933 film)|1933 version of ''King Kong'']] is called "the spider pit scene". In this scene, several sailors are chased by [[King Kong]] onto a log lying over a fissure. Kong starts to shake the sailors off the log, until he finally drops the log down the fissure. The surviving sailors are eaten alive by giant bugs, including a spider. This scene was taken out of the film because it was too shocking. This scene has not yet been found, although many film experts are hunting for it. A similar scene was used in the [[King Kong (2005 film)|2005 remake]], although it contained no spiders.
*[[Ron Entwistle|Spider]] is the [[stage name]] of an American songwriter and producer from Los Angeles.
== Sports and games ==
* Many techniques (fictional and otherwise) of [[ninja]] are named after spiders, usually due to involving spiderlike movement or other traits.
* [[Spider (solitaire)|Spider]] is a popular [[solitaire]] [[card game]].
* There have been several sports teams named after spiders, including the [[Cleveland Spiders]] and [[San Francisco Spiders]]
* Spider was the nickname of [[Vladimir Sabich]], an Olympic skiier who was shot to death by his girlfriend
== Technology==
* A '''web spider''' or [[web crawler]] is an automated software agent that gathers pages from the World Wide Web

[[Category:Animals in popular culture]]

Jodie Foster

2006-08-15T03:32:17Z

71.201.198.12: /* Trivia */

{{Female adult bio|
|photo= 
|birth= [[November 19]], [[1962]]
|location= Los Angeles, California
|birthname= Alicia Christian Foster
|height= 5 ft. 3 in. [http://www.celebheights.com/s/Jodie-Foster-117.html]
|imdb= 0000149
}}
'''Jodie Foster''' (born [[November 19]] [[1962]]) is a two-time [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]]–winning [[United States|American]] [[Actor|actress]], [[Film director|director]], and [[film producer|producer]].

==Biography==
===Early life===
'''Alicia Christian Foster''' was born to Lucius Foster and Brandy Almond in [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]], [[California]]. She attended an exclusive [[University-preparatory school|prep school]], the [[Lycée Français de Los Angeles]], before going to [[Yale University]] where she earned a [[Bachelor of Arts|B.A.]] in [[literature]] and graduated ''[[magna cum laude]]'' in [[1985]]. While at Yale, Foster, like fellow 1985 Yale graduate [[Jennifer Beals]] of "Flashdance" fame, led a fairly normal life, considering her celebrity. She often would spend time with friends at the local dive bar Anchor, and she occasionally partied in the haunts of one of the secret societies, [[Manuscript Society]] (a scene recounting such an event is noted in [[Tom Perrotta]]'s novel ''Joe College'').

===Career===
Foster has appeared in more than 100 [[film]] and [[television]] shows since beginning her career at age three as the [[Coppertone Girl]] in a [[child modeling|television commercial]]. Foster debuted as a television actress in a [[1968]] episode of ''[[Mayberry R.F.D.]]''. Her first film appearance came in the [[1970]] [[TV movie]] ''Menace on the Mountain''. Foster made a number of [[Walt Disney Pictures|Disney]] movies, including ''[[Napoleon and Samantha]]'' ([[1972]]), ''[[One Little Indian]]'' ([[1973]]), ''[[Freaky Friday]]'' ([[1976]]) and ''[[Candleshoe]]'' ([[1977]]). She also co-starred with Christopher Connelly in the [[1974]] [[TV series]] version of ''[[Paper Moon]]'' and alongside [[Martin Sheen]] in the 1976 cult classic ''[[The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane]]''. As a teenager, Foster made several appearances on the French pop circuit as a singer. Commenting on her years as a child actress, which she describes as an "actor’s career", Foster has said that "it was very clear to me at a young age that I had to fight for my life and that if I didn’t, my life would get gobbled up and taken away from me".<ref name="childstar">{{cite web | title=The StarPhoenix | work=A class act: Jodie Foster riding high with Flightplan and Inside Man | url=http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/story.html?id=d0c7154f-bd14-498a-bd45-6e8bf9d2e1e0&k=3533 | accessdate=March 31 | accessyear=2006}}</ref>
[[Image:Taxi Driver still 2.jpg|thumb|200px|Publicity still of Foster as "Iris", the 12 year old prostitute in ''[[Taxi Driver]]'' (1976)]]

At age 14, Jodie received a nomination for the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress]] for her role as a preteen [[prostitute]] in [[Martin Scorsese]]'s film, ''[[Taxi Driver]]'' opposite [[Robert De Niro]]. De Niro's character in ''Taxi Driver'' intended to assassinate a presidential candidate. In [[1981]], [[John Hinckley, Jr.]] shot [[President of the United States of America|U.S. President]] [[Ronald Reagan]] and three other people. He claimed his motive was to impress Foster. His obsession with Foster came after repeated viewings of the film, and he stalked her while she attended Yale University. This has been an incident of intense discomfort for Foster, who has been known to walk out of interviews if Hinckley's name is even mentioned. The punk band [[JFA (band)|Jodie Foster's Army]] is named in reference to Hinckley's actions.

Unlike child stars such as [[Shirley Temple]] or [[Tatum O'Neal]], Foster successfully transitioned to adult roles, but not without initial difficulty. She gained significant weight while at Yale and, after several unsuccessful films post-''Taxi Driver'', was forced to audition for her role in ''[[The Accused]]''. She won the part and the first of her two [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama|Golden Globes]] and [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Academy Awards]] as Best Actress for her role as a [[gang-rape]] survivor. She earned her second for her role as [[Clarice Starling]], opposite [[Anthony Hopkins]] as [[Hannibal Lecter]], in the 1991 film, ''[[The Silence of the Lambs]]''.

