The Cast of DWTSGame Season 8
The cast of Season 8 has now been announced! Please scroll down and take a look at the 18 new stars taking part in the game! Season 8 starts on July 11th, 2012! http://dwtsgame8.weebly.com
Maya Rudolph - Film & TV Star, Comedienne
Maya Khabira Rudolph (born July 27, 1972) is an American actress, comedienne and singer known for her comedic roles as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2000 to 2007, and for appearing in films such as Away We Go, Bridesmaids, Grown Ups, A Prairie Home Companion and MacGruber. She is the daughter of the late R&B and soul singer Minnie Riperton and music producer/composer Richard Rudolph. Since 2011, she has co-starred in the NBC sitcom Up All Night, with Christina Applegate and Will Arnett.
Maya will pair with newcomer Artem Chigvintsev for the season.
Maya will pair with newcomer Artem Chigvintsev for the season.
Kenton Duty - Disney Channel Star
Kenton Duty (born May 12, 1995) is an American actor and singer. He is best known for his recurring role as "Young Jacob" on the final season of the ABC primetime drama, Lost, and for his co-starring role as the flamboyant European exchange student, Gunther Hessenheffer on the Disney Channel comedy series, Shake It Up!.
Kenton will pair with Chelsie Hightower for the season.
Kenton will pair with Chelsie Hightower for the season.
Michelle Obama - First Lady of the United States
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (born January 17, 1964) is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States. Raised on the South Side of Chicago, Obama attended Princeton University and Harvard Law School before returning to Chicago and to work at the law firm Sidley Austin, where she met her future husband. Subsequently, she worked as part of the staff of Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley, and for the University of Chicago Medical Center. Throughout 2007 and 2008, she helped campaign for her husband's presidential bid and delivered a keynote address at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. She is the mother of two daughters, Malia and Sasha, and is the sister of Craig Robinson, men's basketball coach at Oregon State University. As the wife of a Senator, and later the First Lady, she has become a fashion icon and role model for women, and an advocate for poverty awareness, nutrition and healthy eating.
Michelle will pair with Tony Dovolani for the season.
Michelle will pair with Tony Dovolani for the season.
Tim Tebow - New York Jets Quarterback
Timothy Richard Tebow (born August 14, 1987) is an American football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL).He played college football at the University of Florida, winning the Heisman Trophy in 2007 and appearing on BCS National Championship-winning teams in the 2006 and 2008 seasons. After graduating, he was drafted by the Denver Broncos as the 25th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. Tebow is known as a dual threat quarterback, adept at both rushing and passing the football. With his unorthodox NFL quarterback skills, frequent demonstrations of his religious devotion, and his team's success, Tebow has attracted unprecedented praise, criticism, and attention from the sporting media and beyond. Commenting on Tebow's play and the attention he has garnered, many football players and observers have said that they "have never seen anything like it." Tebow played quarterback for Nease High School in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida and was ranked among the top quarterback prospects in the nation as a high school senior. He ultimately chose to attend the University of Florida. As a backup and situational quarterback, Tebow helped the Gators win the national championship during the 2006 college football season. Tebow was the Gators' starting quarterback during the 2007 season when he became the first college sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy. In 2008, Tebow led Florida to a 13-1 record and its second national championship in three years, and was named the offensive MVP of the national championship game. The Gators again went 13–1 in 2009, Tebow's senior year. At the conclusion of his college career, he held the Southeastern Conference's all-time records in both career passing efficiency and total rushing touchdowns, appearing second and tenth (respectively) in the NCAA record book in these categories. Tebow was selected in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft by the Denver Broncos. He started the last three games of his rookie season and became the Broncos' full-time starting quarterback beginning in the 6th game of 2011. The team was 1–4 before Tebow became the starter, but immediately began winning with him on the field, often by coming from behind late in the 4th quarter, until they won their first AFC West title and first playoff game since 2005. Tim Tebow is known for sharing his Christian faith with fans and in clinics, hospitals, market places, schools and orphanages.
Tim will pair with Lacey Schwimmer for the season.
Tim will pair with Lacey Schwimmer for the season.
