20 Famous Brits

Exercise: Describing how people look.

Here are some faces that you might recognise. How would you describe their appearance?

Age:

He's about twenty. (19, 20, 21)

He's in his thirties. (30 - 39)

She's in her early forties. (41 - 43)

He's in his mid-fifties. (54 - 56)

She's in her late sixties. (67 - 69)

Appearance:

What does he / she look like?

He looks handsome / plain / ugly.

She looks beautiful / pretty / plain / unattractive.

He / She looks like...

a scientist / writer / musician / politician / sportsman / philosopher / comedian

an actor / actress

Height / Build: 

tall / short / medium height

slim / overweight / well built

Hair:

He / She has...

long / short

wavy / curly / straight

fair / blonde / grey / brown / dark / red

hair.

He is bald.

He has a moustache / beard / fringe.

This a Welsh actor called ______________. He grew up in the theatre and later went on to Hollywood. His most famous role was probably playing the character Hannibal Lecter in "The Silence of the Lambs". He also starred in "The Elephant Man", "Dracula" and "Nixon".

The Beatles had three of the greatest songwriters of their generation and Richard Starkey, who is better known by his stage name __________. Since the Fab Four split up at the end of the sixties he has continued his musical career colaborating with many other famous musicians. He has even made a name for himself as an actor. He provided the voice for the eighties children's cartoon character Thomas the Tank Engine.

Founder of the first heavy metal group Black Sabbath, ___________ was born in 1948 and is from a town near Birmingham. He is now a little too old to continue his rock 'n roll antics. His most recent appearance was on American TV, where he starred in "The Ozbournes", a reality show about him and his family... some of whom are just as unusual as him!

_________________ was born in 1939 in Somerset. He is best known for his role in the seventies comedy group Monty Python and the hit tv series Fawlty Towers, in which he plays a manic hotel manager who always manages to get things into a mess.

If America has Superman, Batman and Spiderman, then Britain has the sci-fi series Doctor Who. The Doctor is a very quintessentially British, eccentric, gentlemanly, tea drinking sort of hero. He is a time traveller who flies around the universe in a blue police phone box called the Tardis (which is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside) I know what you're thinking... It all sounds a bit like a children's tv series, right? Well yes! However, having started back in the 1950's, it is one of the longest running tv shows, so almost all British people remember watching it as kids, and have a special place for it in their hearts. When the Doctor dies he is able to regenerate, a very convenient plot device which enables the BBC to reinvent the series for a new generation. ____________ is the current actor playing the Doctor.

________________ is a talented young singer songwriter, known for having started what some in the media have called the "Beige Revolution". The name is supposed to be an insult, refering to the many mediocre and boring British musicians of the current generation, that have been influenced by her. Nevertheless, she remains a powerful and emotional live performer as songs such as "Someone like you" clearly show.

____________ is a model, who was all over the newspapers back in the 1990's. She was in a well publicised relationship with actor Hugh Grant and is currently engaged to Australian cricket player Shane Warne. She is most famous for wearing a black versace dress held together by golden safty pins to the premiere of Hugh Grant's film "Four Weddings and a Funeral" back in 1994.

_______________ is a young comedian, known for creating controversy. His rock 'n roll lifestyle has recently lead him over to the USA where he is now following a hollywood career.

This is ________. He is a Scottish football manager who was born in 1941. He has been the coach and spiritual leader of Manchester United football club since 1986. He has been with the club most his life and has a reputation for success unequalled in the game.

More famous for her writing than for her appearance, ________________ wrote the Harry Potter book series, the most influential children's fiction of the last generation.

One of the most prominent British philosophers of the early 20th century, ___________ was born in 1872. He went to prison during the first world war for being a pacifist and was one of the first critics of Adolf Hitler before the second. He was influenced by Gottfeid Leibniz as an exponent of atheism. Among his best known works are "Why I am not a Christian" (1927) and "A History of Western Philosophy" (1945).

Loved by some for his sensitive song writing skills. Hated by others for his libertarian lifestyle choices. ________________ is a singer songwriter from Camden Town, the same neighbourhood in London as Amy Winehouse. He is the ex-boyfriend of Kate Moss and the lead singer of indie rock group Babyshambles.

More commonly known by their anglicized family name "The House of Winsor", the British royalty are actually a German family, who changed their name during the first world war to avoid unpopularity. This is the current Prince of Wales due to take over as king one day. His real name, although not known by most of the British public, is _____________. Look it up for yourself!

Just in case there are any that you don't know, here are their names. Can you match them with the pictures?

Peter Doherty

Liz Hurley

Ozzy Ozbourne

Antony Hopkins

Bertrand Russell

John Cleese

David Cameron

Joanne Rowling
Alex Ferguson

Charles Saxe-Coburg and Gotha 

Russell Brand

Elizabeth Taylor

Lewis Hamilton

Matt Smith

Hugh Laurie

Adele Laurie Blue Adkins

Charles Darwin

Ringo Starr

Wayne Rooney

Kate Winslet

More info on who's who soon!

Vocab:

role - part in a film

character - fictional person in a story

split up - end a relationship

antics - unusual actions

reality show - tv programme about real people

manic - out of control

mess - disorder

quintessentially - especially

gentlemanly - like a gentleman

sort of - type of

plot device - element of a story used to do something specific

beige - similar to brown

nevertheless - despite this

show - programme

safty pins - small metal parts that keep something in place

controversy - disagreement

career - professional life

coach - trainer

success - benefit from doing something well

atheism - the belief that god does not exist

anglicized - make something English in form