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| " THEWill Kemp Birthday/place: June 29, 1977 in Hertfordshire, England Resides: London Hair color: Brown Eye Color: Green Height: 5'11" Family: Mother, Rosi, former model; Father, Barry, graphic designer; brother Roland, a personal fitness trainer and lifestyle consultant; and sister Daisy May, a dancer currently with Matthew Bourne's company, New Adventures Status: Married to Gaby Jamieson, singer/songwriter/composer; they have a daughter Reason he took up dancing: "I was a very frustrated child. I wasn't particularly sporty and I seemed to have all this internal anguish. I really don't know why. My brother excelled at things like football and cricket but I had nothing in my life. I know that's a pretty strange thing to think when you're only 9 years old, but that's how it was. My mother suggested I try dance classes and it went from there." Quick course on Will's impressive resume: He trained at the Royal Ballet Seniors and then Royal Ballet Upper School (1993-1995). In 1995, age 17, he auditioned for and was accepted into Matthew Bourne's cutting edge dance company, Adventures in Motion Pictures (AMP). He very quickly made a name for himself in the original cast of Swan Lake and then went on to dance the lead role of the Swan. It was during a performance as the Swan that one member of the audience, Paramount Studio head, Sherry Lansing, 'was so smitten by his performance' that she dubbed him the "James Dean of Ballet". Matthew Bourne also knew he had something quite special in Will and created the role of the Angel in Cinderella with Will in mind. Will went on to dance the lead role of the Pilot for which he was nominated for a Los Angeles Critics Drama award for Outstanding Featured Performer. In the steamy production of The Car Man, Will once again mesmerized and dazzled audiences dancing dual roles of Angelo and Luca. In 2002, he created one of the Anthony's in Bourne's Olivier winnning production of Play Without Words. That same year he also made his first big universal splash by struttin' his stuff for a GAP television advert which also put that remarkable face of his in magazines worldwide. He joined starstudded casts to work two William Tuckett stage productions - Wind in the Willows, where he created the role of Ratty and in the The Soldier's Tale, creating the role of The Narrator. In 2004 he made the big leap into film playing Prince Velkan, who transforms in the iconic giant The Wolfman, in Stephen Sommer's monster mash, Van Helsing. He also played an FBI trainee in Renny Harlin's Mindhunters. Christmas 2005 had Will creating the role of the evil puppetmaster Stromboli in Will Tuckett's Pinicchio and in 2006 Will played the title role of William Shakespeare in the Ines Paris film, Miguel & William . Will headed back to the stage in 2007 and the West End production of EQUUS, in the dual role of The Young Horseman and Nugget, the favoured horse of character Alan Strang, played by Daniel Radcliffe of Harry Potter fame. The casting of Will in this role was considered a coup by director Thea Sharrock. Will plans to continue to pursue a career in film, stage and dance. Training: 1986-1993: With Elizabeth Harrison FISTD 1992-1993: Royal Ballet Senior Associates 1993-1995: Royal Ballet Upper School Stage Productions: 1995-2000: Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake, original cast and then went on to play role of The Swan 1997-1999: Matthew Bourne's Cinderella, created The role of the Angel and also played the role of The Pilot for which he was nominated for a Los Angeles Drama Critics Award for Outstanding Featured Performer 2000: Matthew Bourne's Spitfire, Albert Hall 2000-2001: Matthew Bourne's The Car Man, created the role of Angelo and also played the role of Luca 2002: Matthew Bourne's Play Without Words, played the role of Anthony 2002: William Tuckett's Wind in the Willows, created the role of Ratty 2003: Revival of Wind in the Willows and role of Ratty 2004: William Tuckett's The Soldier's Tale, plays the role of The Narrator 2005: Matthew Bourne's Highland Fling, plays the lead role of James. 2005: William Tucketts's The Soldier's Tale, reprises the role of The Narrator 2005/2006: William Tuckett's Pinocchio, creates role of Stromboli 2007: Thea Sharrock's staging of EQUUS. Will plays the dual role of The Horseman and Nugget. Synopsis: A disturbed stableboy, played by Daniel Radcliffe (of Harry Potter fame) obessed with horses and in particular Nugget, undergoes therapy after he inexplicably blinds six of them with a hoof pick. The critically acclaimed play written by Peter Shaffer premiered in London over 30 years ago. It went on to Broadway where it won a Tony and then was made into a film which starred Richard Burton. This stage production ran 16 February to 09 June at the Gielud Theatre in London. Choreography: 1993-1995: Choreographed several pieces for Royal Ballet Upper School 1994-1996: Choreographed several pieces for RBS Summer Schools 1996: Created Zebra Crossing for Royal Ballet Gala performances in Kenya; created Them for Focus on Dance; created It Takes Two To... for Royal Ballet 1998: Wayne Sleep's World of Classical Ballet Tour 1998; Charity Gala in aid of the Wayne Sleep Dance Scholarship in memory of Diana Princess of Wales; and Dash. Stage productions on film: 1996: Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake for BBC/NVC, played multi-roles of the Big Swan, Queen's Soldier and Jealous Italian lover 2001: Matthew Bourne/AMP's The Car Man for Channel 4, recreated the role of Angelo On television and in print ads: 2002: The Gap Fall Campaign 2004: The Gap Winter Campaign w/Sarah Jessica Parker Filmography: 2004: Stephen Sommer's Van Helsing: Will plays the dual role of Velkan/Wolf Man Synopsis: Hugh Jackman is the swashbuckling monster hunter sent to track down the most feared creatures of all time - Wolf Man, Dracula and Frankenstein. Released: May 7th, 2004 US 2005: Renny Harlin's Mindhunters: Will plays the role of FBI trainee, Rafe Perry Synopsis: FBI trainees left alone on an island; one by one they are killed off in a most gruesome fashion. And one of them is the killer. Release dates - US / 27 May * UK / 17 June 2006: Ines Paris' Miguel and William. Will plays a young William Shakespeare. Synopsis: During Shakespeare's four 'lost years' between writing his lighthearted comedies and his tragedies such as Hamlet and King Lear, the film surmises that Shakespeare meets up with Don Quijote writer, Miguel Cervantes and the pair strike up a friendship as they also both try to woo the same woman. Release date: February 2, 2007 in Spain 2008: Jon Chu's Step Up 2: Back to the Streets. Will plays the role of Blake Collins. Synopsis: Wills' character is the head of the prestigious Maryland School of Arts. The story line follows a the life of talented dancer trying to fit in and finds her self linked up with a crew of outcasts as they take their talents to the streets and to compete in an underground dance battle. Release date: February 14, 2008 _______________________________ UK Agent: Ruth Young United Agents 020-7166-5236 ryoung@unitedagents.co.uk London US Agent: Joel Lubin CAA Creative Artists Agency 2000 Avenue of the Stars Los Angeles CA 90067 1-424-288-2000 Official Site of Will Kemp |