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Terry Zwigoff

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Billy Bob Thornton
Tony Cox
Lauren Graham
Brett Kelly

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DIMENSION FILMS
Presents

A
TRIPTYCH PICTURES
Production

A
TERRY ZWIGOFF
Film

BILLY BOB THORNTON
TONY COX
LAUREN GRAHAM
BRETT KELLY
LAUREN TOM
AJAY NAIDU
ALEX BORSTEIN
with
JOHN RITTER
and
BERNIE MAC

Casting by
MARY VERNIEU and FELICIA FASANO

Executive Producers
JOEL COEN & ETHAN COEN

Produced by
JOHN CAMERON
SARAH AUBREY
BOB WEINSTEIN

Written by
GLENN FICARRA & JOHN REQUA

Directed by
TERRY ZWIGOFF

BAD SANTA

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

"Santa is even-tempered. Santa does not hit children over the head who kick him.
Santa does not have a three-martini lunch. Santa wears a good deodorant."
-- Instructions to would-be Santa Clauses from Western Temporary Services, world's largest supplier of Santas

This holiday season the traditional Christmas tale will never be the same with the cleverly twisted, merrily irreverent story of a Santa so bad he's wickedly funny. Terry Zwigoff's BAD SANTA stars Billy Bob Thornton as one of the most crooked, corrupted and downright hysterical Kris Kringles ever to grace the screen. Inspired by a mix of movie classics including the outrageous one-liners and outcasts of "The Bad News Bears" and the riotous impertinence of "South Park," with a dash of the holiday spirit of "A Christmas Carol," albeit one that would make Dickens wince, BAD SANTA is a Christmas comedy unlike any other.

On the heels of two films that brought him a hip, cult following and critical acclaim - "Crumb" and "Ghost World" - director Terry Zwigoff emerges with his most accessible comedy to date, all the while pulling no punches on a wild ride through Christmas' outlandish, funnier side. Laughing riotously all the way, the film skewers such classic holiday traditions as rampant commercialism, smart-mouthed mall rugrats and Santa's saintly image.

Billy Bob Thornton is Willie T. Stokes, a washed-up, wisecracking Department Store Santa who can't help but be more naughty than nice. Underneath his ill-fitting red suit, Willie is actually a safecracker who makes one big score every year - on Christmas Eve. As shoppers head home from the mall, this Santa and his ingenious Elf - Willie's midget partner-in-crime Marcus (TONY COX) - crack the store safe and make off with their own holiday stash. But then comes Phoenix. Here Santa and his Elf find their annual heist endangered by a pesky store manager (JOHN RITTER), a savvy mall detective (BERNIE MAC), a sexy Santa fan (LAUREN GRAHAM) and an innocent but beleaguered 8 year-old misfit (BRETT KELLY) who decides to believe that Willie - as intoxicated, acid-tongued and felonious as he seems to be -- is the real Santa he's been seeking.

Sums up Billy Bob Thornton: "This is a story that brings the sensibility of 'South Park' to the spirit of 'It's A Wonderful Life.' It turns your typical idea of a Christmas comedy on its head."

BAD SANTA stars a comic ensemble that includes Billy Bob Thornton, Bernie Mac, John Ritter (this was his second collaboration with Billy Bob Thornton after "Sling Blade"), Lauren Graham, Tony Cox, Brett Kelly, Cloris Leachman and Lauren Tom. The film is directed by Terry Zwigoff from a script by the team of John Requa and Glenn Ficarra. The executive producers are Joel and Ethan Coen and the producers are Sarah Aubrey, John Cameron and Bob Weinstein.

When Santas Go Bad

"I played Santa Claus many times, and if you don't believe it,
check out the divorce settlements awarded my wives."
-- Groucho Marx

Many have been the portraits of down-and-out Santas and Christmas Scrooges in the movies. Yet never has the world seen a Santa who has started out in quite such a hilariously rock-bottom place as Willie T. Stokes. He drinks like a fish, swears like a sailor and spreads a lot more Christmas sarcasm than holiday cheer. He's completely politically incorrect, not to mention he's only in the Santa business for the criminal opportunities. But, as BAD SANTA reveals, even Willie isn't beyond finding his own little piece of holiday redemption - even if his idea of a Christmas tale might have Charles Dickens spinning in his grave.

