Q and A: Week of Jan. 16

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Q and A: Week of Jan. 16

Q: I have such a crush on Karen Gillan of “Doctor Who.” Can you tell me what else I can see her in? — Jonathan F., Bangor, Maine

A: The ravishing redhead, who plays Amy Pond in the hit sci-fi series, can be seen next month on Ovation television in the network’s first original movie, “We’ll Take Manhattan.” The movie — which airs Saturday, March 3, at 8 p.m. ET — is set in the 1960s world of fashion photography and is based on a true story. It follows upstart photographer David Bailey as he persuades British Vogue to hire his unknown model and girlfriend, Jean Shrimpton (played by Karen), for a major fashion photography layout in Manhattan. Over the course of the shoot, they shatter every established rule of fashion photography, outraging Vogue fashion editor Lady Clare Rendlesham (played by Helen McCrory of “Harry Potter” fame).

Q: When I lived in Canada, there was a show on CTV called “Flashpoint.” Now that I am back in the States, I’ve been told I can catch it on TV here, but I haven’t found it. Can you help? — Judy T., via e-mail

A: All four seasons of “Flashpoint” have aired in the U.S. on Ion Television (check your local listings for channel info). The network recently announced that it has renewed “Flashpoint” for a 13-episode fifth season, which will begin shooting in February. CBS also aired the show here and there — as a midseason replacement or to fill an empty slot when needed — but the series has no set schedule on that network. “Flashpoint” centers on a highly skilled tactical team, trained in negotiating and getting inside the subject’s head to understand the emotional breaking point (the “flashpoint”) that triggered the crisis. The series stars Hugh Dillon, Enrico Colantoni and Amy Jo Johnson.

Q: A while back I remember reading on your website about a movie with Will Ferrell spoken entirely in Spanish. Is this still happening? — Dave R., via e-mail

A: The movie you are referring to is called “Casa de mi Padre,” which also stars Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Luna and Efren Ramirez (see my interview with Efren here). It is indeed in the style of the “telenovela” and is entirely in Spanish (with English subtitles for us gringos). The movie hits theaters March 16, and you can see the first trailer on the movie’s Facebook page and on YouTube (search “Casa de mi Padre”).

Q: I loved “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” Are there plans to film the second book in the series? I hope so! — Stephanie S., Hollywood, Fla.

A: Although the box-office returns for “Dragon Tattoo” aren’t blockbuster material, you can bet 10,000 kronor that “The Girl Who Played with Fire” is indeed in the works, with Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara set to return, Sony co-chairman Amy Pascal confirmed. “Fire” is set for a 2013 release. Fingers crossed for “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest.”

Q and A: Week of Dec. 26

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Q and A: Week of Dec. 26

Q: Like you, I am an avid fan of “New Girl” on Fox. I was wondering what happened to Coach, the character played by Damon Wayans Jr., who was in the first episode and then suddenly left? — Giselle F., via e-mail

A: When “New Girl” filmed its pilot episode in spring 2011, the original roommates were Coach (played by Damon), Schmidt (Max Greenfield) and Nick (Jake Johnson), with Jess (Zooey Deschanel) taking Winston’s room, since he was off playing basketball in Latvia. However, Damon also was co-starring on the ABC show “Happy Endings,” which at the time “New Girl” began production was looking like it wasn’t going to get renewed for another season. So, when “Happy Endings” did indeed get renewed, the producers at “New Girl” had to find a new fourth roommate and opted for Winston (Lamorne Morris) to return from Latvia to reclaim his old room.

Q: I was super-bummed when I found out that “Cougar Town” wasn’t going to air on ABC until January as a midseason replacement, and now I am hearing that that might not even happen! Please tell me it hasn’t been canceled. — Bridget D. in North Carolina

A: I have good news and bad news: The goods news is that “Cougar Town” will be back this season; the bad news is its return has been pushed back until March. More bad news: Instead of its planned 22-episode season, the order has been cut to 15 episodes. This news makes me super-bummed too, as I have been going through some serious withdrawals, and have been forced to drink wine out of Big Joe while reading Laurie Keller’s hilarious Twitter feed (twitter.com/TheLarmy) and throwing pennies in my Bobby Cobb Official Competition Penny Can as I wait with bated breath for new episodes from my favorite Pinot-swilling gals and their awesome sidekick fellas.

Q: A while back you mentioned that Fox was going to make an animated version of “Napoleon Dynamite.” Are those plans still going forward? — Jeremy G., via e-mail

A: It’s full-steam ahead on the weekly cartoon adaption of “Napoleon Dynamite,” which will be voiced by the movie’s stars, including John Heder, Efren Ramirez, Tina Majorino, Aaron Ruell, John Gries and the gang. The 13-episode series premieres on Sunday, Jan. 15, at 8:30 ET, right in the middle of Fox’s super-successful “animation block.” Read what series star Efren Ramirez told me about the show in our interview last year.

