Melanie Griffith begs for prayers as her mother is evacuated from big cat sanctuary in path of ferocious LA wildfire that has gutted homes, destroyed 22,000 acres of land AND the set for Wipeout
Melanie Griffith asked for prayers after her mother was evacuated from a wildlife sanctuary because of raging wildfires in Los Angeles.
The actress wrote on Twitter: ‘Please say a prayer for all residents in the path of the #SandFire . My Moms place Shambala is being evacuated.’
Griffith’s 86-year-old mother, Tippi Hedren, opened the preserve in 1983 following on from her film Roar.
There are over 40 big cats – including lions, tigers, cougars, black and spotted leopards, servals, bobcats, and an Asian leopard cat – who are cared for at the ranch.
On Sunday evening, Griffith, 58, confirmed that her mom was safe and the beloved cats had been saved. She wrote: ‘Mom is safe! Shambala is safe. Now sending love and thanks to all the firefighters who saved her and the cats.’
They accept donations for The Roar Foundation, the organization that runs the center.
Sable Ranch – a filming set used in the A-Team, 24 and Supernatural and the site for the Wipeout set – has also been destroyed.
The blaze has grown ferocious new power two days after it broke out, sending so much smoke in the air that planes making drops on it had to be grounded.
Officials said it has run through the area ‘like a freight train’.
The latest figures released by the authorities say the blaze is at 20 percent containment and a total of 18 family homes have been gutted in the areas of Sand Canyon, Bear Divide and Little Tujunga.
On Saturday, authorities said the Sand Fire was at 20 per cent containment, but the U.S. Forest Service corrected that figure and said the fire remains at 10 per cent containment. Above firefighters battled the Sand Fire on Sunday
About 300 miles up the coast, crews were battling another blaze spanning 10,000 acres (16 square miles) north of the majestic Big Sur region.
Authorities say almost 1,700 firefighters who are being hindered by scorching temperatures of up to 112 degrees are battling the blaze in the mountains north of Los Angeles known as the Sand Fire.
On Sunday crews faced another day of hot weather, low humidity and high winds that could once again fan the fires’ explosive growth. Shifting winds sent smoke away from greater Los Angeles and into desert communities, where residents were warned about poor air quality.
Late Saturday evening, a man’s body was found outside a home on Iron Canyon Road in Santa Clarita. Detectives are working to determine whether he was killed by the blaze or another cause, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Rob Hahnlein said.
“You Won’t Believe How This Actor Scared Women Off-Screen!
Vincent D’Onofrio is best known for his memorable role as the clumsy Marine recruit in Stanley Kubrick’s movie Full Metal Jacket. However, his popularity decreased after that.
The ruggedly handsome actor, who turned 64 on June 30, 2023, had to change his appearance drastically for the role. This change made women, who once loved his curly dark hair and athletic build, less interested in him.
D’Onofrio has a long and varied career. He always gives his best to every role, transforming completely into his characters, making people forget who he really is.
Born in Brooklyn, D’Onofrio started in stage productions, both off-Broadway and on. He had many side jobs to support his acting dreams, including working as a bodyguard for Yul Brynner and Robert Plant.
In his early days, he worked as a nightclub bouncer, delivered flowers, hung drapes, and drove a cab to make ends meet.
After acting in a few low-budget films, his friend Matthew Modine suggested he send an audition tape to Stanley Kubrick, who was casting for his next big movie.
The 6-foot-3 D’Onofrio, who was very fit at the time, won the role of Leonard, a fat, dim-witted character, but had to meet some tough conditions.
Working with Kubrick was a life-changing experience for D’Onofrio, allowing him to fully dive into his character and push his acting limits in a challenging environment.
At 24, D’Onofrio had to shave his head and gain 70 to 80 pounds for the role, the most weight any actor has gained for a role.
Kubrick initially asked if he was okay with gaining weight, and after D’Onofrio gained 30 pounds, Kubrick felt he still looked too strong. So, D’Onofrio ended up gaining about 80 pounds, going from 200 to 280 pounds.
Gaining weight for the role was tough for D’Onofrio, especially when he had to perform the intense boot-camp scenes in the movie. Normally, obstacle courses would have been easy for him with his athletic build, but they were very challenging at 280 pounds.
D’Onofrio’s incredible performance as the chubby, dim-witted, and mentally disturbed Leonard earned him a lot of praise from critics. However, some fans started confusing him with his character.
“People treat you differently when you’re that size,” D’Onofrio said. “My head was shaved, so I looked completely different from my usual long, lanky self. I turned into this big, burly guy with a bald head. It was a very strange life change.”
He added, “It changed my life. Women didn’t look at me anymore; I mostly saw their backs as they ran away. People even talked to me slowly, thinking I was stupid.”
A year after filming Full Metal Jacket, Vincent D’Onofrio had a full head of hair again and his body returned to its original size.
Today, the New York-born director, producer, screenwriter, and actor, who wrote the 2023 book “Pigs Can’t Look Up,” credits his long career to Stanley Kubrick.
“Stanley made my career, there’s no question about that. I’ve done over 50 films because of him and that part,” D’Onofrio said. He has had many roles in both film and TV, including Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001-2011) and Marvel’s Daredevil (2015-2018). His movies include Dying Young, The Break-Up, and Jurassic World.
D’Onofrio’s life was greatly impacted by his parents’ divorce when he was a child. His mother remarried George Meyer, a well-known American producer and writer, and the family moved to Hialeah, Florida. As a child, D’Onofrio was quiet and often spent time alone in his room, deep in thought.
While living in Florida, he became interested in magic and learned sleight of hand from Cuban performers who ran a small magic store.
In the early 1990s, Vincent D’Onofrio was romantically involved with actress Greta Scacchi. They appeared together in several films, including The Player and Fires Within. They have a daughter named Leila George, born around 1991 or 1992, who has also become an actress.
In 1997, Vincent D’Onofrio married Carin van der Donk, a Dutch model. They had their first son in 1999. However, their relationship had problems in the early 2000s, leading to a separation. They later got back together and had a second son in 2008.
In June 2023, D’Onofrio filed for divorce in Manhattan Supreme Court, ending his 26-year marriage with Carin van der Donk.
D’Onofrio appeared with Sandra Bullock in the 2021 film The Unforgivable and will be in the upcoming comedy Dumb Money.
Vincent D’Onofrio was fantastic in Full Metal Jacket and his mental decline as Leonard is incredibly believable!
He looks totally different now, as to be expected many decades later, but we still enjoy his performances!
What do you think about his portrayal of the dumb, fat Leonard?
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