The story of Willie's wild Christmas turn-around all began with a one-line idea from executive producers Ethan and Joel Coen. They summed it up this way: "A bad Santa suddenly changes." The Coens had in mind for the story's hero a character like those the 1930s actor Wallace Beery used to play - a deliciously bad-tempered, comical rascal who turns out to be a rough-edged diamond. Another major inspiration was Michael Ritchie's classic comedy "Bad News Bears" -- and especially Walter Matthau's portrait of the unforgettable Coach Buttermaker, a man who is not above conning little kids into making martinis for him, even as he leads his rag-tag team to victory.

Says producer Sarah Aubrey " 'The Bad News Bears' is one of Joel and Ethan's favorite movies. As we developed Willie's story, we were inspired by the tone of the hilarious relationship between Walter Matthau and those misfit kids, which is always biting, never sentimental, yet also has some qualities you could almost call moving."

Once the concept was in place, producers Aubrey and Cameron took the project to the screenwriting team of John Requa and Glenn Ficarra, who turned in a savagely smart script. Even Aubrey and Cameron were a bit shocked by its fearless, forthright comic style - but in a good way. "We started out with the idea of a drunken, slovenly, criminal Santa Claus who gets changed by the love of a kid and it just evolved from there," explains Cameron. "From the very first draft, the script took a lot of chances. It pushed the envelope of Christmas comedy in every way imaginable, but at the same time it was laugh-out-loud funny."

Soon, the project grabbed the attention of director Terry Zwigoff, who had recently drawn critical acclaim and a hip, cult audience for his raw-edged comedy "Ghost World" -- as well as his offbeat ode to underground comix "Crumb" - and he brought further inspiration to the creative team. "I read the script on a plane and I was laughing so hard I was almost embarrassed," Zwigoff recalls. "What also appealed to me was the challenge of making this unsympathetic character sympathetic. I usually find that Christmas films ladle on the cheap sentiment, but with this story I saw a chance to do something more truthful. That's what I liked so much about the screenplay - it's harder edged and more true and, therefore, ultimately more moving."

Zwigoff had already proven an affinity for turning alienated malcontents into storytelling magic with "Ghost World." But this would be his biggest project to date and he came at it with both a comic boldness and an artistic sensibility that impressed the producers. " 'Ghost World' wowed us," comments Cameron. "We saw that Terry has a rare ability to be very, very funny and wry, while also revealing that his characters have enormous hearts underneath their shockingly strange exteriors. We knew he would get the humor, as well as the heart, of this film."

Continues Aubrey: "What Terry brings to BAD SANTA is a sum of his most accessible yet still wonderfully dark comedy. He slowly and carefully builds sympathy for what seem to be extremely unsympathetic people. He never strays from the edge, or from the black wit of the story, but at the same time, he takes the audience on a real journey with Willie and Marcus."

Even with Zwigoff on board, the film's edgy take on Christmas was still scaring most studios - and the filmmakers were searching for anyone willing to take a risk on the project. "Then I got a call from Bob Weinstein," remembers Zwigoff. "He had just seen 'Ghost World,' loved it and said he wanted to make a Terry Zwigoff movie and asked if I had any ideas or scripts. I sent him 'Bad Santa' overnight and by 11 a.m. the next morning Bob said Dimension Films wanted to make it."

Says Weinstein: "I saw the story of BAD SANTA as very much in the spirit of Zwigoff's irreverent comedy and his wickedly funny world view but, at the same time, the film's hilarious hard edge is offset by a great heart, a combination which made it even more original and appealing. I was so excited by this script and working with Terry. It is rare with a Dimension film that I take producer credit, but I wanted to be alongside producers John Cameron and Sarah Aubrey throughout the whole process."

