Interview: Jamie Luner Is The Perfect Boss
I know Jamie Luner best for her years on “Melrose Place” as the once-sweet but soon conniving and vicious Lexi Sterling. She got her start on the 1980s sitcom “Just the Ten of Us,” which I loved as a kid. Since then, she’s been on “Growing Pains,” “All My Children,” “The Profiler,” “CSI: Miami,” “NCIS,” “Supernatural” and a ton of other things. This weekend, she stars in the Lifetime Movie Network’s original movie “The Perfect Boss” (which premieres May 24 at 8 p.m. ET/PT and re-airs throughout the weekend). Jamie plays cutthroat pharmaceutical exec Jessica Slade, who will do anything to be a success. I spoke with Jamie about her role, and about her time on “Melrose.” Celebrity Extra: After watching this movie, I can say that is definitely Crazytown, but in a good way — so much danger, backstabbing and intrigue. What were some things about it that appealed to you that made you want to play the role?
Jamie Luner: (Laughs) Crazytown — I love that. And it’s true! I’ve been playing lots of roles that were away from that sort of powerhouse woman, and it was really refreshing to get back to that. I have been playing moms and teachers a lot, and I think variety is good. I really appreciated Jessica’s strength — and also it’s just fun to play the bad girl. It was also a treat to get to work with Linden Ashby again. You know, he and I played husband and wife on “Melrose Place.” That was nostalgic and really nice and comfortable to be able to work with him there.
CE: Was it just like old times working with him again?
JL: It was wonderful to see him again. It had been a long time. We were quite tickled to work together again. We met a couple of days before we started shooting to go over the script, but it took us a day just to catch up and chat. There was definitely an air of familiarity there, which is wonderful, because when you do these projects, so often they happen so quickly and you have to build a backstory, but we actually had history. We do work very well together. We have a lot of trust in each other, and we know how the other works. It was a treat for both of us.
CE: We find out Jessica had a tough childhood with an alcoholic mother and abusive stepfather. How did that play a role in who she became as an adult?
JL: When you’re a child, there is so much that goes on that you subconsciously work from. And whatever she had gone through — it can either debilitate or catapult you in any direction. She used her past to catapult her into getting away from that world. She got her validation from being successful in business, since she never got it from love. I don’t think her actions come from vindictiveness. It is just pure survival.
CE: You filmed this in Canada, right? How was the filming experience?
JL: We filmed in Ottawa, the capital. It took about three and a half weeks. This was my second time shooting with the Lifetime Movie Network in Ottawa. It’s a magical town. It is so beautiful, and the cross-culture of the European and French-Canadian is so pleasant. I love listening to French, and I just love Canadians. I find them to be some of the sweetest people. Everything was blooming, and the food is wonderful.
CE: I know you best as Lexi on “Melrose Place.” Do you get recognized for that the most out of all the roles you’ve played?
JL: Yes, I do. I’m so fortunate to have been on such iconic shows that are so memorable. That time was such a chapter in all of our lives — television was so different than it is today. It was such an impactful show on so many people. I get a little nostalgic about it, and I’m definitely recognized for it by a lot of people who have enjoyed it.
Q and A: Week of May 20
Q: First “America’s Most Wanted” was canceled, and now I hear “Cops” is following suit. Please say it ain’t so! — Jeremy S., Washington, Ohio
A: It ain’t so, Jeremy, but there has been a change of venue. “Cops,” which has been a fixture on Fox’s Saturday nights for 25 years, is moving to the Spike network. Beginning in September, the cable network aimed toward younger male TV viewers will begin airing all-new episodes of everyone’s favorite real-life cops-and-robbers show.
For those who’ve been following the story, the move isn’t a surprise, as Fox ordered fewer episodes this season, and often took to pre-empting the show in favor of a sporting event. This move should be good for “Cops,” since it’s right up Spike’s alley and would most likely be given precedence over other types of programming.
Q: I liked the series “Haven.” Do you know if it’s coming back? — David V., via e-mail
A: The Syfy series based on the Stephen King novella will return for a 13-episode fourth season, which should begin airing late summer or early fall.
Q and A: Week of May 13
Q: I really enjoy “The Good Witch” movies with Catherine Bell. Are they planning to make more? — Roberta F., North Rose, N.Y. A: The Hallmark Channel’s “Good Witch” series will be a six-part series, with “The Good Witch’s Charm,” the fifth movie in the series, being the most recent, having aired in October 2012. The final installment, “The Good Witch’s Destiny,” is scheduled for release at some point this year, although an exact date has not been revealed.
Q: Can you tell me why these shows are no longer on the air: “All My Children” and “One Live to Live”? — Pat A., Columbia, S.C.
