What better way to end the month than to recognize an individual who is African American, openly gay, a father, and has served as a political figure for our country. I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Jason Bartlett at a conference that we were both presenting at in West Palm Beach and I was instantly swept away with his charm. When meeting this very intelligent gentleman I was delighted to learn of all his accomplishments and to learn how humble and kind he is. I am the most excited to honor Jason Bartlett as my final inspiration for Black History Month and I challenge each of you to discover your own inspirations for your individual lives.
Jason Bartlett is an American businessman and politician from Connecticut. A Democrat, he was a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011, representing the state's second district in Bethel, Danbury and Redding. He was defeated for re-election on November 2, 2010.
Bartlett was raised in Redding and graduated from Redding Public Schools, before earning a B.A. in political science from the University of Connecticut.
He was elected a state representative in 2006, defeating Republican Phil Gallagher by 4,112 votes (54 percent) to 3,524 (46 percent). In 2008, Bartlett was re-elected to a second term, polling 54% — a margin of 945 votes. In 2010, Bartlett faced Republican Dan Carter and was defeated.
He had previously run in 2002 and 2004, losing on both occasions to Republican Hank Bielawa. He lost by over 450 votes in 2002, but the 2004 result was exceptionally close — Bartlett lost by just 87 votes, with 49.6 percent of the vote to Bielawa's 50.4 percent.
For over a decade, Bartlett has owned and operated his own mortgage company. He is the owner of Connecticut First Capitol in Bethel as well as a restaurant in Hartford. Bartlett is no longer with the mortgage company he owned and operated, and now works for the National Black Justice Coalition, a non-profit dedicated to ending racism and homophobia by empowering black lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.
He raised two sons, the children of his deceased uncle and aunt. Now 21 and 19 years old and both attending community college in Connecticut, they came to live with him when they were 11 and 9 respectively.
Bartlett is gay. Although his district is 96 percent white, Bartlett is African American. He served for a time as the country's only openly gay black state legislator, a distinction he lost when Simone Bell was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in December 2009.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Oksana Grigorieva to Face Extortion Charges?
Oksana Grigorieva to Face Extortion Charges?
Oksana Grigorieva, Mel Gibson's ex-girlfriend, leaves a Ralphs grocery store in Los Angeles. Mel Gibson was recently caught on tape admitting he punched the mother of his love child. (Pacific Coast News)
A Los Angeles County District Attorney will have to decide if Mel Gibson's ex Oksana Grigorieva should face criminal extortion charges, after she released tapes of the actor threatening her.
District Attorney spokesperson Jane Robinson told E! News: “Sheriff’s officials dropped off last part of the Mel investigation today. It’s under review.”
Being questioned is whether Oksana intentionally tried to gain $15 million in hush money to prevent the recordings from going public.
Soon after signing a custody agreement over their daugther Lucia, Oksana Grigorieva reneged and the recordings appeared a few months later, although she has always denied her involvement.
District Attorney spokesperson Jane Robinson told E! News: “Sheriff’s officials dropped off last part of the Mel investigation today. It’s under review.”
Being questioned is whether Oksana intentionally tried to gain $15 million in hush money to prevent the recordings from going public.
Soon after signing a custody agreement over their daugther Lucia, Oksana Grigorieva reneged and the recordings appeared a few months later, although she has always denied her involvement.
Discussing the taped phone call -- which sees the actor call her a “selfish b***h” -- Oksana Grigorieva said she began recording when she was scared she would not make it “through the night.”
She said: “I started taping it around 11 o'clock because I thought I'm actually not going to live through the night. I wanted my mother to be able to prove that if I'm dead that this is who did it."
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Lady Gaga Believes She Has '2 Souls'
Lady Gaga Believes She Has '2 Souls'
Lady Gaga poses with fans before heading into the NBC studios to tape the 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'. (Bauer Griffin)
Lady Gaga's paternal aunt Joanne Germanotta tragically died of lupus at the age of 19, but Gaga believes she's living on through her and inspiring all of her music and art.
