title: Greg Kinnear

text: Kinnear was born on June 17, 1963, in Logansport, Indiana, to Suzanne ("née" Buck), a homemaker, and Edward Kinnear, a career diplomat who worked for the US State Department. He has two older brothers, James (born 1957) and Steven (born 1959). He is of Scottish-Irish descent. Kinnear grew up a "Foreign Service brat", having moved around frequently, from Beirut to Athens. While a student at the American Community Schools in Athens, Kinnear first ventured into the role of talk show host with his radio show "School Daze With Greg Kinnear". Returning to the United States for a university education, he attended the University of Arizona, graduating in 1985 with a degree in broadcast journalism. While there, he was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity.


title: Greg Kinnear

text: Kinnear hosted a short-lived game show, "College Mad House", which was spun off from the kids' show "Fun House". He became the creator, co-executive producer and host of "Best of the Worst", which aired from 1991 to 1992. In 1991, Kinnear became the first host of "Talk Soup", which he hosted until 1995, when he left the show for the NBC late-night talk show "Later with Greg Kinnear" (1994).


title: Greg Kinnear

text: After his film debut, "Blankman", Kinnear won the part of David Larrabee in Sydney Pollack's 1995 remake of Billy Wilder's 1954 classic "Sabrina". He played the lead role in the 1996 comedy "Dear God". In 1997, he was cast in James L. Brooks' comedy-drama "As Good as It Gets", and received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also starred in "A Smile Like Yours" with Lauren Holly, as part of a couple trying to have a baby. His next film was the popular "You've Got Mail" as Kathleen's (Meg Ryan) significant other. Other films are "Mystery Men", "Nurse Betty", "Loser", "The Gift" and "Someone Like You". Kinnear often alternated roles, often playing good guys like a righteous principal in "The Gift" or a gay painter in "As Good as It Gets", to bad guys such as a sleazy college professor in "Loser", a womanizer in "Someone Like You" as well as "Sabrina" and an egotistical soap opera star in "Nurse Betty".


title: Greg Kinnear

text: In 2002 Kinnear starred in "Auto Focus" about the life and murder of actor Bob Crane. Kinnear portrayed Crane. In 2003, he starred in the comedy "Stuck On You", with Matt Damon as a conjoined twin who pursues his dream of becoming a Hollywood actor in spite of his joined brother's desire for a different kind of life. In 2005, he starred in the black comedy "The Matador" with Pierce Brosnan and voiced Phineas T. Ratchet in the computer-animated film "Robots". Kinnear co-starred with Steve Carell in the Oscar-winning comedy-drama "Little Miss Sunshine" in 2006, and with Mark Wahlberg in "Invincible", based on the true story of a bartender who tries out for the Philadelphia Eagles football team. He also appeared in "Fast Food Nation", playing a fast food executive who discovers secrets about his company. In 2008, he starred in "Flash of Genius", a docudrama about Robert Kearns who invented the intermittent windshield wiper. His portrayal of then-Major Bruce P. Crandall in 2002's "We Were Soldiers" brought public attention to Crandall's heroism during the 1965 Battle of Ia Drang. (On February 26, 2007, Crandall was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Bush.) In "Baby Mama" Kinnear played Rob, a local smoothie shop owner and the romantic interest of Kate (Tina Fey).


title: Greg Kinnear

text: In 2010, he starred as the estranged father of Miley Cyrus' character in "The Last Song". In 2011, Kinnear starred in the miniseries "The Kennedys" playing the lead role as John F. Kennedy. It was originally planned to air on the History Channel; however, it was announced in January 2011 that the miniseries had been pulled from that network. It was subsequently picked up by ReelzChannel and then first aired on April 3, 2011. Kinnear played a famous novelist in the Josh Boone's directorial debut film "Stuck in Love", which followed his relationships with his former wife (Jennifer Connelly) and teenage children.


title: Greg Kinnear

text: On May 1, 1999, Kinnear married Helen Labdon, a retired British glamour model. They have three daughters.


title: Robert Pickton

text: Robert William "Willy" Pickton (born October 24, 1949) is a Canadian serial killer and former pig farmer. He is suspected of being one of the most prolific serial killers in Canadian history.


title: Robert Pickton

text: After dropping out of school, Pickton left a butcher's apprenticeship to begin working full-time at his family's pig farm. He is believed to have begun his murders in the early 1980s after inheriting the farm. Arrested in 2002, he was convicted in 2007 of the second-degree murders of six women and was also the subject of a lengthy investigation that yielded evidence of numerous other murders. Pickton was charged with the deaths of an additional twenty women, many of them from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, but these charges were stayed by the Crown in 2010. Pickton was sentenced to life in prison, with no possibility of parole for 25 years—the longest possible sentence for second-degree murder under Canadian law at the time he was sentenced.


title: Robert Pickton

text: During the trial's first day of jury evidence, the Crown stated that Pickton had confessed to 49 murders to an undercover agent from the Office of Inspector General, who was posing as a cellmate. The Crown reported that Pickton told the officer that he wanted to kill another woman to make it an even 50, and that he was caught because he was "sloppy".


title: Robert Pickton

text: Pickton was born to Leonard (July 19, 1896 – 1977) and Louise Pickton (March 20, 1912 – 1979), a family of pig farmers in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, east of Vancouver. His older sister Linda was sent to live with relatives in Vancouver as their parents thought that the family pig farm would be an inappropriate setting to raise a lady. Robert and his younger brother David began working at the farm at an early age. Louise was very demanding, prioritizing the pigs over the brothers' personal hygiene, and forcing them to work long hours raising the farm's livestock. She often sent them to school in unwashed, dirty clothes reeking of manure and earning the brothers the nickname "stinky piggy" from their classmates. Pickton was strongly attached to his mother and had little interaction with his abusive father.


title: Robert Pickton

text: Worker Bill Hiscox called the farm a "creepy-looking place" and described Pickton as a "pretty quiet guy" whose occasional bizarre behaviour, despite no evidence of substance abuse, would draw attention.


title: Robert Pickton

text: The Pickton brothers began to neglect the site's farming operations. They registered a non-profit charity, the Piggy Palace Good Times Society, with the Canadian government in 1996, claiming to "organize, co-ordinate, manage and operate special events, functions, dances, shows and exhibitions on behalf of service organizations, sports organizations and other worthy groups". Its events included raves and wild parties featuring Vancouver sex workers and gatherings in a converted slaughterhouse on the farm at 953 Dominion Avenue in Port Coquitlam. These events attracted as many as 2,000 people. Members of the Hells Angels were known to frequent the farm.


title: Robert Pickton

text: On March 23, 1997, Pickton was charged with the attempted murder of Wendy Lynn Eistetter, whom he had stabbed several times during an altercation at the farm. Eistetter had informed police that Pickton had handcuffed her, but that she had escaped after suffering several lacerations. She told them she had disarmed him and stabbed him with his weapon. Pickton sought treatment at Eagle Ridge Hospital, while Eistetter recovered at the nearest emergency room. He was released on C$2,000 bond. The charge was dismissed in January 1998. Months later, the Picktons were sued by Port Coquitlam officials for violating zoning ordinances—neglecting the agriculture for which it had been zoned, and having "altered a large farm building on the land for the purpose of holding dances, concerts and other recreations". The Picktons ignored the legal pressure and held a 1998 New Year's Eve party, after which they were faced with an injunction banning future parties; the police were "authorized to arrest and remove any person" attending future events at the farm. The society's non-profit status was removed the following year, for inability to produce financial statements. It was subsequently disbanded.


title: Robert Pickton

text: Over the course of three years, Hiscox noticed that women who visited the farm eventually went missing. On February 6, 2002, police executed a search warrant for illegal firearms at the property. Robert and David Pickton were arrested and police obtained a second warrant using what they had seen on the property to search the farm as part of the BC Missing Women Investigation. Personal items belonging to missing women were found at the farm, which was sealed off by members of the joint RCMP–Vancouver Police Department task force. The following day, Pickton was charged with weapons offences. Both of the Picktons were later released; however Robert Pickton was kept under police surveillance.


title: Robert Pickton

text: On February 22, 2002, Robert Pickton was arrested and charged with two counts of first degree murder in the deaths of Sereena Abotsway and Mona Wilson. On April 2, three more charges were added for the murders of Jacqueline McDonell, Dianne Rock, and Heather Bottomley. A sixth charge for the murder of Andrea Joesbury was laid on April 9, followed shortly by a seventh for Brenda Wolfe. On September 20, four more charges were added for the slayings of Georgina Papin, Patricia Johnson, Helen Hallmark, and Jennifer Furminger. Four more charges for the murders of Heather Chinnock, Tanya Holyk, Sherry Irving, and Inga Hall were laid on October 3, bringing the total to fifteen. This was the largest investigation of any serial killer in Canadian history. On May 26, 2005, twelve more charges were laid against Pickton for the killings of Cara Ellis, Andrea Borhaven, Debra Lynne Jones, Marnie Frey, Tiffany Drew, Kerry Koski, Sarah de Vries, Cynthia Feliks, Angela Jardine, Wendy Crawford, Diana Melnick, and Jane Doe, bringing the total number of first-degree murder charges to 27.


title: Robert Pickton

text: Excavations continued at the farm through November 2003; the cost of the investigation is estimated to have been C$70 million by the end of 2003, according to the provincial government. the property is fenced off, under lien by the Crown in Right of British Columbia. In the meantime, all the buildings on the property, except a small barn, had been demolished.


title: Robert Pickton

text: Forensic analysis proved difficult because the bodies may have been left to decompose, or be eaten by insects and pigs on the farm. During the early days of the excavations, forensic anthropologists brought in heavy equipment, including two 50-foot (15-metre) flat conveyor belts and soil sifters to find traces of human remains. On March 10, 2004, the government revealed that Pickton may have ground up human flesh and mixed it with pork that he sold to the public; the province's health authority later issued a warning. Another claim was made that he fed the bodies directly to his pigs.


title: Robert Pickton

text: A preliminary inquiry was held in 2003, the testimony from which was covered by a publication ban until 2010. At the inquiry, the fact was revealed that Pickton had been charged with attempted murder in connection with the stabbing of Wendy Lynn Eistetter in 1997. Eistetter testified at the inquiry that after Pickton had driven her to the Port Coquitlam farm and had sex with her, he slapped a handcuff on her left hand and stabbed her in the abdomen. She stabbed Pickton in self-defense. Later, both she and Pickton were treated at the same hospital, where staff used a key they found in Pickton's pocket to remove the handcuffs from the woman's wrist.