A: While I normally don’t cover daytime dramas in this column, what happened here is so miraculous in the TV world, I have to mention it. “All My Children” and “One Live to Live” — which ended in September 2011 and January 2012, respectively — were canceled due to low ratings and cost. However, after much negotiation and legal wrangling, on April 29, both shows came back to life (with many of the core cast members reprising their roles) as 30-minute webisodes via production company Prospect Park. Fans can view daily episodes on Hulu, Hulu Plus and iTunes. Prospect Park recently announced plans to resuscitate CBS’s “As the World Turns” and “Guiding Light” at a later date.
Q: The “Vikings” series on the History Channel reminded me of an article I read years ago about Mel Gibson making a Viking movie with Leonardo DiCaprio. Is this movie going to happen? — Lavourne, E., Willmar, Minn.
A: As recently as August 2012, Mel has said that “Berserkers” is still in the works; however, Leo is no longer attached to the project. Mel has been working on rewriting the script with his “Braveheart” writer, Randall Wallace. While there has been no word on “Berserkers” since the record-breaking success of the History Channel’s “Vikings,” considering the viewing public’s new love affair with all things savage and Nordic, I’m thinking Mel’s movie would fare well at the box office, if he decides to proceed.
Q: I heard that this will be the final season of “Merlin” on the Syfy channel. Is this true? I really enjoy this series and would miss it, along with the interesting and talented actors. Can its fans do anything to keep in on the air? — Carol C., Rochester, N.Y.
A: The 13-episode fifth season of “Merlin,” which began airing on Syfy here in the U.S. on May 5, is indeed the final season for the fantasy/adventure series. The show, which aired first in the U.K., is a production of BBC One that has been syndicated here in the States. So, we can complain all we want to Syfy, but unfortunately, it most likely won’t get the show back. The series already concluded in the U.K. over Christmas, and all five seasons are available on DVD.
Interview: Sherry Stringfield on Love and Priorities
She was my favorite Blake on “Guiding Light,” she played David Caruso’s ex-wife on “NYPD Blue,” and she saved lives and romanced Dr. Greene as Dr. Susan Lewis on “ER.” But this month we get to see a different, softer side of Sherry Stringfield when she stars in the Hallmark Channel original movie “Beverly Lewis’ The Confession,” which premieres Saturday, May 11 at 9/8c. This heartwarming, perfect-for-Mother’s-Day movie has Sherry reprising her role of Laura Mayfield-Bennett, a terminally ill wealthy heiress who is searching for the daughter she gave up for adoption many years ago. Katie Lapp, played by Katie Leclerc, is Laura’s long-lost daughter, who was adopted as an infant by an Amish family, who in the first movie of the “The Heritage of Lancaster County” series, “The Shunning,” has been “shunned” from the Amish community for her refusal to marry Bishop John.
Celebrity Extra: “The Shunning” ended with Laura looking for Katie, but they don’t end up finding each other. Was that loose end a reason you decided to return to this series in “The Confession,” and what were some other reasons you agreed to reprise your role?
Sherry Stringfield: Obviously I thought that this story is just so compelling. There’s a general fascination with the Amish, I think, so that was intriguing. And I just love a girl’s coming of age tale and what it’s like to have to leave home and to set your sights on the future for the first time as a young woman. I just don’t come across scripts like this too often that are positive and in depth about young women and relationships between mother and daughter.
There was a little more intrigue in the first movie, wondering if Laura and Katie will meet. The movie itself is just gorgeous. All the locations in the first one were rural and just so beautiful and refreshing. So yes, I was compelled to do the second one having done the first one.
CE: How was it for you to play this role of Laura, who’s desperate to find her daughter, and who also has a time limit, since Laura is dying of cancer?
SS: Oh God, it was hard. This second movie was so emotional because Laura was dealing with her illness and dying, and just trying to make sense of their life knowing that it is coming to an end. She so desperately wants to know that part of life and her daughter — the part that made her vulnerable to the machinations of her husband. She needed to have her life make sense before she died.
CE: Both movies were directed by Michael Landon Jr. How was he to work with, as well as the rest of the cast?
SS: Hilarious. He’s such a doll. He’s just a sweetheart. The cast was great — real fun. I also loved North Carolina, where we shot the movie. It’s funny too, because shooting in North Carolina, it felt healthy. It was like clean drinking water, everything about it. The air and the nature around us, and it was a nice vibe, and the actors were so nice and talented.
CE: What is it about the Hallmark Channel that made you want to work with them again?
