Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
HOW TO CLAIM SSS BENEFITS (PHILIPPINES) - DEATH BENEFICIARY
SSS Social Security System Philippines
What is the death benefit?
It is a cash benefit either in monthly pension or lump sum paid to the beneficiaries of a deceased member.
Who are the beneficiaries of a deceased member?
The primary beneficiaries are the legitimate dependent spouse until the person remarries and the dependent legitimate, legitimated, or legally adopted, and illegitimate children of the member who are not yet 21 years old. In the absence of primary beneficiaries, the dependent parents shall be the secondary beneficiaries. In their absence, any other person designated by the member as beneficiary in the member’s record.
What are the types of death benefits?
They are:
the monthly pension; and
the lump sum amount.
The monthly pension is granted only to the primary beneficiaries of a deceased member who had paid 36 monthly contributions before the semester of death.
The lump sum is the amount granted to the primary beneficiaries of a deceased member who had paid less than 36 monthly contributions before the semester of death. The secondary beneficiaries shall be entitled to a lump sum benefit.
How much is the monthly pension?
The monthly pension depends on the member’s paid contributions, including the credited yeas of service (CYS) and the number of dependent minor children but not to exceed five.
The amount of monthly pension will be the highest of:
the sum of P300 plus 20 percent of the average monthly salary credit plus two percent of the average monthly salary credit for each credited year of service (CYS) in excess of 10 years; or
40 percent of the average monthly salary credit; or
P1,000 if the member had less than 10 credited years of service (CYS); P1,200 if with at least 10 CYS; or P2,400 if with at least 20 CYS. The monthly pension is paid for not less than 60 months.
If the deceased member is survived by legitimate, legitimated, or legally adopted and illegitimate children, how is the monthly pension divided?
If a deceased member is survived by less than five minor legitimate, legitimated, or legally adopted children, the illegitimate minor children will be entitled to 50 percent of the share of the legitimate, legitimated or legally adopted children in the basic pension and 100 percent of the dependents’ pension.
In cases where there are no legitimate, legitimated, or legally adopted children, the illegitimate minor children shall be entitled to 100 percent of the basic pension.
How is the monthly pension paid?
The monthly pension is paid thru the beneficiary’s designated bank. The beneficiary is allowed to choose the bank nearest his residence thru which he wishes to receive his pension benefits under the “Mag-impok sa Bangko” program. This became mandatory effective September 1, 1993.
The beneficiary must open a single savings account and must submit to the SSS his saving account number and a photocopy of his passbook upon filing of application. The original passbook must be presented for authentication purposes.
Upon approval of the claim, the SSS will mail a notice voucher to the beneficiary informing him when to withdraw his benefit from the bank.
How much is the lump sum death benefit?
The primary beneficiaries of a deceased member who has paid less than 36 monthly contributions shall be entitled to lump sum benefit which shall be the higher of:
monthly pension times the number of monthly contributions paid prior to the semester of death; or
twelve (12) times the monthly pension.
The secondary beneficiaries of the deceased member shall be entitled to a lump sum benefit equivalent to:
36 times the monthly pension; if the member has paid at least 36 monthly contributions prior to the semester of death; or
monthly pension times the number of monthly contributions paid or twelve (12) times the monthly pension, whichever is higher, if the member has paid less than 36 monthly contributions prior to the semester of death.
Is there anything else a deceased member’s beneficiaries can avail of?
Yes, the deceased member’s beneficiaries are entitled to a 13th month pension payable every December and the funeral benefit, which is paid to whoever, shouldered the funeral expenses of the deceased member.
Survivorship pensioners prior to the effectivity of RA 7875 on March 4, 1995 are also entitled to hospitalization benefits under PhilHealth. They need to register under PhilHealth and must submit a DDR print-out indicating the type of claim is survivorship in nature and the effectivity date of pension or a copy of Death/Survivorship Certification issued by the SSS indicating the effectivity of the pension shall be submitted to PhilHealth.
