Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Interview: Josie Bissett on the Joy of Giving and Paper Angels
The movie is inspired by the hit country Christmas song featured in the movie, “Paper Angels,” by country music star Jimmy Wayne and the same-titled book by Jimmy (with Travis Thrasher). Jimmy also wrote and performed two new songs for the film. I spoke with Josie about the film, and she is thrilled to bring Jimmy’s story to life for her fans … and hopes they’ll open their hearts to those in need this holiday season.
Celebrity Extra: Tell me, what it was about this movie that made you want to be a part of it?
Josie Bissett: The first thing I ever look at in the script is the character, if it’s someone I want to play. And to me, the greatest part of making the decision was the character. That got me because I loved playing someone who was falling apart in the beginning, but then she really takes the reins of her life and her two kids, who were the same ages as my two kids in real life.
CE: So in some aspects, could you relate to her struggles?
JB: I’m a single mom, so yes, I really related to her struggles of being on her own, making a life for her and her kids, and the adjustments and changes that brings to her life. That part was really relatable. And I love the fact that she works hard. This character is not something I’ve ever played before, and I loved getting to play that. My characters are usually pretty put together. As far as the script goes, I really love playing a mom these days, and I just love working with kids. I feel like it brings so much joy to the set, because they are so happy to be there.
Also, I’m a big fan of Jimmy Wayne, and then hearing his story — what a phenomenal person! Knowing that it was loosely based on his life — he’s a country singer who had this absolutely horrific life and who is out there trying to help teenagers who are homeless, who are aging out of the foster-care system. It’s something you don’t really know about unless somebody tells you. And it’s tough. It’s sad.
JB: The biggest message that I know that I want to get out is the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Program and all the Salvation Army does to help. (To learn more, go to salvationarmyusa.org.) When you realize how just one simple thing — like picking an angel off a tree and buying presents for a deserving child — can change that child’s life, you think: “Why aren’t these everywhere? Why aren’t we all helping?” Some of these families, they have nothing. As I get older, I really want to give back. I feel blessed to have all the wonderful experiences, health and all of that. I went through a really, really tough four years. Really tough. And I think that when you go through tough times, you truly learn compassion.
CE: “Paper Angels” is a really sweet movie that inspires people to assist those who might need a helping hand. Tell me about some of the charities you’re involved with.
JB: This month, I’m going on a Mission trip. My whole life I’ve been traveling, but I went straight from work to kids and, with kids, there’s not a lot of time for that. But now I’m older, and my kids are older. I’ve joined this incredible foundation; it’s called Starkey Hearing Foundation.
CE: I interviewed Justin Osmond a few years back, and he is very involved with Starkey. It’s such a great group.
JB: It’s a really incredible foundation. I’m going Sri Lanka right after my press for my movie, and I am just so excited. It’s the kind of the direction I want to go, to be able to do more of that, and more of these kinds of movies like “Paper Angels.” Just putting good stuff out there in the world as opposed to, you know — I watch the news every morning, and it’s just really scary.
CE: For those who can’t travel, or maybe can’t afford too much, how can we help others this holiday season?
JB: If you can’t afford to buy anything for anyone, the Salvation Army needs help packing the gifts. So that’s another option, helping with your time.
CE: What else do you have coming up?
JB: Aside from working with Starkey and my trip to Sri Lanka, I’m actually going to start my next book series. I’m going to start it while I’m in Sri Lanka, but I don’t know the name of it yet. So, let’s just say that I’m starting research on my next book series while I’m there.
Interview: Jon Lindstrom's Passion for Mystery
Celebrity Extra: Tell me about “How We Got Away With It.”
Jon Lindstrom: It’s a mystery thriller about a young man and his friends who react very violently to an unexpected tragedy during their annual weekend reunion. They are all coming into their early 30s, with a sense that some are getting a little dissatisfied, thinking that maybe these kinds of reunions are for people younger than them. You have a sense that they are about to blow apart anyway, or at least just away from each other. And then this terrible thing happens and other things start to come up. You find out that the tragedy is a result of something else.
CE: I know how hard it is to get a film put together, financed and distributed. How did you make this happen?
JL: I met the guy who ended up playing the lead role, McCaleb Burnett, at a wedding of mutual friends of ours in Las Vegas, of all places. And we were both living in Los Angeles at the time. He knew that I had written a movie that had been made a couple of years earlier called “The Hard Easy.” That was made with Bruce Dern and Vera Farmiga and Peter Weller. It was a wonderful cast. So, I guess he just kind of presumed that I knew what I was doing. I don’t — really, nobody does. But I had a fairly good idea of what makes a good movie.
He came to me with a screenplay that he and the fellow that plays the other lead, Jeff Barry, had written together. I liked it, but I felt that there was a better opportunity for a more highly structured kind of mystery noir, which is really a reflection of my own sensibility. It gave us a chance to talk about subjects that were important to all of us, such as what secrets can do to people. So, I got involved, and McCaleb and I did a rewrite. I’m a big fan of the European crime films from the ’60s and ’70s, and I felt we had a good opportunity to play with that creatively.
CE: Because of time and budget constraints of producing your own feature film, I’ll bet your background in daytime helped in that regard, since you’re used to knowing what you want and working quickly to get it.
JL: It did. There’s no way that my time in daytime couldn’t inform my work discipline. I’m really thankful for it now. I did do some directing in daytime. I certainly learned how to move fast as an actor in daytime. One of the reasons why that helps you, at least as an actor, is you develop a pretty strong sense of when you’ve got what you’re looking for. You know when to say: “OK, that’s great. Let’s reset at the top and do another take,” or “We’ve got it. Let’s move on.” I surprised myself in that I have a pretty finely tuned sense of that now.
The other thing I was able to draw from was that I direct short films. I’ve made several of them, and I’ve done a lot of my friends’ acting demo reels and things. Filmmaking has been in my life for some time. With a short film, you usually do it out of your own pocket, and you’ve got maybe one day to shoot it. I’ve been able to draw upon that as well, which helps a lot. I wouldn’t recommend anybody going into this untested. Practice. Do something before you go out and do it.
CE: The setting for this movie is really gorgeous. You filmed in Rochester, N.Y., correct? Tell me about the shoot. JL: Yes, we filmed in Rochester. Jeff Barry (one of the stars of the film) is from Rochester; we got a lot of free things from his family. His father is a restaurateur, so that is how we were able to get two restaurant locations and feed the crew at cost. Jeff’s grandfather also owns a cabin outside of town. Since the film is a reunion where everybody stays in a big house, I was able to put all the actors into this cabin, and they could stay there for the three weeks or so that we were on location. They all got to know each other and learn how to play that way, and get on each other’s nerves and all those things that happen.
In the case of the two leading men, who kind of operate separately from the rest of the ensemble, I had them sleep in the big house that we shot in. They were always kind of separated from the main group. I think it worked very well.
CE: What was it like switching hats from director to actor when it was time to film your scenes?
JL: Stepping into an acting role really wasn’t that difficult. All we needed was a work flow, and Jeff Barry is a filmmaker. He has made a lot of shorts and is very passionate about it. He had written the original draft of the script in about three days. He’s great to work with, as all of them were. All I had to do was set up the shots that I wanted to get in the scene that I was in, and then I would step in front of the camera. Jeff would watch the monitor, give me a little direction until he felt we had it, and then I’d step behind the monitor, look at the playback and say: “Yep. We got it. Let’s move on.” It was a nice collaboration. A lot of the look of the film itself — because it really does look beautiful — is a credit to our young director of photography, Michael Belcher.
CE: It really is a gorgeous movie.
JL: Color correction has a lot to do with it. You shoot on high definition, and you can do a lot with that later on. I recommend trying to get it looking as good as possible when you actually shoot it, and that is thanks to Michael. It does look great. It looks like a much more expensive movie than it actually is.
