DENNIS HOPPER (BEN CENDARS)
Film icon Dennis Hopper heads the cast of “Crash,” a Starz original drama series from the
producers of the Academy Award®-winning Best Picture Crash. Hopper plays maverick
record producer Ben Cendars, a volatile figure whose fight to remain relevant is made more
difficult by his self-destructive tendencies.
An acclaimed actor and filmmaker with an iconic and distinctly American voice, Hopper has
been twice nominated for an Academy Award: as Best Supporting Actor for his role as an
alcoholic father who gets sober to coach his son’s basketball team in Hoosiers, and for Best
Original Screenplay of the counter-culture road movie Easy Rider, a film he directed, starred
in, and co-wrote with Peter Fonda and Terry Southern.
Hopper was born in Dodge City, Kansas, and grew up in San Diego, California. He made
a lasting impression as a teenager with his performance in Nicholas Ray’s classic Rebel
Without a Cause, opposite James Dean and Natalie Wood, quickly following that with an
equally revelatory performance in George Stevens’ epic Giant. Relocating to New York City
where he studied with Lee Strasberg, Hopper starred in such television shows as “The
Rifleman,” “Naked City,” and “The Twilight Zone.”
Returning to Hollywood, Hopper forever changed the face of American cinema with the
1969 film Easy Rider. The movie, made for $350,000, went on to gross in excess of $50
million and garnered Hopper the Best New Director prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
Since Easy Rider, Hopper has been a familiar presence both in front of and behind the
camera for more than three decades. He has been in over 140 television shows and has
starred in more than 150 films including most notably Apocalypse Now, Blue Velvet, River’s
Edge, Hoosiers, The Indian Runner, True Romance, Speed, Waterworld, Basquiat, and
Edtv. He received Golden Globe nominations for his roles in Hoosiers and as Frank Booth
in David Lynch’s now-classic Blue Velvet.
In 2008 alone, Hopper is appearing in such films as Sleepwalking with Charlize Theron;
Quentin Tarantino’s Hell Ride; Elegy with Penelope Cruz (scheduled to open in August);
Kevin Costner’s Swing Vote with Kelsey Grammer; and Wim Wenders’s The Palermo
Shooting. Other recent film projects for Hopper include the upcoming adventure comedy
Alpha and Omega, in which he stars with Hayden Panettiere and Christina Ricci; comedy
An American Carol with Kelsey Grammer; and horror thriller Forever with Edward Furlong.
Hopper received the prestigious CIDALC award at the Venice Film Festival for the movieindustry feature The Last Movie, which he directed, co-wrote, and starred in. He also
directed the gang-war crime drama Colors, starring Sean Penn and Robert Duvall; action
thriller Catchfire, in which he starred with Jodie Foster; and crime drama The Hot Spot,
starring Don Johnson and Virginia Madsen.
On television, Hopper has appeared on HBO’s Emmy award-winning “Entourage,” as
well as on the acclaimed series “24”; “Las Vegas” with James Caan; the USA Networks
feature The Last Ride; received an Emmy nomination for starring in Paris Trout; and he costarred opposite Benjamin Bratt in the Jerry Bruckheimer/Warner TV produced NBC series
“E-Ring,” during 2005-2006.
In addition to acting and directing, Hopper is an internationally known photographer and
painter, with retrospective exhibitions in 2001 at the Stedlejik Museum in Amsterdam and
The MAK in Vienna. The most important exhibition of his artistic career was in 2007 at
The State Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia, with a photographic exhibition following
at The Manege in Moscow, Russia. He is currently working on an extensive film and art
retrospective with La Cinematheque Francais in Paris set to open October 13th, 2008.
Hopper is married to Victoria Duffy, who gave birth to their first child, daughter Galen, in
March 2003. Hopper remains close to his three other children from previous marriages:
Marin, Ruthanna and Henry.
CLARE CAREY (CHRISTINE EMORY)
Clare Carey plays frustrated Brentwood housewife Christine Emory in “Crash.” A
versatile film and TV actress, Carey has appeared in such feature films as the actioncrime drama Smokin Aces’ and the comedy Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles.
She is best known for her TV roles, most recently as the home-wrecking bartender
Mary Bailey in “Jericho” during 2006 to 2008. She was a regular on “Point
Pleasant” during 2005 to 2006, playing the mother of the Jesus character, and on
the comedy series “So Little Time” starring the Olsen twins. Carey initially came to
recognition during her long-running role as Coach’s daughter, Kelly Fox, on the TV
series “Coach,” from 1989 to 1995.