Lady Gaga told WWD: “I really believe I have two hearts. I think I actually carry two souls in my body, and that I’m living out the rest of her life and her goodness -- she died a virgin, she died never having experienced all these things that we all get to love and experience in our lives. I think that I work in her image. I work in this life as part pop singer and part humanitarian, and to do great things for people because she was a good person and I don’t think she had enough time to do enough good.”
The 24-year-old singer insists the thing that is driving her career is her desire to help “disenfranchised” people, and she says she wrote her new track "Born This Way" -- which has been described as a pro-gay anthem -- to help her fans.
Lady Gaga told WWD: “I really believe I have two hearts. I think I actually carry two souls in my body, and that I’m living out the rest of her life and her goodness -- she died a virgin, she died never having experienced all these things that we all get to love and experience in our lives. I think that I work in her image. I work in this life as part pop singer and part humanitarian, and to do great things for people because she was a good person and I don’t think she had enough time to do enough good.”
The 24-year-old singer insists the thing that is driving her career is her desire to help “disenfranchised” people, and she says she wrote her new track "Born This Way" -- which has been described as a pro-gay anthem -- to help her fans.
Lady Gaga, who won three Grammy awards last weekend, explained: “I have so many young fans. I feel not only connected to them, but I feel responsible for them in many ways. They’re very smart. They’re very full of life. And it’s an important thing for me to listen to them. And when they say, ‘I feel disenfranchised,’ I speak for them as much as I can.
“I don’t do this for the money -- I want to make a difference. And I am making a difference with my music, which is why I wrote my new song, ‘Born This Way.’ It’s a song that’s much bigger than me or my understanding of fame. I want to continue to make a difference in every way that I can.”
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Taylor Momsen Wants a Boyfriend
Taylor Momsen Wants a Boyfriend
Taylor Momsen arrives at La Maroquinerie in good spirits as she prepares for her show tonight with her band, The Pretty Reckless. (Bauer Griffin)
Taylor Momsen is completely focused on her music career these days, but she admits she'd like to settle down with a guy in the future.
When asked if she is looking for love, she told BANG Showbiz: “Do I have time to meet guys? Well, at the moment not particularly, I don’t have a boyfriend right now.
“I love what I’m doing and I’m really proud of the record and excited about the tour, which is all positive. But, you know, I’m a girl. It’s not a priority for me but I’m a chick and every girl wants a guy. There’s no one off the top of my head who takes my fancy though.”
When asked if she is looking for love, she told BANG Showbiz: “Do I have time to meet guys? Well, at the moment not particularly, I don’t have a boyfriend right now.
“I love what I’m doing and I’m really proud of the record and excited about the tour, which is all positive. But, you know, I’m a girl. It’s not a priority for me but I’m a chick and every girl wants a guy. There’s no one off the top of my head who takes my fancy though.”
The 17-year-old star also admitted traveling the world with her band hasn't been as fun or glamorous as she initially expected it to be.
She explained: “The thing people don’t understand is that touring or traveling or whatever you do in my position means you go to all these cool places all over the world but you see everything from a car window. You don’t get to see much of the city or meet people at all. It’s different to how I would have thought it would be. It’s not just about the parties.”
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Roses Are Red for Rihanna in Oscar de la Renta
Roses Are Red for Rihanna in Oscar de la Renta
Rihanna accepted the Brit International Female award in a rose embroidered Oscar de la Renta ball gown.
(February 14, 2011 - Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images Europe)
(February 14, 2011 - Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images Europe)
(February 12, 2011 - Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images North America)
(February 12, 2011 - Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images North America)
(November 20, 2010 - Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images North America)
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Colin Firth Reveals the Key to Marriage
Colin Firth Reveals the Key to Marriage
Actor Colin Firth attends 'The King's Speech' press conference during day seven of the 61st Berlin International Film Festival at the Grand Hyatt on February 16, 2011 in Berlin, Germany. (Getty Images)
Colin Firth says marriage is like a "marathon" that never ends, in a good way. The 50-year-old actor is married to Italian film producer Livia Giuggioli and says the reason they've lasted 15 years together is that they take the time out of their hectic schedules for each other, and make sure to keep trucking along to get to that finish line at forever.