CE: Was there a moment or a scene during the shoot when you thought, “Wow — we’re making something really special here,” or was the whole shoot one big special moment for you?
JL: The whole shoot was really special for me, just being as it was the first time I was doing a feature-length film. There was one night, though — there’s an entire sequence, it comes probably about two-thirds of the way through the film, where there are some characters doing something at a pier at night. Fortunately it was very calm that night. The lake was like glass, and we were in the water, and it’s August, so the water still gets cold after a while. There’s essentially no dialogue in it, and the sequence runs for about 10 minutes.
That’s a challenge to visually have it make sense, because you don’t have the support of dialogue to be expository. This was the moment where we all knew that the movie was going to work, because everyone knew exactly why they were doing what they were doing, and the reason why it had to be cold like that. That’s one of the rare things that comes along, when so many things have to go right to make a decent movie. That was the moment I knew this might actually work after all.
JL: She really was there for me every step of the way. She was my sounding board all the way through it. Technically, an associate producer is someone who does production work on behalf of the production company, and that’s technically what she did. She definitely deserves the credit. She was with me every step of the way.
In fact, I wasn’t even going to be in this movie. I had another actor attached, and unfortunately he had to drop out, and I said: “Aw, man. Now I’ve got to go find another guy to play the detective.” She said: “No you don’t. You’re going to play that part.” I said: “Oh my God, you’re right. I can do that — and I won’t drop out.” It’s one of my favorite characters that I ever played. We’re thinking of doing a Web series based on that character.
As for us working together again, we would always love to be able to work together, and we do on a daily basis. With my encouragement, I’m proud to say that Cady made a couple of short films on her own. I think she’s a terrific director and has a great eye. We collaborate on our various projects every day, day in and day out. But yeah, we would love the opportunity to work together again.
CE: Do you have another feature film in your sights yet?
JL: I’m going to direct a feature called “The Invisible Fifth.” It’s a teen thriller by way of genre, but it also has to do with secrets and lies. It’s very dark with a lot of mystery.
Daniel Radcliffe Pitches a Hardcore Sex Movie
Can't wait for this one! Daniel Radcliffe, Dane DeHaan and Josh Horowitz want to start a Kickstarter campaign to make their own movie, Snowy River.
(With guest appearances by Alan Rickman and Ashley Greene)
Get More: Movie Trailers, Movies Blog
Interview: Godfrey Gao, Thankful for His Breakout Role
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| Godfrey Gao as Magnus Bane in "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones" |
If you've read the books by Cassandra Clare, or if you saw the film last night, I think we all can agree on one thing: The 800-year-old powerful warlock Magnus Bane rocks. And so does the actor who portrays him, Godfrey Gao. I spoke with Godfrey by phone last month, which happened to be the weekend of his first Comic-Con ("Comic Con-was crazy," he told me. "I mean, I literally went through like 20 interviews on the red carpet. I about lost my voice by the end of it.") "City of Bones" is Godfrey's first English-language film, and before fans even saw a teaser poster of his Magnus Bane, he'd already gained an additional 20,000 Twitter followers. Ah ... the power of the YA supernatural/thriller/romance/adventure book.
Celebrity Extra: First off, tell me about Comic-Con. That must have been exciting.
Godfrey Gao: It was very exciting. It was my first time at Comic-Con. I saw some cool outfits. One of my favorite outfits was this guy dressed up as Batman, but he was topless. You know the Batman logo? He had that logo on his chest, but it wasn’t a costume; it was shaved into his chest hair. I thought that was the coolest thing ever. There were Ironmans, Supermans and Spider-Mans ...
It was surreal for me because I’ve never seen that before. I’ve heard a lot of stories about Comic-Con, and it was just too bad I didn’t get to step out on the floor and see all these people. I was just there, in and out. I did interviews, did my radio, did my TV, and did my panel. The panel was crazy. There were more than 6,000 people. I was so nervous. I have never spoken in front of 6,000 people before, and that was something surreal.
CE: I saw how fans were lined up for 8 to 10 hours just to see you guys!
GG: I saw people camping outside. It was crazy. The lines were like mountains of people.
CE: Tell me about how you got this coveted role — Magnus is a breakout favorite character for most fans of the book series, myself included.
GG: Oh, I’m blessed and very thankful that I was cast in this role. At first, I didn’t know what "The Mortal Instruments" was until they were looking for an Asian character. So, I picked up the books myself, and I started reading them. I started reading about my character, and it was really, really interesting, and it kept me on my toes the whole time reading it. Obviously I’m a big fan as well. It was crazy how I was cast for the movie: There was a huge list of Asian top-tier celebrities who were trying out for this role, and at the end, I got it.
I’m still blown away by this cast, and it’s a great opportunity for me. I’ve always wanted to come to North America and start something. This is my first English feature. I’m just glad to be on this project with this beautiful cast and director.
CE: Just watching the different trailers for the movie, it looks pretty exciting. And I hear they gave the green light for the second book to be made into a movie.
GG: I can’t wait to see the movie myself. Just by reading the books — I've read the first three books so far — you can see it’s really exciting stuff, and I just can’t wait to hopefully be involved with every movie from now on.
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| (photo courtesy Jet Star Entertainment) |
GG: For Magnus there wasn’t really any training for fight scenes, whereas all the other cast had training to do. Which I was glad because they looked really tired (laughs). They'd have to shoot, and on their weekends, they'd have to go train. Or sometimes even after they shoot, they'd have to go train. It’s pretty crazy. They were just really tired on set.
But I’d love to do some training myself. I love action. I want to do everything myself, as well. Aside from the movements, preparing for Magnus was pretty stressful for me because this character is really mysterious. You don’t really know much about his background, at first. I didn’t even know how to bring this character to life, and that’s a bit strange. I had to talk to Cassie. I had to talk to (director) Harold (Zwart). I had to learn a lot from the fans and the Internet about this character. This is definitely something new for me. I’ve never done this before. I’ve always played the rich, handsome guy that’s from outside of China and has a good family background. He always wears suits. He has a company and stuff like that.
So, this is definitely one of the out-of-the-ordinary characters for me, where I get to put makeup on like glitter, nail polish, eye shadow, and wear crazy outfits. At first when I got the makeup on, I was just like, “Man, what have I gotten myself into?” But it was really enjoyable. At the end of the whole transformation, I felt like I literally had powers. The outfit was so cool; the look was one of a kind.
My first day on set, we shot the scenes where I was pantless. I was just wearing underwear. It was pretty crazy. I guess Magnus wore a lot of costumes when he partied so much, and when people arrived at his party, he didn’t care what he was wearing. He forgot to put his pants on to greet people. So the first day on set, I was in my underwear in front of like a hundred people. It was pretty exciting, but it was also very cold because we were shooting at night and we were shooting outside.
CE: This movie could be a wonderful jumping-off point for you to really make a name for yourself in Western movies. What opportunities do you hope this movie brings for you?
GG: Oh, man. I don’t even know what’s going to happen. I’m just enjoying myself. And I’m just very grateful that there are so many supporters and so many people who love this character. This is just the first one for me and hopefully there will be more — maybe more movies or other roles to come. You never know. This is just a first step. As this door opens, there are more opportunities for me, and I’m just really glad there is because I love to learn, and I’d love to move here.
I’d also love to go back to Asia and do another movie. Hopefully an East/West joint movie with a Hollywood actor and an Asian actor. I’m just excited. The industry is getting bigger and bigger, and the Chinese market is huge. A lot of production companies want to shoot in China as well. I just can’t wait to have a joint project like that. And hopefully there will be the next Chinese superhero, like a Chinese Superman, or something like that. I just can’t wait for that day to happen.
CE: What do you know about the sequel, "City of Ashes"?