Q: I was watching “Robocop” over the weekend and wondered what its star, Peter Weller, can be seen in now? He was so good in that movie! — George T., Omaha, Neb.

A: Peter Weller, who very recently was a regular on “Dexter” playing Stan Liddy, is the latest big-name star to be cast in the newest “Star Trek” movie, which is yet untitled. The film’s details are being kept under wraps, but I can tell you that Peter is playing a principal character in the May 2013 sequel to the 2009 megablockbuster.

Q and A: Week of Nov. 15

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Q and A: Week of Nov. 15

Q: I love watching “Family Feud” and think Steve Harvey is doing great, but what happened with John O’Hurley? Why did he leave? He was a terrific host! — Gina T. in Texas

A: I spoke with John (pictured left, photo credit Virginia Sherwood/NBC) recently to talk about his other hosting duties, that of the ninth-annual National Dog Show presented by Purina (which airs on Thanksgiving Day after the Macy’s Parade), and he told me the reason behind his departure: “I had a wonderful time hosting ‘Family Feud.’ They wanted to move the show to Orlando, but with my child responsibilities here that just wasn’t going to happen. So, I just have to look at it as four phenomenal years. I miss the show dearly, but it frees me up to do so many other things. I’m back on Broadway, and will be heading back to Broadway again, and those are things that I just couldn’t do as freely when I was committed to ‘Family Feud.’” John is very grateful that you enjoyed him on the show, as well as the MANY other readers who wrote in to me to tell me that they missed him.



Q: I remember awhile back you reported that “Avatar” star CCH Pounder told you that there would be a sequel. Is that still in the works, or was it just wishful thinking? — Travis G., via e-mail

A: Would I, or CCH Pounder, ever steer you wrong? There are actually TWO “Avatar” sequels in the works. 20th Century Fox hopes to have the first of the as-of-now-untitled sequels in theaters by December 2014, with the third movie released the following December 2015. Director/visionary James Cameron released this statement: “In the second and third films, which will be self-contained stories that also fulfill a greater story arc, we will not back off the throttle of ‘Avatar’s’ visual and emotional horsepower, and will continue to explore its themes and characters, which touched the hearts of audiences in all cultures around the world.”

Q: When is HBO’s “Big Love” coming back for its fifth season? — Justine D., via e-mail

A: The hit drama series about a Salt Lake City businessman (played by Bill Paxton) and his three wives (Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloe Sevigny and Ginnifer Goodwin) will return for its fifth and final season on Jan. 16.

Q: I read that they were making a sequel to “Napoleon Dynamite.” Is that true? — Flint M., Akron, Ohio

A: It’s not exactly a sequel. Fox has ordered six episodes of an animated version of the 2004 cult hit, which starred Jon Heder and Efren Ramirez (as Napoleon and his friend Pedro). Efren told me that one episode is already in the can and that everyone is thrilled with it. He told me that “it appeals to everybody, and it’s funny. It’s got all of the original cast and the original writers. And it’s Fox, and as you know, Fox does a great job with animated series.”

Interview: Efren Ramirez Wants to Surprise You

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Interview: Efren Ramirez Wants to Surprise You

No one could have predicted that August 2004 would have brought us a cult-phenomenon movie — which will soon be turned into an animated television series — that would have us all buying VOTE FOR PEDRO T-shirts, researching Ligers and exclaiming: "GOSH!" Napoleon Dynamite was the big break for Pedro himself, Efren Ramirez (pictured left, courtesy WENN), who has gone on to star in a wide variety of projects, including Crank, Nacho Libre and HBO's Eastbound and Down (on Sunday nights at 10:30). 

Hot on the heels of the news that Fox has turned Napoleon Dynamite into an animated series, featuring the voices of all the original actors of the film, I got the chance to catch up with Efren.

Celebrity Extra: I read that you were up for both Napoleon Dynamite and (the big-budget Western) The Alamo, and decided to go with Napoleon. Is that true, and if so, what led you to that decision?

Efren Ramirez: Yeah, that’s true. I was working on a television show called Even Stevens at the time with Shia LaBeouf, and I auditioned for roles in The Alamo and Napoleon Dynamite. And even though The Alamo was a big feature film, and it had Billy Bob Thornton and Dennis Quaid, I decided to make the riskier choice. You have to do it for the right reasons. So when I took that risk with Napoleon Dynamite, I was surprised with the outcome.

CE: It became such a huge phenomenon — it's a cult classic. Could you ever have imagined that?

ER: I was recently at the museum called the Huntington Art Gallery, and there were a bunch of kids everywhere — and mind you, these kids were 10 years old, 12 years old. They saw me and they went bananas, and I thought: “Wow! When Napoleon Dynamite came out, they were like 5!” It still and will always be surprising to me, that I’m a part of something that people will remember for … well, most of their lives, I hope.