Ryan Tedder - Grammy-Winning Singer-Songwriter
Ryan Benjamin Tedder (born June 26, 1979) is a Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the frontman of the pop rock band, OneRepublic, though he has an independent career as songwriter and producer for various artists such as Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Hilary Duff, Far East Movement, Adam Lambert, Jordin Sparks, Leona Lewis, Gavin DeGraw, Demi Lovato, Adele, Sebastian Ingrosso and Paul Oakenfold.
Ryan will pair with Peta Murgatroyd for the season.
Ryan will pair with Peta Murgatroyd for the season.
Ashley Judd - Actress
Ashley Tyler Ciminella (born April 19, 1968) is an American television and film actress, humanitarian, political activist, fashion designer, model, and philanthropist. Judd grew up in a family of successful performance artists as the daughter of country music singer Naomi Judd and the sister of Wynonna Judd. While she is best known for an ongoing acting career spanning more than two decades, she has increasingly become involved in global humanitarian efforts and political activism. Judd has played lead roles in films including Ruby in Paradise, Kiss the Girls, Double Jeopardy, Where the Heart Is, and High Crimes. She currently stars as Rebecca Winstone on the ABC thriller drama Missing. She is married to IndyCar and Indianapolis 500 champion Dario Franchitti.
Ashley will pair with Tristan MacManus for the season.
Ashley will pair with Tristan MacManus for the season.
Ciara - Grammy-Winning Singer
Ciara Princess Harris (born October 25, 1985), known mononymously as Ciara, is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress and fashion model. Born in Austin, Texas, she traveled around the world during her childhood, only to land in Atlanta, Georgia where she met music producer Jazze Pha. With his help, she signed a record deal with LaFace Records. In 2004, Ciara released her debut studio album Goodies, which debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 and included the hit singles "Goodies", "1, 2 Step" and "Oh". The album was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and earned her four nominations at the 48th Grammy Awards. She released her second studio album Ciara: The Evolution in 2006, which spawned the hit singles "Get Up", "Promise" and "Like a Boy". The album reached number one in the US and was certified platinum. Her third studio album Fantasy Ride, released in May 2009, was considerably less successful than Ciara's first two albums. However, it produced the worldwide top-ten hit "Love Sex Magic" featuring Justin Timberlake, which earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. The following year, Ciara released her fourth studio album Basic Instinct, which was met with low sales and continued a downward trend in her commercial success. In 2011, she signed a new record deal with Epic Records. Since making her musical debut in 2004, Ciara has attained eight Billboard Hot 100 top-ten singles, including a number one. She has also earned numerous awards and accolades, including three BET Awards, one Grammy Award, three MTV Video Music Awards and three MOBO Awards. Ciara has sold over seven million albums worldwide, and more than 4.3 million albums and 6.9 million digital singles in the United States alone.
Ciara will pair with Derek Hough for the season.
Ciara will pair with Derek Hough for the season.
Taylor Swift - Country Music Superstar
Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American country pop singer-songwriter. Raised in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, Swift moved to Nashville at the age of 14 to pursue a career in country music. In 2006, she released her debut single Tim McGraw, followed by her self-titled debut album which has sold over 5.5 million copies. She was nominated for Best New Artist at the 2008 Grammy Awards. In November 2008, Swift released her second album, Fearless, which has sold 8.6 million copies. The record earned Swift four Grammy Awards, including the Album of the Year, at the 52nd Grammy Awards. Swift was named Artist of the Year by Billboard Magazine in 2009. Swift released her third album Speak Now on October 25, 2010, which sold 1,047,000 copies in its first week. As of September 2011, Speak Now has sold over five million copies. The single "Mean" was awarded Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance at the 54th Grammy Awards. In 2011, Billboard named her Woman of the Year. Forbes ranked Swift 2009's 69th-most powerful celebrity with earnings of $18 million, 2010's 12th-most powerful celebrity with earnings of $45 million and 2011's 7th-most powerful celebrity with earnings of $45 million. Billboard named her the most financially successful music artist of 2011, with net earnings of more than $35 million.
Taylor will pair with Jonathan Platero for the season.
Taylor will pair with Jonathan Platero for the season.