GG: I believe they are starting to shoot at the end of the year. I don’t know if I’m going to be in it because we haven’t really signed anything yet. But they’re really interested, I guess, just by the Comic-Con response, how the fans reacted. I guess I’ll be in the second one. I would love to shoot some more. I believe the second movie has a lot of Magnus stuff in it, as did the second book. I’m just looking forward to it, and hopefully I can be on set and be reunited with all the cast again, because they are really fun to work with.
CE: If you hadn't been cast as Magnus Bane, which other character would you have liked to have played?
GG: Honestly, for me, if I had to choose another character to play, I’d choose Valentine. He’s a bad-ass.
Q and A: Week of Aug. 12
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| Godfrey Gao, photo courtesy Jet Star Entertainment |
A: Godfrey Gao, who was born in Taiwan and grew up in Vancouver, Canada, is excited to be a part of this movie, although when he was cast, he didn’t know just how big the book series is. When we spoke recently, he told me: “At first I didn’t know what the movie was about, only they were looking for an Asian character. So, I picked up the books myself, and I started reading them. I started reading about my character and it was really, really interesting, and it kept me on my toes the whole time reading it. And now, obviously, I’m a big fan as well. This is my first English feature.”
Preparing for the role of Magnus — the cross-dressing, 800-year-old powerful warlock — was no easy task, as Godfrey revealed: “Preparing for Magnus was pretty stressful for me, because this character is really mysterious. This is definitely an out-of-the-ordinary character for me, where I get to put makeup on, and glitter and nail polish, and wear crazy outfits. When I first got the makeup on, I was just like, ’Man, what have I gotten myself into?’ But at the end of the whole transformation, I felt like I had powers.”
Stop by later this week to read my entire interview with Godfrey, where he tells me more about "City of Bones," working with the cast, and his enlightening experience at this summer's Comic-Con.
Q: I’ve recently started watching the Glenn Close series “Damages,” and I was wondering where I could go to catch up on previous seasons that I missed. — Priscilla J., via e-mail
A: Crackle, the relatively new entertainment network, has added the critically acclaimed legal thriller to its lineup. Through 2014, you can watch the first four seasons at crackle.com/c/damages. Crackle offers hundreds of full-length, unedited, on-demand movies and TV series, and is completely free across multiple platforms and services.
Q: Whatever happened to plans to make a “Beverly Hills Cop” TV series? — Doug F. in Virginia
A: CBS passed on the “Beverly Hills Cop” pilot; however, the interest surrounding the pilot has made Paramount consider a fourth “BHC” movie. According to “Deadline,” Eddie Murphy already is attached to reprise the role of detective Axel Foley, and Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec are writing the script.
Q: Is it true that Johnny Depp is going to retire soon from making movies? What a loss that would be! — Bea W., via e-mail
A: In an interview with the BBC, Johnny told reporter Susanna Reid: “I wouldn’t say I am dropping out any second, but I would say it’s probably not too far away.” In June, he told “Rolling Stone” magazine: “I can’t say that I’d want to be doing this for another 10 years.” Let’s hope he changes his mind as the time gets closer.
Interview: Eric Roberts Tries Out a New Role
Eric Roberts is one of those actors who everyone knows. He’s starred on the big screen, small screen and the stage; he’s been nominated for an Academy Award, an Emmy Award and Golden Globe Awards. He’s been on soap operas, sitcoms, big-screen blockbusters and art-house dramas. This week, he co-stars in the UP TV original movie “The Perfect Summer” (which airs Saturday, July 13 at 7, 9 and 11 p.m. ET, and Sunday, July 14 at 7, 9 and 11 p.m. ET), doing something he’s never done before: He’s playing a grandpa. “The Perfect Summer” was a family affair for Eric. The movie features original songs by Eric’s stepson, singer-songwriter Keaton Simons, and Jason Castro, who also co-stars in the movie. (Keaton and Jason are also touring together this summer with Ryan Cabrera.) Eric’s wife, Eliza, is Jason’s acting coach. When I spoke with Eric recently, he was excited to tell me about this very different role for him, that of a nurturing grandfather and legendary surf pro.
Celebrity Extra: I have to ask: You play Lou, a surfing legend; can you surf in real life?
Eric Roberts: I do not surf. But I had the No. 3 long-board surfing world champ as my surfing double, so I look like a million bucks.
CE: Tell me about the movie.
ER: It’s a coming-of-age movie. My grandson (played by Adam Horner) and daughter (played by Sydney Penny) come to live with me, and I see he is sticking out like a sore thumb, so I tell him to try surfing. People dig surfers. He tries it out, but complains. I tell him to either do it or don’t, but see how good you can be when you try? I give him hope, and he takes it to the bank. He gets his self-esteem back, feels a sense of accomplishment, and comes out a personal winner. It’s a gentle, sweet story.
CE: You’ve played every type of character I can imagine — what made you want to play Lou?
ER: I haven’t been a grandfather yet. As you know, most roles I’ve played have been anything but normal, and I am not really the grandfather type. I enjoyed playing that. Playing a guy who is normal was fun for me. Grandfathers can be hip!
I’ll tell you, I’m in my early 50s, and I had to be at the beach with all these surfers, so it was double gym time for me. But it was a pleasure to make this movie. This is a story that’s valuable to everybody.
CE: I know you are vegan. What made you decide to adopt that lifestyle?
ER: First of all, it’s really hard when you’re on the road [filming] in the South. But you don’t have to kill animals to eat. I just don’t like the idea that we slaughter so many beasts to eat. So I asked my wife to help me be a vegan. She leads me around by the nose when I am home and keeps me on track. When I’m away, I’m a vegetarian.
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.
Q and A: Week of March 18
A: Since wowing her fans during two separate runs on “Dancing With the Stars,” Kirstie is taking that momentum to TV Land, where she’ll star in a new sitcom, “Kirstie’s New Show,” beginning this fall. According to the network, the show “revolves around Madison ’Maddie’ Banks (played by Kirstie), a renowned Broadway star who finds her life turned upside down when Arlo, the son she gave up at birth, suddenly appears hoping to connect after his adoptive parents have died.” The show co-stars Kirstie’s fellow “Cheers” alumnus, Rhea Perlman.
Q: I am so happy that my favorite reality/competition show, “Dancing With the Stars,” is back. But why hasn’t my favorite dancer, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, returned? — Hannah Y., via e-mail
A: Right after the season 16 cast was announced last month, the 33-year-old ballroom pro released a statement explaining his absence this season: “I just want to set the record straight to all of my amazing fans that I will, unfortunately, not be returning for this season of ’Dancing with the Stars,’ I’ve been a pro dancer on the show for about seven years now and am eager to explore other opportunities that have been made possible because of ’Dancing with the Stars.’ I’m going to take this time to dive into producing and acting, while fulfilling my sponsorship obligations.”
A representative for the show went on to explain why Maksim — as well as Anna Trebunskaya, Chelsie Hightower and Louis van Amstel — wouldn’t be returning: “We frequently rotate the professional dancers, so it is not unusual for them to rest a cycle. As we consider who will be matched up each season, there are a lot of factors that dictate which couples make the best pairings. We appreciate each of our dancers’ dedication to the show, so this is a very difficult decision.”
Q: I really loved Jane Seymour’s raunchy turn as BJ’s mom on Fox’s “Ben and Kate.” Since that hilarious show has unfortunately been canceled, will we see Jane on anything else soon? I sure do hope so! — Harold W., Roanoke, Va.
A: The gorgeous and talented Brit has signed on to co-star in a yet-untitled pilot for NBC. The show revolves around a character named Karey, “the clean-nosed black sheep in a family of petty thieves, drug addicts and narcissists.” Jane will play Dotty, Karey’s mother, who’s described as “self-centered, theatrical and often inappropriate.”