Survivorship pensioners under the effectivity of RA 7875 on March 4, 1995 and thereafter, are no longer covered. However, those who wish to avail of PhilHealth benefits may enroll in the Individually – Paying Program (for voluntary/self-employed) or the Indigent Program (IP) of PhilHealth.
If the deceased member has not paid any single contribution, are the beneficiaries still entitled to the death and funeral benefits?
The primary or secondary beneficiaries of a deceased employee-member, who had no contribution payment at all and who was reported for coverage shall be entitled to funeral benefit only.
Are the children of a deceased member entitled to the dependents’ pension?
The dependent legitimate, legitimated, legally adopted or illegitimate children, conceived on or before the date of death of a deceased will each receive a dependents’ pension equivalent to 10 percent of the members’ monthly pension or P250, whichever is higher.
Only five minor children, beginning from the youngest, are entitled to the dependents’ pension. No substitution is allowed.
Where there are more than five (5) legitimate and illegitimate minor children, the legitimate shall be preferred.
For how long will the dependent child receive his pension?
The dependents’ pension stops when the child reaches 21 years old, gets married, gets employed or dies. However, the dependents’ pension is granted for life to children who are over 21 years old, provided they are incapacitated and incapable of self-support due to physical or mental defect which is congenital and acquired during minority.
What is the funeral grant?
A funeral grant of P20,000 (effective September 1, 2000) is given to whoever pays the burial expenses of the deceased member or pensioner.
What are the documents needed in filing death and funeral claims?
For Death claim
Death claim application (SSS DDR-1)
Filers affidavit
DDR Savings Account Form
Passbook (for Pension)
Report of Death (if cause of death is work-connected)
SSS Form CLD 13A (Affidavit for Death Claim, if claimant is a secondary beneficiary)
SSS Form CLD 13 (Joint affidavit, if claimant is a legal heir)
Photo of filer and valid IDs
If married, marriage certificate of the deceased and birth certificates of minor children (duly certified by the Local Civil Registrar)
If single, the deceased member’s birth certificate and marriage certificate of the parents (duly certified by the Local Civil Registrar)
Note: Other papers may be required as they are found to be necessary during the processing of the claim.
For Funeral claim
Claim for Funeral Benefit (SSS Form BPN-103)
Death certificate duly certified by the local Civil Registrar
Receipt of payment issued by the funeral parlor
Affidavit of funeral expenses
Report of Death (if cause of death is work-connected)
Photo of filer and valid IDs
Original or certified true copies of the supporting documents should be presented during the filing of the claim.
Where does the beneficiary file for the funeral or death benefit?
Application forms for funeral/death benefit can be filed at any SSS branch or representative office.
Note:
This information is copied directly from the SSS or Social Security System documents and posted here just to share the information to those who are asking me for this. You need to visit the official website of SSS at www.sss.gov.ph for more official information or visit the the nearest SSS office for any official transactions.
Philippine Social Security System Benefits
The Philippine Social Security System was created in 1972. Republic Act No. 1161, which is known as Social Security Law, outlines the requirements and benefits associated with the program. The administrative body that collects and manages contributions and disperses benefits is called the Social Security System, and it is based in Manila. All employees and self-employed workers who earn more than 1,800 Philippine pesos per year must pay monthly contributions to the system.
Maternity
- A woman may claim maternity benefits for a birth or miscarriage. She must notify her employer or the Social Security System if she is self-employed, of her pregnancy. When the birth occurs, she receives 100 percent of her average daily salary multiplied by the number of days for which she will receive the benefit. For a normal birth or a miscarriage, she receives 60 days' pay. For a caesarean section, she will be paid for 78 days of leave. Average daily salary is calculated over the 12-month period before the semester in which the employee claims the benefit. A semester is a period of six consecutive months that ends in March, June, September or December. For example, if the event that triggers the benefit occurs in June, then the semester is from January to June. The period over which average earnings are calculated is the preceding January to December. Add the six highest monthly salaries during this period, and divide the result by 180. This is the average daily salary. To receive benefits, the employee must have paid into the Social Security System for three of the 12 months of the calculation period.
