celebrities today

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

amanda seyfried early work and career

Amanda Michelle Seyfried born December 3, 1985 is an American actress, singer-songwriter and former child model. She began her career as a child model when she was 11 and at 15 she began her career as an actress, starting off with uncredited roles and going on to recurring roles on As the World Turns and All My Children.
In 2004, Seyfried made her film debut in Mean Girls playing Karen Smith, the ditziest of the so-called "Plastics". Her subsequent films include Nine Lives (2005) and Alpha Dog (2006). In 2006, she landed a lead role on HBO's popular television series Big Love. After that, Seyfried appeared as Sophie Sheridan in the 2008 musical feature film Mamma Mia!. Other recent appearances include lead roles in Jennifer's Body, Chloe, Dear John, Veronica Mars and Letters to Juliet.
Contents
* 1 Early life
* 2 Career
o 2.1 Early work
o 2.2 Big Love and beyond
* 3 Upcoming projects
* 4 Personal life
* 5 In the media
* 6 Filmography
* 7 Awards and nominations
* 8 Rankings
* 9 References
* 10 External links
Early life
Seyfried was born in Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania on December 3, 1985.Seyfried's mother, Ann (née Sander), is an occupational therapist, and her father, Jack, is a pharmacist. Seyfried has one older sister, Jennifer Seyfried, who is a musician in the Philadelphia organ-driven rock band Love City. Seyfried graduated in 2003 from Allentown's William Allen High School.
Career
Early work
I was naturally skinny and had braces, so I wasn't a cute model. I never felt pretty but it was fun and I got a cool pay check to buy sweets with.
Seyfried on her modeling career
In 1995, Seyfried began her acting career at age nine, and modeling at the age of 11. During her time modeling she appeared in print ads for clothing companies including Limited Too with Leighton Meester. She stopped modeling when she was seventeen. Seyfried took voice lessons, studied opera, and trained with a Broadway coach while still a teen. She began acting as an uncredited extra in the daytime drama television series Guiding Light. In 2000 until 2001, she portrayed the recurring character Lucy Montgomery on the television show As the World Turns. From 2002 to 2003, Seyfried played the recurring role of Joni Stafford on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) broadcasted show, All My Children.
In 2003, Seyfried auditioned to play the mean-girl role of Regina George in the Mean Girls; the role eventually went to Rachel McAdams. While she was initially considered to play the lead role of Cady Heron, played by Lindsay Lohan, the producers of the film decided that Seyfried should play Karen Smith, Regina's dim-witted "Plastic" friend and sidekick. The film was a box-office success, earning over $129 million in its theatrical run. Seyfried's performance in the film earned her, along with Lohan and McAdams, an MTV Movie Award in the category of "Best On-Screen Team.
Seyfried auditioned to play the title character on UPN's television series Veronica Mars.The role eventually went to Kristen Bell, and Seyfried portrayed the title character's murdered best friend, Lilly Kane. Her character was only shown in flashbacks. creator, Rob Thomas felt that Seyfried's portrayal as Lilly Kane was outstanding that he used her more times in the show than he initially planned in the first season. appeared in ten episodes from 2004–2005.
In 2005, Seyfried played the lead character, Samantha, a role written by director Rodrigo Garcia specifically for her, in one of the nine parts in the film Nine Lives, comprising nine short films with different themes and an ensemble cast. For her performance in the film, Seyfried, along with her film's other female leads, won an award from the Locarno International Film Festival, for Best Actress. The same year she played supporting character Mouse in the independent film, American Gun.
In 2006 Seyfried appeared in five episodes on Wildfire as Rebecca and had lead role as Chrissy in the short film titled Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves, by writer-director Andrea Janakas. Seyfried also contributed a minor role as Julie Beckley in Alpha Dog. From 2004 to 2006, Seyfried made multiple guest appearances on television series, including House, M.D., Justice, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, American Dad! and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. In 2008, Seyfried also appeared and played a supporting role in the independent short film, Official Selection.

amanda seyfried

denise richards early life and career

Denise Lee Richards born February 17, 1971 is an American actress and former fashion model. She achieved success during the late 1990s in several films, including Starship Troopers, Wild Things, and The World Is Not Enough. She appeared on the reality TV show, Denise Richards: It's Complicated, which was carried by American cable channel E!.
