Dear John

ABOUT THE CAST

CHANNING TATUM (John Tyree), with his growing list of films, has captured the attention of critics and audiences alike.  He most recently starred in the summer’s box office hit G.I. Joe, directed by Stephen Sommers, and also starred opposite Terrance Howard in Fighting, reteaming with his A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints director Dito Montiel.  Tatum received Independent Spirit Award and Gotham Award nominations for his role in A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, which won the Special Jury Prize for Best Ensemble Performance as well as the dramatic directing award for Dito Montiel at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival.  Written and directed by Montiel, the film was based on Montiel’s 2003 memoir of the same title.

In March 2006, Tatum starred opposite Amanda Bynes in She’s the Man, directed by Andy Fickman and produced by Lauren Shuler Donner; the film was inspired by the Shakepeare play “Twelfth Night.”  Later that year, Tatum starred in the box office hit Step Up, directed by Anne Fletcher and produced by Adam Shankman.  Tatum’s other credits include Stop/Loss, Coach Carter, Havoc and Supercross.

Tatum was born in Alabama and grew up in Florida.  He began modeling at age 21, and at age 23 he starred in an international Pepsi commercial for director Tarsem and two popular national Mountain Dew commercials directed by Kinka Usher.  His natural charisma and athleticism in these commercials brought him to the attention of both extreme sports fans and Hollywood industry executives.  He was then signed by a talent agency and started taking acting classes with Harold Guskin and at the Dena Levy Acting Studio.

Tatum currently resides in Los Angeles.

AMANDA SEYFRIED (Savannah Lynn Curtis), with her notable roles in film and television, has quickly captured the attention of audiences and established herself as a breakout star.  Seyfried notably showcased her vocal and dancing skills starring opposite Meryl Streep in the worldwide box office smash Mamma Mia!, which grossed over $500,000,000 internationally.  Most recently, she starred alongside Megan Fox in Jennifer’s Body, written by Diablo Cody (Juno) and directed by Karyn Kusaman.

On television, Seyfried has received critical praise for her starring role in the Golden Globe® Award-nominated drama Big Love.  She plays Sarah, the oldest teenage daughter of Bill (Bill Paxton) and Barb Hendrickson (Jeanne Tripplehorn), struggling to grow up in a polygamist family.  Big Love returns for its third season in 2009.

Seyfried, a Pennsylvania native, started her career modeling at age 11.  She soon turned to acting and landed her first contract role as Lucy Montgomery on As the World Turns in 2000.  In 2002, All My Children signed her to the contract role of Joni Stafford.  Her TV credits also include a heart-wrenching performance on Law and Order: SVU; a role as the girlfriend of an ill young man on House; Justice, where she played a young woman who accidentally kills an older man whom she’d been dating; and a role in the Veronica Mars pilot.

Seyfried’s breakthrough role was in Mean Girls, the Tina Fey-written hit in spring 2004; she co-starred with Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams.  The trio won the Best On-Screen Team Award at the MTV Movie Awards that year.  In 2005, she starred in Nine Lives, which screened at the Sundance Film Festival to great acclaim.  Written and directed by Rodrigo Garcia, the film also starred Sissy Spacek, Glenn Close, Holly Hunter, Robin Wright Penn, and Dakota Fanning.

In 2006, Seyfried appeared in Alpha Dog, directed by Nick Cassavetes, also starring Justin Timberlake, Sharon Stone, Emile Hirsch, and Bruce Willis.  Also in 2006, she starred in American Gun with Donald Sutherland, Forest Whitaker, and Marcia Gay Harden.

Amanda currently divides her time between Los Angeles and New York.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR

LASSE HALLSTRÖM (DIRECTOR) recently finished the film Hachiko: A Dogs Story, based on the true story of a loyal dog, starring Richard Gere and Joan Allen.  He directed the television pilot for New Amsterdam about an immortal detective in New York City, which premiered the beginning of March 2008.  He has many film projects in various stages of development. 

The Hoax with Richard Gere was released in April 2007 to much acclaim.  His other recent films include Casanova with Heath Ledger and An Unfinished Life with Robert Redford and Morgan Freeman.  Hallström’s acclaimed adaptation of Joanna Harris’ Chocolat, starring Juliette Binoche, Johnny Depp and Judi Dench, earned five Academy Award® nominations, including Best Picture.  Hallström received a second Oscar® nomination for Best Director for his work on The Cider House Rules, starring Tobey Maguire, Charlize Theron, and Michael Caine.

This Swedish director’s first Academy Award® nomination for Best Director came with the 1985 release of My Life as a Dog, which was also nominated for Best Screenplay.  In 1993, Hallström directed Peter Hedges’ What’s Eating Gilbert Grape starring Johnny Depp, earning Leonardo DiCaprio his first Oscar® nomination. Something to Talk About followed, starring Julia Roberts, Dennis Quaid, and Kyra Sedgewick in a story of two generations of a tumultuous Southern family.

Hallström began his career in his native Sweden, working in television and on shorts.  In addition, he directed music videos, most notably for the famed Swedish band ABBA.