SS: I like that the stories are straight-forward; they are a little more family-oriented. There’s no violence, which I hate. I’m so tired of violence. And now violence is really in our lives in a real way, and I just can’t go there. I just can’t. I like that things aren’t violent.
CE: After watching the movie, what message do you hope viewers take away with them?
SS: This is a reminder about what’s really important in life, and how life’s so fragile. We’re all just here. I hope the movie will make people think about what they’re doing with their life and what their priorities are, and do they have love in it.
Interview — Tiffani Thiessen: "It's Easy Being Green"
We all know her as everyone’s sweetheart, Kelly, on “Saved by the Bell,” every girl’s scheming enemy, Valerie, on “Beverly Hills, 90210,” and more recently as event planner Elizabeth on USA’s “White Collar.” Ironically, event planning is in Tiffani Thiessen’s blood, as she loves to throw a good party and entertain friends. And, as she demonstrated last month, which just so happened to be Earth Month, you can entertain without harming the Earth. Partnered with Glad and its One Bag campaign, Tiffani is on a mission to teach others how to make less waste, use fewer energy sources and still have a kick-ass party. Recently, Tiffani — along with longtime friend and party planner Heidi Mayne — threw a One Bag party, dazzling her friends and family with gorgeous decorations, wonderful food, fun party favors, etc., all the while recycling, composting and sending only one bag of trash to the landfill. I spoke with Tiffani right before the party, and she gave me the scoop on her One Bag affair.
Celebrity Extra: Tell me about the party planning. You did this by committee, correct? Getting people’s votes via Glad’s Facebook page?
Tiffani Thiessen: Exactly. It’s been really fun to have an audience following along and helping us pick the menu, pick the decor, pick the place and choose the parting gifts. Usually I’m like, “Well, I want to pick out those things.” But it’s also been really fun to see what people want to see as well. It all came together beautifully. It’s breathtaking.
CE: I know that you are very green in your own right, so how did you hook up with Glad for this event?
TT: I was approached by them — I think that maybe they heard that I try to be as green as I can be. I grew up in a household that was very much about that, and I continue to be that way. I also strive to be a good role model for my daughter, Harper. We recycle, and we try to conserve water. We have huge water tanks in our backyard, where we use all the rainwater to water our garden. We grow our own vegetables — we try to be those responsible, good, green people. Nowadays what’s nice about it is that it’s not hard to do. It’s almost like it’s become normal for everybody to be doing that, which is nice to know.
CE: It’s definitely become commonplace to recycle at home, and at work, and when you go out.
TT: Oh, absolutely. And it’s just the simplest thing — if you throw a party, put three different huge trash bins out there, and label them “plastics”, “cans” and “glass.” It’s as simple as that, and you make a big difference.
CE: So, with the One Bag party and campaign, you’re trying to show others how easy it can be to create less waste and help save the planet, yes?
TT: With the party, we’re showing people really fun details on how to throw a beautiful, wonderful, luxurious party, while still being very green in the process. We are throwing away only one bag of trash for the whole party, which is amazing to think that I can throw a party for 50 of my friends and throw away only one bag of trash. We are using glassware instead of paper — there are a lot of wonderful companies out there that have the compost-type plates and forks that break down so much better than regular paper and plasticware. But we’re using actual china and real glassware and servingware that needs to be washed, and you can reuse it. The only things being thrown away are soiled items or half-eaten food, that kind of thing. But the menu’s to die for, so I cannot imagine there’s going to be a lot left of any food whatsoever.
CE: Besides being good friends, you and Heidi must work well together since you’ve planned so many parties together.
TT: Heidi is a dear friend of mine; we’ve known each other for a very long time. I love doing this kind of stuff, especially with her. She’s always bringing new ideas to me that I haven’t heard of, and there’s one idea that she loved that I brought to the table, and she’s been using it quite often. I showed her the idea of using chalkboards as menus instead of actually getting menus printed on paper. We used that idea at my wedding years ago, and it’s a favorite of mine that I incorporate into all of my parties now.
CE: While some places do rent dishes and silverware, I was reading how you always have your own sets on hand to match the party occasion.
TT: I do. I have a stockpile of dishes. I have a stockpile of cake plates and pedestal plates and other stuff I use. Now having a little girl, I’m going to be throwing a lot of birthday parties. Why constantly buy things that are going to be thrown away? Why not have beautiful things that you can use over and over and over again? Plus, it’ll save you money in the long run.
What’s nice about it too is if you get colors that work with a lot of different holidays and things like that, get more of a neutral pallet, then you can spruce it up for the occasion you are celebrating. I have a couple of different varieties of linens that will work for Christmas and Thanksgiving, and something that will work for spring and Easter. And then my daughter, Harper, is a summer baby, so her stuff is usually very bright and colorful.
