It looks like Buffy won't be going to the big house.
Kristy Swanson, star of the original "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" movie that spawned the classic TV series, has had assault charges against her dropped by Canadian prosecutors. They stemmed from a confrontation the actress had with the ex-wife of her boyfriend, Olympic skating medalist Lloyd Eisler, who she hooked up with off-screen when they were paired up on "Skating with Celebrities."
Swanson, through rep Michael Sands, told the AP: "I am thrilled and excited that the charge has been dropped ... this never should have happened and our family can move on."
Swanson was arrested by Ontario police last June for allegedly assaulting Marcia O'Brien, ex-wife of Eisler and mother of his two children.
Swanson says she was with Eisler to visit his two young children when O'Brien attacked her in front of the children, bruising her knee and scratching her arm. No charges were filed against O'Brien

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 4:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Nikki Blonsky is a movie star, but it seems like she hasn’t been told yet.
The talented “Hairspray” star, who turns 19 next week, is one of the most unassuming and friendly actresses I’ve ever encountered on a red carpet and her talent should take her far in films.
But to go from unknown high school student to singing and dancing on the big screen opposite the likes of John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer and Christopher Walken is enough to make anybody’s head spin.
“It’s really interesting to me,” Nikki told me when we chatted at last week’s Hollywood Film Festival. “I feel like I’m just kind of watching myself do it from across the street. It’s a very surreal experience but, it’s wonderful.”
She was working at a Cold Stone Creamery store when she learned that she had been cast as Tracy and her acting experience consisted of the many roles she played in productions at Great Neck South Senior High School which included Madame Thenardier in “Les Misérables” and Mrs. Lovett in “Sweeney Todd.”
She dreamed of playing Tracy ever since seeing the Broadway production of “Hairpsray” a few years ago. Her spirited performance in the movie got raves and she already completed a role in the film “Harold.”
“I’m just honored that I’m getting to make movies and that I’m a working actress,” she says. “That’s all that’s important to me. The fame is fun but at the end of the day, the fact that I’m working and supporting myself and, hopefully my family someday, that’s all that matters to me.”
So, I had to know: does she ever just wanna jump onto a garbage truck - the way she did in “Hairspray” - and just belt out a tune as she rides down the street?
“Absolutely! I’m gonna go to the fire department next, I’m gonna sing on the tow truck. Wherever. I’m gonna hit every truck in town!”

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today, Jane Pauley turns 57 years old.
So where is she?
I kinda miss seeing the classiest news anchor in the business on TV these days and hope she returns in some new venture soon. Back at a time when I still had crushes on girls, Jane Pauley was one of my biggest ones. She replaced Barbara Walters on "Today" when she was just 25. I'd watch her on "The Today Show" in junior high school when she had this long, blonde hair, and just be transfixed by her perfect diction and great wit.

She started out with Tom Brokaw then was paired with Bryant Gumbel and while these men could not be more different, Pauley had great chemistry with both. When NBC decided to try and make Jane share the spotlight with Deborah Norville the show in 1989, she quit after 13 years. This resulted in a viewer revolt that took the show years to recover from. They under-estimated the loyalty of Pauley's audience and just how nice it was for people to have her part of our lives. She went on to co-anchor "Dateline NBC" for more than a decade - the first successful newsmagazine in that network's history - then quit to take on a syndicated talk show that only lasted a year.
Since then,. nothing!
Happy birthday Jane, we miss ya.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 3:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For awhile there, it did look as if David and Victoria Beckham had taken over Britney Spears' crown as number one L.A. paprazzi target.
But Victoria, who will guest on tomorrow night's episode of "Ugly Betty," guests on Ellen DeGeneres' show tomorrow and, in an intrerview taped today, said: "When we first got here, it was really intense. There was tons of press every single day. And then they kind of figured out that actually we're quite boring and Britney's far more interesting, and so they go to her house. We're not out at nightclubs every night. We're a bit boring for them I think."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The secret is out!
Jennifer Lopez is pregnant, accoridng to designer Roberto Cavalli who has been designing outfots for her ever-expanding body.
He was asked by PEOPLE what types of clothing he designs for his celebrity clients and said: "Well Jennifer Lopez, at this moment, she requests something very special because she is waiting for the baby... It is so complicated because every week she is getting bigger," added the designer, speaking from his celebration promoting Roberto Cavalli Vodka at his New York showroom.
JLo still ain't talking...

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Poor Jane Seymour.
The beautiful star, who has really wowed and inspired us on "Dancing With the Stars" this fall, had to be rushed to the hospital by ambulance Tuesday night and be treated for food poisening, according to ET.com. This explains the Emmy winner's absence from last night's results show which saw Sabrina Bryan shockingly emliminated.
So Jane survived to dance another week and resumed rehearsals this morning.
It takes a true professional to remain as focused as Jane has in recent weeks with her mother dying and the Southern California wildfires threatening her Malibu home.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Poor Heather Mills!
The former wife of Paul McCartney broke down in tears this morning on a British television show when talking about all of the names she's been called in recent years and the toll it has taken on her: "They've called me a whore, a gold-digger," she said tearfully. "I've had worse press than a pedophile or murderer and I've done nothing but charity for 20 years!"
When discussing the ever-present paparazzi, she blamed them for Princess Diana's death and said she has considered suicide because "If I'm dead, then she's safe and she can be with her father."
Yikes!
Hang in there Heather!

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This is just plain weird. So Britney Spears calls in to KIIS-FM's "On Air with Ryan Seacrest" this morning but In the middle of the interview, she hands the phone to her assistan and jumps in the shower! Before that, she managed to tell Ryan that she has no clue about when she sees her kids next: "My lawyers know about all that."
Here are some other tidbits:
Spears told Seacrest that she didn't do anything special to celebrate the release of her "Blackout" album: "It was laid back really. We watched movies, that's about it. [We] had fried chicken."
On rumors that she's a bad mother: "People say what they want and do what they do. It's sad....how cruel our world can be. You just gotta know in your heart you're doing the best that you can."

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Former "Prison Break" acxtor Lane Garrison was sentenced Wednesday to 40 months in state prison and must pay restitution to his victims' families in a vehicular manslaughter case that killed 17-year-old Beverly Hills High School student Vahagn Setian dead and left a 15-year-old girl injured last December. He had faced a maximum term of six years and eight months in prison. Before sentencing, Garrison told the victims' families he was "genuinely remorseful" and "sickened" by his behavior that night.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

To look at her, it doesn't seem possible that Cheryl Ladd made her debut on "Charlie's Angels" 30 years ago last month. She still looks remarkably like she did during the days when she was picked to replace Farrah Fawcett on a show fondly remembered by fans like me.
I didn't want to scare Cheryl when I caught up with her this week by telling her that I had bought the single of her hit song "Think it Over" way back in 1978. It peaked at number 38 on the Billboard charts! So, just kept the conversation on safe ground like talking about the legacy of "Charlie's Angels" and her current role on NBC's "Las Vegas."
Things start off on a funny note when I tell Cheryl, now 56, how little she has changed since her days as an angel and she said: "Your eyes must be going, honey (laughs)."
The series ended after five seaosns in 1981 with Cheryl starring in four of those years. She came along at a critical time when Fawcett unexpectedly quit after just one year and the show's future was threatened. But Ladd fit right in with co-stars Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith and ratings remained high.

"I'm still recognized and people still love 'Charlie's Angels,'" sahe says. "it's still showing somewhere as you know. It's amazing how many fans we still have from that show and how much they still love us. They feel like we're their buddies and it's just a great feeling."
Does she ever get tired of still being asked about a show that ended more than 25 years ago. It's not like she hasn't been busy with other things such as hewr 1994–1996 series "One West Waikiki." taking over for Bernadette Peters in the Broadway production of "Annie Get Your Gun," witing a few books ("The Adventures of Little Nettie Windship," "Token Chick: A Woman’s Guide To Golfing With The Boys"), and appearing in a slew of feature films including "Purple Hearts," "Poison Ivy" and "Millennium," and television movies such as "Grace Kelly," "Death in California," and "Changes." She also has a new DVD out called "Know Menopause: Inside & Out" and can be heard on the complete series of the 70s cartoon "Josie and the Pussycats!" released in September. Cheryl was the signing voice of Melody Valentine.
"For awhile, when ["Charlie's Angels] was over at first, I wanted to move on from it," she says. "But now, everything's a blessing you know? People just love it so much. I embrace it."
Since 2007, she has been a semi-regular on "Las Vegas" playing Jillian Deline who was married to James Caan's character. Caan left the show las tyear after the fourth season and was replaced bt a new character played by Tom Selleck.
But Cheryl's character is still around and she's happy about that.
"One of the blessings is I don't have to wear the bikinis anymore which is so great!" she jokes before adding, "This is such a great cast and wonderful people to work with. One of the reasons I've hung in here with it foir all these years is because it's just delightful to come here to work. Great cast. Great crew. Great people. And you know, when you've done it as long as I've done it, that's really an important thing - who you're working with and where you go to work and how you're treated. It's very important."
The actress was divorced from David Ladd during the run of "Charlie's Angels" and since 1981, has been married to record producer Brian Russell. Cheryl's daughter, Jordan Ladd, is now quite a successful actress in her own right ("Hostel: Part II," "Grindhouse," "Inland Empire") and stepdaughter., Lyndsay Russell, recently made Cheryl Ladd - gasp! - a grandmother.
"I'm enjoying all that, the little first time moments in our lives."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 4:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So here's the deal: Commissioner Scott Gordon has given popwreck Britney Spears three visits per week with her two young sons, from 12:00 Noon to 7:00 PM and one overnight visit.
All of the visits will be monitored and the singer must also submit evidence that she childproofed her pool area by Friday.
Gordon wrote in an eight page opinion that when Spears had her children recently under the observation of a parenting coach, "the environment at the house ranged from chaotic to almost somber with little communication at all." The coach reported to Gordon that while nothing is going on that is "abusive in the traditional sense," "during all three of my visits, Ms. Spears rarely engaged with the children in either conversation or play... It seems that [Britney's] choices are dependent more upon what she wants to do at any given time rather than what would be more enjoyable for the children."
The coach also stated: "The problem is that unless Ms. Spears realizes the consequences of her behavior and the impact that it has [on] her children, nothing is going to be successful."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 3:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I didn't even know she was famous.
Well, maybe in a Kimberly Stewart sort of way I guess. But, I mean, the daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore and stepdaughter of Ashton Kutchjer hasn't even had a reality show like REALLY famous people such as Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, Kim Kardashian and Brody Jenner.
But Rumer Willis, 19, tells People magazine that she is ready to accept the 'round-the-clock responsibility of being famous.
"Before I started working, I would have said, 'You know, it's not really fair, because I didn't choose this.' But when you decide to be a part of this profession and put yourself out there, then you kind of have to accept what it is. It's a 24-hour job. "It doesn't matter if you are going out to a restaurant – you have to be aware of what you are doing and how you look and how you are presenting yourself, because most of the time people never get to know you."