Sickness
- An employee who falls ill may use the Social Security System's sickness benefits if he has used up all of his sick time that is allowed by his employer. To qualify for this benefit, the worker must be unable to work for more than four days. He must notify his employer within five days of the onset of his inability to work, and the employer must notify the Social Security System within five days of receiving notification from the employee. For each day of illness, the employer must pay the employee 90 percent of his average daily earnings. The Social Security System reimburses the employer for this pay. If the sick person is self-employed, he must notify the Social Security System directly, and he will receive payments directly from them. He does not need to notify the System if he is in the hospital. Sickness benefits are available for up to 120 days per year, and no more than 240 days for the same condition.
Retirement
- Philippine retirement benefits may be claimed by members of the system who are unemployed and 60 years old or older, are 65 or older regardless of employment status, or are 55 or older and have worked in underground mines for five years. If a retiree has not paid 120 monthly contributions to the Social Security System, then he will receive a lump sum payment of all of his contributions, his employer's contributions on his behalf, and the accumulated interest. If a retiree has made 120 payments or more over the course of his lifetime, then he will receive a monthly benefit payment for the rest of his life. The amount of the monthly payment depends on the amount of his contributions to the system. He may receive additional pay for up to five dependent minor children. Retirees who will be paid monthly may choose to receive a lump sum in lieu of the first 18 months of payment. If a retiree who is receiving monthly payments and is under the age of 65 begins working again, his benefits are suspended until he stops working again or reaches the age of 65.
Disability
- The Social Security System pays benefits for partial and total disabilities. A worker is eligible for monthly disability benefits if he has made 36 or more monthly contributions to the Social Security System. Workers who have a lower number of contributions will receive a lump sum disability payment. Monthly pensions are based on the number of years that the employee has worked. Lump sums are calculated by multiplying the monthly pension that the employee would have received had he made the necessary number of contributions by the number of contributions that the employee has made or 12, whichever is higher. For partial disability, this number is multiplied by the percentage of whole-body function that the disability impairs, as determined by the Social Security System. Permanent partial and permanent total disabilities are enumerated in the Philippine Social Security Law. For disabilities that fall outside of the list in Social Security Law, a medical assessment must find that the employee has at least 20 percent impairment below normal levels of function. The employee must report for medical assessment annually.
Death
- The Social Security System pays death benefits to the beneficiaries of the deceased. If the deceased made 36 or more contributions to the System, the beneficiaries receive a monthly pension that is based on the level and number of contributions, with credits for the surviving dependent children. If the deceased made fewer payments, then the beneficiaries receive a lump sum that is the monthly pension that they would have received multiplied by the number of contributions that were made or 12, whichever is higher. The primary beneficiaries are the dependent spouse and children under 21. Illegitimate children will receive 50 percent of the benefit if there are fewer than five legitimate children. If there are no legitimate children, then illegitimate children will receive 100 percent of the benefits. If the deceased had no primary beneficiaries, then the benefits will be paid to his dependent parents--the secondary beneficiaries. If he had no secondary beneficiaries, then benefits will be paid to a party specified in his will.
The New SSS Contribution Schedule Table
The New SSS Contribution Schedule Table
The Philippine Social Security System (SSS) has released a table of its schedule of contribution that will take effect on January 2014.
Monthly Social Security System (SSS) contributions of at least 30.04 million individual members and 871,642 employers rise to 11 percent from 10.4 percent effective January 2014, the SSS said as it posted the new contribution schedule on its website.
The 0.6 percent increase translates to a total contribution of P285 for an employee whose monthly compensation is from P2,250 to P2,749. Employee's share in the P285 is P90.80 while the employer chips in P194.20. Domestic helpers' minimum monthly wage in Metro Manila is P2,500.