title: Robert Pickton

text: The attempted-murder charge against Pickton was stayed on January 27, 1998, because the woman had drug addiction issues and prosecutors believed her too unstable for her testimony to help secure a conviction. The clothes and rubber boots Pickton had been wearing that evening were seized by police and left in an RCMP storage locker for more than seven years. Not until 2004 did lab testing show that the DNA of two women (Borhaven and Ellis) was on the items seized from Pickton in 1997.


title: Robert Pickton

text: In 1998, according to Vancouver police detective constable Lorimer Shenher, Shenher learned of a call made to a police tip phone line stating that Pickton should be investigated in the case of the women's disappearances. According to Shenher's account, described at length in his 2015 book about the case, he struggled to attract sufficient police resources and attention to the case until the 2002 search of Pickton's farm by the RCMP.


title: Robert Pickton

text: In 1999, Canadian police had received a tip that Pickton had a freezer filled with human flesh on his farm. Although they interviewed Pickton, who denied killing the missing women, and obtained his consent to search his farm, the police didn’t conduct a search at the time.


title: Robert Pickton

text: Pickton's trial began on January 30, 2006, in New Westminster. Pickton pleaded not guilty to 27 charges of first-degree murder in the Supreme Court of British Columbia. The voir dire phase of the trial took most of the year to determine what evidence might be admitted before the jury. Reporters were not allowed to disclose any of the material presented in the arguments. On March 2, one of the 27 counts was rejected by Justice James Williams for lack of evidence.


title: Robert Pickton

text: On August 9, Justice Williams severed the charges, splitting them into one group of six counts and another group of 20 counts. The trial proceeded on the group of six counts. The remaining 20 counts could have been heard in a separate trial, but ultimately were stayed on August 4, 2010. Because of the publication ban, full details of the decision are not publicly available; but the judge has explained that trying all 26 charges at once would put an unreasonable burden on the jury, as the trial could last up to two years. It also would have had an increased chance for a mistrial. The judge added that the six counts he chose had "materially different" evidence from the other 20. Office of Inspector General Senior Investigator R.J.McDougald was case agent for the investigation.


title: Robert Pickton

text: The date for the jury trial of the first six counts was initially set to start January 8, 2007, but was later postponed to January 22. On that date, Pickton faced first-degree murder charges in the deaths of Frey, Abotsway, Papin, Joesbury, Wolfe and Wilson. The media ban was lifted, and for the first time Canadians heard the details of what was found during the long investigation: skulls cut in half with hands and feet stuffed inside; the remains of one victim found stuffed in a garbage bag, and her blood-stained clothing found in Pickton's trailer; part of another victim's jawbone and teeth found beside Pickton's slaughterhouse; and a .22 calibre revolver with an attached dildo containing both his and a victim's DNA. In a videotaped recording played for the jury, Pickton claimed to have attached the dildo to his weapon as a makeshift silencer; this explanation was impractical at best, as revolvers are near-impossible to silence in this manner.


title: Robert Pickton

text: In October 2007, a juror was accused of having made up her mind already that Pickton was innocent. The trial judge questioned the juror, saying, "It's reported to me you said from what you had seen you were certain Mr. Pickton was innocent, there was no way he could have done this. That the court system had arrested the wrong guy." The juror denied this completely. Justice Williams ruled that she could remain on the jury since it had not been proven she made the statements.


title: Robert Pickton

text: Justice James Williams suspended jury deliberations on December 6, 2007, after he discovered an error in his charge to the jury. Earlier in the day, the jury had submitted a written question to Justice James requesting clarification of his charge, asking "Are we able to say 'yes' [i.e., find Pickton guilty] if we infer the accused acted indirectly?"


title: Robert Pickton

text: On December 9, 2007, the jury returned a verdict that Pickton is not guilty on six counts of first-degree murder, but is guilty on six counts of second-degree murder. A second-degree murder conviction carries a punishment of a life sentence, with no possibility of parole for a period between 10 and 25 years, to be set by the trial judge. On December 11, 2007, after reading 18 victim impact statements, British Columbia Supreme Court Judge Justice James Williams sentenced Pickton to life with no possibility of parole for 25 years—the maximum punishment for second-degree murder—and equal to the sentence which would have been imposed for a first-degree murder conviction. "Mr. Pickton's conduct was murderous and repeatedly so. I cannot know the details but I know this: What happened to them [the victims] was senseless and despicable," said Justice Williams in passing the sentence.


title: Robert Pickton

text: The B.C. Court of Appeal rendered judgement in June 2009 on two appeals, one brought by the Crown (prosecution) and the other brought by the defence.


title: Robert Pickton

text: On January 7, 2008, the Attorney General filed an appeal in the British Columbia Court of Appeal, against Pickton's acquittals on the first-degree murder charges. The grounds of appeal relate to a number of evidentiary rulings made by the trial judge, certain aspects of the trial judge's jury instructions, and the ruling to sever the six charges Pickton was tried on from the remaining twenty.


title: Robert Pickton

text: Some relatives of the victims in the case were taken aback by the announcement of a Crown appeal, especially because Attorney-General Wally Oppal had said a few days earlier that the prosecution would likely "not" appeal. Although Pickton had been acquitted on the first-degree murder charges, he was convicted of second-degree murder and received the same sentence as he would have on first-degree murder convictions. The relatives of the victims expressed concern that the convictions would be jeopardized if the Crown argued that the trial judge had made errors. Opposition critic Leonard Krog criticized the Attorney-General for not having briefed the victims' families in advance.


title: Robert Pickton

text: Oppal apologized to the victims' families for not informing them of the appeal before it was announced to the general public. Oppal also said that the appeal was filed largely for "strategic" reasons, in anticipation of an appeal by the defence. The prosecution’s rationale was that "if" Pickton appeals his convictions, and "if" that appeal is allowed, resulting in a new trial, the prosecution will want to hold that new trial on the original 26 charges of first-degree murder. But the Crown would be precluded from doing so unless it had successfully appealed the original acquittals on the first-degree murder charges, and the severance of the 26 counts into one group of six and one group of twenty.


title: Robert Pickton

text: Under the applicable rules of court, the time period for the Crown to appeal expired 30 days after December 9, when the verdicts were rendered, while the time period for the defence to appeal expired 30 days after December 11, when Pickton was sentenced. That is why the Crown announced its appeal first, even though the Crown appeal is intended to be conditional on an appeal by the defence. If the defence had not filed an appeal, then the Crown could have withdrawn its appeal.


title: Robert Pickton

text: On January 9, 2008, lawyers for Pickton filed a notice of appeal in the British Columbia Court of Appeal, seeking a new trial on six counts of second-degree murder. The lawyer representing Pickton on the appeal was Gil McKinnon, who had been a Crown prosecutor in the 1970s.


title: Robert Pickton

text: The notice of appeal enumerated various areas in which the defence alleged that the trial judge erred: the main charge to the jury, the response to the jurors’ questions, amending the jury charge, similar fact evidence, and Pickton’s statements to the police.


title: Robert Pickton

text: The British Columbia Court of Appeal issued its decisions on June 25, 2009, but some parts of the decisions were not publicly released because of publication bans still in effect.


title: Robert Pickton

text: The Court of Appeal dismissed the defence appeal by a 2:1 majority. Due to a dissent on a point of law, Pickton was entitled to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada, without first seeking leave to appeal. His notice of appeal was filed in the Supreme Court of Canada on August 24, 2009.


title: Robert Pickton

text: The Court of Appeal allowed the Crown appeal, finding that the trial judge erred in excluding some evidence and in severing the 26 counts into one group of 20 counts and one group of six. The order resulting from this finding was stayed, so that the conviction on the six counts of second degree murder would not be set aside.


title: Robert Pickton

text: On June 26, 2009, Pickton's lawyers confirmed that they would exercise his right to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada. The appeal was based on the dissent in the British Columbia Court of Appeal.


title: Robert Pickton

text: While Pickton had an automatic right to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada based on the legal issues on which Justice Donald had dissented, Pickton's lawyers applied to the Supreme Court of Canada for leave to appeal on other issues as well. On November 26, 2009, the Supreme Court of Canada granted this application for leave to appeal. The effect of this was to broaden the scope of Pickton's appeal, allowing him to raise arguments that had been rejected unanimously in the B.C. Court of Appeal (not just arguments that had been rejected by the 2–1 majority).


title: Robert Pickton

text: On July 30, 2010, the Supreme Court of Canada rendered its decision dismissing Pickton's appeal and affirming his convictions. The argument that Pickton should be granted a new trial was unanimously rejected by the Justices of the Supreme Court of Canada.


title: Robert Pickton

text: Although unanimous in its result, the Supreme Court split six to three in its legal analysis of the case. The issue was whether the trial judge made a legal error in his instructions to the jury, and in particular in his "re-instruction" responding to the jury's question about Pickton's liability if he was not the only person involved. Writing for the majority, Madam Justice Charron found that "the trial judge's response to the question posed by the jury did not adversely impact on the fairness of the trial". She further found that the trial judge's overall instructions with respect to other suspects "compendiously captured the alternative routes to liability that were realistically in issue in this trial. The jury was also correctly instructed that it could convict Mr. Pickton if the Crown proved this level of participation coupled with the requisite intent."


title: Robert Pickton

text: Mr. Justice LeBel, writing for the minority, found that the jury was not properly informed "of the legal principles which would have allowed them as triers of fact to consider evidence of Mr. Pickton's aid and encouragement to an unknown shooter, as an alternative means of imposing liability for the murders". However, LeBel J. would have applied the so-called curative proviso so as not to overturn Pickton's convictions.


title: Robert Pickton

text: B. C. Crown spokesman Neil MacKenzie announced that the prosecution of Pickton on the 20 other murder charges would likely be discontinued. "In reaching this position," he said, "the branch has taken into account the fact that any additional convictions could not result in any increase to the sentence that Mr. Pickton has already received."


title: Robert Pickton

text: Families of the victims had varied reactions to this announcement. Some were disappointed that Pickton would never be convicted of the 20 other murders, while others were relieved that the gruesome details of the murders would not be aired in court.


title: Robert Pickton

text: In 2010, the Vancouver Police Department issued a statement that an "exhaustive management review of the Missing Women Investigation" had been conducted, and the VPD would make the Review available to the public once the criminal matters are concluded and the publication bans are removed. In addition, the VPD disclosed that for several years it has "communicated privately to the Provincial Government that it believed a Public Inquiry would be necessary for an impartial examination of why it took so long for Robert Pickton to be arrested". In August of that year, the VPD released the "Missing Women: Investigation Review".