Well, Rumer may reach the point where she actually has earned her fame. She has roles in two upcoming movies, "From Within" and "I Know What Boys Like." She had a substantial role in her dad's 2005 flick "Hostage"
and had an uncredited appearance in "The Whole Nine Yards" and two of her mom's movies: "Striptease" and "Now and Then."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Didn't Rosie O'Donnell's television take a hiatus when she left "the View" in a huff last May? Well, Rosie will be back soon when she reprises her role as a lottery winner on an upcoming episode FX's "Nip/Tuck" series. But Monday night, she found herself appearing on "The O'Reilly Factor."
How did THAT happen you ask?
It seems that O'Reilly sent a producer to a Long Island book signing where Rosie was signing copies of her new memoir "Celebrity Detox." Rose signed his book then the ambush interview began with the prodsucer asking why Rosie hadn't returned O'Reilly's phone calls: O'Donnell's reply: "If Bill wants me, he should tell me himself. He is a big boy. He is a grown-up."
The producer persists saying, "Rosie, he wants to know if you regret saying that 9/11 was an inside job?"
Rosie says: "I did not say that. He is quoting the wrong people" then repeatedly asks that a man operating a camera for the producer to stop taping.
With customers in line, Rosie loses her patience: "Sir, you're done. Get out of the store. You made your point, you have your tape, go home. Skip home happily."
O'Reilly played the tape on Monday night saying he "regrets any imposition on Ms. O'Donnell's time," He then repeated his invitation to appear on his FOX show before calling her "bitterly anti-American and grossly irresponsible."
Gee. I wonder why Rosie doesn't wanna go on.
Here is a clip from O'Reilly's show:

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 1:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

How would James Bond have handled this?
Pierce Brosnan, the former Agent 007, is being investigated for allegedly striking a photographer in the ribs who was trying to snap pictures of the actor and one of his children over the weekend in Malibu.
I'm quite sure the photographer is annoying beyond belief but Brosnan has been in the public eye for DECADES so it's a mystery what set him off this particular time.
TMZ.com reported Tuesday that the L.A. County Sheriff's Department is investigating the alleged incident which is said to have occurred outside Casa Escobar Friday evening in a Malibu mall. A witness said Brosnan said "Why don't you f*** mate" then struck photographer Robert Rosen in the ribs. Rosen then kicked the actor in the stomach.
The sheriff's department says it is "actively investigating" the alleged incident.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We've seen plenty of TV stars who land a part in a hit movie and are ready to ditch the small screen. Not "Las Vegas" star Josh Duhamel, who had a role in the summer blockbuster "Transformers" and had previously starred in the romantic comedy "Win a Date With Tad Hamilton!"
"I'd definitely love to do more [movies]...but I truly love it here," Josh tells me Monday afternoon after a little party marking the show's 100th episode. “This is something that I love and it’s become like a family. So, I want to do this as long as they’ll have us. ... I don’t ever want to get in a situation where I’m just collecting a paycheck. I love what I do and I want it to be something I’m proud of.”
The show's longevity is especially impressive given that it has survived a schedule change from its original Monday night slot to Fridays as well as the departure of James Caan at the end of the fourth season.
Says Josh: "We're like the little engine that could."
Before the cake cutting and speeches on the show's casino set in Culver City, Josh filmed a scene that required this tall and fit actor to wear padding on his belly because his character of Danny McCoy had packed on a few pounds.
"It was fun," says the former model. "I thought it was funny. Why not?"
It was in 2003 that Josh l landed the role of casino security agent, Danny McCoy, a year after he won a Daytime Emmy Award for his portrayal of Leo de Pres on the ABC soap "All My Children," on which he appeared for three years.
When he left the soap, he had no way of knowing that such a terrific, steady prime-time gig was next.
"The first couple of years especially, you don't even know if you're gonna keep your own job let alone them keeping the show on the air," Josh says. "But we did pretty well, we've always had pretty good numbers. It's tough on a Friday night but even there we're still hanging on. We've got a core of loyal audience that keeps watching the show. I think, honestly, that it's getting better and better. When I say we have the best group of writers, we really do. We used to go all over the place. Now they're sort of in tune with each other and one story kind of leads to the next. Each one is sort of self-conttained yet there's a real line that goes through it."
He is pleased with the addition of Tom Selleck to the cast tis season, filling the void left by Caan: "It's gone well. Tom's a pro. He's got a huge following and he's a guy who brings a lot of integrity to the show I think."
And even with 100 shows completed, Josh Duhamel is still striving for the best: "I just really truly want the show to be as good as it can. You can't always be great but you can always be good, we can always make it better."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Vanessa Marcil could see that I was melting under the hot lights of the Culver City set of "Las Vegas" and after saying hello, she insisted that I take my sportscoat off. Oh, thank God! I thought I was gonna faint.
Vanessa has portrayed Samantha Jane "Sam" Marquez on the show for all of its five seasons and at 38, has had one of the more consistently successful careers in television. She won the Daytime Emmy Award in 2003 for her role as Brenda Barrett on "General Hospital,' a show she was on for six years until 1998 and returned to for awhile in 2002. She also spent a few seasons on "Beverly Hills 90210" during the later years of its run.
"I'm really fortunate, especially because I'm not ambitious," she admits. "Anyone would say that's the truth about me. I'm slightly agoraphobic so I don't like leave the house so I don't go to the things I'm supposed to go to, I kind of stay at home, when I work I stay in my trailer. So, there's lots of reasons why I shouldn't have had the luck that I've had other than I do love to act."
Despite her success, Vanessa has never shaken the feeling that a pink slip is just a bad performance away.
"I'm one of those neurotic crazies. But it's really not that crazy. In this business, you can't ever feel entitled or comfortable or think that you're a for sure thing because it just doesn't work that way," she says.

On the long run of Las Vegas: “I didn’t even think we’d be able to last through the pilot; Josh and I were very insecure about our performances. We had a little talk when we were shooting the pilot about how we both thought we sucked. So, I thought the show was great and it would possibly go on — I didn’t think it would go on with me [laughs].”

On her character: "I love my character so much. She's an amazing character. She's like a dude. I think she's one of the best female characters ever written. I don't know if I always do her justice as an actress but I think she's written amazing."

On working with Josh Duhamel: "We both came from soap operas so I thinik we were both in awe of the fact that we got to have this opportunity and are just really grateful. He's really one of the most self=effacing, loveliest leads I've ever worked with on anything. You would think every day on set it was our first week. He really is always so concerned about the scene being good. I've never seen him act entitled one day in five years which is kind of amazing if you think about it."

On James Caan's departure from the show last season: "Oh, I was very concerned. I think Jimmy Caan is one one of the reasons why we did end up on the air. I don't think anyone would argue with that. He was really kind of our rock and really the person who on a daily basis taught us, taught all of us. He was like daddy and we definitely miss him - a lot."

On Caan's replacement Tom Selleck: Tom is amazing. He's such a simple, lovely actor. My scenes with him right now are my favorite because he does nothing and everything at once which is what most great actors do."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Shirley Jones is a national treasure.
We all know her from her role as Shirley Partridge in the classic 1970s show "The Partridge Family" that also starred her step-son David Cassidy. But that was only her professional second act. Before that, she was a major movie star who had the female leads in the classic musicals "Oklahoma," "The Music Man" and "Carousel" and she won the 1961 Academy Award for her performance as prostitute Lulu Bains in "Elmer Gantry."
Since the end of "Partridge Family" in 1974, Shirley has been busy with her third act which this year included both an Emmy nomination and a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for her dramatic performance in "Hidden Place." At 73, Shirley still gives concerts around the country, is in demand for guest spots on various TV shows and is still landing roles in movies like last year's outrageous and raunchy comedy "Grandma's Boy."
I caught up with the lovely Miss Jones last weekend at the AIDS Walk Los Angeles and we had a little chat.

Greg: You look so fantastic. I could still see you driving that bus on "The Partridge Family."
Shirley: [hearty laugh] I'm glad I'm not driving it anymore!
Greg: You're an Oscar winning movie movie star, a television icon. Is it kind of nice to go through life that way?
Shirley: It's wonderful. I've been very, very fortunate. I really have because it's not an easy gig to be an actress. I have sons and they're all in the business and it's a tough road.
Greg: I've heard a little something about your sons.
Shirley: {chuckles) Yes, Shaun, Patrick, Ryan and David. It's a tough road and they've had a lot of problems. I, for some strange reason, was able to kind of float through. I feel very fortunate.
[note: Shirley starred opposite son Patrick in a 2004 Broadway revival of the musical "42nd Street}
Greg: We're fortunate in that we get to watch you. Especially on all those old musicals. Are you glad to see some of them coming out on DVD?
Shirley: Oh yes. And I have little children coming backstage now when I do my concerts saying they've seen me in "The Music Man" or "Oklahoma" and it's wonderful. It's just wonderful that the music will go on forever.
Greg: Those same kids haven't seen "Elmer Gantry" have they?
Shirley: No! [laughs] Or "Grandma's Boy."

Here are a trio of images of Shirley, through the years...

Shirley Jones in "Oklahoma"

Shirley Jones opposite Burt Lancaster in her Oscar-winning performance in "Elmer Gantry." She shattered her wholesome image for awhile...

Shirley was divorced from the late actor Jack Cassidy who is the father of her three sons and stepson David. For the past 30 years, she has been married to the eccentic actor Marty Ingels. He remains his wife's biggest fan.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 4:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Looks like Paris Hilton is gonna wait awhile before saving the world. "I want to travel the world," she tells People magazine. "I feel like there's a lot I can do, and a lot I can do to help. I know [Rwanda] went through a lot of traumatic experiences, and I feel like if I go there, I can help save some people's lives."

She is such a humanitarian. Could have a lock on the Nobel Peace Prize.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

All Barbara Walters wanted was a little dinner while she was out here in L.A. last week taping a series oif interviews for an upcoming special and for "20-20." So where does she go? The Ivy. She told the ladies on "The View" this morning that she was shocked when she walked out and cameras started snapping.
"When I'm in New York there are no paprazzi following me, I can go out without any make-up on...I walk out of the restaurant and suddenly there's a blaze - 20 paparazzis. I was fine, I was nice. End of story."
But it wasn't.
Some of the footage showed up on a show Walters would not name (TMZ) and she was not pleased, saying it was "so mean."
"They did the whole Babawawa thing [Gilda Radner's famous 70s impression], I thought that was over years ago. I thought it must've been a very slow news day. Why do they have to be so mean?... I'm very glad to be home."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 10:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Good morning...
This has gotta be such an agonizing time for Oprah Winfrey. Repeatedly molested herself as a child, Oprah flew to South Africa over the weekend to visit her academy for underprivileged African girls where there have been allegations of abuse. It's the second time in the last few weeks that Oprah has made an emergency visit to the school and this time, she asked parents for forgiveness. "I've disappointed you. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," Oprah said to families in an emergency meeting at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy south of Johannesburg, the South African news site News24.com reported. ..... The widow "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin says her husband had a feeling he would die young. "He wanted to be here for the kids, and yet he always had that feeling something was going to happen early on," Terri Irwin says in an interview with an Australian television station. "He was such a frightening force of nature here on Earth. I'm sure he's out on his way to sink some Japanese whaling ships right now." ..... OJ Simpson better get another dream team to defend him. A third defendent in the alleged Vegas hotel room hold-up has struck a plea deal and will testify against the disgraced more football star ..... and finally, some sad news: Country singer Porter Wagoner died on lung cancer on Sunday. He was 80. Wagoner helped launch the career of Dolly Parton and was her singing partner in 1974 when they had a bitter professional bust-up that resulted in legal action. But the two remained friends to the end.....

More updates to come this morning!!!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 9:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Beyonce Knowles and Jennifer Hudson got the lion’s share of attention for their roles in the movie musical “Dreamgirls,” but fans of the film know that film would not have been the same without the third member of the fictional Dreamettes: Anika Noni Rose.
She had already won the Tony Award as the daughter in the Broadway musical “Caroline, or Change” when she was cast in “Dreamgirls,” the second-highest movie musical of all time. If you have the two-disc DVD of the movie and have watched the extras, you can see a video of Anika's "Dreamgirls" audition and you will see a performance so stunning that you knew she just had to be a part of the film.
She knocked it out. of. the. park.
Since the film's release, Anika has been getting more film work, sang at the Academy Awards, and is looking ahad to more opportunities.