According to the new contribution schedule, a slightly lower rate applies for the self-employed, voluntary members and members who are overseas Filipino workers.
The minimum wage rate in Metro Manila is P429 per day, which amounts to P8,580.00 for 20 working days in a month. The SSS contribution rate at this wage level is P945.00, of which P308 is the employee's share while the employer's share is P636.20.
For private sector employees who earn more than P15,750 per month in compensation income, the total contribution is P1,790, for the employee's share of P581.30 and employer's share of P1,208.70.
Friday, May 2, 2014
George Clooney and fiancée Amal Alamuddin pictured for first time since proposal as they board private jet
He proposed to human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin last week.
And the happy couple were pictured on Thursday for the first time since their much-talked about engagement.
The 52-year-old actor and the 36-year-old British beauty were seen boarding a private jet at Van Nuys airport in California.
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There they are! George Clooney and fiancee Amal Alamuddin were pictured for the first time since getting engaged boarding a private jet in LA on Thursday
Living the life: The 36-year-old British beauty was seen boarding the jet wearing striped trousers and a denim jacket
Amal wore blue and yellow striped trousers and a denim jacket as she made her way into the luxury aircraft.
George led the way wearing cream boardshorts and a grey T-shirt, suggesting the pair were headed to an exotic locale.
The couple were surrounded by security and minders, who carried their luggage for them on the runway.
She's got style: Amal accessorised with a black designer handbag and wore her dark hair loose and straight
High-profile: The couple were surrounded by security and minders, who carried their luggage for them on the runway
Looks like a long holiday! Another burly man was seen carrying yet more bags to the jet
Meanwhile, Amal - a London-based barrister at Doughty Street Chambers and an advisor to former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan - has drawn criticism for working with leaders in Bahrain, reports RadarOnline.
Just one year after beginning her law career, Amal was hired as the legal advisor to King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, a notorious dictator, as part of the Bahrain Independent Commission Of Inquiry, aimed at uncovering human rights abuses during a period of unrest in 2011.
But the report hasn't help stop torture in the troubled nation, according to Human Rights Watch, and Bahrain has apparently failed to implement any of the report's 176 recommendations.
Although Amal no longer serves as an advisor to the King, she has come under fire for allegedly co-authoring a book that argues for an Arab Court for Human Rights, based in Bahrain, a suggestion PolicyMic.com calls 'eyebrow-raising, given the country's human rights record.'
Very old-fashioned of him: George proposed to Amal over a home-cooked meal at his Studio City, California mansion, according to a Thursday report from Page Six; here the couple is pictured in March
Meanwhile, details about the proposal have been revealed, and it seems multimillionaire George decided against whisking her off to Paris or taking her on a yacht around the Mediterranean.
Instead, the actor asked Amal for her hand in marriage in the comfort of his Studio City, California home.
And the Oscar winner did so over a meal he cooked himself, according to a Thursday report from Page Six.
The ring: Clooney presented Alamuddin with a seven-carat diamond engagement ring on April 22, according to People; a photo of the rock was revealed on their May 12 cover
'George cooked a meal himself for Amal at home on April 22, then he surprised her by getting down on bended knee and presenting her with the ring,' a source said.
George helped design the seven carat emerald cut diamond ring set in platinum that has a baguette on each side of the main stone. The ring can be seen on the cover of People magazine.
'He was so happy she accepted, he was calling friends with the news later that night,' added the insider.
The site added that the wedding could be in 'a few months,' maybe even as early as the beginning of September.
The night after he popped the question, the Oceans Eleven actor took his new fiancée to Craig’s in West Hollywood, where they couple were reportedly 'beaming.'
On April 24, the exotic beauty was seen showing off the bauble while dining at Nobu in Malibu with his friends Rande Gerber and Cindy Crawford.