Willie T. Stokes: Santa on a Bender

"Santa Claus has the right idea. Visit people once a year."
-- Victor Borge

With an acid tongue, a criminal record and a bad attitude topped off with several bad habits, Willie T. Stokes is every department store's nightmare vision of Santa. But he's also a guy who wouldn't mind being loved for once in his life. To capture both sides of Stokes - both his outrageous hilarity (and penchant for profane one-liners) as well as his sense of tragedy - the filmmakers sought out the versatility of Academy Award winner Billy Bob Thornton. "I have known Billy Bob Thornton for many years and after I read the script he was the only one on my wishlist to play Willie Stokes. I immediately set out to get him, and he loved the script as much as I did," recalls Weinstein. "Willie is a truly tricky role," notes John Cameron. "On the surface, he's got to be vile and reprehensible, but you've also got to see a small but shining core of humanity glimmering from underneath his exterior. Billy Bob Thornton was able to perfectly embody these contradictions."

Adds Terry Zwigoff: "Billy's very funny, but also very quick and very smart - and I think this role requires that for someone to really pull it off. There are a lot of situations where the actor playing Willie just has to improv - especially when he's got kids on his lap and of course, these aren't trained actors. Billy was completely fearless in the part. He was never afraid of being unsympathetic; he just went for it. I ended up using a lot of his ad-libs."

For Thornton, Willie is the ultimate cinematic scoundrel - but he's also more than that. "Right off the bat, you get the feeling Willie is a pretty nasty guy," Thornton offers, "but the fact of the matter is that he's really just a lost soul who had a very crummy childhood and who now feels that Christmas represents nothing more than a few lousy weeks of unhappiness. He's a loser. But, in the course of events, you could say he becomes a more loveable loser."

Thornton was also drawn to the volatile, push-and-pull partnership Willie maintains with his Elf associate, Marcus (played by Tony Cox). "I love that it's a real Odd Couple relationship," he says. "We don't exactly like one another but we definitely need one another because Willie can crack the safes, but only Marcus has the skills to turn off the alarm systems. We can't commit our crimes without each other. To me, it's kind of like a great Martin-and-Lewis style act, with two guys who can't get along with each other or without each other."

The role of Willie was also another opportunity for Thornton to shatter expectations, which he has made a habit of throughout his career. "I don't repeat myself in roles," he comments. "There's a real joy for me in changing myself into somebody different in every movie. With Willie, part of the thrill was trying to make him seem, no matter how outrageously bad he is, like a real human being."

Terry Zwigoff learned another part of Thornton's process: "Billy told me the key to his acting is his hair. Once he gets the hair right, he knows exactly who the character is supposed to be!"

Though Thornton always strives for unpredictability, even he never foresaw a day when he would play Santa, being built more like a beanpole than the portly man from the North Pole. But, in the end, Thornton saw his physical mis-match as being yet another sign of how pathetic Willie is at representing Christmas cheer. Still, even Thornton couldn't resist the strange and mysterious power that comes from dressing up like Santa. "I started to like wearing the Santa suit more and more," he admits. "I don't think either Willie or I ever saw ourselves as Santa, but it's something you can't help but try to grow into."

Marcus: Santa's Little Felonious Helper

"You say he wears a beard, has no discernible source of income and flies to cities all over the world under cover of darkness? You sure this guy isn't laundering illegal drug money?"
-- Tom Arnold

The mastermind behind Willie Stokes' Santa scams is none other than Santa's long-suffering Elf, Marcus, the team's diminutive but driven heist-planner. Marcus is played by Tony Cox, in a complete about-face from the actor's natural personality. "Tony is basically the nicest guy in the world, and here he is playing the most crooked, most corrupted person you can imagine, so I think a real part of his challenge was just getting over his innate goodness," says John Cameron. "Ultimately he developed a really wonderful Frick and Frack kind of rapport with Billy Bob Thornton."