Whatever “Dreamgirls” has done for me is not finished,” Anika told me recently. “People are just starting to realize who I am and it’s brought me to a lot of people’s attention.
She has been mighty busy making films in the past year including the hit TV miniseries “The Starter Wife” and the features “One Part Sugar” and “The No. Ladies Detective Agency” with Anthony Minghella.
“Anthony Minghella wouldn’t have known who I was \[before “Dreamgirls”\]. It’s the snowball effect. Work begets work and that’s where I am. I’m still auditioning, but people know who I am and they know the quality of my work.”
Anika may have played sweet Lorell in “Dreamgirls,” but off-screen, she is a woman who is not afraid to speak her mind about the state of the world.
While I'm quite aware of how talented Anika is, what I did not know about her is how passionate she is about what is going on in the world and how unafraid she is to speak her mind about it. When I saw her at last weekend's AIDS Walk, she had sung a rousing rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone" but before that, she gave one helluva speech about our country and our leadership and how she believes it has its priorities in all the wrong places.
She expanded on it when we had a talk later that day.
“I feel like, honestly, there’s so much s*** going on, and we’re so busy pretending and throwing up pictures of random celebrities in rehab and having hit a curb. Who cares? There are things going on in life that we need to pay attention to. Pay attention to the fact that it’s fall and it’s 70 damned degrees in New York. So while we’re pretending global warming isn’t happening, our grandchildren are going to burn the hell up. I’m just tired of people covering things up and if I have a moment where I can say something, maybe somebody hears me. I may be preaching to the choir but so be it. I need to say what I feel, that I’m tired of people talking for us.”

You go!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 1:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Good morning...
Jerry Seinfeld thinks the controversy over alleged plagarism surrounding his wife Jessica's best-selling cookbook, "Deceptively Delicious," is a riot. He tells EW: “Hil-arious! Hilarious. Hilarious. I was saying to her this morning, I’m really regretting that I’m not doing the sitcom right now. 'The Puree Plagiarizer’ is a Seinfeld episode: ‘You stole my mushed-up carrots! I invented mushed-up carrots!' It’s just absolutely a riot to me." ..... If you were thinking Owen Wilson's first interview since his suicide attempt would be one of those tell-all affairs, forget it. Instead, it was a nice little chat with his pal Wes Anderson about their movie "The Darjeeling Limited." I don't mind that Owen didn't feel like sharing his intimate thoughts with us, I am just glad to see him back and wish him well .... Heidi Klum gave a pretty risque interview to Oprah Winfrey and was quite candid about what her first reaction was when she laid eyes on her future husband, Seal, who was wearing tight and revealing bicycle shorts. "I met him in a hotel lobby in New York City and he came in just from the gym and I was sitting there and I was, like, wow. And I pretty much saw everything. The whole package." Klum says she has no regrets about her candor. Good for her! ..... Ryan Gosling may have been replaced as the leading man on the Peter Jackson film "The Lovely Bones," but the classy actor isn't bad-mouthing Jackson or his replacement, Mark Wahlberg. In fact, Gosling says he'll be the first one in line buying tickets for the film... Gorgeous Nicole Kidman and gorgeous Keith Urban were out this weekend at an awards show in Australia. Here is a snippet of a red carpet interview that shows the couple to be relaxed and in good humor:

...and finally, Paris Hilton's car was sideswipped on Saturday by an overeager paparazzo, according to TMZ.com. Good grief, get a life. How crucial is it to get a picture of Paris RIDING IN A CAR? It's not liike she was crying and on her way back to jail.
Happy Sunday to all!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sara Ramirez didn't join the cast of "Grey's Anatomy" until its second season but she has been in the thick of things as Dr. Callie Torres who this year, a surgeon who has been promoted to head surgeon. But it is her love-life on the show that has been getting most of the attention lately with her messy split from George O'Malley (T.R. Knight).
"Like all the other characters on the show, I think Callie has her flaws, her issues, her hang-ups," Sara told me recently. "We don’t know all the ins-and-outs of why she truly was with George. I think there wasa pure love there but I’m sure Callie has other issues behind clinging onto something that just isn’t right.”
The "Grey's Anatomy" set, which had more than its share of real-life drama last season, seems to beck on track. Sara says things are "Great!"
"It’s work, it’s play, it’s fun. It can be long hours but it’s a great time, I feel, in my life. I just feel so lucky and so blessed and grateful. I try and just go to work and do the best job that I can and learn and grow as an actor.”
So, how 'bout some scoop on future storylines?
\[laughs\] I can’t tell you! But I’m curious to see.“They out everybody through a little something here and there so I don’t think Callie will be left out of that. She’ll have to go through some downs. But, I look forward to seeing her go through some ups. It would be nice to have her find her true love.
But I’m not sure what they have planned for her.”
While the role on "Grey's" has made Sara (pronounced Sa-Da) known to television audiences, the New York theater scene has been aware of her for some time now. She won the 2005 Tony Award for her performance as The Lady of the Lake in "Monty Python's Spamalot."
Sara is certain she will return to the stage at some point: “I consider New York and theater my home, my home base where I sort of grew up. I miss it and I hope they’ll have me back whether it’s a musical - it doesn’t have to be on Broadway - or a play. I’m up for that. I miss the theater, I miss the whole symbiotic relationship between actor and audience and being on stage. The live factor."
I had to tell Sara that I’ll never forget when she sang her big number from ‘Spamalot’ on the Tonys the year she won. I thought, ‘WHO is that girl?’
Sara: “Oh! Thank you.”

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 9:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A final post for the day.
Britney Spears and Kevin Federline were back in court today for a hearing on their custody battle. Is it normal to have this many hearings? Well, there's nothing normal about all of this. Since I've got too much to do and can't camp out at the courthouse (as if!), I'll have to rely on the various Internet updates posted throughout the day. According to TMZ.com, The hearing ended before 5 p.m. and Britney's visitation has been extended over the weekend. The judge took the bigger custody issue under submission and K-Fed's attorney said the court will issue a written ruling sometime Monday or Tuesday. I. Can't. Wait. But here's the juicy part: apparently Britney took three bathroom breaks during the hearing and seemed to get more agited as time went by, at one point cursing out a reporter asking how she was, saying, "Eat it, lick it, Snort it, f--- it." Not only is that rude, it's kind of a bizarre thing to say. What exactly is "it"? ..... Oscar winner Renee Zellweger, of all people, has sympathy for Britney in regards to the whole paprazzi situation: "What people don't understand is that [the photographers] didn't just run into Britney that day," she tells Extra. "It's like having someone jump on your back in the morning and stay with you until you go to bed at night. And even then, hovering over your pillow and taking photographs. ... I defy anyone to try to keep it all together all the time under those circumstances." But Renee, unlike you, Britney seems to LIKE the paparazzi. They are her friends .....
Meanwhile, "Lost" star Daniel Dae Kim has released a statement saying that he is "deeply ashamed and embarrassed" of his DUI arrest early Thursday morning. "To those I have disappointed I can only ask that you accept my heartfelt apologies. I am truly, truly sorry." .... Orlando Bloom has gotta be breathing a sigh of relief. The "Pirates of the Caribbean" star was involved in a car accident earlier this month in Hollywood. The L.A. County District Attorney will not file charges against the actor stemming from an Oct. 12 collision that injured his two passengers. ....

OK, on to lighter new. I kinda hate to send ya off for the weekend with all this custody and drunk driving news. So Drew Carey appears to be a successful replacement for Bob Barker on "The Price Is Right." During his first week, the show averaged 5.4 million viewers which while about the same as a year earlier, ratings are up 10 percent in the coveted demo of those between 18-49. .....
I dunno, just makes me kinda happy.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 6:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Good morning and happy Friday!
MARG HELGENBERGER may have had a 5 a.m. call on the set of "CSI" yesterday morning, but she was still able to swing over to Hollywood to support her husband, actor ALAN ROSENBERG, as the Screen Actors Guild received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Alan is president of the union. "I'm very proud of what my husband is doing," Marg told me. "It's a very difficult job, a very thankless job and it's particularly filled with tension these days for obvious reasons [labor contract negotiations]. But I think if anyone can handle it, it's my husband."
How to they handle him working so hard with the union and her as star of one of television's most popular prime-time shows? "It's hard, it's really hard, I guess I'll be honest with you. We don't see much of each other. He does a lot of work for the guild and a lot of traveling."
Caught up with some other stars before and after the ceremony:
..... BLYTHE DANNER was once very close to becoming BRAD PITT'S mother-in-law when her daughter GWYNETH PALTROW was engaged to the movie star. But the two-time Emmy winner had no idea that Pitt was one of the executive producers of a pilot she is acting in called "Pretty Handsome" about a married father of two who tells his wife and teenaged sons that he is a transsexual: "I had no idea!," Blythe said to me, seeming genuinely surprised. "Golly. I didn't know that. I love Brad and I'm glad. I'm glad he is involved." The pilot was created by Ryan Murphy who has had such great success with "Nip/Tuck." "It has [Joseph] Fiennes who was in 'Shakespeare in Love" with my daughter Gwyneth and also [Robert] Wagner. It's a pilot so we're crossing our fingers."

..... JACK COLEMAN and I talked about his hit show "Heroes" which some have suggested is suffering from a sophomore slump creatively. "I think the show's still roilling well. There are some fantastic episodes coming up. People are going to see things tie together in a way that I think they are longing to see and there's some really strong episodes. I think we're going to be fine. We knew no matter what happened, people were going to be aiming for us in the second year. They build you up the first year, they come after you the second year. I'm having the time of my life." ..... JOBETH WILLIAMS shared that she will be in at least four episodes of my favorite Showtime series "Dexter." "I play Julie Benz's mother and I begin to suspect something's up with [serial killer] Dexter." .....
And I'll wrap up for now with a trio of items about fame and youth: Let me just say that I think MARIAH CAREY is mega-talented and beautiful. But should she really be the one giving advice to the likes of BRITNEY SPEARS and LINDSAY LOHAN? After all, she's had some problems herself. But, maybe she's learned from experience: "I would say you need to be very centered, and spiritually know where you're at, all the time," Carey tells Glamour magazine in its November issue . "Don't read the tabloids. Don't be obsessed with what people are writing or saying. Live your life for you." ..... In related news, both Lindsay and Brtiney's moms are working on projects that seem to exploit the fame of their embattled daughters who clearly needed/need better parenting: LYNNE SPEARS is reportedly writing a personal tell-all about raising two famous daughters and has a book deal with publisher Thomas Nelson, according to Publishers Marketplace. ..... Then we have DINA LOHAN.set to start filing a reality show for E! featuring her and her younger daughter , Ali, and, get this, the show is meant to "empower single mothers." Uh, right. Get ready to see a lot more of the Lohans. “There are so many misconceptions about me and my family,” says Dina. “I’m setting the record straight.” Good luck with that Dina. We're sure you're a regular June Cleaver. ......

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 9:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With so many actors on hand for Thursday's unveiling of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for the Screen Actors Guild, I thought it would be fun to ask as many as I could which job it was that earned them membership into the famed union.
Here is what some of them had to say:

CHANDRA WILSON: "It was a commercial for Scope mouthwash." ..... BEN FOSTER: "It was called 'Flash Forward,' it was a Disney show." .... FRANCES FISHER: "I did a Drisdan commercail in 1976. I was a child actress.' ..... ESAI MORALES: "I did an anti-drinking and driving thing at 15 so this is my 30th year as a member of SAG." ..... LANIE KAZAN: "I got my SAG card in Francis Ford Coppolla's movie "One From the Heart." ..... DIAHANN CARROLL: "Well, I was about 4 or 5. No! I really don't remember. But I've been around so long it's a hard thing to remember." ...;.. JACK COLEMAN: "'It was 'Dynasty.' That got me my SAG card. [He replaced Al Corley in the role of Steven Carrington] I was doing 'Days of Our Lives" for a year but that was AFTRA. So 'Dynasty' put me in SAG."