Contents
* 1 Early life and career
* 2 Personal life
* 3 Filmography
o 3.1 Television
* 4 References
* 5 External links
Early life and career
Richards was born in Downers Grove, Illinois, the daughter of Joni, a coffee shop owner, and Irv Richards, a telephone engineer. She is of Welsh descent on her father's side and of Croatian descent on her mother's, and was raised a Catholic. She has one sister, Michelle, and grew up in both Mokena and Downers Grove, Illinois. She graduated in 1989 from El Camino High School in Oceanside, California. As a child, she was the "only girl on the baseball team."
Before she was an actress, Richards was signed by the Judith Fontaine Modeling & Talent Agency as a model.[citation needed] She spent the majority of the 1990s appearing in lower-budget films and TV shows such as Saved by the Bell, television movies, and guest starring in episodes of several television shows such as Married with Children (1991), a 5 second walk through. Her first starring role in a wide theatrical release was Starship Troopers in 1997, which was followed by her role in the moderately successful cult film Wild Things in 1998. In 1998, she appeared in the music video for the Blues Traveler song Canadian Rose.
Richards was cast as the nuclear-physicist Christmas Jones in the 1999 James Bond film The World Is Not Enough (1999). Though she considered her role "brainy", "athletic", and having depth of character, she was criticized as not credible in the role. Her outfit, which often comprised a low-cut tank top and tight shorts, elicited comments. She was ranked as one of the worst Bond girls of all time by Entertainment Weekly in 2008, and was chosen as "Worst Supporting Actress" at the 1999 Razzie Awards for the role.
In addition to her film work, Richards has made appearances in the situation comedies Spin City, Two and a Half Men, Friends and Seinfeld. She also starred in the short-lived UPN series Sex, Love & Secrets in 2005.
Throughout the early 2000s, Richards appeared in several film roles which both parodied and utilized her image as a sex symbol, including Valentine, Undercover Brother and Scary Movie 3. In December 2004, she posed for a nude pictorial in Playboy magazine, five months after giving birth. Richards also posed semi-nude for the July 2006 issue of Jane magazine to raise money for the Clothes Off Our Back Foundation. In 1999, she ranked 9th in Maxim's 50 Sexiest Women and in 2001 she was voted 2nd in FHM's USA 100 Sexiest Women, 5th in FHM's 100 Sexiest Women and 19th in AskMen.com's 50 Most Beautiful Women.
Richards appeared on the 8th season of Dancing with the Stars, paired with Maksim Chmerkovskiy. She was eliminated second on March 24, 2009. Richards sang "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh-inning stretch at Wrigley Field on May 1, 2009.
Personal life
Denise Richards in 1999 at the premiere of The World Is Not Enough
In 2002, Richards married actor Charlie Sheen, with whom she appeared in Good Advice and then Scary Movie 3, in which she played his character's wife who was pinned to a tree in a car accident. They have two daughters, Sam J. Sheen (born March 9, 2004) and Lola Rose Sheen (born June 1, 2005).
In March 2005, Richards filed for a divorce from Sheen. The couple briefly reconciled and were seeking marriage counseling to mend their relationship. However, on January 4, 2006, Richards' representative announced that she was continuing with the divorce, and she later sought a restraining order against Sheen, citing his alleged death threats against her. Richards once dated actor Patrick Muldoon; She has been linked to actor John Stamos, whom she dated during her teenage years.
On April 19, 2006, Richards filed formal legal papers asking for a divorce from Sheen under the laws of the state of California. In her court filing, Richards alleged that Sheen's behavior was increasingly erratic, making their marriage impossible, and that she feared for her safety and the safety of their daughters. Richards claimed that Sheen was physically and verbally abusive and threatened to kill her or have her killed, and that despite having accidentally shot his previous fiancée, Kelly Preston, he wanted to place firearms under their coffee table to protect them. Richards claimed that Sheen had become paranoid and obsessive, citing his belief in 9/11 conspiracy theories, a belief that baby formula caused brain damage, a desire to purchase gas masks, and an "abnormal fascination" with Nicole Simpson's death. Further, Richards alleged that Sheen visited prostitutes and was addicted to gambling, prescription drugs (which he bought over the Internet), and pornography. Richards also alleged that Sheen posted a picture of his erect penis on his online profile of a "sex-search type" website and that he frequently viewed pornography featuring "very young girls," and websites "involving gay pornography also involving very young men who also did not look like adults. Based on these allegations, Richards sought and received a restraining order against Sheen.