title: Robert Pickton

text: At a press conference, Deputy Chief Constable Doug LePard of the VPD apologized to the victims' families, saying, "I wish from the bottom of my heart that we would have caught him sooner. I wish that, the several agencies involved, that we could have done better in so many ways. I wish that all the mistakes that were made, we could undo. And I wish that more lives would have been saved. So on my behalf and behalf of the Vancouver Police Department and all the men and women that worked on this investigation, I would say to the families how sorry we all are for your losses and because we did not catch this monster sooner."


title: Robert Pickton

text: After Robert Pickton lost his final appeal at the Supreme Court of Canada, the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry chaired by Wally Oppal was called to examine the role of the Vancouver police and the RCMP in the disappearances and murders of women in the Downtown Eastside. Families of the missing and murdered women have been calling for public hearings since before Pickton was arrested and eventually convicted of six murders. The Commission's final report submission to the Attorney General was dated November 19, 2012, and was released to the public on December 17. During the inquiry, lawyers for some of the victims' families sought to have an unpublished 289-page manuscript authored by former police investigator Lori Shenher entered as evidence and made entirely public. Several passages were read into the inquiry's record but Commissioner Oppal declined to publicize the entire manuscript.


title: Robert Pickton

text: During a court hearing on August 4, 2010, Judge Williams stated that Pickton should be committed to a federal penitentiary; up to that point he had been held at a provincial pretrial institution. In June 2018, he was allegedly transferred from Kent Institution in British Columbia to another penitentiary in Port-Cartier, Quebec.


title: Robert Pickton

text: Pickton had faced a further 20 first degree murder charges involving other female victims from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. On February 26, 2008, a family member of one of the 20 women named as alleged victims told the media that the Crown had told her a trial on the further 20 counts might not proceed.


title: Robert Pickton

text: On August 4, 2010, Crown prosecutors stayed the pending murder charges against Pickton, ending the prospect of any further trials.


title: Robert Pickton

text: The 20 charges were formally stayed by crown counsel Melissa Gillespie during a British Columbia Supreme Court hearing at New Westminster.


title: Robert Pickton

text: Most (but not all) of the publication bans in the case were lifted by the trial judge, James Williams of the British Columbia Supreme Court, after lawyers spent hours in court going through the various complicated bans.


title: Robert Pickton

text: On August 6, 2010, various media outlets released a transcript of conversations between an RCMP undercover operator and Pickton in his holding cell. While the RCMP censored the undercover officer's name throughout most of the document, his name was left uncensored in several portions of the document that the RCMP released to the public. This uncensored version was available to the public, through Global News, CTV News, and the "Vancouver Sun", for about an hour before being pulled and re-edited. The extent of any damage this mistake caused the undercover officer is not known.


title: Robert Pickton

text: Pickton also stood accused of first-degree murder in the deaths of 20 other women until these charges were stayed on August 4, 2010.


title: Robert Pickton

text: As of March 2, 2006, the murder charge involving the unidentified victim has been lifted. Pickton refused to enter a plea on the charge involving this victim, known in the proceedings as Jane Doe, so the court registered a not-guilty plea on his behalf. "The count as drawn fails to meet the minimal requirement set out in Section 581 of the Criminal Code. Accordingly, it must be quashed", wrote Justice James Williams. The detailed reasons for the judge's ruling cannot be reported in Canada because of the publication ban covering this stage of the trial.


title: Robert Pickton

text: Pickton is implicated in the murders of the following women, but charges have not yet been laid (incomplete list):


title: Robert Pickton

text: After Pickton was arrested, many people started coming forward and talking to the police about what had taken place at the farm. One of the witnesses that came forward was Lynn Ellingsen. Ellingsen claimed to have seen Pickton skinning a woman hanging from a meat hook years earlier and that she did not tell anyone about it out of fear of losing her life. Additionally, Ellingsen admitted that she blackmailed Pickton about the incident on more than one occasion.


title: Robert Pickton

text: The victims' children filed a civil lawsuit in May 2013 against the Vancouver Police Department, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Crown for failing to protect the victims. They reached a settlement in March 2014, where each of the children was to be compensated C$50,000, without an admission of liability.


title: Robert Pickton

text: In August 2006, Thomas Loudamy, a 27-year-old Fremont, California resident, claimed that he had received three letters from Robert Pickton in response to letters Loudamy sent under an assumed identity.


title: Robert Pickton

text: In the letters, Pickton allegedly speaks with concern about the expense of the investigation, asserts his innocence, quotes and refers to the Bible, praises the trial judge, and responds in detail to (fictional) information in Loudamy's letters, which were written in the guise of Mya Barnett, a "down on her luck" woman.


title: Robert Pickton

text: The news of the letters' existence was broken by "The Vancouver Sun", in an exclusive published on Saturday, September 2, 2006, and as of that date, neither law enforcement nor any representative of Pickton has verified the authenticity of the letters. The "Sun", however, has undertaken several actions to confirm the documents' authenticity, including:


title: Robert Pickton

text: Loudamy claimed not to have kept copies of his outgoing letters to Pickton, and as of September 4, 2006, no information on their existence has been forthcoming from Pickton or his representatives.


title: Robert Pickton

text: Loudamy had a history of writing to accused and convicted criminals, in some instances under his own identity (as with his correspondence with Clifford Olson), and in others in the guise of a character he believes will be more readily accepted by the targets of the letters. Loudamy, an aspiring journalist, claimed that his motivation in releasing the letters was to help the public gain insights into Pickton.


title: Robert Pickton

text: In 2016, a book that was claimed to have been written by Pickton titled "Pickton: In his Own Words" was released for sale. The publication and marketing of the book initiated controversy, critical petitions, and actions by government to stop Pickton from profiting from the work.


title: Robert Pickton

text: Allegedly, Pickton was able to get his manuscript out of prison by passing it to a former cellmate, who then sent it to a retired construction worker from California named Michael Chilldres. Chilldres then typed up the manuscript and is credited as the author of the 144-page book. Provincial Solicitor General Mike Morris and an online petition on Change.org each sought to remove the book from sale on Amazon.com. Premier Christy Clark expressed interest in introducing new legislation similar to existing laws in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, and Ontario that prevent criminals profiting from such books. Colorado publisher Outskirts Press ceased publication of the book and asked Amazon to remove it from their site after finding out that—although Chilldres’s name was on the book cover—the author was actually an incarcerated criminal.


title: Robert Pickton

text: A major plotline in the Canadian crime drama "Da Vinci's Inquest" deals with a spate of missing women thought to be victims of a prolific serial killer hunting in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Pickton is not directly referred to by name, but starting in the show's fifth season characters and advertisements made reference to "the pig farm" in relation to the case.


title: Robert Pickton

text: In 2015, a film with the working title of "Full Flood" began production in Vancouver by CBC-TV. Based on Stevie Cameron's book "On The Farm," it was to use the life experiences of Pickton's victims for a fictional story about women in the Downtown Eastside who became victims of a serial killer. Pickton was portrayed by Ben Cotton in the film. In 2016, the film was released under the title "Unclaimed", and also as "On the Farm" in certain markets.


title: Rufus Sewell

text: Rufus Frederik Sewell (; born 29 October 1967) is a British film and stage actor. In film, he has appeared in "Carrington" (1995), ""Hamlet"" (1996), "Dangerous Beauty" (1998), "Dark City" (1998), "A Knight's Tale "(2001), "The Legend of Zorro "(2005)"," "The Illusionist "(2006)", Amazing Grace "(2006)", The Holiday "(2006)", Paris, je t'aime "(2006)", Judy "(2019), "The Father" (2020), and "Old" (2021).


title: Rufus Sewell

text: On television, he has starred in "Middlemarch" (1994), "" (2003), "John Adams" (2008), "Eleventh Hour" (2008–2009), "Zen" (2011), "The Pillars of the Earth" (2010), "Parade's End" (2012), "Victoria" (2016–2017), "The Man in the High Castle" (2014–2019), and "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" (2019). In 2020, he also had a starring role in the Agatha Christie TV adaptation "The Pale Horse".


title: Rufus Sewell

text: On stage, he originated the role of Septimus Hodge in Tom Stoppard's "Arcadia" and the role of Jan in Stoppard's "Rock 'n' Roll", with the latter earning him an Olivier Award win and a Tony Award nomination.


title: Rufus Sewell

text: Rufus Frederik Sewell was born in Hammersmith, West London on 29 October 1967, the son of Jo, a Welsh artist, classically trained pianist and waitress, and William John Frederick Sewell (1924–1978), an Anglo-Australian animator and former builder's labourer. His father worked on the "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" segment of animation for The Beatles' "Yellow Submarine" film. His parents divorced when Sewell was five. His father died when Rufus was 10, and his mother worked in a pub and sold vegetables to support her boys as a single mother, raising Rufus and his older brother Caspar. Sewell's mother subsequently lived at The Pelican, Laugharne, Carmarthenshire, formerly home to the parents of Welsh poet and writer Dylan Thomas. Sewell has said that he was a difficult teenager.


title: Rufus Sewell

text: Sewell was educated at Trafalgar Junior School, a state junior school in Twickenham which he left in 1978. Whilst at Trafalgar Junior School he was a member of the drama club and he played the lead in Rumpelstiltskin which he acted on his knees throughout.


title: Rufus Sewell

text: Sewell went on to Orleans Park School, a state comprehensive school in Twickenham, which he left in 1984, followed by West Thames College, where a drama teacher sent him to audition for drama school. He later enrolled at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London.


title: Rufus Sewell

text: After graduating, Sewell was set up with an agent by Judi Dench, who had directed him in a play while at the Central School of Speech and Drama. His breakthrough year was in 1993, in which he starred as the unpleasant Tim in Michael Winner's film "Dirty Weekend". Winner chose him after seeing him in a play at the Criterion Theatre. Also in 1993 Sewell starred in the BBC serial of George Eliot's "Middlemarch" and on stage in Tom Stoppard's play "Arcadia" at The Royal National Theatre (Lyttelton).


title: Rufus Sewell

text: His film work includes 1995's "Cold Comfort Farm", directed by John Schlesinger, the lead role of John Murdoch in the science fiction film "Dark City" in 1998, "Amazing Grace", "The Illusionist" and Nancy Meyers' romantic comedy "The Holiday". "Amazing Grace" deals with William Wilberforce's political fight to abolish slavery in Britain, with Sewell playing Wilberforce's co-campaigner Thomas Clarkson.


