This past Sunday, the Screen Actors Guild Awards aired on TV. Congrats to winners Jennifer Lawrence, Daniel Day Lewis and the cast of “Argo”. There was a very nice tribute to Dick Van Dyke. Too bad Mary Tyler Moore and Carl Reiner (the genius creator of “The Dick Van Dyke Show”) couldn’t make it due to illness. Dick gave a wonderful acceptance speech after Alec Baldwin introduced him. With the SAG Awards out of the way, we’ve still got the Grammy Awards on Sunday February 10th, plus the Academy Awards two weeks later on Sunday February 24th. Yes, it’s awards season folks, so, this week, we’re asking questions about singers who’ve won Academy Awards. This one should be ‘easy as Sunday morning’ (as The Commodores once sang). You really shouldn’t have too many problems with this quiz, so have at it...
QUESTIONS:
1. This performer is a quintuple threat – she’s a singer, actress, writer, producer and director. Although not known for being a ‘funny girl’ (HINT ALERT), she’s certainly garnered her share of laughs in such recent movies as “Meet The Fockers”, “Little Fockers” and the relatively current “Guilt Trip” with Canadian Seth Rogan. On Billboards’ Hot 100 chart, she’s hit # 1 a total of six times. She went to high school in Brooklyn, New York with Neil Diamond and in 1978, she and Neil had a # 1 hit with “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers”. She won her first Academy Award in 1969 for her film debut in a role she performed on Broadway. The movie came out in 1968 and this artist has never looked back. In fact, there’s not much this person can’t do, but the question is – can you guess her name?
2. Now you might not initially think of this actor as a singer, but he’s won a Grammy Award and has released three albums, one of which made it to # 1 on Billboards’ Album chart. He was born Eric Marlon Bishop in Texas in 1967, and was raised primarily by his grandmother. His Academy Award was for portraying a real-life musical legend of the 1950’s and ‘60’s. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and has appeared in films with Tom Cruise, Will Smith, Beyonce and Eddie Murphy and can currently be seen in Quentin Tarantino’s latest film, “Django Unchained”. Who is this guy?
3. The third season of the TV show “American Idol” in 2004 was the first time the world got to experience the talents of this performer, although she didn’t win. You see her on TV a lot these days in commercials for Weight Watchers. In 2007, she won a ‘Best Supporting Actress’ Academy Award for her very first movie, which also starred the answer to question # 2. The film was loosely based on the career of The Supremes. Do you know who she is?
4. Her mother was a Hollywood legend. Her father was a famous film director. And she didn’t do so bad herself either, co-starring in such hit films as “Arthur” and “New York, New York”. She’s been married (and divorced) four times and is one of a select few talented celebrities who’ve won an Oscar, a Tony (Broadway), an Emmy (TV) and a Grammy Award. Who is she?
5. This singer/actress was up against such heavy weight actresses as Meryl Streep and Glenn Close for the 1988 Academy Award for ‘Actress In A Leading Role”. It was for her acting in a 1987 film, directed by Canadian Norman Jewison, that won her the award. She’s also been at the top of the singles chart a total of five times. Once with her then husband, and four times on her own. Can you name this Academy Award winner who goes by one name? (OK that just gave it away).
ANSWERS
1. It’s Barbra Streisand we’re talking about. Babs tied for ‘Actress In A Leading Role’ (for 1968’s “Funny Girl”) with Katherine Hepburn (“Lion In Winter”). It was only the second time in Oscar history that there was a tie. Ms. Streisand is also the only female artist to have a Billboard # 1 album in five decades – the ‘60’s, ‘70’s, ‘80’s, ‘90’s and 2000’s. Barbra has sold over 70 million albums in the U.S. alone. She’s married to actor James Brolin (and step mother to his actor son Josh Brolin).
2. Jamie Foxx is the correct answer. His 2005 best ‘Actor In A Leading Role’ Oscar was for his portrayal of rhythm & blues legend Ray Charles in the 2004 film, “Ray”. In winning, Jamie beat out the likes of Don Cheadle, Clint Eastwood and Leonardo DiCaprio. The Foxx man was a regular cast member of “In Living Color” from 1991 and starred in his own series from 1996 until 2001, aptly enough called “The Jamie Foxx Show”. His 1994 debut album was called “Peep This”. In 2004, he was featured, along with Kanye West, on a # 1 hit on Billboards’ Hot 100 chart. The song was “Slow Jamz” from rapper Twista. The following year, 2005, Jamie released his second album, “Unpredictable” which rose to # 1 on Billboards’ Album chart, selling several million copies. Jamie even has his own channel on Sirius/XM radio called ‘The Foxxhole’.
3. Jennifer Hudson won the ‘Best Supporting Actress’ Oscar in 2007 for 2006’s “Dreamgirls”, in which she co-starred with Jamie Foxx, Beyonce and Eddie Murphy. The following year, she won the Grammy Award for ‘Best R&B Album’ for her debut album, “Jennifer Hudson”. Hudson will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame sometime this year.
4. It was at the 45th annual Academy Awards ceremony held on March 27, 1973 that Lisa Minnelli won the Oscar as best ‘Actress In A Leading Role’ for her work in 1972’s “Cabaret”. Joel Grey, her co-star also won for best ‘Actor In A Supporting Role’. “Cabaret” took home additional Oscars that year for ‘Directing’, ‘Sound’, ‘Music (Scoring: Adaptation and Original Song Score)’, ‘Film Editing’ and ‘Cinematography’. Interesting trivia fact – Liza’s role of Sally Bowles in “Cabaret” was originally offered to Barbra Streisand, who turned it down.
5. Cher is the correct answer. 1987’s “Moonstruck” was the movie. Cher beat out fellow nominees Meryl Streep (“Ironweed”), Glenn Close (“Fatal attraction”), Holly Hunter (“Broadcast News”) and Sally Kirkland (“Anna”). Cher’s “Moonstruck” co-star, Olympia Dukakis, also took home an Oscar for ‘Actress In A Supporting Role’. Cher first hit the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart (and # 1) in 1965 with her then husband, Sonny Bono, with “I Got You Babe”. As a solo performer, Cher hit # 1 four more times. First with 1971’s “Gypsy’s, Tramps & Thieves”, then ’73’s “Half-Breed”, 1974’s “Dark Lady” and she hit # 1 one last time in 1999 with “Believe”. Besides “Moonstruck”, Cher’s movie roles have included “Silkwood”, “Mask”, “Mermaids” and “Burlesque”.
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