Sheen denied the allegations. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, he described Richards' actions as a "smear campaign" and insisted that he was a responsible father who would "give his life for his children." He added that Richards is "the only one entirely culpable for putting these radical allegations out for public consumption... my children included."
On November 8, 2006, officers from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) were called to the River Rock Casino in Richmond, B.C., where Richards was making a movie. After seeing two photographers taking her picture from a nearby balcony, she confronted them, and threw their two laptop computers over the balcony. One laptop struck an 80-year-old woman in a wheelchair. The other laptop grazed the arm of a 91-year-old woman. Neither woman suffered serious injury, and no charges were pressed against Richards.
On December 1, 2007, it was announced that Richards' mother, Joni, died from cancer.
In 2008, Richards decided to include her two daughters with Charlie Sheen in her confessional reality program on E!, Denise Richards: It's Complicated, which premiered on May 26, 2008. He deemed her plans "greedy, vain and exploitative". On January 25, 2008, Richards won a court case against Sheen so that she can include her daughters in the show. When a judge rejected Sheen's request to block it, Sheen urged fans to boycott it.
An agreement was reached between Sheen and Richards regarding the custody of the children, with Sheen stating in April 2009 that “we had to do what’s best for the girls.
In a May 18, 2008 interview with Larry King on Larry King Live, when asked about her Catholicism, Richards claimed, "I do have faith.

denise richards

kristen stewa early life best stars

Kristen Jaymes Stewart born April 9, 1990 is an American actress. She is best known for playing Bella Swan in The Twilight Saga. She has also starred in films such as Panic Room 2002 Zathura 2005 , In the Land of Women 2007 The Messengers 2007 Adventureland 2009 and The Runaways . She has won various awards in three consecutive years.
Contents
1 Early life
* 2 Career
* 3 Personal life
* 4 Filmography
* 5 Awards and nominations
* 6 References
* 7 External links
Early life
Kristen Stewart was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. father, John Stewart, is a stage manager and television producer who has worked for FoxHer mother, Jules Mann-Stewart, is a script supervisor originally from Maroochydore, Queensland, Australia. She has an older brother, Cameron Stewart Stewart attended school until the seventh grade, and then continued her education by correspondenceShe has since completed high school
Career
Her whole family all worked behind the camera, and Stewart thought she would become a writer/director, but never considered being an actor. "I never wanted to be the center of attention I wasn't that 'I want to be famous, I want to be an actor' kid. I never sought out acting, but I always practiced my autograph because I love pens. I'd write my name on everything."Stewart's acting career began at the age of eight, after an agent saw her perform in her elementary school's Christmas play After a year of auditioning, Stewart's first role was a nonspeaking part in the film The Thirteenth YearThen, she had another part in the film The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas as the "ring toss girl"She subsequently appeared in the independent film The Safety of Objects, in which she played the tomboy daughter of a troubled single mother Patricia Clarkson Stewart had a major role in the Hollywood film Panic Room, playing the diabetic daughter of a divorced mother mJodie Foster The film received generally positive reviews, and Stewart garnered positive notices for her performance. She was nominated for a Young Artist Award for her performance
Panic Room's success, Stewart was cast in another thriller, Cold Creek Manor, playing the daughter of Dennis Quaid's and Sharon Stone's characters; the film generally failed at the box office. She was again nominated for a Young Artist Award for her performance. was revealed that at about this time in her career, she had to be homeschooled due to her irregular schedule, which was affecting her grades. She said, "I started homeschooling because my teachers were failing me. I think it was just resentment I made more work for them. But homeschooling is great; you can study what you want, which allows you to get more excited about what you're doing"
Her first starring role followed, in the children's action-comedy Catch That Kid, opposite Max Thieriot and Corbin Bleu. Stewart also played the role of Lila in the thriller Undertow. To date, Stewart's most critically acclaimed role may be in the Showtime television film Speak 2004 based on the novel by Laurie Halse Anderson. Stewart, 13 at the time of filming, played high school freshman Melinda Sordino, who stops almost all verbal contact after being raped. Stewart received great praise for playing the character, who had only a few speaking lines, but kept up a darkly humorous commentary inside her head throughout the film.