He put thought into it: The 52-year-old actor helped design the ring which used an ethically mined diamond
Amal - a London-based barrister at Doughty Street Chambers and an adviser to former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan - also showed the gem off alongside the actor at Rande's 52nd birthday dinner in Santa Barbara on April 27, according to People.
As far as a wedding location, George's Lake Como estate will most likely be ruled out.
'Lake Como would be a beautiful wedding location, but it may not give them any privacy. It is very easy for the public and paparazzi to see into the property,' a source told PageSix.
Her family approves: The Out Of Sight actor reportedly traveled to Dubai to meet her Lebanese parents
Will she move to LA?: Amal, in 2011, in London
Also on Thursday Martha Stewart told People it was a good thing the bachelor settled down.
'I thought it was about time!' the 72-year-old cookbook author said.
'They make a great couple.'
Talk show host Charlie Rose, who is longtime pals with the Monuments Men actor, added, 'George has a very serious side to him.'
Clooney's Gravity director Alfonso
Cuarón said, 'I'm happy for him. To me George is a terrific and a fantastic person. As a husband I think he will be the same.'
Cuarón said, 'I'm happy for him. To me George is a terrific and a fantastic person. As a husband I think he will be the same.'
He added: 'He's a guy who is so generous and respectful, and I think he will be good at marriage, too. George is also genuinely honest. And, it's so much fun to be around him.'
'They plan on being together forever,' an insider said of the pair.
'He respects that she is not remotely involved in his world,' a friend of Clooney's said.
Added another friend: 'Amal seems to be the best fit for him he's ever had in a partner.'
In March the former ER hunk traveled to Dubai to meet Amal's Lebanese family.
Her mother is Baria, an editor at Arabic paper Al-Hayat. And her father is Ramzi, a retired travel agency owner. 'They found George very easy to get along with, cool,' one of Amal's family members told People. 'They felt at ease with him immediately.'
He also took Amal's sister Tala and her half brothers Samer and Ziad on a 48-hour yachting excursion.
She may be wedding dress shopping soon: The lawyer, pictured in NYC on March 19, could marry Clooney as soon as September, it has been reported
Another friend of the star added: 'He waited until he was in the right space to meet the right woman. He has matured and evolved, and he has found someone who can keep up with him.'
She is also described as 'the right mixture of someone who takes her work seriously but doesn't take herself too seriously.'
It helps too that Amal 'seems to have no interest in a Hollywood life in the spotlight,' added an insider.
His previous girlfriends, notably Elisabetta Canalis and Stacy Keibler, have sought out fame.
NBA’s Adam Silver keeps close ties to Duke
By Luke DeCock - staff columnist
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/04/30/4876991/decock-nbas-adam-silver-keeps.html#.U2RaqYFdUg4
DURHAM Michael Schoenfeld has plenty to say about NBA commissioner Adam Silver. As Duke’s primary spokesman, Schoenfeld can talk at length about what Silver, a 1984 graduate, has done for his alma mater.
“He’s been a very big supporter of the Duke library and he has always been available for meetings, to talk to students, to visit campus,” Schoenfeld said. “It’s great to see his Duke affiliation, his Duke relationship has continued over all these years.”
That’s on a professional level. Schoenfeld, who also happens to be a 1984 Duke graduate and a fraternity brother of Silver’s in Phi Delta Theta, can speak to Silver the person as well.
“Adam is today and was then a frightfully smart and very genuinely cheerful and funny guy, somebody that people wanted to be around and wanted to hang out with,” Schoenfeld said. “He’s a very smart guy with a great sense of humor.”
Silver’s sense of humor wasn’t tapped when he exploded onto the national scene this week with his swift, decisive handling of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling’s racist comments, banning Sterling from the league and fining him $2.5 million while encouraging the other NBA owners to force Sterling to sell his team.
There are several people whose handling of this awkward and difficult situation merits praise, from Clippers coach Doc Rivers to Sacramento mayor and former player Kevin Johnson, who spoke to Silver on behalf of current NBA players, to the Golden State Warriors players who were ready to walk off the court against the Clippers on Tuesday if Silver’s discipline was deemed insufficient.