BLYTHE DANNER: "How did I get my SAG card? I should know that shouldn't I? I believe it was with Lee J. Cobb and it was a live television thing - it shows how old I am - it's called "To Confuse the Angel" and I had a huge crush on Lee J. Cobb. I followed him around and used to say, "Mr. Cobb, can I have lunch with you?" [laughs] I was very brave. Young and dumb. I really adored him, had a hiuge, huge crush on him."

JOBETH WILLIAMS: "My SAG card came when I was cast in a movie called "Kramer Vs. Kramer" which was my first movie with Robert Benton directing and Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep starred in it. I had a small, but naked role and i was terrified. But that's when I got my Screen Actors Guild card and I'm a proud card carrying member and I'm proud to be on the board of Screen Actors Guild."

KENT MCCORD: "I started working on 'The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" working background, standing in for Ricky [Nelson]. One day they were doing a fraternity show where there was a party going on - early day 'Risky Business' kind of thing - while Ozzie and Harriet were away. They came home early and I was standing at the door with my date and Ozzie asked me, "Where's Rick?" And I said, "Who's Rick?" Those are the first two words I ever saw in pictures and that got me my card."

[SAG President] ALAN ROSENBERG: : "I have to thnk for a second because the first two jobs I got were cancelled. My first actual SAG job was an episode of "Barnaby Jones" with Buddy Ebsen. I was a suspect but I wasn't the killer. It was fun."

DAVE JOLLIFFE, best known for playing a high school student on the 70s series "Room 222," got his SAG card at 7 years old doing a commercial - "a marshmallow commercial. That's 48 years ago now."

AMBER TAMBLYN: "I was an extra in some tiny movie. I think it was "Life With Mikey" or something like that and I think I was likke nine years old. And then I got my first talking part in a small film with Dana Delaney, ikt was like early 90s." Meanwhile her father, "West Side Story" star RUSS TAMBLYN told me he got his after being hired for a job by Cecil B. Demille: "Samson and Delilah. I was young King Saul. But that didn't come out for six months so I did a roile in "The Boy With Green Hair." I was one of the kids in that. So that was the first one that I think i got my card for."

ED ASNER: "Oh God. I got my SAG and AFTRA cards is Chicago, where I also got my [Actor's] Equity card. I can't remember which particular thing it was. Well, in those days, because I was in Equity, I was able to join the other two [unions] as an affiliate."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 8:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Had the chance to interview Julian McMahon and Dylan Walsh at a crazy event tonight at the Hollywood & Highland complex. There were screaming fans everywhere with cameras flashing as the two handsome leads of the F/X hit "Nip/Tuck" slowly made their way down a press line of mostly television reporters as they promoted the show's fifth season which begins on Tuesday.
But there's a big change to the show about these two plastic surgeons with very complicated personal lives: it relocates from Miami to L.A. (where it has been filmed all along). It was great to talk to Dylan who answered every question thoughtfully. Julian seemed to lose interest once the cameras were no longer on. But this print and online reporter did his best to get what I could from him.
Of the location change, Walsh said: "It's a different vibe for this reason: we always had to hide this city because we always had to make it seem like Miami so all the landmarks like Grauman's Chinese and Pink's Hot Dogs, we had to hide. Now, we get to show them off. So that's kind of liberating and i think it's great for the show."

Greg: Did you two have much influence in the show changing location and the direction for the fifth season?
Julian: "Well, you know, I pretty much told them what to write.
Greg: Are these the end of the press line answers?
Julian: A little bit. No! We're the actors, we get our scripts and we, you know, do the best that we can with it, you know?
Greg: Last season, I was kind of hoping you two would get together [romantically] for an episode or two.
Julian: Me and him?
Greg: Yeah, that was kind of hot, that almost kissing scene you guys had. Was it always decided that it would only go so far?
Julian: The one in bed, right? That was funny, huh? Well, I always thought that the show should end on the two of us getting together, whatever season that is - season six or whatever. It should just end up with these two saying, 'You know, I just can't live without you."
Dylan: From the first season, that's been the joke between us, that that's where the show's going. But, you know, we've always said a thousand times that it's two heterosexual guys that love each other. I think it was explored more [last season] out of some people's sort of half-joking kind of wondering about it. Fans saying that as a joke. So I thought it was kind of cheeky to explore it but I don't think it was that serious ultimately."
Greg: When all this started, did you think, 'This is just another gog or did you know you had something special?
Dylan: I thought it could take off just because it was a great script and it was a great premise. Just reading the script and then when we shot the pilot, I felt like it could be successful. You don't ever know, but I had a feeling it could be."
Greg: What about working with Rosie [O'Donnell]? Last season, [Julian] had a scene where he's rolling around with her on a fur rug. I know she's already shot some new episodes this season.
Julian: Well, i don't think anyone needs to be told that Rosie can be funny sometimes. Obviously the circumstance in which we filmed it was pretty hysterical and ridiculous and the two of us had a good laugh and had some fun doing it. She comes back this year, she won the power ball or something and she comes back with all this money and she wants all these things done. She's hysterical. She hooks up with Oliver Platt's character so you can imagine the two of them together in a consult. It's pretty ridiculous.
Greg: Are there any other guest stars you can tell us about?
Dylan: Lauren Hutton plays a publicist that helps us out. Oliver Platt plays the showrunner of the show within the show that we work on. Bradley Cooper plahys a plastic surgeon in that show - he's kind of like one of us on steroids, totally over-the-top nonsense - really funny. Portia de Rossi comes on the show. I don't want to ruin it and say why or how.
Tune in and you'll see.

Before they did just one last interview and started signing autographs for fans, I asked the guys what else they have been up to, acting-wise, besides the series.
Dylan: I have a movie I'm to premiere in just a few nights with Danny DeVito, it's called "Just Add Water."
Greg: Do we see a different side of you?
Dylan: Uh, yeah.
Julian: The back side.
Dylan: [laughs] No.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What a fun morning I had in Hollywood.
The star-studded occasion was the Screen Actors Guild becoming the first labor union to receive a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. SAG is the nation's largest labor union representing working actors and is celebrating its 75th year.
I'll be adding quotes from the stars later today and also,. in a seperate post, will share how each of them earned their SAG card. The stories are great and include stories from Diahann Carroll, Blythe Danner, Lanie Kazan, Jack Coleman and Ed Asner, among others.
I ran into actress Diane Ladd on my way to Hollywood & Highland's Annex where there was a breakfast going on. Diane is not only the mother of Laura Dern, but a three-time Oscar nominee. One of those nominations came for hewr wonderful performance in "Rambling Rose" and there was a speech that she gave to Robert Duvall that was so riveting. Diane told me that she wrote the speech herself!
Inside, I bumped into Marg Helgenberger who had come even though she had already been on a 5 a.m. call for her series "CSI." But when your husband is president of the Screen Actors Guild, ya show up. Marg and Alan Rosenberg have been together forever.
Then I saw one of my favorite actors from my childhood, Kent McCord, best known for his role as officer Jim Reed on "Adam 12." Kent is one of the nicest guys around and one of the smartest when it comes to guild issues and history. He has not really aged in all these years so life must be very good for Mr. McCord.
Also at the breakfast, gabbed with Ben Foster ("3:30 to Yuma") for the second time this week. It was so cool to see this 26-year-old star showing up to lend support. He stayed throughout the entire morning as did "Grey's Anatomy" star Chandra Wilson who's about as down-to-Earth a TV star as I've ever met. She is da bomb!
Schmoosed the room for all it was worth, had a croissant then walked over the Roosevelt Hotel where the SAG folks gave me a great spot up front to watch. I stood with Chandra for much of it until they realized that it would be better to have her in a more visible spot for pics!
I really liked what a tuxedo clad Alan Rosenberg said:
"This star reflects millions of hours of training, tireless auditions, countless rehearsals and remarkable performances—the collective body of work of some legends and many more middle-class actors—75 years strong,” said Rosenberg at the ceremony. “For us, it’s all about acting. It always has been and always will be.”
“We know Screen Actors Guild members and their heirs will be filled with pride whenever they walk this stretch of sidewalk for many decades to come," he added. "Thank you to the Hollywood Historic Trust for this remarkable tribute.”

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 5:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jake Gyllenhaal and Reese Witherspoon were rumored to be a couple for so long but they were never seen together. So, I had my doubts. Big doubts. But suddenly, with their film "Rendition" in release, these two fine actors are all over the place with PDAs galore.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 4:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SNAPPED!!!
This couple is just completely unnattractive don't you think? It's lovebirds SCARLETT JOHANSSON and RYAN REYNOLDS returning from a flight looking so gorgeous ya just wanna slap 'em! It's just, not fair ....
What is it about the cast of "Lost" and drunk driving? DANIEL DAE KIMKim, who plays Jin-Soo Kwon on the ABC hit show" was stopped by Honolulu police early Thursday morning on suspicion of drunken driving. According to the Honolulu Advertiser, the actor was arrested around 3:00 AM and released about two hours later. ..... Poor persecuted KID ROCK. He told ELLEN DEGENERES today that the waffle house fight was not his fault ..... PARIS HILTON'S plans to become the next ANGELINA JOLIE have hit a snag with her trip to Rwanda postponed. What will the people ofd the region DO without a rich heiress to ...well, what was it exactly she was going to do? .... I love CYBILL SHEPHERD for being one of the great showbiz survivors. And no doubt she will survive this embarassing picture that you can see by clicking HERE .....And finally, the six-year marriage of KATE HUDSON and CHRIS ROBINSON has officially ended with their divorce now final.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Good morning...
The horrible California fires are on everybody's minds this week - even when they are in London. Pregnant actress HALLE BERRY, at the premiere of her ironically titled film, "Things We Lost in the Fire," says: "It's frightening, and I live in Malibu too so I'm worried about my neighbors, my friends that live close to me, my very own property. It's scary. It's Mother Nature, and she's angry." .....SEAN (P. DIDDY) COMBS has been accused of assaulting a man at a NYC nightclub and he just wants us to know one thing: "I don't fight over girls." Good for you P. Diddy ..... Emmy winners KELSEY GRAMMER and PATRICIA HEATON both came off long runs of classic series when they teamed up for "Back to You on FOX. What are the odds of lightening striking twice? Pretty good. The network has picked up their show for a full season meaning that 24 episodes will be made . I know it's all fiction, but during the episode I watched, all I could tink was, "What is Frasier doing with Ray's wife?.... New daddy SACHA BARON COHEN is bujsy changing diapers these days but that doesn't mean he's not still being sued by people who appeared in his "Borat" flick. The latest is an etiquette coach in Alabama who is claiming all kinds of stuff ranging from fraud to infliction of emotional sense to fraud. I have an idea: let's all send her a dollar so she can buy a sense of humor ..... and finally, apparently a sequel to "Da Vinci Code" starring TOM HANKS is a go. I better watch the first one quick!
More news later today!!!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 8:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A pregnant HALLE BERRY is a vision at the London premiere of her new film, "Things We Lost in the Fire" - movie title far too many Southern Californians are actually living right now ..... TOM BERGERON told RYAN SEACREST this morning that he thought Marie Osmond's faint Monday night was a joke: “At first you can hear the audience laugh because they thought, like I did, that it was theatrics.” ..... ELISABETH HASSELBECK, who left "The View" this week for maternity leave, sayd the stress of moving from NYC to Arizona has been worth it so she can spend time with her football star hubby Tim who has been traded to the Arizona Cardinals ..... Speaking of having a baby, remember TINA YOTHERS from "Family Ties"? She played Michael J. Fox's little sister and not only gfrew up, she grew wide. But that changed after a stint on "Celebrity Fit Club." Tina has just given birth to her second child, a son named Jake. Congratulations to Tina and to actress GRETCHEN MOL who gave birth about six weeks ago but just made it public. She and director hubby Tod Williams are parents of a son..... and finally, BRITNEY SPEARS had the first of her parenting classes today at the Beverly Hills Hotel. I wonder if she took any notes? .....