Kristen Stewart in Hollywood, 2007
In 2005, Stewart appeared in the fantasy-adventure film Zathura, playing the role of Lisa, the irresponsible older sister of two little boys, who turn their house into a spacecraft hurtling uncontrollably in outer space by playing a board game. The film received praise by critics, but Stewart's performance did not garner much media attention, as it was noted that her character is immobilized during most of the film following year, she played the character Maya in Fierce People, directed by Griffin Dunne. After that film, she received the lead role of Jess Solomon in the supernatural thriller film The Messengers.
In 2007, Stewart appeared as teenager Lucy Hardwicke in In the Land of Women, a romantic drama starring Meg Ryan and Adam Brody. The film, as well as Stewart's performance, received mixed reviews. That same year, Stewart appeared in Sean Penn's critically acclaimed adaptation film Into the Wild. For her portrayal of Tracy a teenage singer who has a crush on young adventurer Christopher McCandless Stewart received generally positive reviews. Salon.com considered her work a "sturdy, sensitive performanand the Chicago Tribune noted that she did "vividly well with a sketch of a role performance was not without detractors, however; Variety's critic Dennis Harvey wrote, "It's unclear whether Stewart means to be playing hippie-chick Tracy as vapid, or whether it just comes off that wayAfter Into the Wild, Stewart had a cameo appearance in Jumper and also appeared in What Just Happened, which was released in October 2008 She also co-stars in The Cake Eaters an independent film that has only been screened at film festivals.
On November 16, 2007, Summit Entertainment announced that Stewart would play Isabella "Bella" Swan in the film Twilight, based on Stephenie Meyer's bestselling vampire romance novel of the same nameStewart was on the set of Adventureland when director Catherine Hardwicke visited her for an informal screen test which "captivated" the direct She stars alongside Robert Pattinson, who plays Edward Cullen, her character's vampire boyfriend. The film began production in February 2008 and finished filming in May 2008. Twilight was released domestically on November 21, 2008 After the release of Twilight, Kristen Stewart was awarded the MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance for her portrayal as Bella Swan. Stewart reappeared as Bella in the sequel, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, and reprised this role in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.
Stewart has been nominated and presented with the BAFTA Rising Star awardAt the 2010 82nd Annual Academy Awards, Stewart and Twilight co-star Taylor Lautner presented a tribute in honour of the horror movie genr
2009, Stewart starred in The Yellow Handkerchief, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and was released into theaters in 2010 by Samuel Goldwyn Films. She also starred alongside James Gandolfini in Welcome to the Rileys, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2010.
Stewart most recently portrayed rock star Joan Jett in The Runaways, a biopic of the titular band from writer-director Floria Sigismondi Stewart met with Jett over the 2008–2009 New Year to prepare for the role, and ended up prerecording songs in a studio for the filmShe received nearly unanimous praise for her performance. Josh Tyler of Cinema Blend pronounced her to be "a modern day James Dean. She gives the kind of performance in The Runaways that hasn’t been seen on screen since his death. The Runaways is her Rebel Without a Cause ... she’s absolutely brilliant as Joan JettThe Metro Times wrote, "It turns out that Stewart is actually really good at capturing Jett's icy, tough-but-cool girl swagger, adding the needed touches of vulnerability that transform it into a pretty terrific performance... Stewart is a genuine rock star here Also, A.O. Scott of The New York Times noted "Ms. Stewart, watchful and unassuming, gives the movie its spine and soul.