Colin Firth – who has two sons, nine-year-old Luca and Matteo, seven, with Livia - said: “You know, we've made it 15 years together. I think that's pretty good going, by Hollywood standards. And it’s going to go on forever. You just you navigate things on a daily basis. We are crazy about each other. We're very committed on a daily basis to how we deal with our family lives. But the real secret is time - we have to make sure that we spend enough time together. Every relationship in life you're going to have to take care of, there's a marathon factor to it.”
Although The King’s Speech star has a way with the ladies, he doesn't pay much attention to the female attention.
Although he is flattered that girls find him attractive, Colin Firth only has eyes for his wife.
In an interview on Piers Morgan Tonight, he added: “It does help to actually realize that however stunning the person who is, you know, fluttering eyelashes at you is she doesn't do anything to match up to your wife. Maybe it’s shallow of me to have a wife that’s so beautiful but it actually makes things easier. To me she’s the most beautiful woman in the world."
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Lindsay Lohan and Sam Ronson: Rekindled Romance?
Lindsay Lohan and Sam Ronson: Rekindled Romance?
DJ Samantha Ronson and actress Lindsay Lohan attend the the Charlotte Ronson Falll 2009 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at The Salon in Bryant Park on February 13, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for IMG) *** Local Caption *** Samantha Ronson;Lindsay Lohan (Getty Images)
These two have had quite their ups and downs, but it seems that for now, things are just lovely -- and possibly trending towards romantic -- for the former pair. Lindsay Lohan raised eyebrows when she moved into a new four-bedroom home in Venice...right next door to former flame Samantha Ronson.
And it sounds like they already might be enjoying snuggly sleepovers: "Watching grey's anatomy -- my fav show -- @lindsaylohan sleeping next 2 me -- should I wake her up to let her know her mom is going on GMA?" Samantha tweeted on Friday morning.
And it sounds like they already might be enjoying snuggly sleepovers: "Watching grey's anatomy -- my fav show -- @lindsaylohan sleeping next 2 me -- should I wake her up to let her know her mom is going on GMA?" Samantha tweeted on Friday morning.
They've been turning to Twitter to express mutual adoration for each other since LiLo has returned from rehab.
They exchanged a few lovey dovey tweets on Valentine's Day:
Lilo wrote: "@samantharonson hahahahahaha - have fun @thebrigvenice xxx."
We'll keep our eyes on their Twitter acounts for possible romance updates!
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Channing Tatum's On-Set Injury Made New Film More Believable
Channing Tatum's On-Set Injury Made New Film More Believable
Actor Channing Tatum arrives at the premiere of Screen Gem's "Dear John" at Grauman's Chinese Theater on February 1, 2010 in Hollywood, California. (Getty Images)
Channing Tatum suffered a very painful injury on the set of The Eagle when a set assistant accidentally poured very water down his wetsuit to ward off hypothermia, but the film's director Kevin MacDonald says his pain made his scenes more believable. No pain, no gain, right?
Kevin told Total Film magazine: “In some ways it did me a favor because what I was trying to do in that section was break him down. But Channing’s such a bulk and so strong and capable that it’s very hard to make him feel like he’s reached the end. He could hardly walk but it was good because it meant that when he was fighting in the final battle he was in pain and couldn’t do it very well.”
Channing Tatum described the injury as “unbelievable brutal” but is grateful he wasn’t left with permanent damage. He said: “There are no words … It was unbelievably brutal.
“There’s no scars or anything. I remember the medic saying, ‘I know it’s no consolation now, but it’s a good thing it hurts because it means there’s no nerve damage.”
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Denise Richards: Charlie Sheen's Wild Behavior 'Doesn't Surprise Me'
Denise Richards: Charlie Sheen's Wild Behavior 'Doesn't Surprise Me'
Actress Denise Richards enjoy a sunset walk with her kids Sam and Lola and her dad Irv. Denise is on vacation in Maui for the New Year. (Photo Agency)
Not everyone is shocked by the goings-on in Charlie Sheen's personal life these days. The actor's ex-wife Denise Richards -- with whom he has daughters Sam, six, and five-year-old Lola -- admitted his recent troubles are just more of the same.