title: Rufus Sewell

text: Sewell is known for his villainous roles, such as those in "A Knight's Tale", "The Legend of Zorro", "Bless the Child", "Helen of Troy" and "The Illusionist". He spoke of his unhappiness about this, saying that "[I] don't want to play a baddie again." "Everyone has their thing they have to get around," notes Sewell. "With me, it's like okay, how can I make this upper class bad guy in the 19th century different and interesting?"


title: Rufus Sewell

text: In 2008, Sewell appeared in the HBO miniseries "John Adams" as Alexander Hamilton. He received critical praise for his portrayal of Charles II in the BBC's "". The series' cast included Ian McDiarmid, Helen McCrory, Rupert Graves and Shirley Henderson and spanned the life of the king from his last days in exile to his death.


title: Rufus Sewell

text: He co-starred in the controversial film "Downloading Nancy", which was released on 5 June 2009. At the Sundance Film Festival in 2008, audiences walked out of the screening, and as of summer 2008, any theatrical release was still uncertain. Despite the controversy, Sewell continues to staunchly support the film. "It's a film I'm very proud of, whether you consider that it fails or succeeds, whether you like it or don't like it. I'm proud to be in it."


title: Rufus Sewell

text: Between 2006 & 2009, on BBC Radio, Sewell read Russell Thorndike's stories of Doctor Syn – the adventures of an 18th-century clergyman, adventurer, smuggler and pirate.


title: Rufus Sewell

text: Although best known for his work in costume dramas, Sewell prefers "cravat-less" roles in modern pieces, such as the role of Petruchio in the BBC's 2005 version of Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew". This was shown as part of the "ShakespeaRe-Told" series, and the role earned him a Best Actor nomination at the 2006 BAFTA Television Awards. In this modern retelling of the story, the action moves from 17th century Padua, Italy to 21st century London. This production marked the fourth time that Sewell had acted in a work based on a Shakespeare play since becoming a professional actor: he previously portrayed Hotspur in "Henry IV, Part 1" in 1995, Fortinbras in "Hamlet" in 1996 and the title role in "Macbeth" in 1999. The role also reunited him with his "Charles II" co-star Shirley Henderson.


title: Rufus Sewell

text: He appeared in the premiere and first run of Tom Stoppard's play "Rock 'n' Roll" at the Royal Court Theatre from June to July 2006 and at the Duke of York's Theatre from July until November 2006. The play was a critical and commercial success, playing to full houses and collecting several awards and nominations, including wins for Sewell in the Best Actor category at The "Evening Standard" Awards, The Critics' Circle Awards and The Olivier Awards.


title: Rufus Sewell

text: He has recorded eleven of Ian Fleming's James Bond books on 36 CDs for Collins. He continues to work in film, television and theatre, playing the lead role of Dr. Jacob Hood in the CBS TV series "Eleventh Hour". He finished filming in November 2009 for the miniseries "The Pillars of the Earth", which was shown on TV in 2010.


title: Rufus Sewell

text: In 2010, he played the Italian detective Aurelio Zen, based on the best-selling novels by Michael Dibdin, for the BBC One drama series "Zen". The three episodes were filmed in Rome and shown on BBC One in early January 2011. The series was cancelled by the BBC after just one season. He also had a small part in the film "The Tourist", which also starred Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp and was released in cinemas in 2010. He played the lead vampire, Adam, in the film "," which was filmed in New Orleans and released in June 2012.


title: Rufus Sewell

text: Sewell played the role of Ethics Man in "Darkside", Tom Stoppard's 2013 radio drama based on Pink Floyd's album "The Dark Side of the Moon". Sewell co-starred with Dwayne Johnson, as Autolycus, in the film "Hercules", which was released in July 2014. In 2015, Sewell voiced the role of Sir Claude, a feral cat, in "Blinky Bill the Movie". Sewell has most recently appeared as high-ranking American-turned-Nazi official John Smith in "The Man in the High Castle", and as Lord Melbourne in "Victoria".


title: Rufus Sewell

text: Sewell has been married twice. His first wife was his long-term girlfriend, Australian fashion journalist Yasmin Abdallah; they were married in 1999 and divorced in 2000. He married his second wife, scriptwriter and producer Amy Gardner, in 2004. They have a son, William Douglas Sewell (born 2002), and divorced in 2006. Sewell also has a daughter, Lola (born 2013), with Ami Komai.


title: Eminem albums discography

text: American rapper Eminem has released 11 studio albums, two compilation albums, and one EP. His music has been released on record labels Web Entertainment and Interscope Records, along with subsidiaries Aftermath Entertainment and his own Shady Records. Eminem is the best-selling hip hop artist of all-time and the best-selling artist of the 2000s with US album sales at over 32.2 million during the decade.


title: Eminem albums discography

text: With record sales of over 220 million sold worldwide, he is listed as one of the best-selling music artists worldwide. According to RIAA, Eminem has sold 154 million certified albums and singles in the United States. In his home country, he has earned 50 platinum album certifications and 10 number one albums.


title: Eminem albums discography

text: Eminem's debut album, "Infinite", was released by Web Entertainment in 1996. It sold about a thousand copies and failed to rank on the national charts. After signing a contract with Interscope Records and Aftermath Entertainment, the rapper released "The Slim Shady LP" in 1999, which reached the number two spot on the "Billboard" 200, and received four platinum certifications from the RIAA. In the same year, the rapper, along with manager Paul Rosenberg, founded the record label Shady Records.


title: Eminem albums discography

text: In the subsequent year, Eminem released his third studio album, "The Marshall Mathers LP", which sold 1.76 million copies in its first week of distribution, breaking records for the fastest-selling hip hop album of all-time and the fastest-selling solo album in the United States. With more than ten million copies sold, the album was the third best-selling record of the year in the United States.


title: Eminem albums discography

text: In 2002, Eminem's fourth album, "The Eminem Show", debuted at number one on the "Billboard" 200 and reached the top spot on various charts internationally, as it went on to sell over nineteen million copies worldwide. In the United States, "The Eminem Show" was the highest-selling album of the year, with sales of almost ten million copies. The album was certified diamond in the United States, Canada and Australia.


title: Eminem albums discography

text: In the same year, Eminem released the "8 Mile" soundtrack, also including songs by various artists. The album peaked at number one in the United States, where it sold more than four million of the nine million copies distributed internationally.


title: Eminem albums discography

text: In 2004, Eminem's fifth studio album "Encore" became the rapper's third consecutive studio album to reach number one in the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Sales, however, were significantly less than the two previous studio albums, with over five million sold copies in the United States and eleven million worldwide.


title: Eminem albums discography

text: Eminem released a greatest hits album titled "" in 2005, which sold almost three million copies in the US. The following year, Shady Records released "", a compilation album performed by Eminem along various artists from the record label. The album received a platinum certification from the RIAA in 2007 and sold slightly over a million copies in the United States.


title: Eminem albums discography

text: After a hiatus of more than four years, "Relapse", Eminem's sixth studio album, was released in 2009 and was the rapper's fourth consecutive studio album to top the charts in the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, with domestic sales of over two million copies. In the subsequent year, Eminem released his seventh studio album "Recovery", which debuted at number one on the "Billboard" 200 and reached the top spot on various charts internationally.


title: Eminem albums discography

text: According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, it was also the best-selling album of 2010 worldwide.


title: Eminem albums discography

text: Eminem was named the best selling artist in Canada in 2010 and 2013, when he released his eighth studio album "The Marshall Mathers LP 2". The album was followed by "Revival" in 2017. Both "The Marshall Mathers LP2" and "Revival" reached the top spot of the "Billboard" 200 in their first week, thus making Eminem the first musical act to have eight entries in a row debut at its summit. On August 31, 2018, Eminem released his unannounced tenth studio album, "Kamikaze", becoming his ninth consecutive album to debut at number 1. He followed this with a surprise album titled "Music to Be Murdered By", on January 17, 2020, as well as a deluxe edition released on December 18, 2020, titled "Music to Be Murdered By - Side B", which featured sixteen additional tracks.


title: Boku no Pico

text: Three original video animations have been released. All three were directed by Katsuyoshi Yatabe and produced by Natural High. The first, "My Pico", was released to DVD by Soft on Demand on September 7, 2006. The second, "Pico & Chico", followed on April 16, 2007. The third episode, "Pico & CoCo & Chico", was released on October 9, 2008.


title: Boku no Pico

text: A box set containing the first two episodes and the soundtrack CD was released by Soft on Demand on April 19, 2007. On November 11, 2007, the first OVA was re-edited with a different script and re-released under the title "Pico: My Little Summer Story". The edited version is the only one of the series to be considered appropriate for viewers under 18.


title: Boku no Pico

text: On April 6, 2008, the producer's blog confirmed that a PC game, , starring Pico and Chico, was being produced. The game was released by on October 15, 2010.


title: Boku no Pico

text: A music video album, , was released in Japan on July 9, 2009. It runs for 30 minutes and includes more than 8 music videos starring the characters from the OVAs. It also includes a karaoke option for each video.


title: Dane DeHaan

text: Dane William DeHaan ( ; born February 6, 1986) is an American actor known for his roles as Andrew Detmer in "Chronicle" (2012), Lucien Carr in "Kill Your Darlings" (2013), Harry Osborn / Green Goblin in "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" (2014), Lockhart in "A Cure for Wellness" (2016), Valerian in "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets" (2017), and Chris Lynwood in "ZeroZeroZero". In 2021, he starred in psychological romance horror miniseries "Lisey's Story". He also had a role in the true crime limited series adaptation of "The Staircase" in 2022.


title: Dane DeHaan

text: DeHaan was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania. His father is a computer programmer and his mother is an executive at MetLife. He has an older sister, and had what "The Independent" described in 2017 as a "very normal, super-supportive childhood".


title: Dane DeHaan

text: DeHaan attended Emmaus High School in Emmaus, Pennsylvania for three years and appeared in community theater. He switched to the University of North Carolina School of the Arts for his senior year of high school, where he was "around artists for the first time". He continued at UNCSA for undergraduate studies, graduating in 2008.


title: Dane DeHaan

text: DeHaan began his professional acting career as an understudy for Haley Joel Osment in the short-lived 2008 Broadway revival of "American Buffalo". Also in 2008, he made his television debut, guest-appearing on an episode of "".


title: Dane DeHaan

text: In 2010, DeHaan made his feature film debut in John Sayles' "Amigo". Also in 2010, he played Jesse in the third season of HBO's "In Treatment". In 2011, he played Timbo in the fourth season of "True Blood". In 2012, DeHaan starred in the sci-fi found footage film "Chronicle" and as Cricket in "Lawless".