Naughty or not, Marcus was a role Cox had been awaiting for a long time. Explains Cox: "For a person of my stature to get a great role like this opposite Billy Bob Thornton just doesn't usually happen. I haven't seen a role like this in the 20 years I've been an actor." He was cast in the midst of extensive auditions, during which more than 100 actors were viewed for the role. "Tony was by far the funniest person we saw, and he's also a great actor," sums up Zwigoff.

Once he snagged the role, Cox worked closely with Thornton to cement the two men's outrageously antagonistic relationship. "Marcus is always supposed to be on Willie's case," he says, "but sometimes Billy had to push me to be even meaner to him. He'd play jokes on me, make me want to get revenge on him. He's such a great actor, I learned a lot from him."

Says Thornton of being beat up by Cox: "You know I've been beat up in a lot of movies, so I kept telling Tony, 'It's OK, believe me, I've experienced this before, so just hit me' but he had a hard time wailing on me. At the same, he just kept cracking me up. He is really a funny guy."

Cox used his trademark ad-lib style throughout the movie. "Every role that I do, I improv a lot," he says. "For this role, I thought about Marcus and figured yeah, he's an evil guy, but what makes him so evil is that he has this feeling that he has to stay on top of Willie every second. He sees yelling at Willie simply as doing what he has to do to get the job done. Because the bottom line is that he needs Willie. He wishes he didn't, but he really does."

The Kid: An 8 Year-Old with A Santa Problem

"I stopped believe in Santa when I was six. Mother took me to see him in a department store and he asked for my autograph."
-- Shirley Temple Black

Another character who discovers he needs Willie is The Kid, AKA Thurman Merman, a pudgy, orphaned, persecuted 8 year-old hoping for a closer relationship with the real, true Santa Claus, played by newcomer Brett Kelly. Kelly won over Terry Zwigoff at first sight. "The minute I saw his headshot I just fell to the floor laughing," recalls Zwigoff. "I said if this kid can walk and talk he's hired." Ever so, Kelly very nearly lost the role of The Kid - to ChickenPox. Although the filmmakers were blown away by his initial audition, when they tried to call him back they found out he was ill with the highly contagious disease. To avoid spreading a pox among cast and crew, Kelly was forbidden from the set, and was only able to snag a second audition when his mom got a signed doctor's note swearing the boy was cleared to be in public.

"Brett really was the dark horse candidate," says Sarah Aubrey. "But once he recovered, he surprised us by being so remarkably natural and having a fantastic chemistry with Billy." Adds John Cameron: "Brett is the perfect innocent angel in the midst of all this criminal activity and profanity. I think he pretty much personifies what it means to be a kid: he's sweet and wonderful even as he drives Willie insane."

Kelly might be just a kid but he had no problem getting the film's definitively adult concept. "This Santa is pretty bad," he comments, "because most Santas give people stuff and this guy would rather take it away!" In describing Thurman he says: "He's a shy kid who doesn't really have anybody to be his friend. So when he meets Willie he really believes he is Santa. Thurman doesn't really care what bad things Santa does, because he likes him no matter what. Just for being Santa."

Santa Lovers And Santa Chasers: The Rest Of The Cast

"I never believed in Santa Claus because I knew no white man would be coming into my neighborhood after dark."
-- Dick Gregory

In his final film role, John Ritter stars in BAD SANTA as the Mall Manager, a methodical man who has inkling that everything's not quite kosher with this year's Santa and his Elf. Says Billy Bob Thornton of Ritter: "John was one of my oldest, dearest friends and it felt really good to be reunited with him in the movie."

Adds Terry Zwigoff: "John Ritter was truly one of the coolest people I've ever met, a very, very generous guy. His very first day on the set was a day when everything was going wrong, but he just came up to me and said 'How can I help?' He was just so generous. He was also incredibly funny. It's clear that he stole every scene that he was in - I think he's just great in the film. In one of his scenes with Bernie Mac, he was cracking me up so hard, I had to step away and watch him through the monitor."