Q: I have been hearing for a while about a new Aaron Eckhart movie called “Erased.” It is supposed to be in theaters, but I can’t find it anywhere. — Danni R., via e-mail
A: The action thriller was released in Europe at the end of 2012, and will finally be making its way to American theaters come May 10. However, you can see it beginning April 5 on Video on Demand if you can’t wait until May.
85th Annual Academy Award Nominations
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| Actress Emma Stone and 2013 Oscar host Seth MacFarlane present the 85th Academy Awards nominations for Best Picture on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2012 in Beverly Hills, Calif. |
1. Best Picture: "Amour," ''Argo," ''Beasts of the Southern Wild," ''Django Unchained," ''Les Miserables," ''Life of Pi," ''Lincoln," ''Silver Linings Playbook," ''Zero Dark Thirty."
2. Actor: Bradley Cooper, "Silver Linings Playbook"; Daniel Day-Lewis, "Lincoln"; Hugh Jackman, "Les Miserables"; Joaquin Phoenix, "The Master"; Denzel Washington, "Flight."
3. Actress: Jessica Chastain, "Zero Dark Thirty"; Jennifer Lawrence, "Silver Linings Playbook"; Emmanuelle Riva, "Amour"; Quvenzhane Wallis, "Beasts of the Southern Wild"; Naomi Watts, "The Impossible."
4. Supporting Actor: Alan Arkin, "Argo"; Robert De Niro, "Silver Linings Playbook"; Philip Seymour Hoffman, "The Master"; Tommy Lee Jones, "Lincoln"; Christoph Waltz, "Django Unchained."
5. Supporting Actress: Amy Adams, "The Master"; Sally Field, "Lincoln"; Anne Hathaway, "Les Miserables"; Helen Hunt, "The Sessions"; Jacki Weaver, "Silver Linings Playbook."
6. Directing: Michael Haneke, "Amour"; Benh Zeitlin, "Beasts of the Southern Wild"; Ang Lee, "Life of Pi"; Steven Spielberg, "Lincoln"; David O. Russell, "Silver Linings Playbook."
7. Foreign Language Film: "Amour," Austria; "Kon-Tiki," Norway; "No," Chile; "A Royal Affair," Denmark; "War Witch," Canada.
8. Adapted Screenplay: Chris Terrio, "Argo"; Lucy Alibar and Benh Zeitlin, "Beasts of the Southern Wild"; David Magee, "Life of Pi"; Tony Kushner, "Lincoln"; David O. Russell, "Silver Linings Playbook."
9. Original Screenplay: Michael Haneke, "Amour"; Quentin Tarantino, "Django Unchained"; John Gatins, "Flight"; Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola, "Moonrise Kingdom"; Mark Boal, "Zero Dark Thirty."
10. Animated Feature Film: "Brave"; "Frankenweenie"; "ParaNorman"; "The Pirates! Band of Misfits"; "Wreck-It Ralph."
11. Production Design: "Anna Karenina," ''The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," ''Les Miserables," ''Life of Pi," ''Lincoln."
12. Cinematography: "Anna Karenina," ''Django Unchained," ''Life of Pi," ''Lincoln," ''Skyfall."
13. Sound Mixing: "Argo," ''Les Miserables," ''Life of Pi," ''Lincoln," ''Skyfall."
14. Sound Editing: "Argo," ''Django Unchained," ''Life of Pi," ''Skyfall," ''Zero Dark Thirty."
15. Original Score: "Anna Karenina," Dario Marianelli; "Argo," Alexandre Desplat; "Life of Pi," Mychael Danna; "Lincoln," John Williams; "Skyfall," Thomas Newman.
16. Original Song: "Before My Time" from "Chasing Ice," J. Ralph; "Everybody Needs a Best Friend" from "Ted," Walter Murphy and Seth MacFarlane; "Pi's Lullaby" from "Life of Pi," Mychael Danna and Bombay Jayashri; "Skyfall" from "Skyfall," Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth; "Suddenly" from "Les Miserables," Claude-Michel Schonberg, Herbert Kretzmer and Alain Boublil.
17. Costume: "Anna Karenina," ''Les Miserables," ''Lincoln," ''Mirror Mirror," ''Snow White and the Huntsman."
18. Documentary Feature: "5 Broken Cameras," ''The Gatekeepers," ''How to Survive a Plague," ''The Invisible War," ''Searching for Sugar Man."
19. Documentary (short subject): "Inocente," ''Kings Point," ''Mondays at Racine," ''Open Heart," ''Redemption."
20. Film Editing: "Argo," ''Life of Pi," ''Lincoln," ''Silver Linings Playbook," ''Zero Dark Thirty."
21. Makeup and Hairstyling: "Hitchcock," ''The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," ''Les Miserables."
22. Animated Short Film: "Adam and Dog," ''Fresh Guacamole," ''Head over Heels," ''Maggie Simpson in 'The Longest Daycare,'" "Paperman."
23. Live Action Short Film: "Asad," ''Buzkashi Boys," ''Curfew," ''Death of a Shadow (Dood van een Schaduw)," ''Henry."
24. Visual Effects: "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," ''Life of Pi," ''Marvel's The Avengers," ''Prometheus," ''Snow White and the Huntsman."
Q and A: Week of Dec. 10
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| Mark Deklin, photo by Angelo Kritikos |
A: Mark recently filmed a guest spot on “Castle” (it is episode 10, which is set to air in early January), where he plays a man whose girlfriend is found dead. Later in 2013 (an exact date has not been set yet), you can see Mark on the big screen in a live-action version of “Tarzan.”
Mark told me about the film and his character, John Greystoke: “It’s not the Victorian ’Tarzan’ that we all grew up with. It’s a modern take on it. My character is almost like a Richard Branson type — a wealthy but well-intentioned adventurer and entrepreneur. He discovers there’s a serious energy source — a sort of meteorite, which crashed in Africa — and he wants to find it.
“He brings his family with him, which of course is a stupid decision, but I suppose in the moment it doesn’t seem stupid because he doesn’t go thinking he’s going to die. He ends up unleashing a mystical force that he never could have anticipated, and everything goes south.”
Q: When will “Merlin” return to Syfy? — Felix S., via e-mail
A: Season five of the popular fantasy series, which premieres Friday, Jan. 4, at 10 p.m. ET on Syfy, will be the final season of the show. Executive producers (Johnny Capps and Julian Murphy) promise fans that “Merlin” is “leading to a spectacular finale that draws on the best-known elements of this much-loved story, and brings to a conclusion the battle for Camelot.”
A: David recently made national news when he sent a memo to his employees encouraging them to vote for Mitt Romney in the recent presidential elections. But, politics aside, David was quoted in a Reuters interview this past summer: “We’re the most profitable we’ve ever been.” He also is continuing work on his family’s new home, which is modeled on the Palace of Versailles in France. In fact, just before the movie’s premiere, David filed a defamation suit over the film’s portrayal of his business as failing, asserting that some of the film’s scenes were staged or exaggerated.
Q: Will there be an “Avengers” sequel? — Paul G., Tulsa, Okla.
A: After “The Avengers” smashed all sorts of box-office records this summer, you can bet there will be a sequel. “The Avengers 2” is set to premiere May 1, 2015, with the original cast, as well as some new faces.
Q and A: Week of Dec. 3
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| Rachel Boston |
A: Rachel, 30, most recently starred in the Lifetime original movie “Holiday High School Reunion,” which aired in November (check your local listings for possible re-airings). As I type this, Rachel is shooting something else for Lifetime — this time it’s a pilot for a new show, which will air this summer if the network decides to pick it up for a full-season run. It’s called “Witches of East End,” and Rachel told me about the show when I spoke with her recently.