And one more thing, all sorts of pictures of JAKE GYLLENHAAL and REESE WITHERSPOON are coming out of Rome. People say they are canoodlng. But they have been as evasive about their "relationship" as JENNIFER LOPEZ is about her "pregnancy."
Hope they are all having fun...

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 4:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Time flies when you’re making hit movies. And Richard Gere is finding out that if you stick around long enough, people appreciate you more.
Gere has been a major cinematic presence from 1977’s “Looking for Mr. Goodbar” to this year’s “The Hoax,” “The Hunting Party,” and “I’m Not There.”
At 58, he has been receiving more industry awards that ever before including the actor of the year prize for “The Hoax” at this week’s Hollywood Film Festival Awards Gala.
“I must be getting old enough because these awards seem to be coming my way,” Gere said during a chat at tea party in his honor prior to the ceremony. “It seems to be this time that people feel it’s important to give me these awards and I’m very thankful. It’s a good encouragement for me.”
Gere recalled a recent film festival in Spain where he received a lifetiime achievement award: "Before I went out on stage to accept this award, they had a four minute clip of almost all of my films and to see myself at 26 to 57, well 58 now, was staggering. I never look at my old work and it's hard for me to remember 30 years ago much less see myself at that time. It was a really pwerful thing. I thought, 'My God, all those movies?' And most of them I actually felt pretty good about."
So where does "The Hoax," just out on DVD last week, rate among his many roles?
"I like 'The Hoax' a lot. It's a really special movie. [Director] Lasse Hallstrom just did a wonderful job. He was working at the top of his abilities and just did something spectacuarly good. I wish it had done better commercially, but I think a lot more of people will see this on DVD than saw it in theaters. And that's great."
Despite a stellar filmography that includes leads in “Chicago,” “American Gigolo,” “Unfaithful,” “Shall We Dance,” “Pretty Women,” “Primal Fear,” and the upcoming “The Flock,” Gere does not hesitate when asked what his greatest accomplishment is: “Oh, my marriage [to actress Carey Lowell] and my children for sure. For sure. You care about everything else that you do and you want to have quality but the best of yourself you give to your family.”

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 4:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

GEORGE CARLIN, never one to mince words, gave his take on the raging California fires this morning to the ladies of "The View" characterizing the fires as cosmic payback from a planet stretched to its breaking point.
"People are selfish," he said. "These people with the fires and the floods and everything, they overbuild and they put nature to the test, and they get what's coming to them, that's what I say."
JOY BEHAR replied, "That's a little harsh, George."
But Carlin went on: "People think nature is outside of them. They don't take into [themselves] the idea that nature is a part of them." Pointing to his chest, he said, "Nature is in here, and if you're in tune with it, like the Indians – the balance of life, the harmony of nature – if you understand that, you don't overbuild, you don't do all this moron stuff."

The always outspoken JAMIE LEE CURTIS told "Entertainment Tonight" that people are in "ultimate denial" in regards to the environment: "Global warming, combined with people building houses in places they shouldn't, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera," she said. "It just compounds to become, as they call it, a perfect storm experience here. It's not by accident. This isn't an act of God. This is an act of man."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TMZ.com reports that GARY COLLINS, talk show host ("Hour Magazine" and "The Home Show") and husband of former Miss America Maryann Mobley, was arrested in Sherman Oaks in a drink driving incident that makes Keifer Sutherland's little incident look like a tea party. Collins allegedly lost control of his car as he had twice the legal limit of alcohol in his system. Hew smashed into a car and caused a chain of collisions.
According to People.com: Collins was driving a Ford Explorer at about 5:30 p.m. when a Toyota driven by an 89-year-old man allegedly failed to yield to oncoming traffic and collided with Collins, said Los Angeles police officer Norma Eisenman. Collins's car then hit two parked cars.
"When officers arrived on the scene, they detected alcohol on Collins's breath," Eisenman said. "He failed a field sobriety test, and was booked for misdemeanor DUI. He was cooperative."
Collins, who was not injured, was taken to the Van Nuys Jail, and later bailed out at $40,000. The other driver was listed in critical condition at a local hospital. Collins's arraignment is set for Nov. 16.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Good morning all...
I love seeing movie icons from different generations together. In this case, it's The Sundance Kid and a Top Gun: ROBERT REDFORD and TOM CRUISE appear on the red carpet together at the premiere of "Lions For Lambs" during the 2007 Rome Film Festival on Tuesday. ..... The never at a loss for words ROSEANNE BARR ripped into BRITNEY SPEARS' mothering skills, or lack of, in a new interview ..... The tried and true explanation of "creative differences" was the official reason why RYAN GOSLING left the PETER JACKSON film "The Lovely Bones." But it appears that Ryan';s decision to gain 20 pounds and grow a beard for the role was not pleasing to Jackson who has a beard and gained tons of weight during the making of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. So who did Jackson replace Ryan with? The very fit and buff MARK WAHLBERG .....
.....Speaking of weight gains, did you catch JENNIFER LOPEZ on "Dancing With the Stars" last night? JLO performed two songs and I don't think i heard a word. I was too focused on watching her every move to see if I could see the baby bump - or babies bump - and trying to determine how far along she might be. Whaddaya think? Four months? At any rate, here are some pics from last night and I did like the cover-up outfits but she's not gonna be able to pull this off much longer!

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John Travolta, who strutted to movie stardom 30 years ago as Tony Manero in “Saturday Night Fever,” has since endured many big screen highs (“Grease,” “Urban Cowboy,” “Pulp Fiction”) and lows (“Battlefield Earth,” “Moment By Moment” “Be Cool”).
But his last two films, “Wild Hogs” and “Hairspray,” have been major box office hits and the one-time Vinnie Barbarino finds himself as much in demand as he’s ever been.
“Isn’t that nice? It’s always good to feel successful - that never wears out,” Travolta said to me at the Hollywood Film Festival Awards this week. “If you are successful, it means that you’ve contributed something to the audience that they like and that they feel inspired by or they feel satisfied by. And that’s really my purpose. I want to inspire, I want to entertain. That’s really the joy of it - seeing the effect it has on the audience.”
Travolta was honored at the film fest for his performance as Edna Turnblau in "Hairspray" and the two-time Oscar nominee felt "proud and like my courage of doing this paid off. It took a long time to decide but it all paid off. As long as something's well-written, I'vce always had the confidence to do something different."
Travolta's wife, actress Kelly Preston, was supportive during the time when her husband was acting like a woman for his art: "I loved Edna. I miss Edna," Kelly said. "I fell in love with her as a girlfriend. She didn't come home but I hung out with her on the set a lot and now I miss her."
But Kelly didn't have to give her husband much advice about playing a woman: "He has a lot of sisters and an amazing mother and amazing archtypes like Sophia Loren and he pulled everything from many years of watching great women. It was a composite."
Travolta says nearly three decades passed before he took on another musical because he couldn't find the right one. He hopes to not wait so long to do another in the genre which has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years with the success of "Hairpsray," "Dreamgirls" and "Chicago."
“People asked why [the 30 year gap], and I would smugly say, 'Because simply women have the best roles in musicals,' ” Travolta said later, as he accepted his award. “I have to thank all the women, because I grew up watching women, admiring women,” he said. “I never thought I would play a woman, so I learned a lot...I found it insightful and interesting.”

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Ready to serve time in jail for his most recent drunk driving arrest, Kiefer Sutherland is determined not to let his legal problems affect the shooting schedule of his hit FOX show "24." But the Emmy winner didn't count on the raging fires in Southern California to hold things up instead, accordng to The Hollywood Reporter.
"24" was scheduled to film scenes featuring Kiefer at the Marine Corps Air Station El Toro near Irvine on Monday and Tuesday. The Emmy winning actor (he is also one of the show's producers) was on the set in one of the base's hangars when filming was canceled at 7:30 a.m. Monday. The cast and crew had blurry eyes and difficulty breathing and were coughing from the smoke.

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Snapped!
This has gotta be the odd couple of thw week: Heather Mills leaving Orso restaurant in Beverly Hills with the ageless Florence Henderson. I don't really care why they were lunching - I'm far more interested in how Henderson manages to look so sensational at the age of 73! ..... This is sad: stage and screen veteran ROBERT GOULET is in critical condition suffering from Interstitial Pulmonary Fibrosis, which is a rare but rapidly progressive and fatal condition. He is in desperate need of a lung transplant to save his life ..... MARIE OSMOND has a theory as to why she fainted after her performance last night on "Dancing With the Stars." "Right at the beginning, I started getting light-headed," she tells "Entertainment Tonight." "The only thing I can think of is I have allergies, the air quality is terrible, and I couldn't get my breath." .....HALLE BERRY made quite a mighty gaffe during a recent taping of "The Tonigfht Show" when she said that a photo that made her nose look large could have people mistaking her for "my Jewish cousin." The audience was silent and Berry wondered aloud if she had "just ruined my whole career." But the exchange was edited out before it ever aired. "I so didn't mean to offend anybody—and after the show I realized it could be seen as offensive, so I asked Jay to take it out, and he did," Berry said afterward. ....NICOLE KIDMAN says she doesn't like to go on and on about how happy she is in interviews because things could change by the time the interview comes out. But, she says of her marriage to Keith Urban in the current Interview magazine: "My husband and I are committed to each other and deeply in love. That's how I would put it. We're working on staying in that place, and hopefully we will for the rest of our lives." ... and finally, the parenting coach assigned to teach BRITNEY SPEARS how to mother is apparently not going to give the "Singer" very high marks stating thatSpears lives in her own world and often ignores her kids. Wow, this is such shocking news ....

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On her OK! Magazine blog, JENNIE GARTH has written about MARIE OSMOND'S collapse last night on "Dancing With the Stars" after she finished her dance. She quickly recovered but Garth watched from backstage horrified: "Her collapse did freak me out...We were watching backstage and all of a sudden she just fell down. I knew right away that something bad was happening."
Garth added on her blog that "a lot of people thought that she was joking and she was just doing something silly, but I knew because she wasn’t moving and it freaked me out so bad because I love her. She’s such a fun, wonderful and positive person. We were all scared because we didn’t know what it was."

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ELLEN DEGENERES took a long weekend after all the drama over the puppy she gave to her hairdresser before the mean pet adoption agency took it back. But she returned today, looking upbeat, and said to the audience: "If you haven't heard what's going on with me, welcome back to Earth....Apparently, if you cry on television, people will talk about it."