Also joining the cast of BAD SANTA is popular comic and television star Bernie Mac in the role of Gin, the department store detective who is hot on the trail of Santa and his Elf as they break codes of etiquette, moral precepts and eventually the law. "BAD SANTA was such a dark, funny, unusual script I had to be a part of it," says Mac. "I saw it as an opportunity to do something new, to put myself in a different arena, and I think people who know me from TV are going to be very surprised. I also really like Gin. He's a hard-core individual who feels he could solve any crime -- even though he works at a mall. You could say he's playing a much bigger game in his mind. But when he comes across this 110-pound skinny Santa and this dwarf Elf who are robbing stores blind, Gin makes the mistake of getting way too involved in the case."

To prepare for the role, Mac had an advantage: a whole family of cops and detectives to study and parody. "My brother and cousin are detectives, I have another brother in the FBI and I have two cousins and a best friend who are policemen," he explains. "Growing up, I was always trying to solve crimes, so I brought those memories to Gin. For me, the best comedy always has authentic realism behind it."

And then there's Sue, played by Lauren Graham, a grown woman who loves Santa Claus - who really, really loves Santa Claus. "Sue has what you might call a Santa Claus fixation," Graham explains. "And then she meets Willie Stokes, and he looks like he needs a friend. I think Sue thinks Willie could use a woman's touch - and touch him she does."

For Graham, as with the rest of cast and crew, and big part of the real fun of BAD SANTA was watching Billy Bob Thornton transform himself into the train-wreck-in-a-red-suit that is Willie Stokes.

"Billy gives us that rare movie character who is utterly driven by his darker side," she observes. "Here's a man who likes to drink, who likes to have fun, who likes to make a quick buck and yet there's something very basic and gritty about him that we can all appreciate. The real trick is that Billy brings him alive in a way that's hysterically funny yet also kind of poignant. BAD SANTA is certainly not your typical, feel-good, family-time holiday movie, but it is a smart and original take on this time of year."

ABOUT THE CAST

Billy Bob Thornton (Willie)

Academy Award-winning writer, actor, director and musician, Billy Bob Thornton is currently celebrating a high water mark in his career. He will be seen in several films released this fall and winter including the Disney epic "The Alamo," in which he portrays legendary frontiersman Davy Crockett; the romantic comedy "Intolerable Cruelty," directed by the Coen Brothers and co-starring Catherine Zeta Jones, George Clooney and Geoffrey Rush; and "Love Actually," co-starring Liam Neeson and Laura Linney. In 2001, Thornton starred in the caper comedy "Bandits" for director Barry Levinson and co-starring Bruce Willis and Cate Blanchett; the noir "The Man Who Wasn't There" for the Coen Brothers; and the heart wrenching, Oscar-winning drama "Monster's Ball." Each of the three performances garnered Thornton critical acclaim, and resulted in him being named Best Actor of 2001 by the National Board of Review, as well as receiving Golden Globe nominations for "The Man Who Wasn't There" and "Bandits," and an American Film Institute Award nomination for Best Actor for "The Man Who Wasn't There."

Thornton's 1996 release of "Sling Blade," which he starred in and directed from an original script he wrote, firmly secured his status as a preeminent filmmaker. For his efforts, he was honored with both an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Thornton also received an Academy Award nomination and Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his celebrated work in "A Simple Plan" for director Sam Raimi, as well as a Best Supporting Actor award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and a Best Supporting Actor nomination from the Screen Actors Guild.