Foster made her directoral debut in 1991 with ''[[Little Man Tate]]'', an unsuccessful drama about a [[child prodigy]], in which she also costarred. She also directed ''[[Home for the Holidays (film)|Home for the Holidays]]'' (1995), a black comedy starring [[Holly Hunter]] and [[Robert Downey Jr.]]. In 1992, Foster founded a production company called '''Egg Pictures''' in Los Angeles, and she began working as a producer in 1994 with the acclaimed ''[[Nell]]'', the story of young woman raised in an isolated place who has to return to civilization. [[Image:SOTLClariceLecter.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Foster as [[Clarice Starling]] in the [[1991]] film adaptation of ''[[The Silence of the Lambs]]''. [[Anthony Hopkins]] as [[Hannibal Lecter]] in the reflection]]

Foster has appeared in a number of [[Japan]]ese commercials, mostly in the [[1990s]]. These include advertisements for the [[Honda Civic]], Keri cosmetics, Mt. Rainier ice coffee, and the Pasona Temporary Agency.

In 1997 she starred alongside [[Matthew Mcconaughey]] in the sci-fi movie ''[[Contact (film)|Contact]]'', based on the novel by scientist [[Carl Sagan]]. She portrayed a scientist searching for extra-terrestrial life in the [[SETI]] project.

In 1998, an [[asteroid]], [[List of asteroids (17001-18000)|17744 Jodiefoster]], was named in her honor.

After taking time away from the spotlight, Foster returned in the [[2005]] blockbuster, ''[[Flightplan]]''. Foster portrayed a woman whose daughter disappears on an airplane which Foster's character had helped to build.

Foster's latest film, ''[[Inside Man]]'', a thriller co-starring [[Denzel Washington]], was released on [[March 24]], [[2006]] and opened at #1 at the box office. Her next film will be ''The Brave One'', a thriller which is being filmed in [[New York City]], both in [[Manhattan]] and [[Brooklyn]]. It is directed by [[Neil Jordan]] and co-stars [[Terrence Howard]]. Commenting on her latest roles, Foster has said that she enjoys appearing in mainstream [[genre]] films that have a "real heart to them".<ref name="foster">{{cite web | title=UPI | work=Foster, Howard to star in Neil Jordan film | url=http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060327-104543-8602r | accessdate=March 27 | accessyear=2006}}</ref>

Foster gave the Class of [[2006]] [[University of Pennsylvania]] commencement address on [[May 15]], [[2006]], the university's 250th Commencement. The university also conferred to her the [[Doctor of Arts]] (honoris causa) degree for her lifelong achievement and contribution to film in both acting and directing[http://www.upenn.edu/commencement/event/honbio.html][http://www.upenn.edu/almanac/volumes/v52/n24/commencement.html]. Her [http://www.upenn.edu/commencement/webcast.html address] is available in webcast and mp3 format.

===Personal life===
Foster is intensely private about certain aspects of her personal life. She has two sons, Charles (b. [[1998]]) and Kit (b. [[2001]]), both of whom she has revealed were conceived by [[artificial insemination]] through [[sperm bank]] donors {{fact}}.
It has been rumored that she is a [[lesbian]], although she has never confirmed such.

==Trivia==
*Chosen by ''Empire'' magazine as one of the 100 "Sexiest Stars" in film history (#45). [1995]
*Was supposed to be Commencement Speaker for Smith College in [[Massachusetts]] but eventually had to decline. [2000]
*Uses her own voice in all of the French versions of any of her movies because she can speak French fluently.
*As a youngster, was mauled by a lion and carried briefly in its mouth after a day of filming ''[[Napoleon and Samantha]]'', a Disney movie.
*Hosted ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' at age 14, making her the youngest person to host (until a seven-year-old [[Drew Barrymore]] hosted in the 1980's). The episode she hosted was also the last episode featuring [[Chevy Chase]] as a castmember.
*Had to pull out of ''[[Double Jeopardy (film)|Double Jeopardy]]'' (1999) because she became pregnant.
*Ranked #18 in ''[[Empire]]'' (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time.
*She has two sisters and a brother, Lucinda "Cindy" Foster (b. 1954), Constance "Connie" Foster (b. 1955), and Lucius "Buddy" Foster (b. 1957).
*During the filming of both ''Taxi Driver'' and ''[[The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane]]'' her stand-in was her older sister, Connie.
*Is a member of [[MENSA]].
*As a result of attending an exclusive French-speaking private school in Los Angeles, Foster is fluent in [[French language|French]], which she speaks with almost no accent, and has performed in French-language films, such as ''[[A Very Long Engagement|Un long dimanche de fiançailles]]'' (2004).
*Made her debut (and only official) musical recordings in France in 1977: two 7" singles, "Je T'attends Depuis la Nuit des Temps" b/w "La Vie C'est Chouette" and "When I Looked at Your Face" b/w "La Vie C'est Chouette". The A-side of the former is sung in French, the A-side of the latter in English. The B-side of both is mostly spoken word and is performed in both French and English These three recordings were included on the soundtrack to Foster's 1977 French film ''Moi, fleur bleue''.
*There have been at least 20+ [[punk rock|punk]], [[hardcore punk|hardcore]], [[heavy metal]], [[New Wave music|New Wave]] and [[No Wave]] recordings that directly or indirectly reference Foster, included works by U.K. Subs, [[JFA (band)|JFA]], PH2, [[Half Japanese]], [[Sonic Youth]], Darlington and Caustic Christ. Foster's voice has been [[sampling|sampled]] from interviews and film performances and included on some tracks.
*Canadian poet [[R. W. Watkins]] dedicated a 2002 broadside of [[haiku]]s to "Foster on her 40th". The haiku are based on her 1976 film ''[[The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane]]'' (and the 1974 novel of the same name by [[Laird Koenig]]), and were expanded to 24-page [[chapbook]]-size for a 2005 republication by Nocturnal Iris Publications. The new edition features at least one avant-garde drawing of Foster by Watkins dating from 1988. Watkins also publishes the [[fanzine]] ''[[Cellar]]'', which concentrates on Foster's early and/or darker cinematic work, as well as that of Koenig, and (in particular) the point at which their careers intersect: ''The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane''.
*She is a fan of the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]].
*Loves organic food.
*Had to get a pie in her face during the film Bugsy Malone.