‘In control’
None has shone as brightly as Silver, whose uncompromising decision not only fended off a potential player revolt but established a stark contrast to his predecessor, David Stern, who let Sterling remain in place even as court proceedings – a housing discrimination lawsuit and a wrongful-termination claim by former Clippers general manager Elgin Baylor – exposed similar Sterling views.
“He’s so in control,” said Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, who has worked closely with Silver on USA Basketball matters. “Without being intimidating or intrusive, but only helpful. I thought it was a no-brainer that he would be the commissioner. And he’s brilliant. He’s not smart – he’s brilliant, without flaunting it.”
Tuesday, Silver managed to satisfy active players, NBA legends and the other owners all at once, a rare hat trick in the annals of professional sports leadership.
For a 52-year-old who only took over for Stern in February, it was quite a public debut as the most powerful man in professional basketball, one whose interest in the game was catalyzed three decades earlier as a student at Duke.
Silver arrived on Duke’s campus from his hometown outside New York City at the same time Krzyzewski took over as Duke’s head coach. Through Krzyzewski’s first few difficult years, it wasn’t hard to get into a game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. By the time Silver graduated, the Blue Devils had returned to the NCAA tournament.
Duke connections
In a February 2013 interview with Duke’s website, Silver described the role basketball played during his college years.
“It was at Duke that I developed a deeper passion and appreciation for the game of basketball,” Silver said. “I also learned about the power of great brands and the importance of a passionate fan base. And of course my political science degree comes in handy when I’m negotiating with the Chinese Sports Authority!”
Other Duke connections have been fruitful for Silver, most notably Roy Bostock, a former Duke trustee and chairman of Yahoo’s board of directors who Silver has often cited as a mentor. He is also close to Duke president Richard Brodhead, assisting with university fund-raising, and still has many friends in the area.
“He was smart, funny and generous to a fault,” Stephen Farmer, North Carolina’s vice provost for undergraduate admissions and a Duke classmate of Silver’s, wrote in an email.
Duke has former players who serve as executives – general managers Billy King and Danny Ferry – and alums who are owners or CEOs of the Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat. Silver’s real connection to Duke’s basketball program would come later, after he studied law at the University of Chicago and joined the NBA in 1992.
As his role at the league expanded, his interactions with Duke basketball became more frequent. By the time Krzyzewski started coaching the U.S. Olympic team, Silver was part of the traveling party, representing the NBA in Beijing and London.
“He’s a great listener,” Krzyzewski said. “He gives you tremendous feedback. Whatever you’re talking about, he adds value to what’s being talked about. With the U.S. team, he handled himself in a very professional but confident way. He wasn’t just there with David Stern. He was always Adam Silver. He really separated himself then, as ‘I’m this guy, not just an understudy.’ ”
DeCock: @LukeDeCock, 919-829-8947
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/04/30/4876991/decock-nbas-adam-silver-keeps.html#.U2RaqYFdUg4
Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling battling cancer, report says
Embattled Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling is fighting prostate cancer, the New York Post reported late Thursday.
“They thought he would die two years ago,” an unnamed source told the Post. "People have been predicting his imminent demise. I’m sure he has the best...drugs money can buy."
Sources confirmed to ESPN.com later Thursday that Sterling has been battling cancer for an extended period of time.
The NBA's advisory/finance committee held its first meeting about Sterling on Tuesday, two days after Silver said he would urge owners to force a sale of the team.
The 10-member committee held a conference call to discuss "the process for termination of Donald T. Sterling's ownership of the Los Angeles Clippers," NBA executive vice president Mike Bass said in a statement.
"The committee unanimously agreed to move forward as expeditiously as possible and will reconvene next week."
Commissioner Adam Silver banned Sterling for life and fined him $2.5 million Tuesday for making racist comments. Sterling can have no association with the league or the team, but Silver wants more.