Carey’s colorful guest-starring roles include such memorable parts as sex maniac
Eileen Dodd on “Weeds”; the wife of a man becoming a woman on “Grey’s
Anatomy”; a high-class hooker who called herself a “satisfaction facilitator” on
“ER”; and a repentant abortion-clinic bomber on “Without a Trace.” She has
also appeared in “Army Wives,” “Boston Legal,” “Judging Amy,” “Ally McBeal,”
“Charmed,” and “Walker, Texas Ranger,” and in the TV movies 44 Minutes: The
North Hollywood Shoot-Out and Home Alone 4.
Born in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) to a missionary-doctor father and schoolteacher
mother, Carey was one of eight children. She moved to Santa Barbara, CA, with her
family at less than a year old, and grew up there. She started acting at age 6, and has
studied with acting coach Harry Mastrogeorge. Carey is based in Los Angeles.
ROSS McCALL (KENNY BATTAGLIA)
Ross McCall plays impulsive LAPD street cop Kenny Battaglia in “Crash.”
The Scottish actor became known in the U.S. after his work as Cpl. Joseph
Liebgott in the critically acclaimed HBO miniseries Band of Brothers for producer
Steven Spielberg and executive producer Tom Hanks.
McCall has appeared in the independent features Green Street Hooligans, Green
Street Hooligans 2, Knuckle Draggers, Trade Routes, Autopsy, LD 50 Lethal
Dose, and the UK drama Waterland. He also played opposite Tom Hanks in Robert
Zemeckis’s The Polar Express.
McCall has worked on many American television series in the last several years,
including “Ghost Whisperer,” “Bones,” “CSI: NY,” and “The Man.”
Born in Scotland, McCall moved to England with his family at an early age. He
played the young Freddie Mercury in the music video “The Miracle” for the rock
group Queen, then quickly began performing in London’s West End theatre district
in the stage productions of “Oliver!,” “The King and I,” “The Lion, The Witch, and
The Wardrobe,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Les Miserables,” and Neil
Simon’s “Lost in Yonkers.” He has appeared on many British television series,
including a number of BBC productions. McCall currently lives in Los Angeles.
BRIAN TEE (EDDIE CHOI)
Brian Tee plays EMT Eddie Choi, who is caught between the Korean gang world he
left behind and the mainstream medical world where he wants to fit in, in “Crash.”
Tee is best known for his starring role as DK, the Drift King, in Universal Pictures’
action-thriller The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, directed by Justin Lin. The
third installment in that hit franchise, it was released in 2006 with a $157 million
worldwide gross. Afterwards, Tee gave a standout comic performance in Lin’s next
film, Finishing the Game: The Search for a New Bruce Lee. He produced and
starred in the independent feature Deadland, post-apocalyptic thriller.
Tee has been featured in the Hollywood studio films Fun With Dick and Jane;
action-drama We Were Soldiers, opposite Mel Gibson; and action-adventure
Austin Powers: Goldmember. He is currently set to star in four US-Asia
coproductions: The Wedding Palace (2008); 271 (2009); Hatchet Man (2010);
and The Hills (2010).
On television, Tee has guest-starred on the hit shows “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Jericho,”
“The Unit,” “Entourage,” “The Pretender,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Monk,” and
“Without a Trace.” A Los Angeles native of Korean and Japanese descent, Tee holds
a bachelor’s degree in Dramatic Arts from the University of California, Berkeley.
ARLENE TUR (BEBE ARCEL)
Arlene Tur plays the ambitious LAPD cop Bebe Arcel in “Crash” – confident on
the job, but conflicted in her personal life about her affair with a coworker.
A hot young emerging actress, Tur garnered network attention for her performance
as a paralegal in the ABC/Paramount pilot “Harry Green and Eugene,” which led
to a holding deal with ABC Network and Touchstone Television. She guest-starred
on the series “Grey’s Anatomy” in 2006, and was seen in the TV pilot Haskett’s
Chance. In 2007, she starred in the independent action film Final Engagement.
Tur gained attention with her sultry role in Telemundo’s 2003 drama “Los Teens,”
in which she played the diva of a group of teens. She has hosted shows for
the Discovery Channel, E! Entertainment Television, The Travel Channel, and
Univision’s Caliente.