==Quotes==
*"Kids talk like sailors now. Adults don't want to know." -- at age 14.

*On the advantages of being an actress who is months from turning 40: "They've lived longer, they're more confident about their choices and they don't have to be hip and cool anymore, which I think is a godsend - you make really bad choices when you are trying to be hip." -- April 2004

*"If I fail, at least I will have failed my way."

*On "Foster Child", her brother, Buddy Foster's unauthorized biography about her: "A cheap cry for attention and money filled with hazy recollections, fantasies and borrowed press releases. Buddy has done nothing but break our mother's heart his whole life."

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[2007]] || ''Sugarland'' || || Announced
|-
| ''The Brave One'' || Erica || In Production
|-
| [[2006]] || ''[[Inside Man]]'' || Madeline White ||
|-
| [[2005]] || ''[[Flightplan]]'' || Kyle Pratt ||
|-
| [[2004]] || ''[[A Very Long Engagement]]'' (''Un long dimanche de fiançailles'') || Elodie Gordes ||
|-
| [[2003]] || ''[[Abby Singer]]'' || Herself ||
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[2002]] || ''[[Panic Room]]'' || Meg Altman ||
|-
| ''[[The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys]]'' || Sister Assumpta || Also producer
|-
| [[1999]] || ''[[Anna and the King]]'' || [[Anna Leonowens]] ||
|-
| [[1998]] || ''The Uttmost'' || Herself || Documentary
|-
| [[1997]] || ''[[Contact (film)|Contact]]'' || Ellie Arroway ||
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[1994]] || ''[[Nell]]'' || Nell Kellty || Also producer
|-
| ''[[Maverick (film)|Maverick]]'' || Mrs. Annabelle Bransford ||
|-
| [[1993]] || ''[[Sommersby]]'' || Laurel Sommersby ||
|-
| [[1992]] || ''[[Shadows and Fog]]'' || Prostitute ||
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[1991]] || ''[[Little Man Tate]]'' || Dede Tate || Also director
|-
| ''[[The Silence of the Lambs]]'' || [[Clarice Starling]] ||
|-
| [[1990]] || ''[[Catchfire]]'' || Anne Benton || aka ''Backtrack''
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[1988]] || ''[[The Accused]]'' || Sarah Tobias ||
|-
| ''[[Stealing Home]]'' || Katie Chandler ||
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[1987]] || ''[[Siesta]]'' || Nancy ||
|-
| ''[[Five Corners]]'' || Linda ||
|-
| [[1986]] || ''Mesmerized'' || Victoria Thompson|| Also co-producer
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[1984]] || ''The Blood of Others'' (''Le Sang des autres'') || Hélène Bertrand||
|-
| ''[[The Hotel New Hampshire]]'' || Frannie Berry ||
|-
| [[1983]] || ''[[Svengali]]'' || Zoe Alexander ||
|-
| [[1982]] || ''O'Hara's Wife'' || Barbara O'Hara ||
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[1980]] || ''[[Foxes (1980 film)|Foxes]]'' || Jeanie ||
|-
| ''[[Carny]]'' || Donna ||
|-
|rowspan="3"| [[1977]] || ''[[Candleshoe]]'' || Casey Brown ||
|-
| ''Casotto'' || Teresina Fedeli || aka ''Beach House''
|-
| ''Stop Calling Me Baby!'' (''Moi, fleur bleue'') || Isabelle Tristan (aka Fleur bleue) ||
|-
|rowspan="5"| [[1976]] || ''[[The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane]]'' || Rynn Jacobs||
|-
| ''[[Freaky Friday]]'' || Annabel Andrews ||
|-
| ''[[Bugsy Malone]]'' || Tallulah ||
|-
| ''[[Taxi Driver]]'' || Iris Steensma ||
|-
| ''Echoes of a Summer'' || Deirdre Striden || aka ''The Last Castle''
|-
| [[1975]] || ''The Secret Life of T.K. Dearing'' || T.K. Dearing || TV
|-
|rowspan="2"| [[1974]] || ''[[Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore]]'' || Audrey ||
|-
| ''Smile, Jenny, You're Dead'' || Liberty Cole || TV
|-
|rowspan="6"| [[1973]] || ''Rookie of the Year'' || Sharon Lee || TV
|-
| ''Alexander, Alexander'' || Sue || TV
|-
| ''[[The Addams Family]]'' || Pugsley (voice) || TV
|-
| ''[[Kung Fu (TV series)|Kung Fu]]'' || Alethea Patricia Ingram || TV
|-
| ''[[Tom Sawyer (1973 film/I)|Tom Sawyer]]'' || [[List of characters in the Tom Sawyer series#Becky Thatcher|Becky Thatcher]] ||
|-
| ''One Little Indian'' || Martha McIver ||
|-
|rowspan="3"| [[1972]] || ''Kansas City Bomber'' || Rita ||
|-
| ''[[Napoleon and Samantha]]'' || Samantha ||
|-
| ''My Sister Hank'' || Henrietta "Hank" Bennett || TV
|-
| [[1970]] || ''Menace on the Mountain'' || Suellen McIver || TV
|}