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BRAD PITT a stand-up comedian?
It sure seemed like that on Monday night as he brought the house down during his deadpan and very funny appearance at the Hollywood Film Festival's 11th Annual Hollywood Awards Gala. Pitt was there to present the breakthrough actor award to CASEY AFFLECK, his co-star in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" which Pitt joked "is playing at a theater nowhere near you.'
Pitt told the audience that he had not really been aware of "Cassie Affleck" until they met "at the premiere of 'Ocean;s 13." [Affleck had appeared with Pitt in all three "Oceans" movies] "This guy was in 'Good Will Hunting." Did you know that? I didn't remember. ... He's been struggling, working hard, trying to make a name for himself ...
This guy's got talent, this guy's gonna do something."
Affleck, whose brother Ben received the breakthrough director of the year award last night for "Gone Baby Gone," reflected on the honor he was about to receive before the show began: "It always comes as a surprise. Wait. What am I talking about? It's never happened before ...It's really flattering. I'm not really sure who it is who made that decision but whoever that person or group of people are, I'm grateful. I've been around long enough I guess ... to not think it means more than it does but also to appreciate it."
Affleck had the one-two punch this fall of starring in both "Jesse James" and "Gone Baby Gone" :"People seem to have responded well to both which is great because I've experienced the opposite feeling."
Working with brother Ben "was really nice because I don't often get to see him on a day-to-day basis so that's got to be the best part about it."
BEN AFFLECK gives his brother much credit for the film's critical success: "The movie turned out better because [of]Casey's performance. I just happened to know the best actor for the role. I think anybody who's seen any of Casey's movies should see that there's a great actor there. I just happened to know that he was from Bostin and I happened to know that I wanted to make a movie about Boston and that he really understood that better than anybody. Mauybe it was a little bit of insider trading. I kinda got lucky and I got to look smart but I think it was really out there in plain sight. It certainly is now in my opinion now that the movie's come out to see that he's done an extraordinary job."
JOHN TRAVOLTA picked up two awards for "Hairspray" on Monday night: best supporting actor and best ensemble. Before the ceremony he said: "I feel proud and I feel like my courage in doing this paid off. It took a long time to decide but it all paid off...I always said that women have the best roles in musicals and now I was held to it because they said, 'We're offering you a woman's role so why don't you take it?' So there you have it. It was all worth it."
I wondered if, after playing a woman, Travolta now had the courage to take on just about any role: "Well, as long as something's well-written, I've always had the confidence to do something different."
Travolta was joined on stage at the ceremony by "Hairpray" co-stars ZACH EFRON, NIKKI BLONKY, BRITTANY SNOW and AMANDA BYNES.
RICHARD GERE was namked best actor for "The Hoax," JENNIFER CONNELLY supporting actress for "Reservation Road," MARC FORSTER best director for "The Kite Runner," and MARION COTILLARD best actress for her performance as Edith Piaf in "La Vie en rise."
Before the awards, Cotillard told me she was surprised to have been selected: "Well, I'm a French actress and I played in a French movie so it's quite unusual I think. All the people who worked on this movie were very proud of it. I had the greatest experience."
Among the presenters at the star-studded event were WILL FERRELL, CATHERINE ZETA-JONES, JANET JACKSON, MARCIA GAY HARDEN, CAMERON CROWE, KIRSTIE ALLEY and JANEANE GAROFALO.

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Viewers on the West Coast didn't get to see this on last night's "Dancing With the Stars" but on the live telecast, MARIE OSMOND passed out after her samba routine! The studio audience was stunned but Marie was OK soon enough and being a true showbiz trouper, she gathered herself, did a curtsy for the audience, and even did an interview while waiting for her scores: "This happens sometimes when I get winded," a visibly embarrassed Osmond, 48, told co-host Samantha Harris. "I'm so sorry." ..... In the audience were TORI SPELLING and DEAN MCDERMOTT who learned that their Inn in Fallbrook had to be evacuated because of the fires. Said Dean: "We don't know the extent of it. There were guests on their way [to the B&B], but they were notified and sent back. The whole town of Fallbrook was evacuated." ...The inn is the setting for the couple's reality show, Tori & Dean: Inn Love, on the Oxygen network. ..... CHRIS JUDD, the second ex-husband of JENNIFER LOPEZ, was at theHollywood Film Festival Awards ceremony last night. The reporter next to me on the red carpet asked Judd what he thought of JLo's pregnancy and he was gracious. He wishes her well, thinks she'll make a great mom, and heard she's having twins. ..... Speaking of twins, congratulations to actress GARCELLE BEAUVAIS-NILON and her husband, Michael Nilon, on the birth of their twin sons ..... I hate to be snarky but I cannot wait to see JESSICA SIMPSON co-host on "The View" Nov. 15 and 16. Can you imagine her during the hot topics segments? "Is Chicken of the Sea tuna, or chicken?" ..... Since "The View" was preempted in LA today due to fire coverage, I'm not sure if the topic of DAVID COPPERFIELD came up. But it is being reported that the magician has cancelled several dates in Southeast Asia as he is being investigated in connection to an allegation that he "forced himself" on a woman. Copperfield denies the allegations .....

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Ryan Seacrest has gotta be the hardest working man in showbiz.
There's his weekday morning radio show, hosting E! News Daily (and the weekend edition) and then there's that little gig he's got starting in January as host of the "American Idol" telecasts twice a week. Plus, he's producer of a reality series on E! and producing a scripted series for David Hasselhoff for the cable network.
So I had to know: does Ryan Seacrest ever have a day where he just wants to stay in bed?
"I stay in bed with my Blackberry," he told me at a recent event honoring Merv Griffin. "On the weekends, I
will try and take one of the days off but so many times I wake up on a weekend and think, 'Where did my Blackberry go?' and I'm shuffling through the sheets to find it...I enjoy it. ...The only thing I know how to do well is I know how to hustle. I literally get up when it's dark and it's dark when I get home. But c'mon, it's not like I'm digging ditches."
Seacrest says that, for fun, he loves to eat: "I can't stop eating. I love fattening, great food. Cheeses and carbohydrates. Everything we're not supposed to eat."
So now that more than a month has passed, how does Ryan feel about his performance as Emmy host?
"I was very happy about it. I actually quite enjoyed the freedom that I had, being able to walk around in that [theater-in-the] round. It was a fun night. It was actually nice to be finished afterward because I had to do the pre-show and the show. So I was slightly drained at the end of the day. It's funny, it's very much, mechanically, like running 'American Idol.' A big auditorium, live, don't know quite what's gonna happen. Fortunately I had a little practice."

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Hello all.
The fires still burn and two reality show "stars" found themselves in the thick of things. HEIDI and SPENCER from "The Hills" had to flee their home. I'm reporting this even though I have no idea who they are ....and across the coast, actor NATHANIAL MARSTON of the ABC soap "One Life to Live" just seems to have lost it as he attacked three people in NYC over the weekend . He's admitted to anger management issue in the past. Hmmm. Better work on that pal ......OK JENNIFER LOPEZ, you're supposed to sing on national television this week ("Dancing With the Stars") and what's it gonna be? You gonna confirm the pregnancy or just have us believe that bump is too much of mama's home cookin? I mean, this is ridiculous! Sure, keep it quiet but don't don't do it while making a public display of yourself.I don't get it ..... Speaking of not getting - a clue - the conversation inevitably brings us to BRITNEY SPEARS. I'm not finding her particularly intreresting today - or ever - but I find it so funny that she decides over the weekend to go and get herself a pair of big, plump new lips.
Because she's not already enough of a mess, right? Serioiusly, she dioes have some resemblance to the scene in "First Wives Club" where GOLDIE HAWN just absolutely ODs on the collagen. It is not pretty......And then there are the celebrities who use their fame to prom ote good causes and try and make the world a better place rather than add to the craziness of it. At the AIDS Walk Los Angeles over the weekend, I talked to an array of stars including T.R. Knight and Sara Ramirez of "Grey's Anatomy" and Ana Ortiz of "Ugly Betty." To read my reports from the walk, go to my OUT IN HOLLYWOOD blog.
I'm off to the LA Film Festival Awards! Will have a report for you tomorrow!

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TMZ.com is reporting that Promises Treatement Center where Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, Ben Affleck and Robert Downey Jr. have stayed, has been evacuated as a precaution. It is not yet known if any homes of the stars have been affected. Among those who live in the area are Jane Seymour, Spears, Mel Gibson, Olivia Newton John and Cindy Crawford.

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Merv Griffin used to say that his favorite event of the year was the Young Musicians Foundation Gala held each year at the Beverly Hilton. The entertainer/mogul died earlier this year but the tradition carried on Friday night and drew a mighty big name: Clint Eastwood. The Oscar-winning director was on hand to present Griffin's son, Tony, with a special award during an evening hosted by Ryan Seacrest and featuring performances by Katherine McPhee and Michael Feinstein as well as, of course the Young Musicians Orchestra.
"Music is in his body and soul," Tony Griffin told me before the event. "He exercised music like we do body parts, every day of his life - until the very end. So young musicians to him are very special. That's why this event knocks you off your feet because you see a 13 year old get up and play the violin like Yo-Yo Ma."
Singer Michael Feinsten said it was an event he would not consider missing because of his friendship with Merv: "I spent a lot of time with him, usually around the piano discussing music and songs. He was such a generation, brilliant, sweet guy - a man of his word and a person who is so deeply missed. Not because of his power, but because of what he gave from his soul. Somebody with that kind of drive and that kind of ability could have gone a lot of directions and the fact that he was a billionaire and still remembered everybody along the way is something that is unique."
The tireless Seacrest had already hosted his morning radio show and E! News Daily when he showed up at the Beverly Hilton for yet another gig: "Today, I haven't rested or been home so I'm just happy my hairspray's holding up," he quipped.
Old Hollywood was out in force with actresses Jane Withers, Anne Jeffries and Ann Rutherford arriving together. Also there was Catherine Oxenberg and her daughter India, singer Freda Payne, and Ty Treadway, host of "Merv Griffin's Crosswords" (Treadway is pictured below with Katherine McPhee)

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Good morning. With fires raging in at least 10 different spots in Southern California, dozens of homes destroyed and hundreds of people evacuated including such Malibu residents as MEL GIBSON, OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN , JAMES CAMERON, TANYA TUCKER and VICTORIA PRINCIPAL and/or their families.
And so as fires keep burning out of control, some of what I'm about to write seems silly but I am going to do it anyway because some of these crazy celebs just don't stop their antics, no matter what is going on in the world.....
Take KID ROCK for example. He got arrested for a brawl he got into at a waffle house in Georgia. Real classy..."Prison Break" star DOMINIC PURCELL and his wife REBECCA WILLISMSON have separated. It's all "completely amicable" according to a statement they released. I hope so since they have four children ..... As the wildly innaccurate In Touch magazine has BRAD PITT and ANGELINA JOLIE breaking up - yet again (try a new storyline, pu-leeze), The Hollywood Reporter reveals that these life partners are now producing partners who have a series project on tap with HBO.....
....This is some big casting news: It seems that RYAN GOSLING gained a lot of weight and grew a beard for nothing now that he has left the new PETER JACKSON film "The Lovely Bones" after just one day before the start of filming. Hmmmm. Wonder what happened there? So far, we only know there were "creative differences." But the film is not being left in a lurch. MARK WAHLBERG has already been tapped to replace Gosling ..... and finally, JAKE GYLLENHAAL and REESE WITHERSPOON have been photographed TOGETHER!!! Oh, sorry to tease ya. The actors - who I don't think it was ever proven were ever an item - were at the Rome Film Festival over the weekend promoting their thriller "Rendition." I saw this flick over the weekend and they don't have a single scene together so there's no way to read any possible chemistry the way we could between Brad and Angelina in "Mr. and Mrs. Smith." The movie was only OK but the actors, who also include Oscar winners MERYL STREEP and ALAN ARKIN, are first-rate.

There will be more updates throughout the day!

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A year from now, Tracee Ellis Ross isn't sure if she'll be shooting episodes for the ninth season of her hit CW sitcom "Girlfriends" or already be on to other ventures.
Either way, she seems to be at peace.
“We don’t know. I have a feeling it is [the final season] but you know, you never know," she told me recently. "You just never know. It’s been an amazing run, an unexpected eight years. I don’t know that any of us thought we would go this long. We’re the longest running half-hour on TV."
So if this is the last season of the show, which had its first six seasons on UPN which then merged with WB to become CW (got that?), what does Tracee hope for her still-single career gal character?
“I just want to get married for God’s sake! I just want to seal the deal! (laughs) I figure art imitates life and maybe it’ll help me out.”
Last spring, Ross won the outstanding actress in a comedy series prize at the NAACP Image Awards and it was all the more gratifying because she had been nominated several times before: “It’s just fun to win, that was really exciting - very unexpected. A really wonderful treat. It was great.”
But she certainly knows the ups and downs of show business since she is the second-eldest of Diana Ross' five children - three of whom are performers. The family seems to be extraordinarily close and are usually together as a group whenever their legendary mother is being honored somewhere. That will happen again in December when Diana Ross is of the five 2007 recipients of the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors to be presented in Washington D.C. by the president.
No one is more excited about it than Tracee Ellis Ross: “Is that cool or WHAT? I will be there with bells on. That’s the coolest thing.”