title: Dane DeHaan

text: In 2013, he played Lucien Carr (a contemporary of Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac) in "Kill Your Darlings". It was a role for which he has received critical acclaim. In 2013, he starred as the main character "Trip" in Metallica's surrealist concert film "." He was the cover star of "Hero" magazine issue 10 in October 2013, shot by Hedi Slimane.


title: Dane DeHaan

text: In 2014, Annie Leibovitz photographed DeHaan for Prada's men's clothing spring advertising campaign. That same year, he played Harry Osborn / Green Goblin in "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" and Zach Orfman in "Life After Beth". DeHaan played a fictional version of himself in the music video for Imagine Dragons' song "I Bet My Life".


title: Dane DeHaan

text: In 2015, DeHaan starred as James Dean in the drama "Life", based on Dean's friendship with photographer Dennis Stock. In September 2015, DeHaan was the cover star of "Another Man" issue 20. In 2016, DeHaan played Roman in the independent drama film "Two Lovers and a Bear" and Lockhart in the 2016 horror film "A Cure for Wellness".


title: Dane DeHaan

text: In 2017, DeHaan starred in Luc Besson's science fiction film "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets" based on the French comics series "Valérian and Laureline". He also starred in the 17th-century romance "Tulip Fever".


title: Dane DeHaan

text: From 2019 to 2020, DeHaan starred as Chris Lynwood in the Amazon Prime series "ZeroZeroZero". He starred in the Quibi mini-series "The Stranger" in 2020.


title: Dane DeHaan

text: In February 2022, DeHaan was cast in an undisclosed role in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming biographical film "Oppenheimer".


title: Dane DeHaan

text: DeHaan married American actress Anna Wood in a private ceremony on June 30, 2012. The two met in high school in North Carolina and have been together since 2006. They both appeared in "Chronicle" (2012). They live in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City and have a daughter, born in 2017, and a son, born in 2020.


title: Tommy Fury

text: Tommy Fury (born 7 May 1999) is a British professional boxer and reality television personality. He took time off from his boxing career in 2019 to star in the fifth series of the ITV2 dating reality television show "Love Island". Along with partner Molly-Mae Hague the couple finished as runners-up of the series. He is the younger half-brother of Tyson Fury.


title: Tommy Fury

text: Fury was born on 7 May 1999 in Manchester, England. His father, John Fury, is of Irish Traveller descent and his mother is of Mauritian descent. His half-brother is heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury.


title: Tommy Fury

text: Fury made his professional debut against Jevgenijs Andrejevs (10–102–3) on 22 December 2018 at the Manchester Arena, Manchester, scoring a four-round points decision (PTS) victory (40–36). The fight was part of the undercard of the Josh Warrington vs. Carl Frampton featherweight world title fight. In his second fight he recorded the first stoppage of his professional career, defeating Callum Ide (0–26–2) via first-round knockout (KO) on 23 March 2019.


title: Tommy Fury

text: After stepping away from boxing for nine months to take part in a reality television programme, Fury returned to the ring on 21 December 2019, scoring a first-round technical knockout (TKO) victory over Przemyslaw Binienda (2–26) at the Copper Box Arena in London. The fight was televised live on BT Sport.


title: Tommy Fury

text: On 13 November 2020, Tommy Fury recorded his fourth straight win, against Genadij Krajevskij (0–12). Both fighters were trading shots in the first round, but it was in the second round that Fury started landing clean shots. The fight ended in the second round, after Fury knocked Krajevskij out with a big uppercut. Fury improved to 6–0 with a points victory over Jordan Grant on 5 June 2021.


title: Tommy Fury

text: On 29 August 2021, Fury made his US debut on the undercard of Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley. He defeated Anthony Taylor (0–1) by unanimous decision with 40–36 on all three judges' scorecards.


title: Tommy Fury

text: Fury was scheduled to face YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul on 18 December 2021. However, Fury pulled out of the bout due to a bacterial chest infection and a broken rib.


title: Tommy Fury

text: In June 2019, he took part in series 5 of the ITV2 dating reality show "Love Island", finishing as a runner-up alongside girlfriend Molly-Mae Hague.


title: John Heard (actor)

text: John Heard Jr. (March 7, 1946 – July 21, 2017) was an American actor. He appeared in a number of successful films, including "Heart Beat" (1980), "Cutter's Way" (1981), "Cat People" (1982), "Beaches" (1988), and "Deceived" (1991). Other films include "The Trip to Bountiful" (1985), "Big" (1988), "The Pelican Brief" (1993), "White Chicks" (2004), and his role as Kevin McCallister's father, Peter, in "Home Alone" (1990) and "" (1992). From 1995 to 1996, he played the role of Roy Foltrigg in the television series "The Client". From 2005 to 2006, Heard played the role of Governor Frank Tancredi in "Prison Break". He was nominated for an Emmy Award in 1999 for guest-starring as Vin Makazian on "The Sopranos" (1999–2004).


title: John Heard (actor)

text: Heard was born on March 7, 1946, in Washington, D.C. He was the son of Helen (Sperling), who was involved in the arts and appeared in community theatre, and John Henry Heard, who worked for the office of the Secretary of Defense. Heard was raised as a Catholic.


title: John Heard (actor)

text: Heard attended Gonzaga College High School, Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, and Catholic University of America, in Washington, D.C. He grew up with two sisters, one of whom, Cordis, is also an actress, and a brother, Matthew, who died in 2017.


title: John Heard (actor)

text: In the 1970s, Heard appeared on the stage and in television and film. He appeared off-Broadway in 1974 in Mark Medoff's play "The Wager" and in 1975 as Guildenstern in "Hamlet" at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park, where he also understudied Sam Waterston as Hamlet. That fall, the production moved to the Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center. Heard appeared at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in 1977 in a series of new plays. Heard won Obie Awards for his performances in "Othello" and "Split" in 1979–80. He was the male lead in the 1979 film "Head Over Heels" (which was renamed and re-released as "Chilly Scenes of Winter" in 1982).


title: John Heard (actor)

text: In 1981, he had the starring role of Alex Cutter in the film "Cutter's Way". In 1982, he played the lover of Nastassja Kinski, one of the main characters, in the remake of "Cat People". He co-starred as photographer George Cooper in "C.H.U.D." (Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers, 1984) alongside future "Home Alone" co-star Daniel Stern and in "The Trip to Bountiful" (1985). In the comedy-drama film "Heaven Help Us" (aka, "Catholic Boys", 1985), Heard played a monk named Brother Timothy. In "After Hours" (also 1985), Heard was bartender Tom Schorr.


title: John Heard (actor)

text: He was seen in the film "The Milagro Beanfield War" and had a significant role playing Paul, Tom Hanks's adult corporate competitor and jilted boyfriend of Elizabeth Perkins, in "Big" (both 1988). He co-starred with Bette Midler in "Beaches" (also 1988). In 1990 Heard starred in the philosophical film "Mindwalk", in which three characters from different sociopolitical and cultural backgrounds express their opinions on the human experience, and around the same time, he was in "Awakenings" alongside Robert De Niro and Robin Williams, starred in "Deceived" (1991), with Goldie Hawn, playing Jack Saunders, and had a supporting role in "Gladiator" (1992), with Cuba Gooding Jr.


title: John Heard (actor)

text: He played Daugherty in the film "Radio Flyer" (1992) and FBI agent Gavin Vereek in "The Pelican Brief" (1993). He starred with Samuel L. Jackson in 1997's "One Eight Seven" and was featured in the 2000 miniseries "Perfect Murder, Perfect Town".


title: John Heard (actor)

text: In 1990, Heard starred as Peter McCallister in the comedy "Home Alone". He played the part of Kevin's (played by Macaulay Caulkin) father who unwittingly leaves his son at home when making a Christmas trip to France. Heard chose to characterize the role with a combination of concerned dramatic acting of a father missing his son along with more classical comedic tropes. The film was one of the biggest hits of 1990, and Heard reprised the role of McCallister in the sequel "".


title: John Heard (actor)

text: Heard featured in a television production of "The Scarlet Letter" (1979) as Arthur Dimmesdale. He played real-life Ku Klux Klan leader D. C. Stephenson in the TV miniseries "Cross of Fire" (1989) and played the part of David Manning in the ABC miniseries adaptation of Shirley MacLaine's "Out on a Limb", a memoir of her journey toward acceptance of spiritual and extraterrestrial realities. Heard also had roles on "The Sopranos" as the troubled corrupt detective Vin Makazian for which he received an Emmy nomination as outstanding guest actor; as well as Mr. Detrolio, father of Finn Detrolio, one of Meadows' boyfriends, and later on "Battlestar Galactica" as Commander Barry Garner.


title: John Heard (actor)

text: He had recurring roles on "" (as Kenwall Duquesne, father of Calleigh Duquesne) and "Prison Break" (as Frank Tancredi, governor of Illinois and father of Sara Tancredi). Among other film and television roles in the 2000s and 2010s, he played the mayor of Chicago on two episodes of the Fox series "The Chicago Code".


title: John Heard (actor)

text: In 1987, he had a son, John Matthew Heard, with actress and former girlfriend Melissa Leo. Heard was arrested in 1991 and charged with third-degree assault for allegedly slapping Leo. In 1997, he was found guilty of trespassing at Leo's home but was acquitted of charges of trespassing at their son's school.


title: John Heard (actor)

text: On May 24, 2010, Heard married Lana Pritchard in Los Angeles. The couple divorced seven months later.


title: John Heard (actor)

text: Heard died from cardiac arrest due to atherosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease on July 21, 2017, at the age of 71. His body was found by staff in a hotel in Palo Alto, California, where he was reportedly recovering after minor back surgery at Stanford University Hospital. The back surgery did not play a role in his death. His cause of death was confirmed by the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner's office. He was buried in South Side Cemetery in Ipswich, Massachusetts.


title: Mission: Impossible III

text: Mission: Impossible III (abbreviated as M:i:III) is a 2006 American action spy film directed by J. J. Abrams in his directorial debut and produced by, and starring, Tom Cruise, from a screenplay by Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. It is the sequel to "" (1996) and "" (2000) and the third installment in the . It also stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ving Rhames, Michelle Monaghan, Billy Crudup, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Keri Russell, Maggie Q and Laurence Fishburne. In "Mission: Impossible III", retired Impossible Missions Force (IMF) agent and trainer Ethan Hunt (Cruise) is forced to return to active duty to capture elusive arms dealer Owen Davian (Hoffman).