She said: “It doesn’t surprise me. I mean, you know this is Charlie’s lifestyle. He makes no bones about it. And it is what it is.”
Denise Richards -- who divorced the 45-year-old actor in 2006 after four years of marriage -- also revealed she struggles with how to explain the situation to the couple’s children and is unsure of how much they understand about their father’s addictions.
Speaking on The View, the 39-year-old star said: “What can you say? It’s a very difficult situation in dealing with the subject. This has been something I have dealt with for years. This is not a new situation. There are times where his life is more colorful than others, more public than others, and as the kids get older it’s a difficult thing.
She said: “It doesn’t surprise me. I mean, you know this is Charlie’s lifestyle. He makes no bones about it. And it is what it is.”
Denise Richards -- who divorced the 45-year-old actor in 2006 after four years of marriage -- also revealed she struggles with how to explain the situation to the couple’s children and is unsure of how much they understand about their father’s addictions.
Speaking on The View, the 39-year-old star said: “What can you say? It’s a very difficult situation in dealing with the subject. This has been something I have dealt with for years. This is not a new situation. There are times where his life is more colorful than others, more public than others, and as the kids get older it’s a difficult thing.
“I’m learning as I go too. I have never had to deal with this and this was a subject I had hoped to talk with my children about as they got older. But it’s hard. I mean there are books that are out there. One in particular, I’m blanking on the title, it explains addiction to children. There are images and pictures that a child can understand.
"I don’t know what they fully comprehend from these conversations. They don’t know what some of these things are. So I do the best I can and it’s not easy.”
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The Situation Estimates He's Kissed About 1,000 Girls
The Situation Estimates He's Kissed About 1,000 Girls
TV personality Michael "The Situation" Sorrentino arrives at The 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards held at Staples Center on February 13, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images)
The Situation (Mike Sorrentino) has kissed a LOT of girls in his three years on reality TV. While on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, the Jersey Shore star admitted that he's become a big playa thanks to his newfound fame.
Ellen asked him: “In the last three years, how many girls have you kissed?"
To which Mike Sorrentino replied: “Ummm, really don't keep count. Do you want to guess?"
She mused: “I'm going to guess like 1,000?”
Mike Sorrentino then laughed: “You never know. That could be close! I'm joking. I really don't know."
Meanwhile, Mike’s Jersey Shore co-star Pauly D has revealed he will never fall in love on the series. The DJ - who had a brief romance with housemate JWoww – said: “Never fall in love in Jersey Shore. I love everybody in the house, we're all like really good friends now and they're almost like sisters at this point so I love living with them. We joke around and have fun but as far as anything more than that I don't think so, we'll just keep it on the friend level. At the moment I'm happy to just be single and I'm enjoying having a good time."
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Check Out Britney Spears' Video for 'Hold It Against Me'
Check Out Britney Spears' Video for 'Hold It Against Me'
It's been more than a year since Britney Spears has released a video, but never fear Brit fans, her vid for "Hold It Against Me" is finally here.
In a dazzling mix of dancing and surrealism, Britney Spears dances, kicks and punches her way through a video that gets very weird without crossing into Gaga territory. Fans are in for a surprise around the 2:40 mark in the video when it switches from a traditional style video to an awesome display of Britney's stranger side.
As the music glitches and pulses, Britney Spears flashes a digitally altered smile before spraying the room with paint from her fingers and then literally getting into a fight with herself that looks like it was lifted straight out of a videogame.
Check out the video below and let us know what you think in our poll.
In a dazzling mix of dancing and surrealism, Britney Spears dances, kicks and punches her way through a video that gets very weird without crossing into Gaga territory. Fans are in for a surprise around the 2:40 mark in the video when it switches from a traditional style video to an awesome display of Britney's stranger side.