will star in a film called K-11 with Jason MewesThe film, which is being directed by Stewart's mother, takes place in a dorm of the Los Angeles County Jail, and will feature Stewart as a male character She has also been cast in the role of Mary Lou in an upcoming film adaptation of Jack Kerouac's cult classic novel On the Road. Shooting began in August 2010
Personal life
Stewart currently lives in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles. Stewart has expressed a desire to live and work in Australia, saying, "I want to go to Sydney University in Australia. My mom's from there Apart from acting, she is also interested in attending college in the near future, saying, "I want to go to college for literature. I want to be a writer. I mean, I love what I do, but it's not all I want to do — be a professional liar for the rest of my life. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Stewart stated that she dated Michael Angarano, her co-star from Speak
Filmography
Film and television Year Rol Notes
1999 Thirteenth Year, TheThe Thirteenth Year Girl waiting for drink[33] Uncredited
2000 Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas, TheThe Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas Ring toss girl[34] Uncredited
2001 Safety of Objects, TheThe Safety of Objects Sam Jennings Limited release
2002 Panic Room Sarah Altman
2003 Cold Creek Manor Kristen Tilson
2004 Speak Melinda Sordino
2004 Catch That Kid Maddy
2004 Undertow Lila
2005 Fierce People Maya Osbourne Limited release
2005 Zathura Lisa
2007 Messengers, TheThe Messengers Jessica "Jess" Solomon
2007 In the Land of Women Lucy Hardwicke
2007 Cake Eaters, TheThe Cake Eaters Georgia Limited release
2007 Into the Wild Tracy Tatro
2007 Cutlass Young Robin Short film
2008 Jumper Sophie Cameo
2008 What Just Happened' Zoe
2008 Twilight Bella Swan
2009 Adventureland Emily "Em" Lewin
2009 Twilight Saga: New Moon, TheThe Twilight Saga: New Moon Bella Swan
2010 Yellow Handkerchief, TheThe Yellow Handkerchief Martine Limited release
2010 Runaways, TheThe Runaways Joan Jett
2010 Welcome to the Rileys Mallory
2010 Twilight Saga: Eclipse, TheThe Twilight Saga: Eclipse Bella Swan
2011 On the Road Marylou Post-production
2011 Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1, TheThe Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 Bella Swan Filming
2012 Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2, TheThe Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 Bella Swan Filming
Awards and nominations
List of awards and nominations Year Title of work AwarCategory Result Notes
2002 Panic Room Young Artist Awards Best performance in a feature film- Leading Young Actress Nominated
2003 Cold Creek Manor Young Artist Awards Best performance in a feature film- Supporting Young Actress Nominated
2004 Undertow Young Artist Awards Best performance in a feature film- Supporting Young Actress Nominated
2007 Into the Wild Young Artist Awards Best performance in a feature film- Supporting Young Actress Nominated
2007 Into the Wild Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture Nominated Entire Cast
2008 Twilight MTV Movie Awards Best Female Performance Won
2008 Twilight MTV Movie Awards Best Kiss Won Shared with Robert Pattinson
2008 Twilight Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie Actress Drama Won
2008 Twilight Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie Liplock Won Shared with Robert Pattinson
2008 Twilight Scream Awards Best Fantasy Actress Won
2008 Twilight Scream Awards Best Ensemble Cast Nominated
2008 Twilight People's Choice Awards Favourite On-Screen Team Won Shared with Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner
2008 Twilight People's Choice Awards Favourite Movie Actress Nominated
2009 Adventureland Gotham Awards Best Ensemble cast Nominated Entire cast
2009 Twilight Saga: New Moon, TheThe Twilight Saga: New Moon BAFTA Awards Rising Star Award Won
2009 Twilight Saga: New Moon, TheThe Twilight Saga: New Moon Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards Cutest Couple Won Shared with Taylor Lautner
2009 Twilight Saga: New Moon, TheThe Twilight Saga: New Moon Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards Cutest Couple Nominated Shared with Robert Pattinson
2009 Twilight Saga: New Moon, TheThe Twilight Saga: New Moon MTV Movie Awards Best Female Performance Won
2009 Twilight Saga: New Moon, TheThe Twilight Saga: New Moon MTV Movie Awards Best Kiss Won Shared with Robert Pattinson
2009 Twilight Saga: New Moon, TheThe Twilight Saga: New Moon Golden Raspberry Awards Worst Screen Couple Nominated Shared with Robert Pattinson
2009 Twilight Saga: New Moon, TheThe Twilight Saga: New Moon Golden Raspberry Awards Worst Screen Couple Nominated Shared with Taylor Lautner
2009 Twilight Saga: New Moon, TheThe Twilight Saga: New Moon Teen Choice Award Choice Movie Actress Fantasy Won
2010 Runaways, TheThe Runaways Teen Choice Award Choice Movie Actress Drama Nominated
2010 Runaways, TheThe Runaways MTV Movie Awards Best Kiss Nominated Shared with Dakota Fanning
2010 Twilight Saga: Eclipse, TheThe Twilight Saga: Eclipse People's Choice Awards Favorite Movie Actress Won
2010 Twilight Saga: Eclipse, TheThe Twilight Saga: Eclipse People's Choice Awards Favourite On-Screen-Team Won Shared with Taylor Lautner and Robert Pattinson
2010 Twilight Saga: Eclipse, TheThe Twilight Saga: Eclipse People's Choice Awards Favorite Movie Star Under 25 Nominated

kristen stewart

elizabeth edwards kamily and early life best

Elizabeth Anania Edwards born Mary Elizabeth Anania; July 3, 1949 – December 7, 2010 was an American attorney, author and a health care activist. She was married to John Edwards, the former U.S. Senator from North Carolina who was the 2004 United States Democratic vice-presidential nominee.