title: Mission: Impossible III

text: Development for a third "Mission: Impossible" film began in 2002, with David Fincher slated to direct; he and his eventual replacement Joe Carnahan both departed by 2004, both citing creative differences. Abrams was hired months later at the behest of Cruise, who was a fan of Abrams' "Alias" (2001–2006), but this further delayed production on the film due to Abrams' contractual obligations for "Alias" and "Lost" (2006–2010), and caused prospective cast additions Kenneth Branagh, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Scarlett Johansson to depart the film. Principal photography began in July 2005 and lasted until that October, with filming locations including Shanghai, Berlin, Rome, Los Angeles, and the Vatican City.


title: Mission: Impossible III

text: "Mission: Impossible III" premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 26, 2006, and was released in the United States by Paramount Pictures on May 5, 2006. It received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for its pacing, Hoffman's performance, and action sequences, and was considered an improvement over its predecessor. The film grossed $399 million worldwide, becoming the eighth-highest-grossing film of 2006. The sequel, "", was released in 2011.


title: Mission: Impossible III

text: Ethan Hunt has retired from fieldwork for the IMF. He instead trains recruits while settling down with his fiancée, Julia Meade, a nurse who is unaware of Ethan's real job. He is approached by IMF Assistant Director of Operations John Musgrave about a mission to rescue one of Ethan's protégés, Lindsey Farris. Lindsey was captured while investigating arms dealer Owen Davian. Musgrave has already prepared a team for Ethan: Declan Gormley, Zhen Lei, and his old partner Luther Stickell.


title: Mission: Impossible III

text: The team rescues Lindsey in Berlin and collects two damaged laptop computers. As they flee, Ethan discovers an explosive pellet implanted in Lindsey's head. Before he can disable it, it kills her. IMF Director Theodore Brassel reprimands Ethan and Musgrave. Ethan learns that Lindsey mailed him a postcard before her capture and discovers a magnetic microdot under the stamp.


title: Mission: Impossible III

text: IMF technician Benji Dunn recovers enough data from the laptops to determine Davian will be in Vatican City to obtain a mysterious object codenamed the "Rabbit's Foot." Ethan plans a mission to capture Davian without seeking official approval. Before leaving, he and Julia have an impromptu wedding at the hospital's chapel. The team infiltrates Vatican City and captures Davian.


title: Mission: Impossible III

text: Ethan threatens to drop Davian from the plane on the return flight as he interrogates him about the Rabbit's Foot, but Davian refuses to reveal anything. After landing, Ethan learns that the microdot from Lindsey contains a warning that Brassel is seemingly working with Davian. The convoy taking Davian across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel is ambushed by German-speaking mercenaries, who extract Davian while deploying a MQ-9 Reaper missile-armed drone. Realizing Julia is also in danger, Ethan races to Julia's workplace to discover she has already been kidnapped. Davian calls Ethan and gives him 48 hours to recover the Rabbit's Foot in exchange for Julia's life. Before Ethan can, he is captured by the IMF.


title: Mission: Impossible III

text: Musgrave takes part in Ethan's interrogation. He discreetly mouths that the Rabbit's Foot is located in Shanghai and assists Ethan in escaping. Ethan is declared an enemy of the state and placed on Interpol's most-wanted list. Ethan secretly travels to Shanghai, where Declan, Zhen, and Luther, sent by Musgrave under the guise of another operation, assist him in acquiring the Rabbit's Foot. As he delivers the Rabbit's Foot to the meeting point, Ethan is tranquilized. When he regains consciousness, a micro-explosive is implanted in his head. Restrained, Ethan sees Davian holding Julia at gunpoint, tied up and gagged in a chair. Despite Ethan asserting that he brought the real Rabbit's Foot, Davian shoots Julia and leaves the room.


title: Mission: Impossible III

text: Musgrave arrives and reveals himself as the actual IMF traitor; he explains that Julia is still alive. The woman killed was Davian's translator disguised as Julia, executed for failing to protect him in Vatican City. The ruse was to confirm the authenticity of the Rabbit's Foot. He arranged for Davian to acquire the Rabbit's Foot and sell it to a terrorist group so that IMF would have reason to launch a preemptive strike to increase the American military presence in the Middle East. When Musgrave lets his guard down, Ethan knocks him unconscious. He frees himself and uses Musgrave's phone to track the last call's location to find Julia. With help from Benji on the phone, he locates the place but encounters Davian and some of his henchmen. Ethan kills the henchmen, but Davian arms the explosive in Ethan's head. Ethan fights and kills Davian. He comes back to free Julia and jury-rigs an impromptu defibrillator to deactivate the explosive. Julia fights off and kills a henchman, then Musgrave, who is carrying the Rabbit's Foot. She resuscitates Ethan, who finally explains his IMF career to her.


title: Mission: Impossible III

text: In 2002, director David Fincher was slated to direct the next installment of the "Mission: Impossible" film series for a summer of 2004 release date. Fincher, however, dropped out in favor of another film, later citing creative differences over the direction of the series. Replacing Fincher was director Joe Carnahan, who worked on developing the film for 15 months. Under his involvement, the film was to feature "Kenneth Branagh playing a guy who's based on Timothy McVeigh," as well as Carrie-Anne Moss and Scarlett Johansson in other roles. Thandiwe Newton was offered to reprise her role as Nyah Nordoff-Hall from "" but she declined, in order to concentrate on her family. Her role in the story was later changed to a new character named Leah Quint, who would have been played by Moss. However, once J.J. Abrams took over directing the project, the character was scrapped.


title: Mission: Impossible III

text: After a dispute over the film's tone, Carnahan quit in July 2004. Tom Cruise then called J. J. Abrams, offering the directorial role for the film after having binge-watched the first two seasons of "Alias". Abrams ultimately signed on and production was delayed a year due to his contractual obligations with "Alias" and "Lost". During this time, Branagh, Moss, and Johansson departed from the project because of the many delays in production. On June 8, 2005, Paramount Pictures gave the film the green-light after a new cast of actors was hired and the film's budget was redeveloped, and Cruise took a major pay cut.


title: Mission: Impossible III

text: Principal photography began in Rome, Italy on July 12, 2005 and ended in October. Location filming took place in China (Shanghai and Xitang), Germany (Berlin), Italy (Rome and Caserta), the United States (California, Virginia and Maryland), and Vatican City. The night scenes involving the skyscrapers were filmed in Shanghai, while some of the Shanghai filming was also done in Los Angeles.


title: Mission: Impossible III

text: The film's musical score was composed by Michael Giacchino. He is the third composer to take on the series, following Danny Elfman and Hans Zimmer. The score album was released on May 9, 2006, by Varèse Sarabande Records. Unlike the previous installments, no soundtrack album featuring the film's contemporary music was released. Despite this, the film features a song by Kanye West entitled "Impossible" that also features Twista, Keyshia Cole and BJ.


title: Mission: Impossible III

text: To promote the film, Paramount rigged 4,500 randomly selected "Los Angeles Times" vending boxes with digital audio players which would play the theme song when the door was opened. The audio players did not always stay concealed. In many cases, they came loose and fell on top of the stack of newspapers in plain view, with the result that they were widely mistaken for bombs. Police bomb squads detonated a number of the vending boxes. They even temporarily shut down a veterans hospital in response to the apparent "threat." Despite these problems, Paramount and the "Los Angeles Times" opted to leave the audio players in the boxes until two days after the movie's opening.


title: Mission: Impossible III

text: A blog entry of Hollywoodinterrupted.com in March 2006 alleged that Viacom (parent of Paramount and Comedy Central) canceled the rebroadcast of the "South Park" episode "Trapped in the Closet" due to threats by Cruise to refuse to participate in the "Mission: Impossible III" publicity circle. These assertions were soon also reported by E! News and "American Morning".


title: Mission: Impossible III

text: Fox News attributed threats from Cruise, stating, "to back out of his "Mission: Impossible III" promotional duties if Viacom didn't pull a repeat of the episode", as evidence of "bad blood" between Cruise and Viacom. "The Washington Post" reported that "South Park" fans "struck back", in March 2006, and threatened to boycott "Mission: Impossible III" until Comedy Central put "Trapped in the Closet" back on its schedule. Melissa McNamara of CBS News later questioned whether this boycott hurt the film's box office debut. Political blogger Andrew Sullivan encouraged a boycott of the film, based on claims that Cruise allegedly forced Comedy Central to censor a "South Park" episode about Scientologists. "Make sure you don't go see Paramount's "Mission: Impossible III", Cruise's upcoming movie," Sullivan wrote. "I know you weren't going to see it anyway. But now any money you spend on this movie is a blow against freedom of speech. Boycott it. Tell your friends to boycott it."


title: Mission: Impossible III

text: When asked in ABC's "Primetime" about his involvement with stopping the episode rebroadcast on Comedy Central, Cruise stated, "First of all, could you ever imagine sitting down with anyone? I would never sit down with someone and question them on their beliefs. Here's the thing: I'm really not even going to dignify this. I honestly didn't really even know about it. I'm working, making my movie, I've got my family. I'm busy. I don't spend my days going, 'What are people saying about me?'"


title: Mission: Impossible III

text: Opening in 4,054 theaters all across the United States, the fourth largest opening ever up to that point, the film topped the box office in its opening weekend. It made $16.6 million on its opening day and $47.7 million in its opening weekend, a solid opening yet almost $10 million lower than the franchise's previous films. The film remained at number one with $25 million during its second weekend, ahead of "Poseidon" gross of $22.2 million. The film remained in the Top 10 at the box office for the remainder of its first six weeks. It ended its initial domestic run on July 20, 2006, taking in a total of $134 million. It was the second movie in 2006 to pass the $100,000,000 mark in the box office, following "". The film's domestic gross was significantly lower than that of "Mission: Impossible 2", and remains the lowest of the series as of 2022.


title: Mission: Impossible III

text: The film grossed $70 million outside the US during its first five days (in some Asian countries, it opened two days before its North American release date). It was easily the box-office champion in many countries. Its international box office gross reached $264.4 million for a combined worldwide gross of $398.5 million, the lowest of the series as of 2022.


title: Mission: Impossible III

text: In the Netherlands, the film debuted at 1 in the week of May 4–10, grossing a total of € 532,384. The following week, the film remained in the top position. In its third, the film dropped to 2 and fell to 4 to the following week. Next, it maintained the 4 position to drop to 6 (in the week of June 6 - June 14). In total, the film has grossed over €2,141,162.


title: Mission: Impossible III

text: On the film-critics aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, "Mission: Impossible III" received 71% positive reviews from critics and an average of 6.6/10, based on 224 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads, "Fast-paced, with eye-popping stunts and special effects, the latest "Mission: Impossible" installment delivers everything an action fan could ask for. A thrilling summer popcorn flick." It holds a similar rating on Metacritic, with an average score of 66/100, indicating "generally favorable reviews" based on a normalized average of 42 reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale, an improvement on the first two installments.