Jennifer Lawrence - Academy Award-Nominated Actress
Jennifer Shrader Lawrence (born August 15, 1990) is an American film and television actress. She had lead roles in TBS's The Bill Engvall Show and in the independent films The Burning Plain and Winter's Bone, for which she received nominations for a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award. At age 20, she was the second youngest actress ever to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. She also played Mystique in X-Men: First Class. In 2012, she became known worldwide, starring as the heroine Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games, an adaptation of Suzanne Collins' novel of the same name. The film marked her as the highest grossing action heroine of all time and garnered her commercial success and strong praise from critics. Lawrence's performances so far have prompted Rolling Stone to define her as "the most talented young actress in America."
Jennifer will pair with Mark Ballas for the season.
Jennifer will pair with Mark Ballas for the season.
Cee-Lo Green - Singer, Music Producer, The Voice Judge
Thomas DeCarlo Callaway (born May 30, 1974), better known by his stage name Cee-Lo Green, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. He originally came to prominence as a member of the southern hip hop group Goodie Mob, later launching a critically acclaimed solo career and forming Gnarls Barkley with DJ Danger Mouse. Internationally, Cee-Lo is best known for his hip hop work and Gnarls Barkley's 2006 worldwide hit "Crazy", which reached number one in various singles charts worldwide, including the UK. In the United States, "Crazy" reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100. Parent album St. Elsewhere was also a hit, reaching number one on the UK Albums Chart and number four on the US Billboard 200 album charts. Gnarls Barkley's second album, The Odd Couple (2008), was less successful and missed the top ten in both the UK and U.S., where it charted at number 12 in the U.S. and 18 in the UK. In 2010, Cee-Lo took a break from recording with Gnarls Barkley and released the single "F*** You!" on August 19 as a solo recording artist. The song was an instant hit, reaching the top spot in the UK and the Netherlands and charted at number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The parent album, The Lady Killer (2010) saw similar success, peaking within the top five of the UK Albums Chart and debuting within the top ten on the Billboard 200 album charts, and received a Gold certification from the BPI in the UK shortly after its release. His second single "It's OK" was a hit in Europe and the third single, "Bright Lights Bigger City" has also seen similar charting success. Cee-Lo is also currently a vocal coach on the NBC reality talent show The Voice with Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, and Blake Shelton.
Cee-Lo will pair with Sabra Johnson for the season.
Cee-Lo will pair with Sabra Johnson for the season.
Eddie Murphy - Academy Award Nominated Actor, Comedian
Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician. Box office takes from Murphy's films make him the second-highest grossing actor in the United States. He was a regular cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1980 to 1984 and has worked as a stand-up comedian. He was ranked #10 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time. He has received Golden Globe Award nominations for his performances in 48 Hrs, Beverly Hills Cop series, Trading Places, and The Nutty Professor. In 2007, he won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of soul singer James "Thunder" Early in Dreamgirls. Eddie Murphy's work as a voice actor includes Thurgood Stubbs in The PJs, Donkey in the Shrek series and the dragon Mushu in Disney's Mulan. In some of his films, he plays multiple roles in addition to his main character, intended as a tribute to one of his idols Peter Sellers, who played multiple roles in Dr. Strangelove and elsewhere. Murphy has played multiple roles in Coming to America, Wes Craven's Vampire In Brooklyn, the Nutty Professor films (where he played the title role in two incarnations, plus his father, brother, mother, and grandmother), Bowfinger, Norbit, and Meet Dave.
Eddie will pair with Cheryl Burke for the seeason.
Eddie will pair with Cheryl Burke for the seeason.
Ximena Navarrete - Miss Universe 2010
Jimena "Ximena" Navarrete Rosete (born on February 22, 1988) is a Mexican model and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss Universe 2010. She was previously named as Nuestra Belleza México 2009 (Miss Universe Mexico 2009). In May 2011, Navarrete traveled to Guadalajara, Mexico, her hometown, to raise awareness for Children International, a U.S.-based humanitarian organization helping over 12,000 poor children there. During her reign as Miss Universe, Navarrete traveled to Spain, Mexico, Indonesia, China, France, India, Russia, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Panama, Thailand, Brazil, Guatemala, Chile and Bahamas in addition to numerous trips around the United States. In addition to being Miss Universe, on February 10, 2011, Navarrete became the official face of L'Oreal Paris and Old Navy.
Ximena will pair with Val Chmerkovskiy for the season.
Ximena will pair with Val Chmerkovskiy for the season.
