Emile Hirsch

Emile Davenport Hirsch (born 13.3.1985) Emile Hirsch is an American television and film actor known for his recent collaborations with Academy Award and AFI award winner Sean Penn. Hirsch has also been acknowledged for his multiple, supporting television roles on series such as: 3rd Rock from the Son, NYPD Blue and ER.

Childhood: Emile was born in Topanga, California to parents, Margaret Esther, a visual artist who designed pop-up books and David. M. Hirsch, a producer, and industrial consultant. Emile was the younger of two children and links his acting career back to his musical theatre loving sister, Jenny who is said to have introduced him to acting when they were at the Will Geer Theatricum, a summer drama camp in Topanga. Emile was raised in Los Angeles and attended Topanga Canyon Elementary School, Paul Revere Middle School and the Academy of Music at Alexander Hamilton High School before moving to Santa Fe, New Mexico where he lived with his mother after his parents divorced.

Acting Career: Hirsch began acting when he was eight years old, appearing as a minor role credited role as 'dying boy' in the episode 'Romeo and Juliet' of Kindred: The Embrace based on the White-Wolf role playing game. Hirsch also appeared in 3rd Rock from the Sun, Early Addition and Players. Hirsch made his first feature television film role in Gargantua, starring Adam Baldwin. The film was nominated for 1999 ALMA award. Hirsch continued to act in minor television roles such as Houdini starring Johnathon Schaech and co-starring Mark Ruffalo as well as appearing in Two of a Kind (1999), Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1999), Promised Land (1999), The Pretender (1999) and Profiler (1999) before appearing as Marcello Parisi in NYPDC Blue which lead to a two episode role on Emmy Award winning ER as Chad Kottmeier.

Hirsch made his first feature film appearance alongside Academy Award winner Jodie Foster in, The Dangerous Lives of Alter Boys. The film followed a group of Catholic school friends who planned to perform an outrageous prank that would make them local legends. The film won two awards for Best New Filmmaker and Best First Feature Film as well as receiving positive critical reviews. Hirsch continued to play a student in The Emperor's Club based on the short story 'The Palace Thief' alongside Kevin Kline (The Ice Storm). Hirsch was nominated for a Young Artist Award despite the films mixed reviews. In 2003 Hirsch starred in independent film, The Mudge Boy which received critical success for which Hirsch was praised for his role as Duncan Mudge. Hirsch was cast in first mainstream role in teen, comedy romance The Girl Next Door. The film received mainstream critical applause and wider recognition among teenage viewers. Hirsch was nominated for 'Best Kiss' at the 2005 MTV awards. Hirsch was then part of an all-star cast including: Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Williams and Jeff Daniels in Imaginary Heroes. The film was a mysterious drama about a dysfunctional family and displayed Emile In a new more diverse role. Hirsch worked with box office hit director Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight, Red Riding Hood) in an early cult hit, Lords of Dogtown about the surf and skateboarding movements in the 1970's. Hirsch worked alongside Heath Ledger and received critical praise for his role as Jay. Hirsch then continued to act through feature film Drama's such as Alpha Dog (2006) and The Air I Breathe (2007) before being cast in the biopic about controversial character Christopher McCandless in Sean Penn's, Into The Wild. Hirsch went through physical training and conditioning, in order to lose 40 pounds for the role and prepare him for the harsh and dangerous conditions which he would have to face during filming. Hirsch was critically acknowledged for his role and was noted as a potential Academy Award nomination as well as received a Screen Actors Guild nomination for his role. Hirsch won the Rising Star Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival and Best Actor at the Mill Valley Film Festival Award. Hirsch was cast as lead actor, Speed in Speed Racer. The film followed Speed, a young man who aspires to be champion of the racing world with help from his family and his high-tech Mach 5 automobile. Hirsch watched every previous episode of Speed Racer and went to Lowe's Motor Speedway, where he met and got advice from race car driver Jimmy Johnson in order to prepare for his role. The film received a mixed response and performed poorly at the box office. Hirsch co-starred alongside previous director Sean Penn in Milk, a biopic about Harvey Milk, California's first openly gay elected official. The film was won two Academy Awards as well as being listed for Best Film at the AFI awards 2009. Hirsch had a supporting role in Taking Woodstock before co-starring alongside Matthew McConaughey in 2011's Killer Joe. The film was a critical success obtaining six Saturn Award nominations. Hirsch starred in $30 million budget Sci-Fi The Darkest Hour, receiving negative public and critical reviews before appeared in Savages, written and directed by controversial figure Oliver Stone. The film received a mixed response despite its box office success. Hirsch co-starred with Penelope Cruiz in Italian film Twice Born (Original Name: Venuto al mondo). The film followed a single mother bringing her teenage son to Sarajevo, where his father died in the Bosnian conflict years ago. The film received a positive response despite its limited screenings. Hirsch continued to star in Italian film The Motel Life before acting in the Bonnie and Clyde miniseries alongside Desmond Phillips and Sarah Hyland. Hirsch starred alongside Paul Rudd in Prince Avalanche (recently screened at Sundance Film Festival) - a comedy drama about two highway road workers who find the isolated landscape turns out to be a misadventure away from their city lives.

Personal Life: Hirsch participated in 'Summit on the Summit' an expedition to the top of top of Mount Kilimanjaro to raise awareness for the need of clean water. Hirsch has also volunteered to go to Congo as part of the organisation Oxfam, in order to raise awareness about the situation concerning war and lack of medical treatment and essentials.