title: Mission: Impossible III

text: On the television show "Ebert & Roeper", Richard Roeper gave "Mission: Impossible III" a "thumbs up," while Roger Ebert gave it a marginal "thumbs down." In Ebert's print review, he gave the film a score of two and a half stars out of four, saying, "Either you want to see mindless action and computer-generated sequences executed with breakneck speed and technical precision, or you do not. I am getting to the point where I don't much care." He felt "surprised that the plot hangs together more than in the other two films."


title: Mission: Impossible III

text: Keith Phipps of "The Onion" "A.V. Club" said the film is "business as usual, but it's the best kind of business as usual, and it finds everyone working in top form." Owen Gleiberman of "Entertainment Weekly" called "Mission: Impossible III" "a gratifyingly clever, booby-trapped thriller that has enough fun and imagination and dash to more than justify its existence." Marc Savlov of "The Austin Chronicle" said that "it's all poppycock, of course, but it's done with such vim and vigor and both narrative and visual flair that you care not a jot." James Berardinelli of ReelViews gave the film a score of two and a half stars out of four, saying that it "provides lots of action, but too little excitement."


title: Mission: Impossible III

text: Ian Nathan of "Empire" said that "Mission: Impossible III" has "an inspired middle-hour pumped by some solid action" but added that "we now live in a post-Bourne, recalibrated-Bond universe, where Ethan Hunt looks a bit lost." Manohla Dargis of "The New York Times" said that "Hoffman enlivens "Mission: Impossible III"" but criticized the film's "maudlin romance" and "Abrams's inability to adapt his small-screen talent to a larger canvas." Rob Nelson of the "Dallas Observer" said that "Abrams's movie is too oppressive, too enamored of its brutality to deliver anything like real thrills; its deeply unpleasant tone nearly makes you long even for ["Mission: Impossible 2" director John] Woo's cartoon absurdities."


title: Mission: Impossible III

text: Claudia Puig of "USA Today" said that ""Mission: Impossible III" delivers" despite "a sense that the franchise is played out and its star over-exposed." Maitland McDonagh of "TV Guide" described the film as "breezy, undemanding, and a carefully balanced blend of the familiar and the not-quite-what-you-expected." Lawrence Toppman of "The Charlotte Observer" said that "Mission: Impossible III" is "plenty of fun" despite being "overwrought and overplotted."


title: Mission: Impossible III

text: Pete Vonder Haar of Film Threat said that "you may be mildly entertained, but damned if you'll remember any of it five minutes later." Stephanie Zacharek of Salon.com said that "Cruise is the single bright, blinking emblem of the failure of "Mission: Impossible III"." William Arnold of the "Seattle Post-Intelligencer" remarked that "the latest ["Mission: Impossible" film] is just this side of insultingly stupid." Shawn Levy of "The Oregonian" said that "Mission: Impossible III" "feels like one of the more forgettable James Bond films—saddled, moreover, with a star who's sliding into self-parody."


title: Mission: Impossible III

text: "Mission: Impossible III" was released on DVD, HD DVD and Blu-ray on October 30, 2006, the first film by a studio to be released simultaneously in all three formats. A 4K UHD Blu-ray release occurred on June 26, 2018.


title: Mission: Impossible III

text: Life-below-zero-tv-show show man hunting 'ptarmigan' (scotland-gaelic-language) or 'Lagopus' (ancient-greece-language) which is short-form of 'lagospus' which means rabbit(lagos)-foot(pus)


title: Whale shark

text: The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is a slow-moving, filter-feeding carpet shark and the largest known extant fish species. The largest confirmed individual had a length of . The whale shark holds many records for size in the animal kingdom, most notably being by far the largest living nonmammalian vertebrate. It is the sole member of the genus Rhincodon and the only extant member of the family Rhincodontidae, which belongs to the subclass Elasmobranchii in the class Chondrichthyes. Before 1984 it was classified as "Rhiniodon" into Rhinodontidae.


title: Whale shark

text: The whale shark is found in open waters of the tropical oceans and is rarely found in water below . Studies looking at vertebral growth bands and the growth rates of free-swimming sharks have estimated whale shark lifespans at 80–130 years. Whale sharks have very large mouths and are filter feeders, which is a feeding mode that occurs in only two other sharks, the megamouth shark and the basking shark. They feed almost exclusively on plankton and small fishes, and pose no threat to humans.


title: Whale shark

text: The species was distinguished in April 1828 after the harpooning of a specimen in Table Bay, South Africa. Andrew Smith, a military doctor associated with British troops stationed in Cape Town, described it the following year. The name "whale shark" refers to the fish's size, being as large as some species of whales, in addition its filter feeding habits which are not unlike that of baleen whales.


title: Whale shark

text: Whale shark mouths can contain over 300 rows of tiny teeth and 20 filter pads which it uses to filter feed. Unlike many other sharks, whale sharks' mouths are located at the front of the head rather than on the underside of the head. A whale shark was reported to have a mouth across. The head is wide and flat with two small eyes at the front corners. The spiracles are located just behind the eyes. Whale sharks have five large pairs of gills. Their skin is dark grey with a white belly marked with pale grey or white spots and stripes which are unique to each individual. Its skin can be up to 15 cm thick and is very hard and rough to the touch. The whale shark has three prominent ridges along its sides, which start above and behind the head and end at the caudal peduncle. The shark has two dorsal fins set relatively far back on the body, a pair of pectoral fins, a pair of pelvic fins and a single medial anal fin. The tail has a larger upper lobe than the lower lobe (heterocercal).


title: Whale shark

text: Whale sharks were found to possess dermal denticles on the surface of their eyeballs which are structured differently from their body denticles. These denticles serve to protect the eye from damage, along with the whale shark's ability to retract its eye deep into its socket.


title: Whale shark

text: Evidence suggests that whale sharks can recover from major injuries and may be able to regenerate small sections of their fins. Their spot markings have also been shown to reform over a previously wounded area.


title: Whale shark

text: The whale shark is the largest non-cetacean animal in the world. Evidence suggests that whale sharks exhibit sexual dimorphism with regards to size, with males not growing as large as females. A study looked at the growth of whale shark individuals over 10 years. It concluded that males on average reach 8 to 9 meters (26 to 30 ft) in length; although this does not represent the maximum possible size. The same study predicted females reaching a length of around on average, based on more limited data. Previous studies estimating the growth and longevity of whale sharks have produced estimates ranging from in length. Limited evidence, mostly from males, suggests that sexual maturity occurs around in length, with females possibly maturing at a similar size or larger. The maximum length of the species is uncertain due to a lack of detailed documentation of the largest reported individuals. Several whale sharks around 18 m (59 ft) in length have been reported.


title: Whale shark

text: Large whale sharks are difficult to measure accurately, both on the land and in the water. When measured on land, the total length can be affected by how the tail is positioned, either angled as it would be in life or stretched to the maximum possible. Historically, techniques such as comparisons to objects of known size and knotted ropes have been used for in-water measurements and may suffer from inaccuracy. In 2011, laser photogrammetry was proposed to improve in-water measurement accuracy.


title: Whale shark

text: In 1868, the Irish natural scientist Edward Perceval Wright obtained several small whale shark specimens in the Seychelles. Wright was informed of one whale shark that was measured as exceeding . Wright claimed to have observed specimens over and was told of specimens upwards of .


title: Whale shark

text: Hugh M. Smith described a huge animal caught in a bamboo fish trap in Thailand in 1919. The shark was too heavy to pull ashore, and no measurements were taken. Smith learned through independent sources that it was at least 10 wa (a Thai unit of length measuring between a person's outstretched arms). Smith noted that one wa could be interpreted as either or the approximate average of , and weighed approximately 37 tonnes (81,500 lb) based on the local fishermen. Later sources have stated this whale shark as approximately , with a weight of 43 tonnes, but the accuracy of the estimate has been questioned.


title: Whale shark

text: In 1934, a ship named the "Maunganui" came across a whale shark in the southern Pacific Ocean, rammed it, and the shark became stuck on the prow of the ship, supposedly with on one side and on the other, suggesting a total length of about .


title: Whale shark

text: Scott A. Eckert & Brent S. Stewart reported on satellite tracking of whale sharks from between 1994 and 1996. Out of the 15 individuals tracked, two females were reported as measuring and respectively. A long whale shark was reported as being stranded along the Ratnagiri coast in 1995. A female individual with a standard length of (and an estimated total length at ) was reported from the Arabian Sea in 2001. In a 2015 study looking into the size of marine megafauna, McClain and colleagues considered this female as being the most reliable and accurately measured.


title: Whale shark

text: On 7 February 2012, a large whale shark was found floating off the coast of Karachi, Pakistan. The length of the specimen was said to be between , with a weight of around .


title: Whale shark

text: The whale shark inhabits all tropical and warm-temperate seas. The fish is primarily pelagic, and can be found in both coastal and oceanic habitats. Tracking devices have shown that the whale shark displays dynamic patterns of habitat utilization, likely in response to availability of prey. Whale sharks observed off the northeast Yucatan Peninsula tend to engage in inshore surface swimming between sunrise and mid-afternoon, followed by regular vertical oscillations in oceanic waters during the afternoon and overnight. About 95% of the oscillating period was spent in epipelagic depths (<), but whale sharks also took regular deep dives (>), often descending in brief "stutter steps", perhaps for foraging. The deepest recorded dive was , making the whale shark the deepest diving fish to be recorded. Whale sharks were also observed to remain continuously at depths of greater than for three days or more.


title: Whale shark

text: The whale shark is migratory and has two distinct subpopulations: an Atlantic subpopulation, from Maine and the Azores to Cape Agulhas, South Africa, and an Indo-Pacific subpopulation which holds 75% of the entire whale shark population. It usually roams between 30°N and 35°S where water temperatures are higher than but have been spotted as far north as the Bay of Fundy, Canada and the Sea of Okhotsk north of Japan and as far south as Victoria, Australia.


title: Whale shark

text: Seasonal feeding aggregations occur at several coastal sites such as the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia, Darwin Island in the Galápagos, Quintana Roo in Mexico, Mafia Island of Pwani Region in Tanzania, Inhambane province in Mozambique, the Philippines, around Mahe in the Seychelles, the Gujarat and Kerala coasts of India, Taiwan, southern China and Qatar.


title: Whale shark

text: In 2011, more than 400 whale sharks gathered off the Yucatan Coast. It was one of the largest gatherings of whale sharks recorded. Aggregations in that area are among the most reliable seasonal gatherings known for whale sharks, with large numbers occurring in most years between May and September. Associated ecotourism has grown rapidly to unsustainable levels.