“I am working with such an amazing group of women! Julia Ormond plays my mom and Jenna Dewan-Tatum plays my sister. When we were born, our mom cast a spell so we wouldn’t know we are witches. Through a chain of events, we discover who we are and how we can help protect each other and our town.”
Go here to read my full interview with Rachel.
Q: Is there a new “Wizard of Oz” coming to theaters? I thought I saw a preview for it online — the special effects looked excellent. — Bret A., Pittsburgh
A: On March 8, 2013, “Oz: The Great and Powerful” will be coming to a theater near you. Here’s the official story line: “Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz. At first he thinks he’s hit the jackpot — fame and fortune are his for the taking. That all changes when he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who aren’t convinced he’s the great wizard everyone’s been expecting.”
Q: Do you have any news on “Downton Abbey”? I can’t wait for the new season! — Donna B., Oklahoma City, Okla.
A: While season three has already aired in the U.K., we’ll have to wait until Jan. 6 to see it here in the States. Also, I recently learned that the show’s creator, Julian Fellowes, plans to create a “Downton Abbey” prequel, which will focus on the courtship of Lord Grantham and Cora.
Q: In the 1960s there was a TV show whose characters and story line were similar to the upcoming flick “Django Unchained.” The main character went by the name of Jemal David. What was the show’s name? — Sid D., via e-mail
A: You are thinking of “The Outcasts,” which aired on ABC for one season from 1968-69. “The Outcasts” and “Django Unchained” both were inspired by Sergio Corbucci’s 1966 spaghetti Western, “Django.” “The Outcasts” co-starred Don Murray and Otis Young, and is most notable for being the first television Western with an black co-star, as well as featuring the first biracial Western action team.
Interview: Mark Deklin, Under Suspicion
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| Mark Deklin, photo by Angelo Kritikos |
Celebrity Extra: Without giving too much away, what can you tell me about your episode of “Castle”?
Mark Deklin: You’re absolutely going to hate me, because there’s so very little I can tell you. I feel like almost anything I tell you has the potential to be a spoiler, which tells you that it’s an interesting episode and an interesting character, but I’m afraid of tipping my hand.
CE: I know exactly what you mean, because “Castle” always has you wondering throughout the entire episode, sending you down some wrong paths, before they finally solve the case.
MD: One of the things I like about “Castle” — one of the things I think that makes it smart — is that they don’t throw in a red herring. I’ve been on crime shows before, and I always play the guy where it’s like: “Oh, he’s the jerk. I bet he’s the murderer.” Everybody always sees through that, because it’s so formulaic. The thing I like about “Castle” is that it’s not like that. The twists and turns could take you anywhere. The guy I play could be a good guy or a bad guy or just caught in the middle — there’s no way to know. And I can’t say a whole lot more than that.
CE: You’ve gotta give me a little something.
MD: We first meet him when his girlfriend is found dead. And he’s not a suspect necessarily, he’s just one of the people they are interviewing. This is clearly a guy who’s very saddened by her death. And then, of course, we meet him again later on in the episode …
CE: How was it working with Nathan Fillion?
MD: He’s a funny guy. He’s such a classic Canadian boy. And I mean that in all the best ways. You know, just so nice and personable and welcoming and down to earth — just a cool guy.
CE: How was the rest of the cast and crew to work with? Does the set have a nice working atmosphere?
MD: Everyone was just lovely. I’ve been in this business long enough, and I see how when you go on a different set, there can be good energy or bad energy. And I do sort of think it comes from the top down. I’ve been on sets where you just feel the ickiness in the air. Nobody’s horrible to you, but you can just feel that it’s not a nice place to work. That’s definitely not the case on “Castle.” I was getting texts from various people (who’d worked on the show) saying: “You’re going to love it. It’s such a great set.”
From the minute I walked on set, I felt welcomed. It’s very professional and well run. It all starts with Nathan and Stana (Katic, who plays Det. Kate Beckett), who are both just really chill and cool and laid-back. I had a lot of fun working with them. I worked with Jon (Huertas, Det. Esposito) and Seamus (Dever, Det. Ryan) as well — I actually knew them beforehand — and they were great.
You can tell it’s just a group of people who made a conscious decision to create a nontoxic work environment. It’s really nice when that happens. That was one of the things I really miss about “GCB,” because it was one of those environments. We all loved each other, and I loved going to work every day. And you don’t always have that working in television, so when you find it, you really remember those sets the most.
CE: I know it’s what sets up the whole story of “Tarzan,” but I am bummed that your character has to die in the beginning.
MD: It’s funny that that’s technically a spoiler, which cracks me up, because now everybody goes into the movie knowing that I die. But that’s the story — if the kid isn’t orphaned, then he can’t grow up to be Tarzan. So by definition, to make him an orphan, Mom and Dad have to get offed.
CE: What can you tell me about John Greystoke and his wife? What do we get to learn about them before you get offed?
MD: Jaime Ray Newman played my wife, Alice, and she’s great. Our characters kick off the movie. We get a little more action, a little more screen time than the parents in Disney’s “Tarzan” got. You actually get to see us interacting and figuring our stuff out. But it’s not the Victorian “Tarzan” that we all grew up with. It’s a modern take on it. My character is almost like a Richard Branson type — a wealthy but well-intentioned adventurer and entrepreneur. He discovers that there’s a serious energy source — sort of meteorite, which crashed in Africa — and he wants to find it. He brings his family with him, which of course is a stupid decision, but I suppose in the moment it doesn’t seem stupid because he doesn’t go thinking he’s going to die. He just thinks that they are going to be going on a safari. He ends up unleashing a mystical force that he never could have anticipated, and everything kind of goes
CE: Was this a fun movie to shoot?
MD: Yeah, it was really fun. It was cool. It was all CGI work, and I’ve done a lot of that for video games. It was amazing to see how technology has progressed just within the last year or so. My favorite part was watching Peter Elliot, who is based in London. He’s a stunt man, choreographer and also he’s an ape researcher. He worked on “Gorillas in the Mist.” He’s a fascinating guy. It was his job to turn these actors and stunt men into gorillas; how to move and breathe and occupy this gorilla space, and it was pretty amazing. If you watch the making-of trailer, it is pretty fantastic how these guys embodied these great apes, and to hear him talk about these apes with such passion. He was just fascinating to work with.
And Reinhard Klooss — who directed it, from Constantine Films — was a really interesting cat too. It was cool. We shot in Munich — I had lived in Vienna for a little while, and one of my best friends lived in Munich at the same time, so I used to spend a lot of time in Munich. It’s a great city. I hadn’t been back in years, so it was really fun to be back there shooting and to brush up on my German, which is very rusty.
CE: Do you have a release date for “Tarzan” yet?
MD: I know it’s definitely 2013 in Europe. And I know that they want to get a 2013 U.S. release as well, but I don’t know.
Q and A: Week of Nov. 26
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| Tara Summers |
A: Tara Summers, who turns 33 in December, plays Dr. Karen Dunhill on FX’s rough-and-tumble, motorcycle-filled crime drama. Tara is a TV and film vet who’s been in lots of series and feature film, including “Alfie,” “Boston Legal,” “Dirt,” “Factory Girl,” “Damages” and “Ringer.” You can see her this winter in the feature film “Hitchcock,” which stars Anthony Hopkins (as Alfred Hitchcock) and Helen Mirren (as his wife, Alma Reville), with Tara playing Rita Riggs.
Tara told me what it was like working with the two legendary actors: “Helen Mirren … it’s really like her movie. She’s extraordinary. It focuses on the love story between Hitchcock and his wife, and how she was the silent partner in the operation. His wife had a lot more to do with it than we will ever know. And Anthony Hopkins is one of my heroes, and he was so generous and so kind. He’s always in a good mood, and just so amazing to work with and to watch.”
