'Dancing With the Stars' Season 13 Cast Revealed
New cast members include David Arquette, Chaz Bono, Nancy Grace, more.
Aug. 29, 2011 -- intro: David Arquette, Chaz Bono, and Nancy Grace are among the big-name celebrities who will compete for the coveted mirror ball trophy on the new season of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars."
The star-studded "Dancing With the Stars" season 13 cast was announced tonight during ABC's "The Bachelor Pad."
The new celebrity line-up includes Arquette, known for his role in the "Scream" films, Bono, the son of famed entertainers Sonny and Cher; Grace, HLN's legal analyst, as well as NBA player Ron Artest, model Elisabetta Canalis, reality-TV stars Kristin Cavallari and Rob Kardashian, talk show icon Ricki Lake, war veteran and actor J.R. Martinez, entertainer Chynna Phillips, World Cup soccer star Hope Solo, and fashion commentator Carson Kressley.
For more information on the cast of "Dancing With the Stars" Season 13, go to abc.com
All 12 celebrities will begin training with their professional partners, learning either the cha cha or the Viennese Waltz for the show's two-hour season premiere, Monday, Sept. 19 at 8 p.m. ET.
The couple with the lowest combined judges' scores and public votes for their performance will be sent home in the season premiere of "Dancing with the Stars: The Results Show," Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 9 p.m. ET.
Last season, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward was the champion, beating out Disney Channel star Chelsea Kane and actress Kirstie Alley for the top title.
Read more about the cast in their edited bios and tell us who's your favorite! Which celebrity are you most excited to see hit the dance floor! Vote now!
quicklist: 1title: David Arquettetext: David Arquette, 39, is an actor, writer, director, producer and soon-to-be dancer. Arquette has acted in dozens of movies, including the "Scream" films, "Hamlet 2," The Grey Zone," "Dream with the Fishes," "Never Die Alone" and "The Darwin Awards." Arquette started the production company, Coquette Productions, in 2003 with his estranged wife Courteney Cox, where he produced hits such as "Dirt" and ABC's "Cougar Town," and more.media: 14405947caption:related:
quicklist: 2title: Ron Artesttext: NBA champion Ron Artest is currently the forward on the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team. The father of four has been playing professional basketball in the NBA since 1999 for the Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, and now, the Los Angeles Lakers. He won the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award in 2004, and was the only man with 271 steals in his first two seasons in the NBA -- breaking Michael Jordan's record.
Artest is involved in a host of charitable work in his hometown and in cities across the country through his nonprofit, "Xcel University." He has sponsored summer basketball tournaments, visited dozens of community centers, schools and libraries in low-income areas of numerous cities throughout his career, speaking to kids about the virtues of education and a life devoid of violence and drugs. In June 2011, he filed a petition to legally change his name to Metta World Peace. media: 14406119caption:related:
quicklist: 3title: Chaz Bonotext: Chaz Bono, the child of famed entertainers Sonny and Cher, is an LGBT-rights advocate, author and speaker. In Bono's latest memoir, "Transition: The Story of How I Became a Man," and his documentary, "Becoming Chaz," he documents his 40-year gender-identity struggle and the personal process of "transitioning" -- changing physically from a female to male.
Bono came out as a lesbian in 1995, which prompted his public work in support of LGBT rights and social justice. A decade later, he underwent gender reassignment surgery to become a male. Bono continues to create visibility, cause awareness and impact change for LGBT issues. He currently lives in Los Angeles with his fiancé, Jennifer Elia.media: 14405925
quicklist: 4title: Elisabetta Canalistext: Italian actress and model Elisabetta Canalis, 32, has become a recognizable figure in the world of high-fashion and advertising, gracing the covers of magazines like "Vogue," "Vanity Fair," "GQ" and "Cosmopolitan."
Canalis, who was born in Sassari, Sardinia, Italy, has had regular roles on Italian television series, but broke out onto the Hollywood scene when she was in a relationship with Hollywood star George Clooney. The couple began dating in 2009 and separated in June 2011.
Canalis is an avid equestrian, philanthropist, and recently participated in an upcoming anti-fur campaign with PETA. media: 14405959
quicklist: 5title: Kristin Cavallaritext: Kristin Cavallari broke out as a reality TV star on the MTV series "Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County" when she was a high school junior and went on to star in the network's hit spin-off, "The Hills." Over the years, Cavallari has switched gears to focus on acting, starring in movies like "Van Wilder: Freshman Year," "Green Flash," "Spring Breakdown" and "Wild Cherry," and other television roles. She currently serves as an ambassador to the children's charity One Kid One World, which fights to aid underprivileged children around the globe.media: 14406078
quicklist: 6title: Nancy Gracetext: Nancy Grace, the TV legal analyst known for her firebrand take on the justice system, is the powerhouse behind HLN's top-rated talk show "Nancy Grace." A former prosecutor, Grace's life changed forever in 1979 when her fiance, Keith Griffin, was shot and killed, and she decided to pursue criminal justice as a career. Grace served for over a decade as a felony prosecutor of violent crimes in the Atlanta Fulton County District Attorney's Office. Grace is also a best-selling author for novels, "Objection!," "The Eleventh Victim," and "Death on the D-List." She lives with her husband and twins in Atlanta and New York City.media: 14406088
quicklist: 7title: Rob Kardashiantext: Rob Kardashian is reality-TV royalty. He stars in the No. 1 hit reality television show on E!, "Keeping Up With The Kardashians," which documents his family's life in Los Angeles, Calif., with sisters Kourtney, Kim and Khloe Kardashian, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, mother Kris Jenner and step-dad Bruce Jenner.