Edwards lived a private life until her husband's rise as senator and ultimately unsuccessful vice presidential and presidential campaigns. She was his chief policy advisor during his presidential bid was instrumental in pushing him towards more liberal stances on subjects such as universal health care She was also an advocate of gay marriage and was against the war in Iraqboth topics about which she and her husband disagreed
In the final years of her life, Edwards publicly dealt with her husband's admission of an extramarital affair and her breast cancer, writing two books and making numerous media appearances. She separated from John Edwards in early 2010 On December 6, 2010, her family announced that her cancer had spread and her doctors had recommended that further treatment would be unproductive. She died the following day
Contents
* 1 Family and early life
* 2 Professional life
* 3 Political activity
* 4 Illness and death
* 5 See also
* 6 References
* 7 External links
Family and early life
Elizabeth Anania, the daughter of Mary Elizabeth Thweatt Anania born 1923 and Vincent Anania 1920–2008 grew up in a military family, moving many times and never having a hometown. Her father, a United States Navy pilot, was transferred from military base to military base during her childhood and adolescence; for part of her childhood, she lived in Japan, where her father was stationed. She relates in her book Saving Graces that one of the difficult relocations that she went through was moving during her senior year of high school Some of her childhood friends' fathers were killed in war and Edwards relates childhood memories of attending their funeralsShe also relates the stress of living at a military base with hospital facilities that handled a constant stream of wounded soldiers while her father was away fighting in Vietnam
Edwards had two younger siblings;a brother, Jay Anania, a professor of film at New York Universityand a sister, Nancy Anania. Edwards graduated from the Francis C. Hammond High School in Alexandria, Virginia, then attended Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, Virginia. She transferred to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill UNC where she earned a Bachelor's degree. After three years of postgraduate studies in English, she entered UNC's School of Law and earned a Juris Doctor. She met John Edwards when they were both law students, and they married on July 30, 1977
The couple had four children: Wade 1979–1996 Cate (b. 1982 Emma Claire b. 1998 and Jack b. 2000 Wade was killed in April 1996 when he lost control of his Jeep while driving from their home in Raleigh to the family's beach house near Wilmington. Three weeks before his death, Wade Edwards was honored by First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton at the White House as one of ten finalists in an essay contest sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Voice of America. Wade, accompanied by his parents and his sister, met North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms. After Wade died, Helms entered his essay and his obituary into the Congressional Record
Following Wade's death, the Edwardses decided to have more children, and she underwent fertility treatments; Claire was born when Elizabeth was 48, and Jack was born when she was 50. She was pregnant with Emma Claire during her husband's 1998 Senate race. After John's January 21, 2010, public admission that he fathered a child with Rielle Hunter, Elizabeth legally separated from him, intending to file for divorce after North Carolina's mandatory one-year separation
Professional life
Edwards began her career as a law clerk for a federal judge, then moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in 1978 to become an associate at the law firm of Harwell Barr Martin & Sloan. In 1981, she and her husband moved their family to Raleigh, where she worked in the Office of the Attorney General, and at the law firm Merriman, Nicholls, and Crampton. She used her maiden name professionally until 1996, when she retired from legal practice upon the death of her son and changed her name to Elizabeth Edwards. Much of her time since leaving legal practice was devoted to the administration of the Wade Edwards FoundationShe taught legal writing as an adjunct instructor at the University of North Carolina School of Law and worked as a substitute teacher in the Wake County Public Schools. In August 2009, she opened a furniture store in Chapel Hill
In September 2006, Random House published her first book, Saving Graces: Finding Solace and Strength from Friends and Strangers focusing on the ways in which various communities have helped her through the trials of her life, from her itinerant military childhood to the death of her son and her early bout with breast cancer. In May 2009, they published her second book, Resilience: Reflections on the Burdens and Gifts of Facing Life's Adversities further discussing the return of her illness, the deaths of her father and son, the effect of these events on her marriage, her husband's infidelity, and the general state of health care in America books are best-sellers.