Prior to "Sling Blade," Thornton already had an extensive motion picture credit list. He wrote and starred in the "One False Move," directed by Carl Franklin, which brought him immediate critical praise. In addition, Thornton took roles in such films as "The Winner," for director Alex Cox, "Indecent Proposal," directed by Adrian Lyne, "Deadman," for director Jim Jarmusch and "Tombstone," directed by George Cosmatos. Thornton has also appeared in the films "On Deadly Ground," "Bound By Honor," "For The Boys" and "The Stars Fell on Henrietta." Thornton co-starred in the blockbuster action-adventure film "Armageddon" with Bruce Willis for producer Jerry Bruckheimer and he has also co-starred opposite Sean Penn and Nick Nolte in "U-Turn," directed by Oliver Stone and in "Primary Colors" opposite John Travolta and Emma Thompson for director Mike Nichols. He also starred in the dark comedy "Pushing Tin" opposite John Cusack. Thornton was most recently seen in the comedy "Waking Up In Reno," co-starring Charlize Theron, Patrick Swayze and Natascha Richardson and the drama "Levity," in which he co-starred with Morgan Freeman, Holly Hunter and Kirsten Dunst.

As a writer, Thornton has worked on numerous projects for United Artists, Miramax, Universal Studios, Warner Bros., Touchstone Pictures, Island Pictures, David Geffen Productions and HBO. He also scripted "A Family Thing," a highly regarded feature film that starred Robert Duvall and James Earl Jones for United Artists. For his second and third directorial outings, Thornton chose the comedy "Daddy And Them," which he again wrote and starred in, and the best-selling Cormac McCarthy novel, the epic "All The Pretty Horses," starring Matt Damon, Penelope Cruz and Henry Thomas. Thornton also co-wrote "The Gift," starring Cate Blanchett, Giovanni Ribisi and Hillary Swank.

John Ritter (Bob Chipeska)

The late John Ritter touched audiences for over 30 years with his wide range of film, television and stage performances. Most recently, Ritter had returned to television in the acclaimed sitcom "8 Simple Rules" opposite Katey Sagal, starring as a former sportswriter who decides to stay at home and help raise the kids while his wife (Sagal) returns to work. The show received the People's Choice Award for "Favorite New Television Comedy" and the Teen Choice Award for "Favorite Comedy Series."

The youngest son of Western film star and country music legend Tex Ritter, Ritter first came to national prominence as the star of television's long-running hit comedy series "Three's Company," for which he received an Emmy, a Golden Globe and a People's Choice award for his role as Jack Tripper. He then went on to star in the television series "Hooperman," receiving further Emmy and Golden Globe nominations and winning a People's Choice Award. Following that series, he starred in the comedy series "Hearts Afire." In addition to his series work, Ritter starred in more than 25 television movies, including "Unnatural Causes," for which he received an Emmy nomination for Best Actor, Stephen King's "It," "The Dreamer of Oz," "The Only Way Out," "Unforgivable," "A Child's Wish" -- featuring a special appearance by President Clinton -- and "Chance of a Lifetime" starring opposite Katey Sagal. He guest-starred on many popular television series including "Ally McBeal," for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award. He also was the voice of "Clifford the Big Red Dog" on the popular PBS animated series, a role for which he received two Emmy nominations.

In addition to a very busy television career, Ritter also had an accomplished career in feature films with credits that include Peter Bogdanovich's "They All Laughed" and "Noises Off," Blake Edwards' "Skin Deep," "Problem Child," Billy Bob Thornton's "Sling Blade" and "Panic." He recently co-starred with Sigourney Weaver in Miramax's "Tadpole" for director Gary Winick. He also appeared in the independent feature "Manhood" which premiered at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. Meanwhile, on the stage, he appeared in more than 50 plays all over the country and notably completed a nine-month starring role in the Broadway premiere of Neil Simon's "The Dinner Party," which won a Theatre World Award and the 2001 Outer Critics Circle Award. He most recently starred on the Los Angeles stage in "J for J" in a six-week run at the Court Theatre.

In June 2003, John Ritter was honored with the Music Center's Distinguished Artist Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Bernie Mac (Gin Slagel)

Bernie Mac is one of the most popular comedians in America today, having started in the small comedy clubs of Chicago and worked his way up to sold-out arena shows, popular television series and feature film roles.