Andrew Garfield - Actor
Andrew Russell Garfield (born August 20, 1983) is an American-English actor who has appeared in radio, theatre, film, and television. His early roles include the films Lions for Lambs, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, and Boy A, which garnered him the 2007 BAFTA Television Award for "Best Actor". Garfield achieved wider recognition and critical acclaim for his role as Eduardo Saverin in the 2010 film The Social Network. Garfield is a dual citizen of the United States and the United Kingdom. He will portray the title character in the 2012 superhero film The Amazing Spider-Man, a reboot of the Spider-Man film series.
Andrew will pair with Kym Johnson for the season.
Andrew will pair with Kym Johnson for the season.
Gena Rowlands - Two-Time Golden Globe-Winning Actress
Virginia Cathryn Rowlands (born June 19, 1930) is an American actress of film, stage and television. The four-time Emmy and two-time Golden Globe winner is best known for her collaborations with her actor-director husband John Cassavetes in ten films, in two of which, Gloria and A Woman Under the Influence, she gave Academy Award-nominated performances.
Gena will pair with Jonathan Roberts for the season.
Gena will pair with Jonathan Roberts for the season.
Pierce Brosnan - Former James Bond Star
Pierce Brendan Brosnan, OBE (born May 16, 1953) is an Irish actor, film producer and environmentalist. After leaving school at 16, Brosnan began training in commercial illustration, but trained at the Drama Centre in London for three years. Following a stage acting career he rose to popularity in the television series Remington Steele (1982–87). After Remington Steele, Brosnan took the lead in many films such as Dante's Peak and The Thomas Crown Affair. In 1995, he became the fifth actor to portray secret agent James Bond in the official film series, starring in four films between 1995 and 2002. He also provided his voice and likeness to Bond in the 2004 video game James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing. Since playing Bond, he has starred in such successes as The Matador (nominated for a Golden Globe, 2005), Mamma Mia! (National Movie Award, 2008), and The Ghost Writer (2010). In 1996, along with Beau St. Clair, Brosnan formed Irish DreamTime, a Los Angeles-based production company. In later years, he has become known for his charitable work and environmental activism. He was married to Australian actress Cassandra Harris from 1980 until her death in 1991. He married American journalist and author Keely Shaye Smith in 2001, and he became an American citizen in 2004.
Pierce will pair with Anna Trebunskaya for the season.
Pierce will pair with Anna Trebunskaya for the season.
Shia LaBeouf - Actor
Shia Saide LaBeouf (born June 11, 1986) is an American actor who became known among younger audiences for his part in the Disney Channel series Even Stevens and made his film debut in Holes (2003). In 2007, he starred as the leads in Disturbia and Transformers. His other films include Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010), and Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011). In 2004, he made his directorial debut with the short film Let's Love Hate and later directed and shot the music video for "I Never Knew You" by rapper Cage.
Shia will pair with Joy Spears for the season.
Shia will pair with Joy Spears for the season.
Will Ferrell - Actor, Comedian
John William "Will" Ferrell (born July 16, 1967) is an American comedian, impressionist, actor, and writer. Ferrell first established himself in the mid 1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, and has subsequently starred in the comedy films Old School, Elf, Anchorman, Talladega Nights, Stranger than Fiction, Blades of Glory, Semi-Pro, and The Other Guys. He is considered a member of the "Frat Pack", a generation of leading Hollywood comic actors who emerged in the late 1990s and the 2000s, including Jack Black, Ben Stiller, Steve Carell, Vince Vaughn, and brothers Owen and Luke Wilson.
Will will pair with Karina Smirnoff for the season.
Will will pair with Karina Smirnoff for the season.