As the music glitches and pulses, Britney Spears flashes a digitally altered smile before spraying the room with paint from her fingers and then literally getting into a fight with herself that looks like it was lifted straight out of a videogame.
Check out the video below and let us know what you think in our poll.
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Ellen Pompeo Wants to Give You a Huggies
Ellen Pompeo Wants to Give You a Huggies
Actress Ellen Pompeo attends The American Cancer Society's Choose You luncheon at Cafe SFA - Saks Fifth Avenue on May 5, 2010 in New York City. (Getty Images)
Extra's Terri Seymour spoke with Grey's Anatomy's Ellen Pompeo about babies -- in particular, her 1-year-old bundle of joy, Stella. The actress lit up when she said her daughter was now walking and talking. "[It's] terrifying because who knows what she'll pick up out of my mouth?!"
When asked how she keeps her marriage alive, Ellen Pompeo blushed and said, "Have you seen my husband? He's so cute!"
Ellen Pompeo was tight-lipped when it came to her Grey's Anatomy character possibly getting pregnant in the near future. On the other hand, the actress was anxious to talk about her charitable cause with Huggies and the National Hockey League -- to provide diapers for mothers in need.
To find out how you can help, visit EveryLittleBottom.com and text 501501 and enter your favorite hockey team.
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David Arquette's First Post-Rehab Interview Will be with Oprah
David Arquette's First Post-Rehab Interview Will be with Oprah
A wedding ring-less David Arquette clowning around with funnyman Jeff Beacher in West Hollywood. Arquette, who is married to "Cougartown" star Courtney Cox-Arquette, and Las Vegas showman Beacher are working together on a new "Madhouse" venture at the world-famous Roosevelt Hotel in LA, which is set to launch next month. According to reports, the "Madhouse" will feature a live cabert and all the waiters will be little people. (Pacific Coast News)
David Arquette is out of rehab, so now he's heading to Oprah! The funnyman, who split with Courteney Cox late last year then admitted that he turned to alcohol to cope, will open up to the talk show host next week, reports Us magazine.
"Oprah's interview with David airs on February 24," a Harpo rep revealed. "It will be the first he's given since her recently completed rehab."
David Arquette will actually be replacing Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick on the episode of the talk show, but the NFL star canceled.
"He said personal reasons; we're not going to push it." Oprah revealed. "We did a field trip with him. We had been shooting with Michael. And the fact that he pulled out and all his people. . .We move on."
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Halle Berry Rejoins Movie Cast
Halle Berry Rejoins Movie Cast
Actress Halle Berry arrives at the 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at The Beverly Hilton hotel on January 16, 2011 in Beverly Hills, California. (Getty Images)
Only hours after going to court with her daughter Nahla's father, Gabriel Aubry, news breaks that Halle Berry will now rejoin the cast of New Year's Eve, a film she had recently pulled out of.
A rep for New Line and a rep for Berry both tell ET that the actress will indeed have a role in New Year's Eve, though it will be a different role than her original part, which was taken over by Katherine Heigl.
Back in January, Berry reportedly gave up her original role in the film in order to be available for litigation regarding a custody battle over Nahla.
Only hours after going to court with her daughter Nahla's father, Gabriel Aubry, news breaks that Halle Berry will now rejoin the cast of 'New Year's Eve,' a film she had recently pulled out of.
Berry met in a Los Angeles Superior courtroom Wednesday to discuss custody issues with Aubry, a source tells ET. Aubry filed papers Tuesday in the same court to dismiss the custody case where he wanted to be legally recognized as the father of the young girl. Berry and Aubry were in a heated dispute earlier this month amid reports of angry emails, text messages, voicemails and an ugly accusation of racism.
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The Week In Words: February 18, 2011
The Week In Words: February 18, 2011
What did the celebs have to say this week? Paris Hilton dished on her "crazy twenties," Justin Bieber said his fans can't be stopped, Taylor Momsen said she wants a boyfriend, and that's just for starters. Check out all 10 juicy quotes inside!