A onetime professional beach volleyball player, Tur has modeled extensively in
both print and on-air. She is a graduate of Florida International University. She
has trained as an actor with HB Studios, Howard Fine, and Ivana Chubbuck. Of
Cuban heritage, Tur was born in Miami to a dad who is an avocado and mango
farmer and exporter, and a mom who is a nurse. Fluent in English, Spanish, and
Italian, Tur is based in Los Angeles.
JOCKO SIMS (ANTHONY ADAMS)
Jocko Sims plays street-smart chauffer Anthony Adams, who evolves into hiphop artist Panic during season one of “Crash.”
Sims appeared in the war drama Jarhead, and played Elvis Kelly, a deejay who
accepts payola in Bill Condon’s Oscar-winning musical drama Dreamgirls.
On television, Sims has guest starred in “Private Practice,” “CSI: Crime Scene
Investigation,” “Cold Case,” “Yes, Dear,” and “The Shield.” He also does voiceover
work and has guest starred on FOX network’s animated series “American Dad.”
Sims grew up in San Antonio, Texas. He studied theater at the University of
Houston, and then transferred to UCLA, where he graduated with a bachelor’s
degree in theater in 2004. Sims lives in Los Angeles.
LUIS CHAVEZ (CESAR UMAN)
Luis Chavez plays illegal immigrant Cesar Uman, who endures the brutalities of
evil men and the merciless desert as he undertakes a treacherous journey from
Guatemala to America on “Crash.”
Chavez played the dual roles of Nestor and Nestor’s brother in comedy/crime thriller
Ocean’s Thirteen; appeared in Delta Farce alongside Larry the Cable Guy; and
will soon be seen in the gritty indie While She Was Out opposite Kim Basinger.
On television, Chavez is best known for his recurring role on “The Sarah Connor
Chronicles” as John Connor’s best friend in high school. He also had a recurring part
in “Lincoln Heights,” and has been seen in “Sleeper Cell,” “Malcolm in the Middle,”
“ER,” and “Monk.” Born and raised in Mexico, Chavez now lives in Los Angeles.
NICK E. TARABAY (AXEL FINET)
Nick E. Tarabay plays hot-blooded police lieutenant Axel Finet, who uses his
good looks and canny hunches to bend the rules on “Crash.”
Six-foot-tall Tarabay is known for playing sexy, dangerous characters. On three
episodes of “The Sopranos,” he portrayed Persian drug dealer Matush, who dared
to deal drugs on Soprano’s turf at the bar run by Michael Imperioli’s character.
Tarabay played a top-notch assassin for hire on “Moonlight,” a vicious Lebanese
killer on “The Unit,” and a hot-headed rich playboy on “CSI: Miami.” He made his
television debut as a dancer on “Sex and the City.”
Born in Lebanon, Tarabay moved to New York City after high school. He worked
in the fashion industry for Hugo Boss and Gucci while studying acting at the Terry
Schreiber Studio and appearing in Off-Off-Broadway plays. He moved to Los
Angeles in 2004, where he’s studied at the Larry Moss Studio and appeared in
their staging of John Patrick Shanley’s “Danny and the Deep Blue Sea.”
MORAN ATIAS (INEZ)
Moran Atias plays Inez, the sexy spitfire whom cop Kenny Battaglia gets involved
with after he crashes into her car.
Israeli-born Atias starred in Italian director Dario Argento’s 2007 fantasy-drama
Mother of Tears, which premiered at the Rome Film Festival and played at the
Toronto International Film Festival before being bought for US distribution by The
Weinstein Company. Off the success of this film, she moved to Los Angeles,
where she was cast in the Adam Sandler film You Don’t Mess With the Zohan
and the upcoming Will Ferrell film, Land of the Lost.
Atias started her entertainment career at 15, starring in the Israeli Youth Television
Show “Out of Focus.” She turned in an award-winning performance in her first
Italian film, Gas, a short directed by Luciano Melchionna, then went on to appear in
the Italian film The Roses of the Desert. She has also been seen in the Israeli films
Days of Love and Kavod, as well as on various Italian and Israeli TV programs.
Atias lends her support to numerous worthy causes. The city of Milan has named
her an official spokeswoman to help lead the campaigns against graffiti and cruelty
to animals. She speaks five different languages and is now based in Los Angeles.