==Award Nominations==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Group !! Award !! Won? !! Film
|-
| [[1976]]
| [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts|BAFTA]]
| Best Supporting Actress and Best Newcomer
| style="background: #ddffdd" | Yes
| ''[[Bugsy Malone]]''
|-
| [[1977]]
| [[Golden Globe]]
| Best Motion Picture Actress - Musical/Comedy
| style="background: #ffdddd" | No
| ''[[Freaky Friday]]''
|-
| [[1977]]
| [[Academy Awards]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]]
| style="background: #ffdddd" | No
| ''[[Taxi Driver]]''
|-
| [[1977]]
| [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts|BAFTA]]
| Best Actress in a Supporting Role
| style="background: #ddffdd" | Yes
| ''[[Taxi Driver]]''
|-
| [[1978]]
| [[Saturn Award]]
| [[Saturn Award for Best Actress (Film)|Best Actress]]
| style="background: #ffdddd" | No
| ''[[The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane]]''
|-
| [[1988]]
| [[Golden Globe]]
| Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
| style="background: #ddffdd" | Yes
| ''[[The Accused]]''
|-
| [[1988]]
| [[Academy Awards]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
| style="background: #ddffdd" | Yes
| ''[[The Accused]]''
|-
|rowspan="4"| [[1991]]
| [[New York Film Critics Circle Awards]]
| [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
|rowspan="4" style="background: #ddffdd" | Yes
|rowspan="4"| ''[[The Silence of the Lambs]]''
|-
| [[Academy Awards]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Actress]]
|-
| [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts|BAFTA]]
| [[BAFTA Award|BAFTA Award for Best Actress]]
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award]]
| Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
|-
| [[1992]]
| [[Saturn Award]]
| [[Saturn Award for Best Actress (Film)|Best Actress]]
| style="background: #ffdddd" | No
| ''[[The Silence of the Lambs]]''
|-
| [[1995]]
| [[Screen Actors Guild]]
| [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture]]
| style="background: #ddffdd" | Yes
| ''[[Nell]]''
|-
| [[1995]]
| [[Academy Awards]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Actress]]
| style="background: #ffdddd" | No
| ''[[Nell]]''
|-
| [[1997]]
| [[Golden Globe]]
| Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
| style="background: #ffdddd" | No
| ''[[Contact (film)|Contact]]''
|-
| [[1998]]
| [[Saturn Award]]
| [[Saturn Award for Best Actress (Film)|Best Actress]]
| style="background: #ddffdd" | Yes
| ''[[Contact (film)|Contact]]''
|-
| [[2003]]
| [[Saturn Award]]
| [[Saturn Award for Best Actress (Film)|Best Actress]]
| style="background: #ffdddd" | No
| ''[[Panic Room]]''
|-
| [[2006]]
| [[Saturn Award]]
| [[Saturn Award for Best Actress (Film)|Best Actress]]
| style="background: #ffdddd" | No
| ''[[Flightplan]]''
|}

{{start box}}
{{succession box
| title=[[Academy Award for Best Actress]]
| years=1988 '''for ''[[The Accused]]'' '''
| before=[[Cher (entertainer)|Cher]] for ''[[Moonstruck]]''
| after=[[Jessica Tandy]] for ''[[Driving Miss Daisy]]''
}}
{{succession box
| title=Academy Award for Best Actress
| years=1991 '''for ''[[The Silence of the Lambs]]'' '''
| before=[[Kathy Bates]] for ''[[Misery]]''
| after=[[Emma Thompson]] for ''[[Howards End]]''
}}
{{end}}

==References==
===Footnotes===
<div class="references-small"><references /></div>
*[http://www.japander.com/japander/foster.htm Japanese commercials]
==Web sites==
*{{imdb name|id=0000149|name=Jodie Foster}}
*{{nndb name|id=756/000023687|name=Jodie Foster}}
*{{tvtome person|id=18158|name=Jodie Foster}}





[[Category:1962 births|Foster, Jodie]]
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[[Category:Best Actress Academy Award nominees|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:Best Supporting Actress Academy Award nominees|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:American child actors|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:American film actors|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:American film directors|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:American atheists|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:Female film directors|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:Living people|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:People from Los Angeles|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:Yale University alumni|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:English-language film directors|Foster, Jodie]]
[[Category:Film actors|Foster, Jodie]]

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Big Boss Man

2006-08-15T00:46:09Z

71.201.198.12: /* Career */

{{Infobox Wrestler
|name=Ray Traylor
|image=Big Boss Man.jpg
|names=Big Bubba Rogers Big Boss Man The Boss Guardian Angel Ray Traylor The War Machine
|height=6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
|weight=290 lb (132 kg)
|birth_date =[[May 2]], [[1962]]
|death_date =[[September 22]], [[2004]]
|birth_place =[[Marietta, Georgia]]
|death_place =[[Paulding County, Georgia]]
|billed=The Correctional Facility in Cobb County
|trainer=Mickey Henry
|debut=1985
|}}

'''Raymond''' ("'''Ray'''") '''Traylor''' ([[May 2]], [[1962]] – [[September 22]], [[2004]]) was an [[United States|American]] [[Professional wrestling|professional wrestler]]. He is perhaps best known for his appearances with the [[World Wrestling Entertainment|World Wrestling Federation]] under the [[ring name]] '''Big Boss Man'''.