A forced sale would require approval by three-fourths of the league's 30 owners. Silver said he was confident he would get the votes.
Minnesota owner Glen Taylor chairs the committee that also includes Miami's Micky Arison, the Lakers' Jeanie Buss, Oklahoma City's Clay Bennett, New York's James Dolan, Boston's Wyc Grousbeck, San Antonio's Peter Holt, Phoenix's Robert Sarver, Indiana's Herb Simon, and Toronto's Larry Tanenbaum.
A number of big names have already expressed interest in buying that team that Sterling has owned since 1981, including Oprah Winfrey and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
First, owners must force Sterling to give it up — which he may choose fight. According to the league's constitution and bylaws, Silver or an owner would have to file a written charge against Sterling, who would have five days to respond. Silver would then call a hearing of the board of governors, which would vote after hearing the evidence against Sterling.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2014/05/02/los-angeles-clippers-owner-donald-sterling-battling-cancer-report-says/
John Boyega, the Hero of ‘Star Wars: Episode VII,’ Has the Force
In the year since Star Wars: Episode VII was announced, director J.J. Abrams has maintained a galaxy-wide silence on the casting of the hype-worthy film. While Abrams was set on keeping fans in the dark, he did let it slip that he was looking for a group of relative unknowns. The Star Wars franchise has a legacy of transforming young aspiring actors into stars. 1977’s A New Hope introduced Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill, who quickly became as iconic as their prop lightsabers and intricate hairdos. Abrams similarly sought new faces for his episode’s starring roles—in 2013, an open casting call for the untitled film requested a “smart, capable” man in his late teens or early 20s. This humble description was in fact a sneak peek of Star Wars’ next protagonist, a young Jedi-in-training.
A slew of relatively fresh faces were rumored to be up for this plum part, including theater actor Ray Fisher and Breaking Bad’s Jesse Plemons. According to Variety, casting was delayed by the question of whether or not Episode VII would have a Caucasian lead. Yesterday Abrams finally ripped off the band-aid, revealing the entire cast in a public snapshot of the film’s first table read. The classy black and white pic confirmed that another rumored frontrunner, British actor John Boyega, would in fact be helming the franchise.
The 22-year-old Boyega was born to Nigerian parents in Peckham, London. He was a performing arts student at South Thames College, where he played the lead in Othello in 2010. Boyega trained at Hackney’s Identity Drama School, and performed in various theater productions around London. In 2011 he was offered the role of Moses in Attack the Block. The film, which centers around a zombie attack on a South London estate, put Boyega on the map. He proceeded to make a name for himself in 2013’s Half of a Yellow Sun, the film adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novel of the same name, and 2014’s Imperial Dreams. Boyega was even set to helm his own Spike Lee drama, Da Brick, loosely based on the life of Mike Tyson; unfortunately, HBO passed on the project. In addition to Episode VII, which he dropped out of the starring role in Race, a Jesse Owens biopic, to film, he’s currently shooting 24: Live Another Day.
As if landing the biggest role of his career isn’t enough, Boyega will be acting alongside Stars Wars’ stalwart legends. Fisher, Hamill, and Ford are all onboard to reprise their iconic roles as Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, and Han Solo inEpisode VII, which will be set thirty years after 1983’s Return of the Jedi. They’ll be joined by Boyega, Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis) Adam Driver (Girls), Daisy Ridley, (Blue Season) and Domhnall Gleeson (About Time).
Episode VII will arrive in theaters (hopefully with a real title) in December 2015. In his Tuesday afternoon statement, Abrams exclaimed, "It is both thrilling and surreal to watch the beloved original cast and these brilliant new performers come together to bring this world to life, once again. We start shooting in a couple of weeks, and everyone is doing their best to make the fans proud."