Nelly Furtado - Grammy-Winning Latin/Pop Singer
Nelly Kim Furtado (born December 2, 1978) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Furtado grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Furtado first gained fame with her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, and its single "I'm Like a Bird", which won a 2001 Juno Award for Single of the Year and a 2002 Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. It produced two more international singles: the more successful "Turn off the Light", and "Shit on the Radio (Remember the Days)". After giving birth to her daughter Nevis, her second studio album, Folklore, was released. It was less commercially successful in the US. It produced three international singles: "Powerless (Say What You Want)", "Try", and "Força" (the theme of the 2004 European Football Championship). In summer 2006, she released her third studio album, Loose. It is her biggest success to date worldwide. It produced the number-one hits "Promiscuous", "Maneater", "Say It Right" and "All Good Things (Come to an End)". After a three-year break, in September 2009, she released her first full-length Spanish album, Mi Plan, along with her first Spanish single "Manos al Aire", which topped the Billboard Hot Latin Songs. This made Furtado the first North American singer to top the Billboard Hot Latin Chart with an original Spanish song. Further singles released were "Más" and "Bajo Otra Luz". For Mi Plan, Nelly received the Latin Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Album. On October 26, a remix album, Mi Plan Remixes, was released. Furtado released her first greatest hits album, The Best of Nelly Furtado, one month later on November 12, 2010. Furtado's fourth English-language studio album (and fifth overall), The Spirit Indestructible, is set for release on June 19, 2012. The album's lead single, "Big Hoops (Bigger the Better)", will be released in April 2012.
Nelly will pair with Maksim Chmerkovskiy for the season.
Nelly will pair with Maksim Chmerkovskiy for the season.
The Couples
Actor PIERCE BROSNAN and ANNA TREBUNSKAYA
Singer CIARA and DEREK HOUGH
Disney Channel Star KENTON DUTY and CHELSIE HIGHTOWER
Actor WILL FERRELL and KARINA SMIRNOFF
Singer NELLY FURTADO and MAKSIM CHMERKOVSKIY
Actor ANDREW GARFIELD and KYM JOHNSON
Singer CEE-LO GREEN and SABRA JOHNSON
Actress ASHLEY JUDD and TRISTAN MacMANUS
Actor SHIA LaBEOUF and JOY SPEARS
Actress JENNIFER LAWRENCE and MARK BALLAS
Actor EDDIE MURPHY and CHERYL BURKE
Miss Universe 2010 XIMENA NAVARRETE and VAL CHMERKOVSKIY
First Lady MICHELLE OBAMA and TONY DOVOLANI
Actress GENA ROWLANDS and JONATHAN ROBERTS
Comedienne MAYA RUDOLPH and ARTEM CHIGVINTSEV
Singer TAYLOR SWIFT and JONATHAN PLATERO
NFL Star TIM TEBOW and LACEY SCHWIMMER
Singer RYAN TEDDER and PETA MURGATROYD
Singer CIARA and DEREK HOUGH
Disney Channel Star KENTON DUTY and CHELSIE HIGHTOWER
Actor WILL FERRELL and KARINA SMIRNOFF
Singer NELLY FURTADO and MAKSIM CHMERKOVSKIY
Actor ANDREW GARFIELD and KYM JOHNSON
Singer CEE-LO GREEN and SABRA JOHNSON
Actress ASHLEY JUDD and TRISTAN MacMANUS
Actor SHIA LaBEOUF and JOY SPEARS
Actress JENNIFER LAWRENCE and MARK BALLAS
Actor EDDIE MURPHY and CHERYL BURKE
Miss Universe 2010 XIMENA NAVARRETE and VAL CHMERKOVSKIY
First Lady MICHELLE OBAMA and TONY DOVOLANI
Actress GENA ROWLANDS and JONATHAN ROBERTS
Comedienne MAYA RUDOLPH and ARTEM CHIGVINTSEV
Singer TAYLOR SWIFT and JONATHAN PLATERO
NFL Star TIM TEBOW and LACEY SCHWIMMER
Singer RYAN TEDDER and PETA MURGATROYD
Also next season...
* The winners of the DWTSGame Season 6 Contest are: ETHAN FERGUSON and MARY SANDERS (Judge Natalie's Mother). These lucky viewers will each get a chance to guest judge the game next season!
* In Season 8, Partner Ditch Week will be replaced with Dance Duel Week, where all couples are split into groups of two, dancing to the same song for the judges to score and determine the better dancer of the duel. The better dancer claims immunity for the week's elimination, as for the remaining 6 couples not saved, they will be in danger of being eliminated later that week.
* In Season 8, Partner Ditch Week will be replaced with Dance Duel Week, where all couples are split into groups of two, dancing to the same song for the judges to score and determine the better dancer of the duel. The better dancer claims immunity for the week's elimination, as for the remaining 6 couples not saved, they will be in danger of being eliminated later that week.