==Career==
A prison guard that [[moonlight|moonlighted]] as a wrestler, Traylor first debuted for the [[National Wrestling Alliance]]'s [[Jim Crockett Promotions]] in [[1986]] under his given name as a [[jobber (professional wrestling)|jobber]]. After wrestling a handful of matches, [[Virgil Runnels Jr|Dusty Rhodes]] saw potential in him and took him off TV for a few months to be repackaged. He would re-emerge under the name '''Big Bubba Rogers''', serving as the bodyguard of manager [[Jim Cornette]]. His first appearance saw him straightening his [[necktie|tie]] in response to a [[Professional wrestling attacks#Chair shot|chair shot]] by Rhodes. This would lead to them feuding across the country in a precursor to "Hardcore" Battle Royales called [[Bunkhouse Stampede|''The Bunkhouse Stampede'']], in which the winner of the most Battle Royales would win a $100,000 [[USD]] ([[kayfabe]]) cash prize. Bubba and Rhodes ended up tied in the number of wins at the end of the Bunkhouse Stampede Tour, leading to a 1 on 1 match to decide who got the prize. Rhodes came away victorious. He also wrestled in the [[Universal Wrestling Federation]], where he won the title in [[1987]]. He became well known as a big man who could move very quickly and perform many moves usually reserved for wrestlers 80-100 pounds lighter. By [[1988]], Traylor had joined the [[World Wrestling Federation]] as the '''Big Boss Man''', a character who was formerly a [[prison]] guard in [[Cobb County, Georgia]] (Traylor had actually been a jail guard for a time in that area, a fact the WWF exploited to bring in the character [[Nailz]], a former convict who believed Traylor had wronged him). Traylor enjoyed a good deal of success in the company, first as a [[heel (professional wrestling)|heel]], challenging for [[Hulk Hogan|Hulk Hogan's]] [[WWE Championship|WWF World Championship]] also teaming with [[Akeem]] in the Twin Towers, and later as a [[face (professional wrestling)|face]], befriending Hogan and facing [[Bobby Heenan|Bobby Heenan's]] [[stable (professional wrestling)|stable]] of wrestlers, the Heenan Family. Nonetheless, the Boss Man did not win any championships during his initial run with the WWF.

After leaving the WWF in 1993, Traylor had a brief stint in [[All Japan Pro Wrestling]] before returning to the United States to work for [[World Championship Wrestling]]. Traylor was originally known as '''The Boss''', but the WWF legal department determined the character to be too similar to the one that Traylor had portrayed in the WWF and forced WCW to change it. As a result, Traylor became the '''Guardian Angel''', a character based on the real-life [[Guardian Angels]] group. Once again, the character did not last long before Traylor returned to his original Big Bubba character.

Big Bubba was a solid mid-card heel, joining the [[Dungeon of Doom]] faction before eventually defecting to the [[nWo]]. Eventually, a loophole in Bubba's contract forced him out of the nWo (according to storylines). As a result of this, Bubba became a face once again and began competing under his real name - Ray Traylor. This was not the most successful period of Traylor's career, as he rarely rose above the mid-card.

Eventually, Traylor would return to the WWF, once again under his Big Boss Man persona, but wearing a [[SWAT]]-style uniform instead of his old police uniform. This was the most successful portion of Traylor's career, where he was remade from a "hick cop" into a bully-type personal security officer, or bodyguard-type character, willing to do anything for a price. He was immediately established as a top of the mid-card character, quite a departure from the lower-mid-card status he had in WCW just weeks previously. He was introduced as a member of [[The Corporation (professional wrestling)|The Corporation]], a group of wrestlers controlled by WWF owner [[Vince McMahon]] to combat rival [[Stone Cold Steve Austin]] as well as the infamous [[D-Generation X]], as The Corporation's "personal security". The Boss Man would have several matches with Austin, as well as winning the [[World Tag Team Championship|WWF Tag Team Titles]] with [[Ken Shamrock]] and the [[WWE Hardcore Championship|WWF Hardcore Title]]. While still a member of the Corporation, Bossman competed at [[WrestleMania XV]]. In fact, he was feuding with the [[Mark Calaway|Undertaker]] (as the Corporation at the time feuded with the Undertaker and his newly formed "[[Ministry of Darkness]]", despite both being heel factions). This led to what seemed like the nadir of the [[Hell in a Cell]] tradition, as Taker beat Bossman inside the Cell at WrestleMania XV, including an unconvincing ''"hanging"'' of Bossman by [[Brood (professional wrestling)|the Brood]] ([[David Heath (wrestler)|Gangrel]], [[Adam Copeland|Edge]] and [[Jason Reso|Christian]]) at the end of the match.

After his return, he would eventually go on to feud with [[Paul Wight|The Big Show]] over the [[WWE Championship]]. This feud is infamous for a [[promo (professional wrestling)|skit]] where Boss Man showed up at Big Show's deceased father's funeral and proceeded to steal Show's father's casket by rigging it to the back of his car and driving off. In a desperate attempt to stop the theft, The Big Show jumped onto the coffin as it was being towed away, riding atop the coffin for a few yards until he lost his grip and tumbled off. The feud also featured a classic line uttered by Traylor, "The Big Show is a dirty bastard, and his Momma said so!," a reference to a forced teary admission via satellite by Show's mother that his deceased "father" wasn't really his biological father. This feud ended with Boss Man being crushed by Big Show at a pay per view.

Boss Man would continue to compete primarily in the hardcore division until suffering a knee injury. Traylor admittedly did not enjoy the hardcore style, and liked it even less when, during a match with Bob Holly, a glass pitcher of water was smashed into his face. Despite the glass being Hollywood glass, a piece nevertheless lodged just below Traylor's eye, swelling it significantly. When Traylor returned from that injury, he was given a role as the bodyguard of [[Booker Huffman|Booker T]], but the new gimmick was ultimately not successful. After forming a short lived tag team with [[Curt Hennig|Mr. Perfect]], Traylor was then assigned to train new wrestlers in [[Ohio Valley Wrestling]] before ultimately being released from WWE in 2003. His last high-profile series of matches was in a tournament for the vacant [[International Wrestling Association of Japan]] heavyweight title. He made all the way to the finals before being defeated by old rival [[Jim Duggan]].

Traylor died in his home from a "massive" heart attack in [[Paulding County, Georgia]] on [[September 22]], [[2004]] at the age of 42.