CE: Do you ever get tired of people calling you Pedro or telling you that they voted for Pedro?

ER: That happened yesterday at the gym! Some guy was like: “Oh my God. How ya doing, Pedro?” It’s funny, because I’m assuming that a lot people think it’s a documentary, when it’s not. It’s a feature film, guys. But the other part is it's entertainment, and you watch it and you get so into the film, and that’s great. When I see people like that it means they are big fans of the film, and when I talk to them and they are like, “My God, you’re so different.” And I’m like, “Yeah.” To me, I’m lucky because not only did I get to play in a movie that a lot of people like, but I played a character that a lot of people like. And I worry about actors who play villains, because they become hated everywhere they go, and that’s not cool. That’s harder.

CE: And now Fox is producing an animated version of the movie. How is that going so far?

ER: Well, we’ve done the very first episode already, and it’s been approved by every department. Once I read the script, I thought, “OK, this is gonna be really funny!” Because we’re jumping back into the world of Napoleon Dynamite and to make it into an animated series, we’re gonna get a large audience. It appeals to everybody and it’s funny. It’s got all the original cast and the original writers. And it's Fox, and as you know, Fox does a great job with animated series.

CE: This season you are also in another cult-phenomenon-in-the-making, Eastbound and Down. Tell me about this season and your role in it.

ER: Well, I’m a big fan of the first season. I have it on DVD, and it brought me to the world of Kenny Powers. Those guys are such outlandish characters. The second season starts when Kenny is in Mexico and decides to play baseball there. I play his neighbor and my name is Catuey. As far as my work is concerned, I’ve always played very far-stretched characters, and it is only this time I’m actually playing a very wise, family-oriented character. I'm a very straight character with all the lunatics roaming around. And of course you’ve got Danny McBride as Kenny Powers and Steve Little, who plays Stevie Janowski. And even Michael Pena, who’s playing the baseball manager, he’s really out there too. I play Danny McBride’s neighbor and every time he get up to his antics, he always comes back to me, and I give him good advice.

CE: It must be tough being the straight man to Danny and having to keep a straight face!

ER: It is! Because the way Danny works and the way everybody works is you stay scripted to the scenes, but sometimes he’ll improvise the entire thing. And as an actor you have to just jump into the scene with him and whatever happens goes! And I like that, because it’s so true and in the moment. I enjoy working on the show, because these guys are smart at what they do. They know what they are doing.

CE: What can you tell me about your next project, Casa de mi Padre? I know the film stars Will Ferrell and it's all really hush-hush.

ER: Well, what can I tell you? One, it’s my fortune to be able to work with Danny McBride and all those good guys. But then to jump onto Casa de mi Padre working with Will Ferrell under Gary Sanchez’s direction. These guys are great men. The film itself, what can I tell you? What a ride! It’s all in Spanish with English subtitles. Will Ferrell had to do the whole film in Spanish and he did a great job actually. And when you go with Will Ferrell, it’s definitely a Will Ferrell movie. It’s very funny. The writer is Andrew Steele and he used to write for Saturday Night Live, so these guys know comedy. I’m in a good place right now.

CE: I can't wait to see how this one is going to turn out — I can only imagine right now!

ER: Even the way Matt Piedmont, the director, directed it; there are some really dramatic moments. Everybody had to be at the top of their game. It’s certainly different. And that’s good, because you want to create something that’s going to be surprising to the audience.

CE: I was surprised with the cast, especially Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna, who are known for their dramatic work, to see them in a Will Ferrell comedy ...

ER: I wish I could tell you what I think while on the set! I would just think, “Is this really happening?” It’s funny.

CE: You just have so many great projects going on right now, it must be nice for you as an actor.

ER: No, that’s okay. I’m gonna quit. I’m gonna quit acting. I’m done! I’m going to become a desert priest (laughs). It’s great because after Napoleon Dynamite, I was able to really select where I wanted to go. And part of being an actor, you just want to grab any job possible. But now I’m about waiting and sitting around, and go let me do three projects a year. This year is over, but next year I already have two projects. 

As an actor, once you do a project — Jeff Bridges said you want to try and shift 45 degrees and do something totally different, so you’re always surprising the audience all the time. That’s why I’m able to enjoy doing dramas, actions and comedies. All the great actors who just keep changing and transforming to different characters, that’s what I want to do. That’s how I want to be.

CE: You’re on the right track. You’re certainly not pigeonholed in any particular "type."

ER: Yeah, a lot of people are coming up to me going, “My God, that’s you!” And I’m like, “Yeah.” When I did the Crank series, not only did I play the transvestite, but I played the transvestite's twin brother, and everyone was like, "Dude! What?!" But it’s always about the work. And later my mom said, “Ah, I wish I had a daughter.” And I was like, “Thanks, Mom!”