» Code Cracker Starhunts Issue No.54 – on sale February 17!
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To learn more about celebrities featured in this bi-monthly issue of Code Cracker Starhunts, please make a selection:

Alice Cooper Amanda Peet
Robert Duvall James Franco
Thandie Newton  

» Alice Cooper

Born Vincent Furnier, Alice Cooper is an American shock rocker and songwriter, known for his theatrical make-up and on-stage horror scenes including electric chairs, boa constrictors, fake blood and guillotines.

Vincent Furnier formed his first rock band, The Earwigs, as a teenager along with Glen Buxton, Michael Bruce, Dennis Dunaway and John Spear. He changed the name to The Spiders in 1965, then to The Nazz. In 1968 the group became Alice Cooper and Furnier adopted the band’s name as his own.

The band’s breakthrough record, School’s Out was released in 1972 and sold over a million copies. Billion Dollar Babies was released in 1973 and was a number one hit in both America and Britain.

Cooper went solo in 1975, recording hits such as Only Women Bleed and Alice Cooper Goes to Hell. He made a comeback in the late eighties releasing songs such as Poison (1989), Hey Stoopid (1991), Feed my Frankenstein (1992) and Brutal Planet (2000).

Cooper has appeared in movies and television including Monster Dog, Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare, Wayne’s World and Suck.

In 2004 Cooper began hosting the radio show Nights with Alice Cooper. He has credited golf and Christianity as having helped him overcome his alcohol addiction. » Return to celebrity index

» Robert Duvall

Robert Duvall is an award winning actor and director who has maintained a busy film career since the late 1950s.

After beginning in theatre, Duvall started appearing in television dramas including The Untouchables, Route 66, The Fugitive and The Mod Squad.

His first film was To Kill a Mockingbird in 1962, in which he played Boo Radley. This was followed by supporting roles throughout the 60s including roles in Captain Newman, M.D., Countdown, and taking on John Wayne in True Grit.

In 1971 Duvell played Major Frank Burns in the film MASH. His most famous role was as Tom Hagen, the family lawyer and adopted son of Don Vito Corleone in The Godfather and The Godfather Part II for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. In 1976 he appeared in The Eagle Has Landed.

Duvell played Lt. Colonel Kilgore in Apocalypse Now in 1979. He received both a BAFTA and Golden Globe Award for this role.

More recent films Duvell appears in include The Apostle (1997), Deep Impact (1998), Assassination Tango (2002), Kicking & Screaming (2005) and Lucky You (2007).

Duvell is often referred to as ‘The King of Action’. He is quoted as saying “I always considered myself as a character actor. I always try to be versatile to show different sides of human experience.”» Return to celebrity index

» Thandie Newton

Thandie Newton is an actress who has appeared in films including The Pursuit of Happyness, Mission: Impossible II and Crash. She was born on 6 November 1972 in Zambia, but moved to England when she was 5 years old.

Newton appeared in her first film, Flirting in 1991. In 1994 she played Yvette in Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles. Other films include Jefferson in Paris (1995); The Journey of August King (1996), Grodlock’d (1997); Beloved (1998); Besieged (1999) and It Was an Accident (2000).

Most recently Newton played the scheming Dame Vaako in the Chronicles of Riddick (2004) and earned a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting actress in 2005 for her work in Crash. She starred opposite Eddie Murphy in Norbit in 2006 and played Condoleezza Rice in W in 2008.

Newton is quoted as saying: “I don’t put the pressure on myself to be a very successful movie star. I want to enjoy being an actor and I want to be challenged by the roles I take. What is lovely is that I’ll get sent a small movie, and you know that by virtue of me being involved they get their money and that’s fantastic.”   » Return to celebrity index

» Amanda Peet

Amanda Peet is an American actress who started in commercials and television guest roles. Television appearances include Law & Order, Seinfeld, Jack & Jill and How I Met Your Mother.

Peet progressed to independent films before featuring in films such as The Whole Nine Yards, Something’s Gotta Give and Syriana.

Her most recent films include The X-Files: I Want to Believe, What Doesn’t Kill You and Important Things With Demetri Martin. She starred as Kate in the disaster film 2012, released in November 2009.

Peet is married to writer David Benioff and they have a daughter, Frances Pen, born February 2007. She is a voluntary spokeswoman for Every Child By Two, a non-profit organisation that advocates childhood vaccination. » Return to celebrity index

» James Franco

James Franco is an American actor most famous for the role of Harry Osborn in the Spider-Man trilogy.

Franco’s first role was in the comedy drama Freaks and Geeks in 1999. He was cast in the lead role but the show was cancelled after 12 months.

In 2000 he landed his first film, the romantic comedy Whatever It Takes. He went on to play the title role in 2001 biopic James Dean for which he won a Golden Globe Award.

Most recently Franco appeared in City By The Sea, Tristan & Isolde, Annapolis, Pineapple Express and Milk where he starred opposite Sean Penn, Josh Brolin and Emile Hirsch.

When asked about finding time to relax, he is quoted as saying “Never. It’s an impossibility. I don’t even like to sleep. I feel as if there’s too much to do.”  » Return to celebrity index