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Good morning!
Even though there STILL has been no official confirmation, we all know that JENNIFER LOPEZ is eating for two - or three. Either that, or this is the biggest celebrity weight gain since ELIZABETH TAYLOR quit showbiz to become a senator's wife in the late 70's. But JLo'S hubby, MARC ANTHONY, isn't a senator. He's a singer and on Friday at an L.A. concert before belting out Journey's "Faithfully," he told the crowd: "This song has a whole new significance." ..... ... In case you are keeping a score card, BRITNEY SPEARS has regained visitation rights to her two young sons. How do we know? Because Britney and the boys were spotted in her white convertable in Studio City. Perhaps putting a damper on things was the court-appointed monitor seated in the front seat. ..... Oscar winners DENZEL WASHINGTON and RUSSELL CROWE are co-starring in the upcoming "American Gangster" flick. But this isn't their first film together. Read about that and the embarrassing spitting incident during CROWE's audition for the earlier movie .....Eight-time world surfing champion KELLY SLATER was detained in Jerusalem after getting into a scuffle with photographers trying to shoots pics of him and a model ..... This is such sad news: the 19-year-old son of actress HUNTER TYLO, one of the stars of TV's "The Bold and the Beautiful," has drowned. Michael Tylo had some sort of seizure and fell into a swimiming pool in Nevada. ..... ..... and finally, WHITNEY HOUSTON is back! The singer looked terrific at a surprise appearance at a London fashion event. Now where's the new album?

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After spending all those years playing the witch Willow on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and telling band camp stories in the "American Pie" movies, Alyson Hannigan is having a good time playing kooky newlywed Lily on the CBS sitcom “How I Met Your Mother.”
“Each episode is just getting better and better,” she told me recently. “Marshall (Jason Segal)and Lily are exploring being married. It’s a lot of fun. We get our own place - well we look into getting our own place - I won’t tell you if it works out or not.”
Too late!
The Monday night show on CBS is now in its third season and seems to finally be getting the critical and audience attention that it deserves. Hannigan says the cast has become a pretty tight-knit ensemble.
“We just crack each other up all day long. It couldn’t be a better environment.”
Now that Marshall and Lily have finally managed to get married, Hannigan thinks that maybe Barney (Emmy nominee Neil Patrick Harris) should leave his swinging bachelor days behind him: “I want Barney to settle down! I want him to fall madly in love and maybe even get his heart broken a little but then let it work out. I’d like to see the domesticated Barney.”
OK Alyson, so tell us. Who is the “mother” in “How I Met Your Mother”?
“My vote is still Jennifer Aniston but I don’t know. I don’t know if they’ve figured it out yet.”

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Foinnula Flanagan may have four decades of television and movie roles to her credit, but it is recent years that the Dublin-raised actress has been the most in demand. In addition to her role as Rose Caffee in the Showtime series “Brotherhood,” she played Felicity Huffman’s judgemental mother in “Transamerica,” Mark Wahlberg’s foster mother in “Four Brothers” and had memorable parts in “Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood” and “The Others.”
“Well, you know, I sleep with everybody. It’s well known,” she joked when we spoke recently at an Outfest event. “I’ve been very fortunate. I think what has happened is that good writer-directors have seen me do something and said, ‘Oh yes, that’s what I want.’ That’s how I got the role in ‘The Others.’ There was some quality there of madness or whatever. They said, ‘Well I can put that to use to serve MY script. And I feel very fortunate because these are talented director-writers who have guts and I admire guts. Just somebody you want to go the extra mile with them because look what happens on the screen.”
Flannigan is a Tony Award-nominated actress with considerable stage credits who first made a big impression with American television audiences in the late 70s opposite James Arness in the epic miniseries "How the West Was Won," a role which earned her an Emmy nomination as best actress in a drama. She had won an Emmy two years earlier for the miniseries "Rich Man, Poor Man" which launched the career of Nick Nolte.
Although "Brotherhood" is her most high-profile current gig, Flannigan also made quite an impression a few years back as the unaccepting mother of a transgendered woman (Huffman) in "Transamerica." Flannigan was utterly convincing in a role that could not be more opposite from how the actress really feels about gay an d transgender rights.
"I think numbers are building aming people who have never even given it a thought before and that's good," she says. "I think pictures like 'Transamerica' that have something to say, that showed, why should you have to live what's a stealth life? Why should you have to live in the shadows and always afraid? Always less than or treated less than if you choose to be different? If you are born different? If your lifestyle is different? If you love and care for the people around you and you do your best to make the universe a better place, then aren't you entitled to be treated olike everybody else? To be treated well?"
I mention that Felicity Huffman's character in the movie certainly could have used a mother like Flannigan in the film - and not the monster mother who she portrayed.
"But you know, give her her due, the character I played. She did have the tiniest little change - a little bit of redemption. It wasn't much but given where she came from, it was considerable."
Anyway, it's a good thing Flannigan has found steady work as an actress all this time because, she jokes, it's kept her from her original career goal: “I always wanted to be an international jewel thief but I didn’t have the courage so I thought, ‘Why not try acting?’"

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TOM CRUISE has been far more low-profile than during his couch jumping days - especially since the failure of his last film: "Mission Impossible 3" which seemed to send the message that his sometimes bizarre off-screen persona had finally begun to affect ticket sales. But Cruise has been quietly rehabing his image and now has a new film, "Lions for Lambs" coming out. He is pictured above at a premiere in New York last night. Unlike most Cruise big-budget action pics of recent years, this has him third-billed behind Robert Redford and Meryl Streep and should remind moviegoers that in addition to being a big star, Cruise is a very good actor and a three-time Academy Award nominee ...Here's something to file under the catregory of 'Who the hell asked you anyway?' A Manhattan-based therapist is saying that all the moving around being done by BRAD PITT and ANGELINA JOLIE will be detrimental to their four children, especially the adopted ones. Yeah, we can see how well all those Beverly Hills-raised celebs have turned out ....Congratulations are in order to actress ISLA FISHER and SACHA BARON COHEN who are now the proud parents of a little girl ... I haven't been able to watch any of "Private Practice" so far this season but I'll get plenty chances since ABC announced today that it has ordered a fuill season worth of episodes of this "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff ...
E! Online, which I love, seems to think it got some big scoop by posting that EVA LONGORIA'S "Desperate Housewives" credit will now read Eva Longoria Parker, adding her husband's last name. Those of uis who watch the show already know that the name change has already been effect for the first three episodes of the season...

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CAMERON DOUGLAS, the troubled 29-year-old son of MICHAEL DOUGLAS and grandson of KIRK DOUGLAS, has been ordered to stand trial on cocaine possession charges from an arrest this summer. He appeared in the movie "It Runs in the Family" (pictured below) with his Oscar-winning dad and movie icon grandad. He also had leads in the films "Adam & Eve" and "Loaded."
I'm sure it is just so difficult to be the son and grandson of Hollywood royalty.
My heart bleeds.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Oops! She did it again. BRITNEY SPEARS, now driving legally, ran over a photographer's foot yesterday! Now that wasn't very nice. But, it was an accident and police were not contacted. But the real news is, if you care, apparently Britney's parental rights are going to be re-instated before the nexf court hearing ... DAVID BECKHAM is back in action for the LA Galaxy after missing 10 games due to injury. But the soccer stud and hubby of POSH SPICE admits that fitness level isn't the best: Obviously I'm not completely match fit yet, but I hope to get on and play a little, which will help my fitness. The team have been absolutely brilliant lately, winning five games in a row, so I know it'll be a challenge to get back into the starting eleven." I just love the way the Brits say "brilliant." ...
... OK, this is probably the lead item but I buried it because in LA, Brt and Becks take precedence. But magician DAVID COPPERFIELD has been accused of rape by a Seattle woman ... Also in trouble is singer AMY WINEHOUSE who has been arrested on drug charges.
...and just in case you were wondering - God knows i was - LINDSAY LOHAN is NOT engaged so everyone can stop checking their mailboxes for a wedding invite!

More updates throughout the morning to come!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 9:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Elizabeth Perkins isn't just funny on television. When I asked her this week how things were going on her hot comedy show "Weeds," she said casually: “Well, you know, we’re puffing away.” Perkins has loved playing the controlling, manipulative and image obsessed Celia Hodes for the last three seasons, earning two Emmy nominations along the way.
But that doesn’t mean she likes Celia, the PTA president who cheats on her husband, doesn’t like her daughter and failed to get much sympathy even when she battled breast cancer.
“I think she’s a complete horror show, she’s completely out of her mind but in a really great way for an actress anyway,” Perkins said this week. “But I think there’s parts of her that ring very true. The thing I love about ‘Weeds’ is that it’s very stylized, everything is amped up to 100 degrees. But if you just sort of pare it down and just get it back to the basics, it’s very real.”
The role of Celia marks the first series for Perkins who rose to movie stardom in “Big” opposite Tom Hanks and followed that up with such roles as Demi Moore’s angry best friend in “About Last Night” and as Wilma in the “The Flintstones.”
“Weeds” has provided her with a welcome return to those early comic roles.
“I don’t think people think of me as doing comedy and yet I’ve done so much comedy so it’s nice to be able to remind people every week that I can be funny...and that I will do full-frontal nudity on television.”
So, Is she surprised that the show has remained so popular?
Perkins: “I don’t know because it’s about marijuana.”

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 8:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Fans who had tickets to see today's taping of Ellen DeGeneres' talk show suddenly had a free afternoon. The Emmy winning star of the Emmy winning show has decided to take a long weekend after all the hoopa surrounding the whole puppy-adoption thing.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 3:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I thought she was a Hilton heir, not a descendent of Walt Disney!
Apparently Paris Hilton wants to be frozen after she kicks the bucket and wants her little pooch frizen too. "It's so cool. Almost all the cells in the body are still alive when death is pronounced...And if you're immediately cooled, you can be perfectly preserved."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

My generation had "The Brat Pack." This generation just seems to have brats. But back in the late 50s and early 60s, there was "The Rat Pack," a group of close friends - the cast of the original "Ocean's Eleven," who also happened to be big stars: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and ...Joey Bishop.
Bishop, the last surviving man in that group, died in Newport Beach yesterday at the age of 89. I've been reminded by several of my female co-workers that Shirley MacLaine was an honorary member of the Rat Pack, the only female - ever. Of course, she remains very much alive. The Pack was synonymous with Las Vegas after the group caused a sensation with its show at the Sands casino in January 1960.
Sandy Hackett, the son of comedian Buddy Hackett told Reuters that "Joey wrote a lot of what the Rat Pack did. He wrote a lot of the great lines and then gave them to Dean, Frank and Sammy.''
The Rat Pack was spawned when after a night of filming on "Ocean's,"Sinatra would assemble the cast in what was billed as ``The Summit,'' with Frank, Dean, Sammy, Joey and Peter would take the stage of the Sands Copa Room for an evening of song, dance, drinking, bawdy jokes and ethnic gags. This led to reprises in Miami; Atlantic City, New Jersey; and Palm Springs. The group went on to make ``Sergeant's 3'' in 1962 but Bishop dropped out of the group's third film, ``Robin and the 7 Hoods' 'after a dispute with Sinatra.
His situation comedy, ``The Joey Bishop Show,'' ran from 1961 and 1965. But Bishop had more than the Rat Pack connection going for him. He was a frequent guest on ``The Tonight Show'' starring Jack Paar and later substituted for Paar's successor Johnny Carson a record 177 times.
Bishop took on Carson in a rival late-night talk show on ABC but, like all the others, could not mount a serious ratings challenge. The show lasted from 1967 - 1969. But his sidekick from that show went on to make a little something of himself: Regis Philbin.
When Sinatra died in 1998, Bishop wanted people to know that the Rat Pack was not as wild as their boozy reputations: ``What you're hearing and seeing now about the Rat Pack is hearsay,'' Bishop told People magazine. ``I have been married 57 years. I never had a drink of liquor in my life except for wine at the Passover services. Dean didn't drink. He played golf every morning at 8:30 with Nicky Hilton. Five thousand dollars a game they played. You can't drink and play golf like that and then do two shows a night, you understand? I never saw Frank drunk. I never saw Dean drunk. I never saw Sammy drunk.''