Q: My friend told me that the CW is remaking “Sex and the City.” Is that true? If so, why? It was great as it was on HBO. — Penny W., Seattle
A: The CW is not remaking the hit HBO series, which starred Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall. Rather, they bought the rights to the prequel, “The Carrie Diaries,” based on the book written by “Sex” author Candace Bushnell. “The Carrie Diaries” — set in the 1980s — chronicles Carrie Bradshaw’s (played by AnnaSophia Robb) coming-of-age as she navigates her senior year of high school and discovers the glittering lights of Manhattan, and lots of shoes. “The Carrie Diaries” premieres on the CW on Monday, Jan. 14, at 8/7c, followed by “90210,” which moves to 9/8c.
Q: I was a big fan of “The Cosby Show,” and I wondered whatever happened to the actor who played Rudy’s friend, Stanley, on the show. — Justin W., via e-mail
A: Merlin Santana, who went on to play Ohagi on “Moesha” and Romeo on “The Steve Harvey Show,” died on 2002 at the age of 26. Tragically, he was falsely accused of attempted rape of 15-year-old Monique King, so her boyfriend, Brandon Bynes, shot Merlin six times, killing him. Brandon received three consecutive life sentences plus 70 years in prison, while Monique received eight years in juvenile custody.
Q: When will “Cougar Town” be back? — Jennifer T., Tampa
A: TBS has announced that “Cougar Town” will return for a 15-episode fourth season beginning Tuesday, Jan. 8. So raise a glass (of red wine, of course) to the return of your favorite cul-de-sac gang, as they begin a new era on a new network. I can’t wait!
Interview: Eric Mabius Shows His Fans Another Side
Eric Mabius has put in his time on shows like “Party of Five,” “The O.C.” and “Popular,” moving on to co-starring roles on “Eyes” and “The L Word” before landing the role for which he is perhaps most famous (for now), that of playboy Daniel Meade on “Ugly Betty.” But now Eric wants to show his fans another side, that of the shy, slightly geeky Harold White in the Hallmark Channel original movie “How to Fall in Love,” which premieres Saturday night, July 21 at 9/8c. (Also, head to the Hallmark Channel’s Facebook fan page an hour earlier at 8/9c for a live, one-hour Q-and-A with Ellen Fein and Sherrie Schneider, co-authors of “The Rules,” where they’ll give advice on dating and falling in love.) When I spoke with Eric recently, he told me how much fun it was to play this against-type role and working with Brooke D’Orsay and Kathy Najimy. He also told me all about his new, the Sundance Film Festival hit “Price Check” with indie queen Parker Posey, as well as a few other projects.
Celebrity Extra: I loved watching you as Harold — geeky, shy and not at all like Daniel Meade. Was playing a character like this one of the things that made you want to do this movie?
Eric Mabius: Definitely, that’s part of the reason why I said yes to the project. I am excited because people will be like, “Yeah, Daniel, the playboy from ‘Ugly Betty’ is going to play a geek.” But I think we all have our own inner geek, and it doesn’t take that much to bring it out.
I know we all may have seen a movie about the guy who’s geeky and needs direction in life, a sort of ugly duckling story. I felt like Bart Fisher had written something that was quirky enough and that I could spin it a little bit differently and still be real, just kind of drown it in reality. It may seem like an unlikely occurrence, Harold getting dating lessons from the woman who caused his dysfunction in the first place, but it’s entirely in the realm of possibility. I believe it especially because I fell in love with someone from high school, and I have two sons with her. It definitely was close to home for me. I didn’t date my wife in high school, but she was definitely by far the coolest woman there. She was definitely the most beautiful, but she also marched to the beat of her own drummer. I was in New Orleans 10 years after high school, and my friend played matchmaker with us, and that’s kind of how we got together.
CE: Do you have any awkward high-school stories to rival Harold’s homecoming dance experience?
EM: I don’t have very many of those stories because I moved around a lot. So I knew how to negotiate awkward situations because I had to learn how to adapt very early on. I chose the position of being more of a loner, and from that position it always kept people guessing, which had a certain amount of power. I was an athlete in high school as well, so I used to travel and compete and train with the Junior National Luge team, and I got to see the world. Also, I went to the prom with a friend of mine to avoid all of those potentially awkward moments. I had a little bit of foresight.
CE: I think this is a really good story to let people know that there is life after high school — much more — and what happens to you then isn’t the be-all, end-all of your life.
EM: I think that when you’ve only lived 17 years, you don’t have, you haven’t had a full canon of experiences, so every moment that you have here feels like the last moment in the world, because you’ve only had a handful of whatever those moments are. Your first love, your first dance, your first intensely awkward moments. And they’re supposed to be intense because it’s the first time we’re experiencing a lot of those things.
You do have to follow your heart, otherwise you’re living a false life. Maybe I’m naive or maybe I’m idealistic, but I fell in love with someone from high school, which is insane. If someone told me that I was going to marry someone from high school, I would tell him he needs to have his head checked. But you need to remain open to anything, because you never know where lightning’s going to strike, where you’re going to fall in love. You fall in love in the most unlikely times and places. People try to be very calculated about affairs of the heart, but it’s never going to work. You’ll end up with a sterile relationship, I’d think.
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| Kathy Najimy and Brooke D'Orsay |
EM: You’re correct — she’s absolutely adorable. So much fun and just so sweet. Oddly enough, as personality types, our own personalities as actors were the opposite of the characters we were playing. I think I’m a fairly calm, even person, and she’s slightly more neurotic, so as people we kind of balance each other out. It was fun because of the characters we were playing; we were kind of doing the opposite. When you’re thrown together in a situation like that to try to manufacture that attraction, you never know if it’s going to work. Fortunately, Brooke is just so sweet and gracious and honest, and that’s why I loved working with her. She doesn’t hide much, which makes it easy and a lot more fun to play.
CE: And Kathy Najimy was just wonderful, and so hilarious!
EM: She absolutely is, and I was so happy to see her again. She was so good on “Ugly Betty,” and she’s just like this ball of lightning. She’s got so much energy, and she’s always on — she’s another person who comes to play, and you’d better bring your A game. She’s a delight, and she’s just a quality woman.
CE: Tell me about your feature film that you did with Parker Posey, “Price Check.”
EM: Oh my god, you’re going to laugh your ass off. I think IFC bought the film. It’s a dark comedy centering on this guy I play (Pete Cozy), who gives up his dreams of being a music A&R guy. He moves to the suburbs of Long Island and accepts a marketing job at a small chain of grocery stores. He has a wife and a child, and is trying to pursue the “American Dream.” Parker Posey’s character, Susan, is put in charge of this section of grocery stores. Nobody in the office cares about his job. They’re basically just punching the clock and biding their time. Susan comes in and shakes everyone’s universe up. She is so quintessential Parker Posey. She is brilliant, and she’s so funny. It’s a lot of fun.
CE: You’ve had the opportunity to work with a lot of strong female leads … Vanessa Williams from “Ugly Betty” comes to mind. And it’s so nice to know that in real life she is one of the sweetest people I’ve ever interviewed.
EM: I just saw Vanessa last week. She was being honored by the Covenant House for all of her charity work for them, and she invited us to her table. She just grows more beautiful and graceful with time. In the six or seven years I’ve known her, I have to say she is one of my favorite people in the world, and she is just one of the classiest women I know — next to, of course, my mother and my wife — but she’s just infinitely gracious and kind and giving. I don’t see that very often in any kind of business, but you certainly see it a lot less in entertainment — she’s a rare gem.
CE: What about the new USA series “Political Animals”?
EM: I’m really excited about it — excited about guest-starring on it. You have to keep an eye out for that show. Separate of me having to do anything with it, just the writing and acting in it alone is just out of this world. It stars Sigourney Weaver as the secretary of state, and it also has Ellen Burstyn and Carla Gugino. It’s just unreal. It’s a political drama, and another show for me with strong female role models. It’s just so good.