On television, he is well known for his highly-rated family comedy "The Bernie Mac Show," for which he has received two Emmy nominations, a Golden Globe nomination and an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series. Mac's recent film roles include playing Bosley in "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" and the brother of a Presidential candidate opposite Chris Rock in "Head of State." He also joined the ensemble cast of Steven Soderbergh's hit remake of "Ocean's Eleven." Among his forthcoming roles are the animated feature "Lil Pimp," "Mr. 3000" with Angela Bassett and Steven Soderbergh's "Ocean's Twelve."

As a founding member of the "Kings of Comedy" tour, Mac displayed his trademark rapid-fire and hard-hitting comic delivery. The success of the tour inspired Spike Lee's 2000 concert film "The Original Kings of Comedy," featuring Mac. Earlier, Mac made his television debut on the landmark HBO series "Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam." This led to his feature film debut in the Damon Wayans feature "Mo' Money." He went on to star in the Eddie Murphy/Martin Lawrence comedy "Life," "House Party 3," "How To Be a Player" and "What's The Worst That Could Happen?" Mac is also the author of the book I Ain't Scared of You.

Tony Cox (Marcus)

Tony Cox has over 50 film and television credits include "Me, Myself and Irene," "Friday," "Willow" and "Beetlejuice." He was born in New York City and raised in Uniontown, Alabama, a rural town of 2000 people. Although he reached an adult height of thirty six inches, his childhood in Uniontown was very normal and no one ever treated him differently because of his size. As a young man, he became an accomplished drummer. Later, he decided he wanted to become an actor and headed to California, where he became very active in the Little People of America organization. He even played basketball for the Hollywood Shorties. He made his feature film debut in "The Return of the Jedi" as an Ewok.

Lauren Graham (Sue)

Throughout her career, Lauren Graham has excelled at comic roles. Shortly after receiving her MFA from Dallas' Southern Methodist University she came to Los Angeles and landed a role on the sitcom "Caroline in the City." She went on to play an efficiency expert hoping to downsize the staff on "Newsradio" and a Los Angeles studio executive who pursued Benjamin Bratt when his marriage was on the rocks on "Law and Order." She had roles on "Conrad Bloom" and "Townies," then played the disruptive niece on "M.Y.O.B." before taking the role Lorelia on the hit show "Gilmore Girls." For the latter, she received both a Golden Globe nomination and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Female Actor in a Drama Series.

Graham's film credits include "Sweet November" with Keanu Reeves, the thriller "Nightwatch" with Ewan McGregor and the Australian comedy "Chasing Destiny." She also played Renee Zellweger's best friend and confidante in the drama "One True Thing." This past summer, she starred on stage in Williamstown in the comedy "Once in a Lifetime." She'll next be seen in "Seeing Other People," with Jay Mohr.

Cloris Leachman (Grandmother)

Cloris Leachman's five-decade career in film, television and theatre has brought her six Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a British Academy Award and an Oscar. A runner-up in the Miss America Pageant, Leachman was chosen by Elia Kazan in 1947 to become a member of the original Actor's Studio. In 1955, she made her screen debut in "Kiss Me Deadly." She then took the role of the mother on television's "Lassie." A wide range of screen roles followed, ranging from "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" to "The Last Picture Show," which brought Leachman the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, to the Mel Brooks comedy "Young Frankenstein." Leachman's fame took off in 1970 when she took the role of Mary Richards' neighbor Phyllis on the classic sitcom "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," which brought her two Emmy Awards and four nominations. In 1976, Leachman garnered another Emmy nomination and a Golden Globe Award for the spinoff series "Phyllis."

More recently, Leachman won an Emmy and was honored with two more nominations for her role as Grandma Ida in the popular sitcom "Malcolm in the Middle." Other recent work includes playing Dot Richmand on "The Ellen Show," and roles in the feature films "Music of the Heart" and "Alex & Emma." She will next be seen in "The Californians," based on the Henry James novel.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

Terry Zwigoff (Director)

Terry Zwigoff most recently directed and co-wrote the acclaimed indie hit "Ghost World," which received two Golden Globe nominations, two AFI nominations and appeared on over 140 Top Ten lists in major newspapers and magazines. Based on the underground comic by Dan Clowes, the film brought Zwigoff's smart, original style to a touching and funny exploration of two young misfits who feel out-of-sync with a modern America of strip malls and fast-food chains.