Boyega and his costars are probably sick of hearing “may the Force be with you”—so we’ll just stick to break a leg.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/04/30/john-boyega-the-hero-of-star-wars-episode-vii-has-the-force.html
Actor Bob Hoskins, known for 'Roger Rabbit,' dies at 71
April 30, 2014 -- Updated 2006 GMT (0406 HKT)
(CNN) -- Bob Hoskins, the pugnacious British actor known for playing gangsters, tough guys and working-class gentlemen in such films as "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," "The Long Good Friday" and "Mermaids," has died, publicist Clair Dobbs said Wednesday.
Hoskins was 71.
His passing comes nearly two years after he retired from acting following a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.
Hoskins was perhaps best known for 1988's live-action and animation hybrid "Who Framed Roger Rabbit." In the comedy, he played detective Eddie Valiant, who hates "toons" -- cartoon figures who live in a separate showbiz world bordering Valiant's 1940s Los Angeles -- and takes up the task of proving the innocence of the cartoon title character, accused of murder. The film was the second-highest grossing movie of 1988, after "Rain Man."
He followed the turn with performances in a variety of films, including 1991's "Hook" in which he played Smee, the pirate assistant of Captain Hook; 1995's "Nixon" as FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover; and 2001's "Last Orders" as the gambler friend of protagonist Michael Caine, whose pals gather to spread his ashes after his death.
Hoskins was nominated for an Oscar for 1986's "Mona Lisa" as a cabdriver who establishes a relationship with a high-priced call girl. Caine was also in the film. Hoskins won both a BAFTA and Golden Globe for his performance.
Robert Hoskins was born on October 26, 1942, in Bury St. Edmunds, England, the only child of a bookkeeper and a cook. He dropped out of school at 15 and took jobs as a truck driver and window cleaner, among others, before falling into acting by accident: A friend was auditioning for a part and Hoskins, who was waiting nearby, was asked to try out. A natural, he got the role.
"I fit into this business like a sore foot into a soft shoe," he told the UK paper The Telegraph in 2009.
In Britain, he gained fame for his performance as a Depression-era song-plugger in Dennis Potter's miniseries "Pennies From Heaven," later turned into a 1980 movie starring Steve Martin.
Though he had a handful of recognizable roles in films after "Pennies" -- including 1980's "The Long Good Friday," 1982's "Pink Floyd the Wall" and 1985's "Brazil" (in which he played a gleefully malevolent repairman), it wasn't until "Roger Rabbit" that he broke through to mainstream American audiences.
That film drove him a bit nuts, he told The Telegraph.
"I think I went a bit mad while working on that. Lost my mind. The voice of the rabbit was there just behind the camera all the time," he recalled. "The trouble was, I had learnt how to hallucinate. My daughter had an invisible friend called Jeffrey and I played with her and this invisible friend until one day I actually saw the friend."
It was his daughter, however, who set him straight.
"My daughter, when I came back from filming in San Francisco, she said 'Dad, slow down, slow down. You're going barmy, mate.' And I was."
Always a steady and straightforward worker -- no "Method acting" for Hoskins -- he appeared in at least one production every year from 1972 until his retirement in 2012.
"There's two things I love about this business. One's acting and the other one's getting paid for it," he told the UK paper The Guardian in 2007. "The rest of it is a mystery to me."
In one of his last roles, he played the elf Muir in 2012's "Snow White and the Huntsman." In the 2011 TV miniseries and Peter Pan prequel "Neverland," he played Smee -- a character he had portrayed in "Hook."
But true to his working-class roots -- The Telegraph described his natural voice as "cockney as jellied eels" -- he hated to put on airs.
"I met a little old fella in Regent's Park when I was walking a character around. He said, 'You are who you are, ain't you?' and I said, 'Yeah, I am who I am.' And he said, 'That's good. I grow roses,' " Hoskins recalled. "And we sat talking about roses all afternoon. It was wonderful."
Hoskins is survived by his wife, Linda Banwell, and four children.
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/30/showbiz/obit-bob-hoskins/
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