The only son of the late attorney Robert Kardashian and Kris Jenner, Kardashian graduated from Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California with a degree in business entrepreneurship, and has taken on several business ventures. He enjoys a modeling career as the face of the popular brand, Ocean Pacific, and in his spare time loves to maintain an active lifestyle, playing golf and basketball, running and skiing.media: 14406108
quicklist: 8title: Ricki Laketext: Talk show icon and media personality Ricki Lake has charmed audiences for more than two decades, and built a career on her candid, "straight talk" sensibility and her authentic, relatable nature.
Lake made her acting debut as Tracy Turnblad, the zaftig heroine of the original John Waters' film "Hairspray," and starred in John Waters' "Cry Baby," opposite Johnny Depp and "Serial Mom," alongside Kathleen Turner, and many other films.
Lake produced of the critically-acclaimed documentary, "The Business of Being Born," which debuted at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival and examined natural childbirth in the United States, which led to the publication of her first book, "Your Best Birth."
She will return to daytime television with "The Ricki Lake Show" in the fall of 2012 and has recently completed work on a memoir due out in the spring of 2012.media: 14406098
quicklist: 9title: J.R. Martineztext: J.R. Martinez is an Iraq war veteran, motivational speaker and actor on ABC's "All My Children."
In April 2003, at 19, he was serving as a humvee driver for the United States Army in Iraq when his left front tire hit a landmine. He suffered smoke inhalation and severe burns to more than 40 percent of his body. J.R. was immediately evacuated and sent to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, where he spent 34 months in recovery. Since his injury, he has undergone 33 different surgeries, including skin grafts and cosmetic surgery. While in recovery, he started speaking to other burn patients within the hospital, sharing his experiences and listening to theirs. News of his story and efforts to help others quickly spread, first on a local level and then to national circuits, leading to appearances on "Oprah," "60 Minutes," and CNN. J.R. has traveled the country since 2004, spreading his message of resilience and optimism. He joined the cast of "All My Children" as combat veteran Brot Monroe in 2008. Martinez now calls Dalton, Ga., home.media: 14406068
quicklist: 10title: Chynna Phillipstext: Chynna Phillips is a singer/songwriter, actress, philanthropist and entrepreneur.
Born to musicians of famed 60's group The Mamas and The Papas, Phillips began her acting career appearing in John Hughes' 1982 teen-sensation "Some Kind of Wonderful," and followed up with roles in 1988's "Caddyshack II," 1989's "Say Anything," and played the character Roxanne Pulitzer in the 1989 TV biopic "Roxanne: The Prize Pulitzer."
Next, Phillips formed the trio Wilson Phillips, with childhood friends Carnie and Wendy Wilson, and the group went on to become the best-selling female group of all time, according to Billboard, breaking the record previously set by The Supremes. The group was nominated five Grammy Awards, an American Music Award and won a Billboard Music Award (for "Hold On" and "Release Me" written by Phillips).Earlier this year, Phillips announced that she and Wilson Phillips would reunite again for an album of original music to celebrate their 20 years together as a musical group.media: 14405935
quicklist: 11title: Hope Solotext: Hope Solo, the starting goalie for the United States Women's National Soccer team, is widely considered to be one of the best goalkeepers in the world. At the 2011 World Cup, Solo recorded two shutouts in group play and made a crucial save in a penalty shootout against Brazil in the quarterfinal, helping the American women advance to the semi-finals. The U.S. reached the final, falling to Japan in a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw. Solo was awarded the Adidas Golden Glove by FIFA as the tournament's top goalkeeper.
Solo was also the starting goalkeeper for the United States in the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup and the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing where the U.S. women's team won the gold medal by defeating Brazil 1?0 in extra time.
Solo, a native of Richland, Wash., started her professional Soccer career playing for Saint Louis Athletica and was named Goalkeeper of the Year in 2009. Since then, she has played for the Atlanta Beat and currently plays for magicJack as the starting goalkeeper and is a two-time WPS All Star. When not playing soccer, Hope enjoys reading, basketball, beach volleyball and other outdoor activities. She loves traveling the world and gives back through community service projects.media: 14406058
quicklist: 12title: Carson Kressleytext: Carson Kressley is an Emmy-winning television star, celebrity stylist, author and fashion designer. Kressley is currently starring in "Carson-Nation," a one-hour reality show on Oprah Winfrey's OWN network where he travels to small towns throughout the U.S., transforming people's lives.
Kressley became a household name in 2003 as part of the "Fab Five" on the Bravo reality show, "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," and earned a primetime Emmy. From there, he began a career as a noted television fashion critic and commentator, hosting Lifetime's makeover show, "How to Look Good Naked," and playing the role of fashion judge on other reality programs, including ABC's "True Beauty." Kressley is also a New York Times bestselling author with many style books to his name. media: 14410420
quicklist: 13title: Vote for Your Favorite!text: Which "Dancing With The Stars" celebrity are you most excited to see hit the dance floor on Sept. 19? Vote now!
For more information on the cast of "Dancing With the Stars" Season 13, go to abc.com
Watch "Good Morning America" Wednesday, Aug. 31 at 7 a.m. ET when this season's celebrity-professional pairs are revealed!
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