==Wrestling facts==
===Finishing and signature moves===
*'''''Boss Man Slam''''' / '''''Scrapbuster''''' / '''''Traylor Trash''''' ([[Powerslam#Spinning side slam|Spinning side slam]])
*[[Professional wrestling attacks#Body avalanche|Avalanche]]
*[[Bear hug]]
*[[Professional wrestling attacks#Eye rake|Eye poke]]

===Signature illegal weapons===
*[[Nightstick]]
*[[Handcuffs]]

===Managers===
*[[Skandor Akbar]]
*[[Nickla Roberts|Baby Doll]]
*[[Jim Cornette]]
*[[Ted DiBiase]]
*[[Jimmy Hart]]
*[[Shawn Michaels]]
*[[Ken Johnson (wrestling)|Slick]]

==Championships and accomplishments==
*'''[[Pro Wrestling Illustrated]]'''
:*PWI ranked him # '''138''' of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the [[PWI Years]] in 2003.
*'''[[Universal Wrestling Federation]]'''
:*1-time [[UWF Heavyweight Championship|UWF Heavyweight Champion]]
*'''[[World Wrestling Entertainment|World Wrestling Federation]]'''
:*4-time [[WWE Hardcore Championship|WWF Hardcore Champion]]
:*1-time [[World Tag Team Championship|WWF World Tag Team Champion]] (with [[Ken Shamrock]])
*'''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'''
:*1987 Most Improved Wrestler

[[Category:1962 births|Traylor, Ray]]
[[Category:2004 deaths|Traylor, Ray]]
[[Category:American professional wrestlers|Traylor, Ray]]
[[Category:People from Marietta, Georgia|Traylor, Ray]]
[[Category:Professional wrestling managers and valets|Traylor, Ray]]

Samuel Z. Arkoff

2006-08-14T06:54:33Z

71.201.198.12:

'''Samuel Zachary Arkoff''' ([[June 12]] [[1918]]–[[September 16]] [[2001]]) was an [[United states|American]] [[movie producer|producer]] of [[B-movies]].

Born in [[Fort Dodge, Iowa]] to a [[Russia]]n [[Jewish]] family, Arkoff first studied to be a [[lawyer]]. Along with business partner [[James H. Nicholson]] and producer-director [[Roger Corman]], he produced eighteen films. In the [[1950s]], he and Nicholson founded American Releasing Corporation, which later became known as [[American International Pictures]] and produced over 125 films before the company's demise in the [[1980s]]. These films were mostly low-budget, with production completed in a few days, though nearly all of them became profitable.

Arkoff is also credited with starting a few genres, such as the ''[[Beach Party]]'' and [[outlaw biker]] movies, and his company played a substantial part in bringing the [[horror movie]] genre to a novel level with successes such as ''[[Blacula]]'', ''[[I Was a Teenage Werewolf]]'' and ''[[The Thing with Two Heads]]''. American International Pictures movies starred many established actors in principal or cameo roles, such as [[Boris Karloff]], [[Elsa Lanchester]] and [[Vincent Price]], as well as up-and-comers who later became household names, including [[Don Johnson]], [[Nick Nolte]], [[Diane Ladd]], and most notably [[Jack Nicholson]] (no relation to [[James Nicholson]]). A number of actors shunned or overlooked by most of Hollywood during the [[1960s]] and [[1970s]], such as [[Bruce Dern]] and [[Dennis Hopper]], also found work in one or more of Arkoff's productions.

Not long after American International Pictures went out of business, Arkoff founded [[Arkoff International Pictures]].

Arkoff died in 2001, within weeks of his wife's own death.

==The ARKOFF formula==

During a 1980s television [[talk show]] appearance, Arkoff related his "ARKOFF Formula" for a successful, memorable movie. This states that a successful low-budget movie should include:

* Action (exciting, entertaining drama)
* Revolution (novel or controversial themes and ideas)
* Killing (a modicum of violence)
* Oratory (notable dialogue and speeches)
* Fantasy (acted-out fantasies common to the audience)
* Fornication ([[sex appeal]], for young adults)

==External links==
* [http://www.horror-wood.com/arkoff.htm Article about Samuel Arkoff on the Horror-Wood Webzine]
* {{imdb-name|id=035098|name=Samuel Arkoff}}
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=5861313 Samuel Arkoff's biographic sketch] at [[Find A Grave]]

{{US-film-bio-stub}}

[[Category:1918 births|Arkoff, Samuel]]
[[Category:2001 deaths|Arkoff, Samuel]]
[[Category:Jewish-American businesspeople|Arkoff, Samuel]]
[[Category:People from Iowa|Arkoff, Samuel]]
[[Category:American film producers|Arkoff, Samuel]]
[[de:Samuel Z. Arkoff]]

Samuel Z. Arkoff

2006-08-14T06:54:11Z

71.201.198.12:

'''Samuel Zachary Arkoff''' ([[June 12]] [[1918]]–[[September 16]] [[2001]]) was an [[United states|American]] [[movie producer|producer]] of [[B-movies]].

Born in [[Fort Dodge, Iowa]] to a [[Russia]]n [[Jewish]] family, Arkoff first studied to be a [[lawyer]]. Along with business partner [[James H. Nicholson]] and producer-director [[Roger Corman]], he produced eighteen films. In the [[1950s]], he and Nicholson founded American Releasing Corporation, which later became known as [[American International Pictures]] and produced over 125 films before the company's demise in the [[1980s]]. These films were mostly low-budget, with production completed in a few days, though nearly all of them became profitable.

