In 2006, Zac Efron starred in the Disney Channel original movie High School Musical as Troy Bolton, the popular student and captain of the basketball team. The film, which he initially made with "low expectations", helped Zac Efron gain recognition among teenage audiences as both an actor and a singer, even though his singing voice was overdubbed. As a result, Zac Efron placed as high as #4 on the IMDBPro's STARMeter for the week of January 29, 2006. In August 2006, Zac Efron won a Teen Choice Award in the Breakout Star and the TV — Choice Chemistry categories, shared with Vanessa Hudgens. The film's cast, along with Zac Efron, toured Sydney, Australia, London, England, and other locations to promote the film.
Johnny Depp and Gore Verbinski were executive producers of the album Rogues Gallery, Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs and Chanteys. Depp played the title role of Sweeney Todd in Tim Burton's film adaptation of the musical, for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. The traditional ceremony for the 65th Golden Globe Awards did not take place due to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike. Johnny Depp thanked the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and praised Tim Burton for his "unwavering trust and support."
Angelina Jolie appeared as Gina Malacici in the 1996 comedy Love Is All There Is, a modern-day loose adaptation of Romeo and Juliet set among two rival Italian family restaurant owners in the Bronx, New York. In the road movie Mojave Moon (1996) she was a youngster, named Eleanor Rigby, who falls for Danny Aiello's character, while he takes a shine to her mother, played by Anne Archer. In 1996, Jolie also portrayed Margret "Legs" Sadovsky, one of five teenage girls who form an unlikely bond in the film Foxfire after they beat up a teacher who has sexually harassed them. The Los Angeles Times wrote about her performance, "It took a lot of hogwash to develop this character, but Angelina Jolie, Jon Voight's knockout daughter, has the presence to overcome the stereotype. Though the story is narrated by Maddy, Legs is the subject and the catalyst."
Emma Roberts went on to appear in smaller roles in two family films, in 2002's Grand Champion, as the sister of the main character Buddy (Jacob Fisher); and in 2003's Spymate, as the kidnapped daughter of former secret agent Mike Muggins (Chris Potter), who tries to rescue her with the help of a spy monkey. Grand Champion had a brief theatrical release in August 2004, while Spymate was not released until February 2006, when it was given a theatrical run in Canada, followed by its DVD release in April 2006.
Busy Philipps was born in Oak Park, Illinois. Her parents gave her the nickname Busy because as an infant she was always moving. The nickname stuck; it even appears on her driver's license. She attended Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, Arizona. Busy Philipps attended Loyola Marymount University at the same time as former boyfriend Colin Hanks and Linda Cardellini.
In December 2007, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) used a nude photo of Eva Mendes for their anti-fur campaign alongside the tagline "Fur? I'd rather go naked." Eva Mendes is also a spokesmodel for the 2008 Calendar of Campari, inspired in fairy tales, by photographer Marino Parisotto.
After appearing in minor roles in Fall and Home Alone 3 in 1997, Scarlett Johansson garnered widespread attention for her performance in the 1998 film The Horse Whisperer, directed by Robert Redford. Scarlett Johansson received a nomination for the Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Newcomer for the film. In 1999, Scarlett Johansson appeared in both My Brother the Pig and the neo-noir Coen brothers film The Man Who Wasn't There.
On May 20, 2008, Scarlett Johansson debuted as a vocalist on her first album, Anywhere I Lay My Head, which included cover versions of Tom Waits songs. Scarlett Johansson's second album, Break Up, with Pete Yorn was released in September 2009.
In 1996, Madonna play the starring role in the film Evita, for which she won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. Her seventh studio album, Ray of Light (1998), became one of her most critically acclaimed, recognized for its lyrical depth. Four studio albums followed during the 2000s—Music (2000), American Life (2003), Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005) and Hard Candy (2008)—all of which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. Departing from Warner Bros. Records, Madonna signed an unprecedented $120 million contract with Live Nation in 2008. Same year, Madonna began her Sticky & Sweet Tour, which went on to become the highest grossing tour ever for a solo artist.