Political activity
During much of 2004, Edwards joined her husband and United States Democratic Presidential nominee Senator John Kerry on the nationwide campaign trail. She took a similar role in her husband's 2008 presidential bid and was considered one of his closest advisers.
Edwards disagreed with her husband on the topic of same-sex marriage. She became a vocal advocate in 2007 when she stated: "I don't know why someone else’s marriage has anything to do with me. I'm completely comfortable with gay marriag
On June 10, 2008, it was revealed that Edwards would be advising her husband's former rival, and eventual Democratic nominee, Barack Obama, on healthcare issuesHer husband also endorsed Obama during the later stages of the 2008 primary season.
Edwards became a senior fellow at the American Progress Action Fund and testified to Congress about health care reform on their behalf
Illness and death
On November 3, 2004, the day Kerry conceded defeat in the 2004 U.S. presidential election, Edwards was diagnosed with breast cancer. She later revealed that she discovered a lump in her breast while on a campaign stop in Kenosha, Wisconsin, a few weeks earlier, in the midst of the campaign. Edwards became an activist for women's health and cancer patients, and underwent oncology treatments. In a November 2006 comment on the Daily Kos website, Edwards stated that on her last visit, her oncologist said that cancer was not one of the things going on in her l
At a March 22, 2007, press conference, John and Elizabeth Edwards announced that her cancer had returned, and that his campaign for the Presidency would continue as before. The announcement included the information that she was asymptomatic, and therefore that she expected to be an active part of the campaign Her doctor, Dr. Lisa Carey of the University of North Carolina's Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, described the diagnosis as stage IV metastatic breast cancer with a spot in her rib and possibly her lung. In a March 25 interview on 60 Minutes, Edwards said that there was also a spot in her hip found on her bone scan.The Edwardses and Dr. Carey stressed that the cancer was not curable, but was treatableIn early April 2007, Edwards was informed that her cancer might be treatable with anti-estrogen drugs. "I consider that a good sign. It means there are more medications to which I can expect to be responsive," she told the Associated Press during a campaign stop with her husband in Cedar Rapids, Iowa In a 2007 Interview with Newsweek's Jonathan Alter, she said, "When I was first diagnosed, I was going to beat this. I was going to be the champion of cancer. And I don't have that feeling now. The cancer will eventually kill me. It's going to win this figh
On December 6, 2010, Edwards' family announced that she had stopped cancer treatment after her doctors advised her that further treatment would be unproductive, the cancer having metastasized to her liver. She had been advised she had several weeks to live. Her family members, including her estranged husband John, were with her. She posted her last message on Facebook:
You all know that I have been sustained throughout my life by three saving graces – my family, my friends, and a faith in the power of resilience and hope. These graces have carried me through difficult times and they have brought more joy to the good times than I ever could have imagined. The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that. And, yes, there are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It's called being human.
But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful. It isn't possible to put into words the love and gratitude I feel to everyone who has and continues to support and inspire me every day. To you I simply say: you know
Edwards died of metastatic breast cancer on December 7, 2010, at home in Chapel Hill, surrounded by her family and friends Her funeral, held at Edenton Street United Methodist Church in Raleigh, was open to the public and was attended by over 1,200 people, including North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue, Senators John Kerry and Kay Hagan and Victoria Reggie Kennedy Threats of protests by the anti-gay hate-group Westboro Baptist Church attracted at least 300 local Raleigh residents prepared to counterprotest in support of the Edwards family, but only five Westboro protesters showed up and were kept blocks away. Edwards was buried in Historic Oakwood Cemetery next to her son Wade.