Arkoff is also credited with starting a few genres, such as the ''[[Beach Party]]'' and [[outlaw biker]] movies, and his company played a substantial part in bringing the [[horror movie]] genre to a novel level with successes such as ' '[[Blacula]]' ', ''[[I Was a Teenage Werewolf]]'' and ''[[The Thing with Two Heads]]''. American International Pictures movies starred many established actors in principal or cameo roles, such as [[Boris Karloff]], [[Elsa Lanchester]] and [[Vincent Price]], as well as up-and-comers who later became household names, including [[Don Johnson]], [[Nick Nolte]], [[Diane Ladd]], and most notably [[Jack Nicholson]] (no relation to [[James Nicholson]]). A number of actors shunned or overlooked by most of Hollywood during the [[1960s]] and [[1970s]], such as [[Bruce Dern]] and [[Dennis Hopper]], also found work in one or more of Arkoff's productions.

Not long after American International Pictures went out of business, Arkoff founded [[Arkoff International Pictures]].

Arkoff died in 2001, within weeks of his wife's own death.

==The ARKOFF formula==

During a 1980s television [[talk show]] appearance, Arkoff related his "ARKOFF Formula" for a successful, memorable movie. This states that a successful low-budget movie should include:

* Action (exciting, entertaining drama)
* Revolution (novel or controversial themes and ideas)
* Killing (a modicum of violence)
* Oratory (notable dialogue and speeches)
* Fantasy (acted-out fantasies common to the audience)
* Fornication ([[sex appeal]], for young adults)

==External links==
* [http://www.horror-wood.com/arkoff.htm Article about Samuel Arkoff on the Horror-Wood Webzine]
* {{imdb-name|id=035098|name=Samuel Arkoff}}
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=5861313 Samuel Arkoff's biographic sketch] at [[Find A Grave]]

{{US-film-bio-stub}}

[[Category:1918 births|Arkoff, Samuel]]
[[Category:2001 deaths|Arkoff, Samuel]]
[[Category:Jewish-American businesspeople|Arkoff, Samuel]]
[[Category:People from Iowa|Arkoff, Samuel]]
[[Category:American film producers|Arkoff, Samuel]]
[[de:Samuel Z. Arkoff]]

Samuel Z. Arkoff

2006-08-14T06:53:39Z

71.201.198.12:

'''Samuel Zachary Arkoff''' ([[June 12]] [[1918]]–[[September 16]] [[2001]]) was an [[United states|American]] [[movie producer|producer]] of [[B-movies]].

Born in [[Fort Dodge, Iowa]] to a [[Russia]]n [[Jewish]] family, Arkoff first studied to be a [[lawyer]]. Along with business partner [[James H. Nicholson]] and producer-director [[Roger Corman]], he produced eighteen films. In the [[1950s]], he and Nicholson founded American Releasing Corporation, which later became known as [[American International Pictures]] and produced over 125 films before the company's demise in the [[1980s]]. These films were mostly low-budget, with production completed in a few days, though nearly all of them became profitable.

Arkoff is also credited with starting a few genres, such as the ''[[Beach Party]]'' and [[outlaw biker]] movies, and his company played a substantial part in bringing the [[horror movie]] genre to a novel level with successes such as "[[Blacula]]", ''[[I Was a Teenage Werewolf]]'' and ''[[The Thing with Two Heads]]''. American International Pictures movies starred many established actors in principal or cameo roles, such as [[Boris Karloff]], [[Elsa Lanchester]] and [[Vincent Price]], as well as up-and-comers who later became household names, including [[Don Johnson]], [[Nick Nolte]], [[Diane Ladd]], and most notably [[Jack Nicholson]] (no relation to [[James Nicholson]]). A number of actors shunned or overlooked by most of Hollywood during the [[1960s]] and [[1970s]], such as [[Bruce Dern]] and [[Dennis Hopper]], also found work in one or more of Arkoff's productions.

Not long after American International Pictures went out of business, Arkoff founded [[Arkoff International Pictures]].

Arkoff died in 2001, within weeks of his wife's own death.

==The ARKOFF formula==

During a 1980s television [[talk show]] appearance, Arkoff related his "ARKOFF Formula" for a successful, memorable movie. This states that a successful low-budget movie should include:

* Action (exciting, entertaining drama)
* Revolution (novel or controversial themes and ideas)
* Killing (a modicum of violence)
* Oratory (notable dialogue and speeches)
* Fantasy (acted-out fantasies common to the audience)
* Fornication ([[sex appeal]], for young adults)

==External links==
* [http://www.horror-wood.com/arkoff.htm Article about Samuel Arkoff on the Horror-Wood Webzine]
* {{imdb-name|id=035098|name=Samuel Arkoff}}
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=5861313 Samuel Arkoff's biographic sketch] at [[Find A Grave]]

{{US-film-bio-stub}}

[[Category:1918 births|Arkoff, Samuel]]
[[Category:2001 deaths|Arkoff, Samuel]]
[[Category:Jewish-American businesspeople|Arkoff, Samuel]]
[[Category:People from Iowa|Arkoff, Samuel]]
[[Category:American film producers|Arkoff, Samuel]]
[[de:Samuel Z. Arkoff]]

Samuel Z. Arkoff

2006-08-14T06:53:13Z

71.201.198.12:

'''Samuel Zachary Arkoff''' ([[June 12]] [[1918]]–[[September 16]] [[2001]]) was an [[United states|American]] [[movie producer|producer]] of [[B-movies]].

Born in [[Fort Dodge, Iowa]] to a [[Russia]]n [[Jewish]] family, Arkoff first studied to be a [[lawyer]]. Along with business partner [[James H. Nicholson]] and producer-director [[Roger Corman]], he produced eighteen films. In the [[1950s]], he and Nicholson founded American Releasing Corporation, which later became known as [[American International Pictures]] and produced over 125 films before the company's demise in the [[1980s]]. These films were mostly low-budget, with production completed in a few days, though nearly all of them became profitable.