(Photo By Pacific Coast News)
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January Jones on Dating: 'I Can't Commit'
January Jones on Dating: 'I Can't Commit'
Actress January Jones arrives at Warner Bros. Los Angeles Premiere of "Unknown" held at Regency Village Theatre on February 16, 2011 in Westwood, California. (Getty Images)
Extra correspondent Jerry Penacoli sat down with the lovely January Jones, currently starring in the action thriller Unknown -- and talked about dating in the spotlight. "I think it's tough to date in general," the actress, who recently split with SNL's Jason Sudekis, explained. "But maybe it's hard because I live such a transient lifestyle. Never in one place for too long. Plus, I can't commit... all over the place. It's me." She quipped, "I'm like Queen Elizabeth I; I'm going to marry myself.
The Mad Men star plays another ice queen in Unknown, as Liam Neeson's supposed wife who turns on him, but the actress says she'd love to do a comedy someday. "When someone writes one that's funny, I'll do it." Jones is excited about her upcoming role in, playing mutant Emma Frost. "Now THAT'S a comedy," she laughed. How so? "Interesting outfits. It was really fun, though. I've never done anything like it before. All the stunts and costumes -- and such a cool group of actors." Unknown crashes into theaters this Friday. X-Men: First Class mutates in theaters June 3.
The Mad Men star plays another ice queen in Unknown, as Liam Neeson's supposed wife who turns on him, but the actress says she'd love to do a comedy someday. "When someone writes one that's funny, I'll do it." Jones is excited about her upcoming role in, playing mutant Emma Frost. "Now THAT'S a comedy," she laughed. How so? "Interesting outfits. It was really fun, though. I've never done anything like it before. All the stunts and costumes -- and such a cool group of actors." Unknown crashes into theaters this Friday. X-Men: First Class mutates in theaters June 3.
Premiere Of Warner Bros. "Unknown" - Red Carpet
17th Annual SAG Awards
17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards - Cocktail Reception
(August 28, 2010 - Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images North America)
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Fake Yanks: Five Foreigners Who Can Pull Off an American Accent
Fake Yanks: Five Foreigners Who Can Pull Off an American Accent
American movie and telvision watchers: don't look now, but we've been invaded. These actors have all managed to pull off an American accent, supressing their natural dialects for our Yankee drawl. Check out these five actors who sound as American as apple pie, even if they'd perhaps prefer a nice crumpet.
(Getty Images)
Hugh Laurie
Actor Hugh Laurie accepts the Favorite TV Drama Actor award during the People's Choice Awards 2010 held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on January 6, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images)
On House, Hugh Laurie is perfectly irascible, and has a perfect American accent. But in reality he was born in Oxford, England and has the accent to prove it.
Minnie Driver
Actress Minnie Driver arrives at "Barney's Version" screening during AFI FEST 2010 presented by Audi held at Egyptian Theatre on November 6, 2010 in Hollywood, California. (Getty Images)
London-born Minnie Driver came to the attention of American audiences with a decidedly British brogue in Good Will Hunting.
Simon Baker
Actor Simon Baker attends "Margin Call" Premiere at the Eccles Center Theatre during the 2011 Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2011 in Park City, Utah. (Getty Images)
Simon Baker shows off his acute mental prowess on The Mentalist, but you would never know by hearing him talk that he's actually from Tasmania, Australia. Check out the charming Baker showing off his dialogue skills on The Mentalist before breaking into his Aussie accent when appearing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Emma Watson
(UK TABLOID NEWSPAPERS OUT) Emma Watson attends a Warner Bros - Leavesden Studios photocall held at Claridges on November 10, 2010 in London, England. (Getty Images)
It's hard to think of someone more British than stately young Emma Watson, but thanks to her time attending an American university, she's starting to pick up an American accent.
Andrew Lincoln
Actor Andrew Lincoln attends "The Walking Dead" premiere at the Capitol cinema on November 3, 2010 in Madrid, Spain. (Getty Images)
On the hit AMC show The Walking Dead, Andrew Lincoln has an accent as Southern as chicken-fried steak. But in reality, Lincoln was born in London, and has the natural accent to prove it.
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