Zwigoff began his film career accidentally in 1978, when he found a rare 1934 recording by an unknown Chicago blues musician. A musician himself, Zwigoff was so impressed by this old 78 that he began what was to become two years of detective work to discover who the artist was and what his life had been like. "Louie Bluie," a documentary film released in 1985, was the result.

Zwigoff's next film, "Crumb," a cinematic portrait of the controversial comic book artist, won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and became a runaway success with audiences and critics alike. "Crumb" was chosen Best Film of 1995 by a dozen major film critics and won every single film critics award for Best Documentary of 1995, including the NY, LA, and National Society of Film Critics Award. (The latter also voted it runner-up to "Babe" as Best Picture of the Year.) "Crumb" became the third-highest grossing documentary film ever made. Zwigoff will next direct "Art School Confidential," co-written with Dan Clowes.

John Requa and Glenn Ficarra (Writers)

Writing partners John Requa and Glenn Ficarra made their debut with the family comedy "Cats & Dogs" and also collaborated on the new "Looney Tunes: Back in Action," a live-action/animated adventure directed by Joe Dante and starring Brendan Fraser, Jenna Elfman and an all-star cast. Next up for the duo is the sequel "Cat & Dogs 2: Tinkles' Revenge."

Jamie Anderson, A.S.C. (Cinematographer)

Jamie Anderson's recent credits include Kevin Smith's comedy "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" and the acclaimed thriller "The Gift," directed by Sam Raimi. Anderson enjoyed a successful career as a camera operator before making his debut as director of photography on "Unlawful Entry," directed by Jonathan Kaplan and starring Kurt Russell and Ray Liotta. Anderson then served as cinematographer on the critically acclaimed "What's Love Got To Do With It" for director Brian Gibson and also worked with Gibson on "The Juror" starring Demi Moore. He also photographed "The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas" for director Brian Levant; "Small Soldiers" for director Joe Dante; "The Odd Couple II," directed by Howard Deutch, starring Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon; and "Grosse Point Blank," starring John Cusack and directed by George Armitage. He has also shot such television series as "Crossing Jordan" and "The Court," as well as the television movie "Prince Charming" starring Martin Short and Christina Applegate.

Wendy Chuck (Costume Designer)

Wendy Chuck, who previously collaborated with Terry Zwigoff on "Ghost World," most recently designed the hit comedy-drama "About Schmidt," directed by Alexander Payne and starring Jack Nicholson. She began her career auspiciously: her first feature film credit as designer, "A Country Life," starring Sam Neill and Greta Scacchi, earned her an Australian Film Institute Award nomination for best costume. She went on to design costumes for Alexander Payne's award-winning satire "Election," the box-office success "Varsity Blues," as well as "Strange Hearts," "Auggie Rose" and "Sugar and Spice." She recently completed "Saved," starring Jena Malone, Mandy Moore and Macaulay Culkin.

Chuck began her career working in her native Australia in theater, opera, and television. She shared her tenure at the Queensland Theater Company with Academy Award-winning actor Geoffrey Rush. She also worked on costumes for the Australian Opera Company and on many productions for ABCTV in Australia. After working on Jane Campion's telefilm "2 Friends," she reunited with two-time Academy Award nominee Janet Patterson on Jane Campion's "Portrait of a Lady" and "The Piano."

Sharon Seymour (Production Designer)

Sharon Seymour most recently designed Roger Avary's "The Rules of Attraction" and Michael Lehmann's "Forty Days and Forty Nights." Her other credits include "Novocaine," "Duets," "The Cable Guy," "The Truth About Cats and Dogs," "Don Juan DeMarco" and "Reality Bites."

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