Q and A: Week of July 9
Q: Was there, or will there be, a 98 Degrees reunion this summer? — Dawn D., Canton, Ohio A: While the former bandmates would love to perform together again, it ain’t happening just yet. I spoke with Jeff Timmons recently, and he told me: “There was a tour set up for the summer, but not everybody was on board with it in the end. I was very excited to do it, but it just didn’t fit what everybody wanted to do, so we called it off. We decided when it’s a better opportunity for everyone, we’d decide collectively as a group that we’ll do it then.”
In the meantime, Jeff is heating up the already-hot Vegas scene with his new show, “Wired,” which is free at Green Valley Ranch Resort and Casino. Performing Fridays and Saturdays all summer, Jeff describes it as “the party before the party. You drink, have a good time, listen to us perform classic and current R&B, pop, my stuff, 98 Degrees stuff, and then go out to the club and hear a DJ spin it afterward.”
Jeff promises surprise guests who will sing with him, but you’ll have to come out there to see who. “That’s part of the element of surprise. Who’s going to be there next? We have a couple of people who we know are coming in July when they’re going to be in town, but most of it’s going to be spontaneous.”
Check back later this week to read my entire interview with Jeff.
Q: I keep hearing rumors about a “Dumb and Dumber” sequel with Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels. Is this true? — Greg F., via e-mail
A: Jim and Jeff were all set to start filming the purposely grammatically incorrect “Dumb and Dumber To” this September, when Jim bowed out due to conflicts with New Line and Warner Brothers studios. “Entertainment Tonight” reported that Jim “grew increasingly frustrated by New Line and Warner Brothers, which he felt showed a lack of enthusiasm regarding the project.” When asked if the project would go on without Jim, Jeff replied: “No, nobody’s doing it without Jim.”
Q: Will there be another “Mad Max” sequel? — Jeremy T., Springfield, Mo.
A: After a two-year delay, Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy are prepping to film “Mad Max: Fury Road” this summer. Charlize even shaved her golden locks into a buzzcut for her character, Furiosa, opposite Tom’s Max (aka The Road Warrior).
Q: A while back, you mentioned a sitcom by Vince Vaughn that would be on TBS. Has that aired yet? — Daniel F., via e-mail
A: “Sullivan and Son,” which was executive-produced by Vince, premieres Thursday, July 19, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on TBS. The show centers on Steve Sullivan, a successful attorney from New York, who brings his girlfriend for a visit as his father and mother are preparing to sell the family bar to retire. Steve realizes he wants to return to the old neighborhood and take over Sullivan and Son.
INTERVIEW: Wladimir Klitschko's Greatest Role
World Heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko is defending his title this weekend — July 7, to be exact — against Tony Thompson. I spoke with the charming Ukrainian a few months back, and we discussed everything, from training to acting to Chris Cornell videos to the documentary “Klitschko,” which centers on his and his older brother Vitali’s rise in the boxing world. While "Klitschko" has been making quite an impression on festivalgoers since premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival last year, Wladimir is keeping his eye firmly on the boxing world, for now. Celebrity Extra: On July 7, you'll be defending your Heavyweight title when you fight Tony Thompson. I know you’ve fought him before, but it’s been quite a few years. What kind of fight do you think he’ll give you?
Wladimir Klitschko: I always want to see certain qualities in my opponents, and I do respect always to my opponents. I think that Tony Thompson is not an easy guy to beat. He was pretty complicated for me in the first fight, even though I won the fight and knocked him out in the 11th, but it was not easy. He had some great wins after our fight. He was performing against much younger opponents and he usually beat them easily, and I think he is going to give me a good challenge, and I hope so, because I’m really looking forward to that challenge.
CE: How do you prepare yourself for a fight?
WK: It’s six to eight weeks of preparation, and it’s around between five and 15 sparring partners that are coming and going. The best are staying the worst are going. Usually I train, if the fighting is, for example, in the East Coast, in New York, then I train in Florida. If it’s on the West Coast, then it’s Los Angeles. If it’s in Europe, I train in the Austrian Alps. All places are great.
CE: You’ve come up against a lot of challenges in your professional career, and you seem quite adept at conquering them. What else would you like you conquer?
WK: Thank you for mentioning it, because I don’t know to think about it. There are always certain challenges that you have in your professional life – you get the challenge that eventually you're going to get in the ring and conquer your opponent, and especially when you perform on a big stage — like my latest five fights in a row were in soccer stadiums. When you have 45,000 to 60,000 people watching you, it’s kind of motivation to keep doing it, and especially when I see the kids like Alex Stout from San Francisco. He’s 14 years old, and he's from the Make a Wish Foundation. He was at my last fight carrying one of my belts. Unfortunately Alex is deadly sick and who knows how long he is going to make it, but I was so happy. First of all he wanted to meet me and for like two years it didn’t work. Somehow the travel schedule and nothing was working, and I ask him, “Do you want to meet me at the fight night? Don’t you want to carry one of my belts?” He was so excited, and his family, so they traveled from San Francisco to Düsseldorf (Germany), and they spent the time in Düsseldorf, and they were at the fight.
To see the happiness on his face and excitement — I hope that this is something that keeps him going for a very, very long time. That makes me really happy, and that’s actually one of my motivations to stay focused and be in the business where I am, which is really tough, but it’s real enjoyable. As a matter of fact, to be heavyweight champion of the world is something that you have to carry with a responsibility. Not that I really think of it every day — I’m not — but I realize it when I talk to the people like the Stout family or to Alex, and kids like Alex, so it’s something that makes me excited.
CE: Before watching your documentary, "Klitschko" — which I loved, by the way — I didn’t know a lot about boxing. I didn’t know that there was more than one heavyweight belt to win. For me, boxing is hard enough to watch, and then, in the doc, you guys hit your opponents, and it’s in slow motion, making it look even worse for squeamish people like me …
WK: I’m glad you did like it and really happy to hear you make that comment. I tell you something — people like you who are not looking at the screen while they're watching the documentary for those cuts that my brother had over his eye and for other scenes from fights, but eventually you’re the ones going to the fight, and when you're at the ringside, you are jumping on the chairs and cheering and screaming: “Beat him up! Kill him!” It’s funny because suddenly the wildness comes out of your character.
CE: How were you approached about even doing this documentary?
WK: I hate to tell you that at first, my brother and I didn’t really want to do it. We had been asked from a couple of directors to try to shoot the documentary, but eventually Sebastian Dehnhardt — that’s the guy who did it — approached us and he said: “Guys, there are so many fans out there and they want to have answers. They would like to take a look behind the curtain and see more sport and see more of you and understand more of the sport and you. I think it would be a great gesture to the fans.” Then we were like, “OK, let’s try it.”
We shot it for two or three years in different situations. The footage he found somewhere that I haven’t seen — like Vitali arriving Florida at the end of the ’80s, I guess with the Soviet team kickboxing and stuff — that stuff was great. You see my brother when he’s 18 years old wearing a baseball cap and kind of looking funny and skinny. We were laughing real hard when we saw that. So, there was certain footage that came out, like our meeting with Don King that was found on YouTube. I had never seen that footage, so when I saw that, it was kind of interesting.
With the documentary, it is really to take a look behind the curtains of boxing and of the Klitschko brothers. The film kind of has its own life. My one critique to Sebastian was: "This film is way too honest and way too open and way too straight up front.” He said, “Do you want to change anything?” I said, “No, no, no. I don’t want to change anything, it is what it is, but this film is really, really honest.”
He convinced us to put our parents in this film. They were never ever in the public eye and never gave interviews to the camera, but we convinced them. But it was the first — and eventually last — interview, since my father passed away last year before the film was released. But I think the job that Sebastian did was to make this film as open and as honest as actually it is. I think he’s done good.