CE: Why do you think a lot of people are still hooked on these disposable things?
TT: Honestly, it’s because we’ve become such a very busy society that we’re all about being quick. And people think going to a store and picking up paper plates and napkins and cups and all that kind of stuff is easy. But we need to be smarter. We need to be better role models for our children. The more we throw away, the more we’re wasting, and the more it’s actually just going back into our Earth, and it’s not helping us in the long run. I think it’s more fun and creative to come up with these green alternatives. And how wonderful would it be to start a legacy of beautiful china and silver that you can pass down through the generations? Wouldn’t you rather be served with beautiful silver than plastic forks and spoons?
CE: How green is the cast and crew at your day job on “White Collar”?
TT: They’re all very good. We don’t have any plastic water bottles around anywhere. Our very first season, we got metal water bottles with “White Collar” on them. It’s just simple things like that. On the sets of TV shows and movies, a crazy amount of stuff gets wasted, so little things like that go a long way.
CE: So, no dirt on your fellow cast mates then, huh?
TT: (Laughs) I can say we’re all pretty good. And it’s also definitely one of the nicest groups of people I’ve worked with in a really, really long time. It’s great to know that the show’s been doing well, and now we’re going into our fifth season. I’m very excited.
Q and A: Week of May 6
A: You can see Sherry this Mother’s Day weekend when she stars in the Hallmark Channel original movie, “The Confession.” It’s a sequel to the top-rated “The Shunning,” both of which are based on the best-selling novels by Beverly Lewis, and both of which Sherry stars in. Sherry plays Laura Mayfield Bennett, a wealthy, terminally ill heiress who recently began searching for the daughter she gave up for adoption to a loving Amish couple.
When I spoke with Sherry recently, she told me why she wanted to work on this movie, and with the Hallmark Channel again: “I like that the stories are straightforward; they are a little more family-oriented. There’s no violence, which I hate. I’m so tired of violence. And now violence is really in our lives in a real way, and I just can’t go there. I just can’t.”
Instead, Sherry hopes people will take away a message of love and forgiveness when they watch this movie. “This is a reminder about what’s really important in life. And how life’s so fragile. We’re all just here. I hope the movie will make people think about what they’re doing with their life and what their priorities are, and do they have love in it?”
“The Confession” premieres Saturday, May 11, at 9/8c on the Hallmark Channel, and check back Wednesday for my full interview with Sherry.
Q: Ever since you mentioned “Devious Maids,” I can’t wait for it to start. Do you know when that will be? — Pamela L., Austin, Texas
A: The all-new drama, brought to you by Marc Cherry and Eva Longoria, premieres June 23 on Lifetime at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The 13-episode series stars Ana Ortiz, Roselyn Sanchez, Susan Lucci, Grant Show and Brett Cullen, and explores the lives of five maids with ambitions and dreams of their own while they work for the rich and famous in Beverly Hills.
Q: I saw a promo on TV for a series called “Cedar Cove,” which I’m hoping is based on Debbie Macomber’s books. Do you know when and where I can see this? — Joanne C., via e-mail
A: The Andie MacDowell-starring drama, which is indeed based on the book series of the same name by Debbie Macomber, premieres July 20 on the Hallmark Channel at 8/7c.
Q: I have been anxiously awaiting new episodes of “America’s Most Wanted.” Has it been canceled? — Peter J., Harrisburg, Pa.
A: I am sad to report that Lifetime has canceled the crime-fighting series, which was hosted by John Walsh. However, the network is developing a pilot with John; stay tuned for more info on that as it becomes available.
Q: Can you tell me when “Call of the Wildman” will be back? — James R., Bowling Green, Ohio
A: Turtleman and company will be back for a 20-episode second season on Animal Planet beginning Sunday, June 2, at 9 p.m. ET/PT. This season, “Turtleman” Ernie Brown Jr. hits the road and travels to Texas and Mexico to rescue wild critters in the hit reality series. Kentucky’s most famous backwoods animal-trapper acknowledges his strange appeal to audiences, saying, “People think I’m crazy, but they can’t help but like me.”
Q: I’m a big fan of MTV’s “Buckwild,” and I wondered if the show will continue after the death of Shain Gandee? — Gerry T., Bentonville, Ark.
A: MTV spokesman Jake Urbanski said that although it was not an easy decision, “given Shain’s tragic passing and essential presence on the show, we felt it was not appropriate to continue without him.”
“Buckwild” producer J.P. Williams of Parallel Entertainment announced last month that he has already sent out a casting call in Texas and Alaska, with plans to retool and recast the show in one of those states, with plans to shop the show around to other networks.
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