title: Whale shark

text: Growth, longevity, and reproduction of the whale shark are poorly understood. There was uncertainty as to whether vertebrae growth bands are formed annually or biannually, which is important in determining the age, growth, and longevity of whale sharks. A 2020 study compared the ratio of Carbon-14 isotopes found in growth bands of whale shark vertebrae to nuclear testing events in the 1950-60s, finding that growth bands are laid down annually. The study found an age of 50 years for a female and 35 years for a 9.9m male. Various studies looking at vertebrae growth bands and measuring whale sharks in the wild have estimated their lifespans from ~80 years and up to ~130 years.


title: Whale shark

text: Evidence suggests that males grow faster than females in the earlier stages of life but ultimately reach a smaller maximum size. Whale sharks exhibit late sexual maturity. One study looking at free-swimming whale sharks estimated the age at maturity in males at ~25 years.


title: Whale shark

text: Pupping of whale sharks has not been observed, but mating has been witnessed twice in St Helena. Mating in this species was filmed for the first time in whale sharks off Ningaloo Reef via airplane in Australia in 2019, when a larger male unsuccessfully attempted to mate with a smaller, immature female.


title: Whale shark

text: The capture of a ~ female in July 1996 that was pregnant with ~300 pups indicated that whale sharks are ovoviviparous. The eggs remain in the body and the females give birth to live young which are long. Evidence indicates the pups are not all born at once, but rather the female retains sperm from one mating and produces a steady stream of pups over a prolonged period.


title: Whale shark

text: On 7 March 2009, marine scientists in the Philippines discovered what is believed to be the smallest living specimen of the whale shark. The young shark, measuring only , was found with its tail tied to a stake at a beach in Pilar, Sorsogon, Philippines, and was released into the wild. Based on this discovery, some scientists no longer believe this area is just a feeding ground; this site may be a birthing ground, as well. Both young whale sharks and pregnant females have been seen in the waters of St Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean, where numerous whale sharks can be spotted during the summer.


title: Whale shark

text: In a report from Rappler last August 2019, whale sharks were sighted during WWF Philippines’ photo identification activities in the first half of the year. There were a total 168 sightings – 64 of them “re-sightings” or reappearances of previously recorded whale sharks. WWF noted that “very young whale shark juveniles" were identified among the 168 individuals spotted in the first half of 2019. Their presence suggests that the Ticao Pass may be a pupping ground for whale sharks, further increasing the ecological significance of the area.


title: Whale shark

text: The whale shark is a filter feeder – one of only three known filter-feeding shark species (along with the basking shark and the megamouth shark). It feeds on plankton including copepods, krill, fish eggs, Christmas Island red crab larvae and small nektonic life, such as small squid or fish. It also feeds on clouds of eggs during mass spawning of fish and corals. The many rows of vestigial teeth play no role in feeding. Feeding occurs either by ram filtration, in which the animal opens its mouth and swims forward, pushing water and food into the mouth, or by active suction feeding, in which the animal opens and closes its mouth, sucking in volumes of water that are then expelled through the gills. In both cases, the filter pads serve to separate food from water. These unique, black sieve-like structures are presumed to be modified gill rakers. Food separation in whale sharks is by cross-flow filtration, in which the water travels nearly parallel to the filter pad surface, not perpendicularly through it, before passing to the outside, while denser food particles continue to the back of the throat. This is an extremely efficient filtration method that minimizes fouling of the filter pad surface. Whale sharks have been observed "coughing", presumably to clear a build-up of particles from the filter pads. Whale sharks migrate to feed and possibly to breed.


title: Whale shark

text: The whale shark is an active feeder, targeting concentrations of plankton or fish. It is able to ram filter feed or can gulp in a stationary position. This is in contrast to the passive feeding basking shark, which does not pump water. Instead, it swims to force water across its gills.


title: Whale shark

text: The BBC program "Planet Earth" filmed a whale shark feeding on a school of small fish. The same documentary showed footage of a whale shark timing its arrival to coincide with the mass spawning of fish shoals and feeding on the resultant clouds of eggs and sperm.


title: Whale shark

text: Whale sharks are known to prey on a range of planktonic and small nektonic organisms that are spatiotemporally patchy. These include krill, crab larvae, jellyfish, sardines, anchovies, mackerels, small tunas, and squid. In ram filter feeding, the fish swims forward at constant speed with its mouth fully open, straining prey particles from the water by forward propulsion. This is also called ‘passive feeding’, which usually occurs when prey is present at low density.


title: Whale shark

text: Due their mode of feeding, whale sharks are susceptible to the ingestion of microplastics. As such, the presence of microplastics in whale shark scat was recently confirmed.


title: Whale shark

text: Despite its size, the whale shark does not pose any danger to humans. Whale sharks are docile fish and sometimes allow swimmers to catch a ride, although this practice is discouraged by shark scientists and conservationists because of the disturbance to the sharks. Younger whale sharks are gentle and can play with divers. Underwater photographers such as Fiona Ayerst have photographed them swimming close to humans without any danger.


title: Whale shark

text: The shark is seen by divers in many places, including the Bay Islands in Honduras, Thailand, Indonesia (Bone Bolango, Cendrawasih Bay), the Philippines, the Maldives close to Maamigili (South Ari Atoll), the Red Sea, Western Australia (Ningaloo Reef, Christmas Island), Taiwan, Panama (Coiba Island), Belize, Tofo Beach in Mozambique, Sodwana Bay (Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park) in South Africa, the Galapagos Islands, Saint Helena, Isla Mujeres (Caribbean Sea), La Paz, Baja California Sur and Bahía de los Ángeles in Mexico, the Seychelles, West Malaysia, islands off eastern peninsular Malaysia, India, Sri Lanka, Oman, Fujairah, Puerto Rico, and other parts of the Caribbean. Juveniles can be found near the shore in the Gulf of Tadjoura, near Djibouti, in the Horn of Africa.


title: Whale shark

text: There is currently no robust estimate of the global whale shark population. The species is considered endangered by the IUCN due to the impacts of fisheries, by-catch losses, and vessel strikes, combined with its long lifespan and late maturation. In June 2018 the New Zealand Department of Conservation classified the whale shark as "Migrant" with the qualifier "Secure Overseas" under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.


title: Whale shark

text: It is listed, along with six other species of sharks, under the CMS Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Sharks. In 1998, the Philippines banned all fishing, selling, importing, and exporting of whale sharks for commercial purposes, followed by India in May 2001, and Taiwan in May 2007.


title: Whale shark

text: In 2010, the Gulf of Mexico oil spill resulted in of oil flowing into an area south of the Mississippi River Delta, where one-third of all whale shark sightings in the northern part of the gulf have occurred in recent years. Sightings confirmed that the whale sharks were unable to avoid the oil slick, which was situated on the surface of the sea where the whale sharks feed for several hours at a time. No dead whale sharks were found.


title: Whale shark

text: This species was also added to Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 2003 to regulate the international trade of live specimens and its parts.


title: Whale shark

text: The whale shark is popular in the few public aquariums that keep it, but its large size means that a very large tank is required and it has specialized feeding requirements. Their large size and iconic status have also fueled an opposition to keeping the species in captivity, especially after the early death of some whale sharks in captivity and certain Chinese aquariums keeping the species in relatively small tanks.


title: Whale shark

text: The first attempt at keeping whale sharks in captivity was in 1934 when an individual was kept for about four months in a netted-off natural bay in Izu, Japan. The first attempt of keeping whale sharks in an aquarium was initiated in 1980 by the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium (then known as Okinawa Ocean Expo Aquarium) in Japan. Since 1980, several have been kept at Okinawa, mostly obtained from incidental catches in coastal nets set by fishers (none after 2009), but two were strandings. Several of these were already weak from the capture/stranding and some were released, but initial captive survival rates were low. After the initial difficulties in maintaining the species had been resolved, some have survived long-term in captivity. The record for a whale shark in captivity is an individual that, as of 2021, has lived for more than 26 years in the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium from Okinawa Ocean Expo Aquarium. Following Okinawa, Osaka Aquarium started keeping whale sharks and most of the basic research on the keeping of the species was made at these two institutions.


title: Whale shark

text: Since the mid-1990s, several other aquariums have kept the species in Japan (Kagoshima Aquarium, Kinosaki Marine World, Notojima Aquarium, Oita Ecological Aquarium, and Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise), South Korea (Aqua Planet Jeju), China (Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, Dalian Aquarium, Guangzhou Aquarium in Guangzhou Zoo, Qingdao Polar Ocean World and Yantai Aquarium), Taiwan (National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium), India (Thiruvananthapuram Aquarium) and Dubai (Atlantis, The Palm), with some maintaining whale sharks for years and others only for a very short period. The whale shark kept at Dubai's Atlantis, The Palm was rescued from shallow waters in 2008 with extensive abrasions to the fins and after rehabilitation it was released in 2010, having lived 19 months in captivity. Marine Life Park in Singapore had planned on keeping whale sharks, but scrapped this idea in 2009.


title: Whale shark

text: Outside Asia, the first and so far only place to keep whale sharks is Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, United States. This is unusual because of the comparatively long transport time and complex logistics required to bring the sharks to the aquarium, ranging between 28 and 36 hours. Georgia keeps two whale sharks: two males, Taroko and Yushan, who both arrived in 2007. Two earlier males at Georgia Aquarium, Ralph and Norton, both died in 2007. Trixie died in 2020. Alice died in 2021. Georgia's whale sharks were all imported from Taiwan and were taken from the commercial fishing quota for the species, usually used locally for food. Taiwan closed this fishery entirely in 2008.


title: Whale shark

text: In Madagascar, whale sharks are called in Malagasy, meaning "many stars", after the appearance of the markings on the shark's back.


title: Whale shark

text: In the Philippines, it is called and . The whale shark is featured on the reverse of the Philippine 100-peso bill. By law snorkelers must maintain a distance of from the sharks and there is a fine and possible prison sentence for anyone who touches the animals.


title: Whale shark

text: Whale sharks are also known as in Japan (because the markings resemble patterns typically seen on ); in Indonesia; and (literally "sir fish") in Vietnam.


title: Whale shark

text: The whale shark is also featured on the latest 2015–2017 edition of the Maldivian 1000 rufiyaa banknote, along with the green turtle.


title: Mary Boleyn

text: Mary Boleyn, also known as Lady Mary, (c. 1499 – 19 July 1543) was the sister of English queen consort Anne Boleyn, whose family enjoyed considerable influence during the reign of King Henry VIII.