CE: What has been the reaction of people who’ve seen the movie?
WK: When you observe the public while they are watching the film, some of them laugh, some of them cry; there are emotionally involved. The best thing I saw at the Tribeca Film Festival was during the screening, no one stood up to take a phone call or to go to restroom.
Actually, I do remember one time (laughs) I remember someone did leave the theater for the restroom or something, and it was actually my sister-in-law, Natalie, Vitali’s wife. I went, “Natalie, how can you do this? You can’t stand up and leave. You’re giving a bad example.” But that’s when I realized how emotional I was while watching it.
CE: You and your brother have literally and figuratively fought your way to the top for all the success you have. Could you ever have imagined as kids that you’d be where you are today?
WK: Never ever I would have thought of being a fighter and boxer. If my brother wouldn’t have been involved in the sport, I would have never have done this. I did it mainly so I could try to be better than him. It’s a competition that we always have in different fields of life, but it’s a healthy competition. We love each other but when we compete against each other, it’s getting really, really, really, really deep in emotions, which is inspiring. I’m actually thankful to this sport because people sometimes asking, “How can you do it; you’re getting beat up? What kind of job is that? It’s hard.” I said, “Yes, I’m beating up people for a living, but I am the one doing the beating up — it’s not the other way around.”
I got an education that you cannot get at Columbia or Harvard or somewhere else through the sport. You have to travel a lot and you learn different languages, and you’re getting different mentalities, and you live in the society of the country where you are spending your time. Eventually you’re getting a certain sense for business. I don’t have a promoter or a manager, but I do with my company. You have a chance to meet certain people such as President Bill Clinton or Dalai Lama. I think that’s such education that I probably wouldn’t get in any university in this world, and I’m thankful to this chance that my brother got involved in the sport, and eventually it is why I got involved. We weren’t thinking of any great success. Yes, we were concentrating on trying to be the best, and we eventually realized that this professional sport is actually a business. You learn while you are doing things and you realize there are more doors to be opened.
CE: I saw you were in the Chris Cornell video for "Part of Me" in 2008. How did that opportunity come about?
WK: I was at Madonna’s concert in Berlin. I was in the lounge and there were some of the guys that dance with Timberland, and somehow he was telling about me this new project with Timberland and Chris Cornell with a new album. Somehow we just met each other and he asked me to do it, and I thought, "Why not?" It wasn’t a big deal. It was like maybe an hour.
By the way, Chris was really struggling with the fact his fans want to hear rock, not this mix of R-and-B and stuff, but I really like it. I really like the album because it’s a little bit different.
CE: I know you were in Ocean’s Eleven, you’ve been in other Hollywood projects … do you want to be in the movies? Do you want to be an action hero, a leading man? What kind of Hollywood commodity would you like to be, if you had your choice?
WK: While I am asked often about being in movies — usually it’s a Russian mob character — it’s always the same thing. I did play myself in ‘Ocean’s Eleven,’ and I did two German comedies. But right now, I’m playing the role called the Heavyweight Champion of the World, and it takes all of my time. I really like to play it, and I have to stay focused. So there’s no nonsense with any wannabe Hollywood stuff. If I lose my focus, then I’m going to lose the titles, and I don’t want to do that.
Q and A: Week of July 2
Q: I was thrilled to read in your column that “Falling Skies” is back on TNT, and I am loving every minute of season two. Can you give me any spoilers for what to expect in coming episodes? — Jack I., via e-mail A: I spoke with series star and all-around good guy Will Patton recently (but keep the “all-around good guy” comment between us, as Will’s Capt. Weaver has a tough-guy rep to protect!), and while he didn’t want to ruin any surprises for the fans, he did give me a little bit of a scoop on what’s to become of 2nd Mass.
“We’re all working toward a common goal, with some dissension. Many of us have bonded in a new way. I think those of us who can step up to the plate and have a solidity are becoming more solid. For those who aren’t, it’s becoming more clear that they’re not, and it becomes a little more troublesome,” he said. “I think we’re going to go through hell, that’s what I can tell you. We go through a lot of hell, but there are moments of blue sky. I think there’s probably more moments of blue sky in this season than there were in last season, but there’s a great deal of dark danger too.”
That “dark danger” is what makes Weaver so much fun for Will to play, as well as letting viewers catch a glimpse of his softer side. Will told me: “It’s very interesting when you think about what it would be like to have to command in a situation like this. What is it you would have to do is maybe not what you would think, and being fair is not necessarily what we would normally think it would be.
“I think it requires not allowing people to see certain things about you. The greatest commanders had to find ways to wear masks, which was the greatness of their command. That’s what’s interesting about Weaver: When that mask comes down a little bit, it’s powerful. That’s intriguing to me about people because I think we all, in order to survive, have to pretend sometimes to be something that we’re not.”
Q: Both “NCIS” and “Missing” did not caption their finale show with “to be continued.” I am anxious to find out if they will return to TV in the fall? — P.R., via e-mail
A: “NCIS” consistently places in the top 20 — often top 10 — of television ratings, so you can bet it will be back for a 10th season. The Ashley Judd show, “Missing,” wasn’t so lucky. ABC decided to cancel the ratings-challenged series back in May.
Q: What has Charles Dutton been up to lately? — Gerry F., Atlanta
A: Charles has a new movie opening July 13 in select markets called “The Obama Effect,” which he stars in and marks his directorial debut. Keep an eye out for it in local theaters.
Q and A: Week of April 9
Q: Was “Terra Nova” canceled? — Mary D., via e-mail
A: Despite decent ratings and strong international sales of the sci-fi/fantasy series, Fox decided not to renew “Terra Nova” for a second season. However, 20th Century Fox, which produces the series, is shopping the show around to other networks, and hopefully it can be picked up in time for a fall premiere somewhere else (Syfy, are you listening?).
Q: I am a huge fan of HGTV. What happened to Sandra Rinomato from “Property Virgins”? — Cindy K., via e-mail
A: Sandra decided to leave the show after 130 successful episodes to start her new show, “Buy Herself,” which begins airing this month on HGTV Canada, and she hopes for a U.S. HGTV pickup soon. Rinomato stated on her Facebook page: “For the first time in history, a significant number of women are buying real estate on their own, taking charge of their financial situations. … Women buying real estate is not a fad; it’s history in the making, and I am very proud to be a part of i on TV.”
 |
| Paul Ben-Victor, photo by Fernando Escovar |
A: I do happen to have some “In Plain Sight” info for you, as I recently spoke with series co-star Paul Ben-Victor, who portrays chief inspector Stan McQueen. For Paul, the end of the series is bittersweet, as he explained: “There’s definitely a sense of loss and there’s a sadness there. We had become a family and have gotten even closer, especially over this past year. There’s a real warmth and love on the set. I’m really looking forward to this final season, because while playing Stan McQueen has been great, I’m looking forward to spreading my wings, and there are some very exciting opportunities out there.”
One of those opportunities is promoting his new movie, which he stars in and co-wrote, called “Should Have Been Romeo.” It was selected to the Newport Beach Film Festival in the featured slot the first weekend of the festival. “We’re real excited about that,” Paul enthused. “They’re focusing the whole event around our movie that first weekend. So, on the heels of this, there’s the last season of ‘In Plain Sight,’ which is something that’s going to be really extraordinary. Especially the last few episodes; they’re just phenomenal.”
Q: What has Christopher Judge been doing since playing Teal’c in the “Stargate” series? — Henry F., Miami
A: Christopher has been doing a lot of voice work in video games and animation, as well as a few guest-starring turns here and there on shows like “NCIS: Los Angeles.” This summer, he is set to appear in “The Dark Knight Rises,” which premieres July 20, and is sure to be summer 2012′s runaway blockbuster.
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