Arkoff is also credited with starting a few genres, such as the ''[[Beach Party]]'' and [[outlaw biker]] movies, and his company played a substantial part in bringing the [[horror movie]] genre to a novel level with successes such as "[[Blacula]", ''[[I Was a Teenage Werewolf]]'' and ''[[The Thing with Two Heads]]''. American International Pictures movies starred many established actors in principal or cameo roles, such as [[Boris Karloff]], [[Elsa Lanchester]] and [[Vincent Price]], as well as up-and-comers who later became household names, including [[Don Johnson]], [[Nick Nolte]], [[Diane Ladd]], and most notably [[Jack Nicholson]] (no relation to [[James Nicholson]]). A number of actors shunned or overlooked by most of Hollywood during the [[1960s]] and [[1970s]], such as [[Bruce Dern]] and [[Dennis Hopper]], also found work in one or more of Arkoff's productions.

Not long after American International Pictures went out of business, Arkoff founded [[Arkoff International Pictures]].

Arkoff died in 2001, within weeks of his wife's own death.

==The ARKOFF formula==

During a 1980s television [[talk show]] appearance, Arkoff related his "ARKOFF Formula" for a successful, memorable movie. This states that a successful low-budget movie should include:

* Action (exciting, entertaining drama)
* Revolution (novel or controversial themes and ideas)
* Killing (a modicum of violence)
* Oratory (notable dialogue and speeches)
* Fantasy (acted-out fantasies common to the audience)
* Fornication ([[sex appeal]], for young adults)

==External links==
* [http://www.horror-wood.com/arkoff.htm Article about Samuel Arkoff on the Horror-Wood Webzine]
* {{imdb-name|id=035098|name=Samuel Arkoff}}
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=5861313 Samuel Arkoff's biographic sketch] at [[Find A Grave]]

{{US-film-bio-stub}}

[[Category:1918 births|Arkoff, Samuel]]
[[Category:2001 deaths|Arkoff, Samuel]]
[[Category:Jewish-American businesspeople|Arkoff, Samuel]]
[[Category:People from Iowa|Arkoff, Samuel]]
[[Category:American film producers|Arkoff, Samuel]]
[[de:Samuel Z. Arkoff]]

Bassist

2006-08-14T06:47:14Z

71.201.198.12: /* Electric bass guitar players */

A '''bassist''' is a [[musician]] who plays a [[double bass]] or [[Bass guitar|electric bass]] (also referred to as bass guitar). Certain [[musical genre]]s tend to be associated with each of these instruments. Since the 1960s, the electric bass is the standard bass instrument for [[rock and roll]] or [[pop music]]. The double bass is the standard bass instrument for [[European classical music|classical music]] and Swing-era and Bebop-era [[jazz]] music. However, there are exceptions in both cases. Some 1990s and 2000s rock, pop, and punk/psychobilly bands use a double bass, such as the [[Barenaked Ladies]], [[Tiger Army]], [[The Living End]], the [[Horrorpops]], and the HellRazors. Some composers of modern art music use the electric bass in a chamber music setting, and some jazz big bands use electric bass.

== Electric [[bass guitar]] players ==

Notable electric bass players include: [[Jack Bruce]], [[Cliff Burton]], [[Geezer Butler]], [[Les Claypool]], [[Bootsy Collins]], [[Steve DiGiorgio]], [[John Entwistle]], [[Michael Balzary|Flea]], [[John Giblin]], [[Larry Graham]], [[Steve Harris (musician)|Steve Harris]], [[James Jamerson]], [[Louis Johnson (bassist)|Louis Johnson]], [[John Paul Jones (musician)|John Paul Jones]], [[Lemmy Kilmister]], [[Mark King (musician)|Mark King]], [[Geddy Lee]], [[Paul McCartney]], [[Gene Simmons]], [[Marcus Miller]], [[Charles Mingus]], [[Gary Mounfield]], [[John Myung]], [[Jason Newsted]], [[Krist Novoselic]], [[Jerry Only]], [[Jaco Pastorius]], [[Sting]], [[Bruce Thomas]], [[Mike Watt]], [[Victor Wooten]], and [[Bill Wyman]].

Bassists play the bass line, which is a single low-pitched monophonic line of music. In most jazz, rock, and pop genres, the bass line outlines the harmony of the music being performed, while simultaneously indicating the rhythmic pulse. In addition, there are different standard bass line types for different genres and types of song (e.g. blues ballad, fast swing, etc.). Bass lines often emphasize the root, third, and fifth of the chords of the music. In addition, pedal tones (a repeated or sustained single note), ostinatos, and bass riffs are also used as bass lines. Often in in genres such as [[heavy metal music]] bassists such as Steve Harris of [[Iron Maiden]] or [[Ryan Martinie]] of [[Mudvayne]] have more complex and interesting basslines.

:''See: [[List of Bass guitarists]]''

== [[Double bass]] players==
===Notable classical double bass players of historical importance===
* [[Domenico Dragonetti]] (1763-1846) Virtuoso, composer, conductor
* [[Giovanni Bottesini]] (1821-1889) Virtuoso, composer, conductor
* [[Franz Simandl]] (1840-1912) Virtuoso, composer
* [[Edouard Nanny]] (1872-1943) Virtuoso, composer
* [[Serge Koussevitzky]] (1874–1951) Conductor, virtuoso, composer

===Also===
*''See [[List of contemporary classical double bass players]]''
*''See [[List of jazz bassists]], which includes both double bass and electric bass players.''
*''See [[List of double bass players in other popular genres]]''

== Of interest ==
* [http://www.bassplayer.com Bass Player magazine] - Bass Player magazine
* [http://www.basslinks.nl/links2.html BassPlaza.com] - Thousands of bassplayers listed.
* [http://www.five-string.co.uk Five-string.co.uk] - Find Session, Freelance & dep / step-in bass players in the UK. Also, home site of session bassist Greg Mudd
[[Category:Bassists|*Bassists]]
[[Category:Occupations in music]]

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