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This is sad news.
Deborah Kerr, the great star of such classics as "The King and I," "An Affair to Remember" and "From Here to Eternity," has died at the age of 86. Kerr, whose last named rhymes with "star," died at her home in England. She had suffered from Parkinson's disease.
The six-time Academy Award nominee and recipient of an Honorary Oscar in 1994, once attributed her success to "a demand for a red-haired, porcelain-skinned heroine and I was just a natural for it."
Her other memorable films included "Edward, My Son," "Heaven Knows Mr. Allison;" "Separate Tables," and "The Sundowners," all which earned her Oscar nods. Her later work included the TV miniseries "A Woman of Substance" in 1984 and "Hold the Dream" in 1986.
Rest in peace, Deborah Kerr.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What a concept. John Goodman managed to get through rehab without giving interviews to magazines etc. Imagine."For my family and myself, I voluntarily took the necessary steps to remain sober the rest of my life," the 55-year-old actor said in a statement issued by his publicist, Stan Rosenfield.
Goodman, who won an Emmy last month for a guest spot on "30 Rock," was reportedly treated at Promises Malibu for an undisclosed addiction. It is not known when he was admitted or released from the facility or what was the exact length of his stay.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

BRITNEY SPEARS better wake up and smell the coffee!
She has had her visitation rights with her kids suspended until she complies with all court orders. Apparently, she did not provide the drug testing people with contact information so they could reach her to facilitate the random tests, and that is what triggered the action.
Her next shot at getting the kids is October 26, when she's been ordered back to court.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 9:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Good morning...
OK sure, ELLEN DEGENERES may be upset with a pet adoption agency for taking back the dog she had given to her hairdresser when it didn't get along with her cats, but she's horrified that people have made death threats to the boneheaded people who own the agency. "It's gotten out of hand..that is not OK.," she said on her show in remarks to air today. "I know people are passionate and have strong feelings. I have strong feelings and I want nothing more than that dog returned to that family but you don't resort to violence." Well said Ellen. Meanwhile, TMZ.come has posted VIDEO of Ellen and her girlfriend PORTIA DE ROSSI rushing to the home of the family who had Iggy taken away from them on Sunday night...Sending good wishes out to the lovely FARRAH FAWCETT who has completed cancer treatments in Germany and is said to be feeling terrific. But it is still too soon to say she is cancer-free, according to published reports...In happier news, TRACEY EDMONDS says she and EDDIE MURPHY will be tying the knot before the end of the year and that the wedding will be taking place somewhere "far away and fun." I can't WAIT to get my invitation...
...Fans of the "Star Wars" franchise must be flying high now that GEORGE LUCAS has confirmed that he is working on a television series from the popular movies,,,I think maybe we should all say a little prayer for singer DIONNE WARWICK, who along with O.J. SIMPSON and SINBAD are among California’s worst tax debtors. The Grammy Award-winning singer Warwick owes the state $2.67 million, according to the California Franchise Tax Board...and finally, let's wish ZAC EFRON a happy 20th birthday. Here he is grabbing his morning cup of joe at Aroma Cafe in Studio City. This kid always seems to have a smile on his face. I guess I would too if I was the breakout star of Disney's "High School Musical" franchise AND wowed 'em in the big-screen version of the musical "Hairspray."
Sounds like a good life...
Will have more items for you throughout the day!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Melora Harden is best known for her role as Steve Carrell's hard-nosed boss and sometimes love interest on the NBC comedy "The Office."
But the busy actress, who has worked in showbiz since the age of six, has a lot more going on than her TV job including a role in the big-screen comedy "The Comebacks" which opens in theaters on Friday.
“I play the ultra-supportive wife who gets fed up with her loser coach husband and ultimately has to push him really hard to get him to pay attention,” she told me this week. “I think ‘The Comebacks’ is just one of those hilarious, spoofy comedies.”
Harden just finished directing her first feature film called “You” just last week, a film in which she also has a role. It's really a family affair since the indie picture was written by and stars her husband Gildart Jackson. The plan is to submit the film, which also stars Joely Fisher and Brenda Strong ("Desperate Housewives") to various film festivals next year.
While doing that, Harden will no doubt be doing publicity for the comedy "27 Dresses" which opens in January and stars Katherine Heigl and James Marsden: "I play James Marsden’s boss, the editor of a fashion magazine," she says.
When we chatted, Harden was at the Elle Magazine Women in Hollywood Tribute in Beverly Hills where she was happy to support such honorees as Lauren Bacall, Jennifer Connelly, Diane Lane and Scarlet Johansson.
“Women just need to get behind other women," she says. "That’s when big change happens."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 5:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Good grief. A break-up has got to be tough enough but Ryan Gosling says people he doesn't even know are actually darnright mad at him for the break-up with his "The Notebook" co-star Rachel McAdams: "Women are mad at me," says Gosling, who stars in the new film "Lars and the Real Girl." "A girl came up to me on the street and she almost smacked me. Like, 'How could you? How could you let a girl like that go?' I feel like I want to give people hugs, they seem so sad. Rachel and I should be the ones getting hugs! Instead, we're consoling everybody else."
OK people, get a grip.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 5:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

OK all you "High School Musical" fans, apparently Disney is not dumping Vanessa Hudgens from the next movie in the ridiculously successful franchise over those nude pics that found their way onto the Internet. There had been published reports that the studio felt that as long as they had Zach Efron attatched, they could move forward without Hudgens. But, it all seems to be not true...for now.
OK, now I can sleep at night.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 4:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Happy Wednesday afternoon...
I'm loving Angelina Jolie's look on the set of her film being directed by Clint Eastwood. And I also love that she is being honored by the Santa Barbara International Film Festival for her outstanding performance in the criminally overlooked "A Mighty Heart." I urge you to check out this very fine film on DVD with an Oscar-worthy turn from Jolie...
...Ouch! Barbra Streisand had to get stitches on her leg after a gardening mishap. That is a tough row to hoe, even for a superstar...
...The owner of the dog adoption agency that snatched the puppy from Ellen DeGeneres' hairdresser says she is receiving death threats. Good grief, what she did was lame but death threats. Please, everybody, calm down...
...Lance Bass says he has tried to be Britney Spears' friend, figuring she could use one. But the girl in the purple wig just isn't that into him. Says Bass: "I tried. I tried. She's my neighbor in Beverly Hills. She lives next door. I tried to get in touch with her – I wanted to be that friend to help her. I don't think she's having any of her old friends anymore." ...
...So Kristen Bell is newly single and she says "dating is scary." Well, not as scary as, say, going to the dentist or being shipped out to Iraq, I'm sure...
...How cool is this? Betty White is gonna play herself in a guest spot on an upcoming episide of "Ugly Betty." It's always a treat to see Betty White on any show in my opinion...
...And finally, Lauren Bacall is a woman who speaks her mind, even to autograph seekers. See the TMZ.com video and see the 83-year-old dynamo give someone a verbal smackdown!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Good morning!
It's a dog eat dog world I tell you. The pet rescue agency that drove Ellen DeGeneres to tears on national television is digging its paws in and will not be giving back the dog to the family Ellen had placed it with after it couldn't co-exist with her and partner Portia de Rossi's cats. Mutts and Moms owner Marina Batkis said through a spokesman that "she is adamant that she is not going to be bullied around by the Ellen DeGenereses of the world ... They are using their power, position and wealth to try to get what it is they want." The pet adoption owners say they have received death threats over all of this...I don't know about you, but I thought Mark Cuban was a goner on "Dancing With the Stars" this week. Going into last night's results show, he had the lowest score and of the remaining celebs, I gotta figure he's not got much of a fan base. But his grit kept him out of the bottom two and voted off was boxer Floyd Mayweather and his partner Karina Smirnoff. It's a really strong field this year on the hit ABC show...So Jon Voight has gone public over his heartbreak at being estranged from children Angelina Jolie and James Haven, I dunno, talking about it in the media probably doesn't help - especially since the last rift occured after Voight gave a strange interview to Pat O'Brien saying his daughter was unstable and that he was worried for her...

...Meanwhile, Lindsay Lohan went to a dance studio yesterday to prepare for her upcoming movie and, of course, the paparazzi swarmed all over her. How can they keep track of Britney on her coffee runs if they are following Lindsay around and taking pictures of her getting in and getting out of a car?...And finally, there was shreiking from rabid fans when Ricky Martin received his star on the Hoillywood Walk of Fame on Tuesday. The sexy singer told the crowd: “This is an incredible moment. Everything I do, I do with love and passion.”

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

You would think that, by this time, Lauren Bacall had seen it all.
But on Monday night at Elle Magazine's Women in Hollywood Tribute, Miss Bacall said she was downright discombobulated after negotiating a frenzied press line with photographers screaming and flashes going off everywhere. Then there were the endless questions about how she felt about being one of the evening's honorees.
"I've never been in the middle of anything like this before. I don't know what it's like [to be honored by Women in Hollywood]. I'll have to let the evening progress and then I will discover it myself...A serious question requires a long answer and using my brain but my brain is now addled because of the screaming."
The great star may be 83 years old, but she remains more interested in continuing to be a busy working actress than dwell on past roles in a career that began with 1944's "To Have and Have Not" opposite future husband Humphrey Bogart and include an Oscar-nominated performance in 1996's "The Mirror Has Two Faces."
"I'm unemployed at the moment," said Bacall, whose most recent film, "The Walker," will be released in December. "["The Walker"] has got Woody Harrelson, Lily Tomlin, Kristen Scott Thomas, and me."

Bacall, just 19 when she became a major star in her very first film, went on to make four films with Bogart in the 50s, including "The Big Sleep" and "Key Largo." Other memorable roles followed in "Young Man With a Horn," "Written in the Wind," "Blood Alley," "How to Marry a Millionaire" and "Designing Woman."
But for Bacall, it has not been easy.
"I'm not like anyone," she says. "My career has not been a smooth career. It's been very up and down in movies."
Broadway beckoned in the 60s and early 70s but she returned to films in 1974's "Murder on the Orient Express" and "The Shootist" - John Wayne's final film, had a juicy role as a Broadway star being stalked in "The Fan," and since 2003, has had roles in "Dogville," "Birth" "Manderlay," and "These Foolish Things."

But even if film roles dry up - as they sometimes have - Bacall has never been one to sit around. She's had the Broadway stage to keep her busy, winning Tony Awards in 1970 and 1981 for the musicals "Applause" and "Woman of the Year." She also won the National Book Award in the late 70s for her autobiography, "By Myself" which she updated a few years ago with new chapters.
"I had a great 20 year period on the stage, I love the theater, that was my first love, and I keep going. I've written three books and I just keep going...Until they catch me."
In some ways, she is emulating her childhood idol, Bette Davis, who was still making movies after her 80th birthday.
"She was a brilliant actress," she says of Davis. "A talent. Talent is what I worship."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 3:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Halle Berry wants to make the planet a better place for her unborn child. The actress, who only grows more beautiful each day, says she plans to use organic disposable daipers on the infant, due in five more months...This is rich. And so is she. The much-married and divorced Ivanna Trump is getting married for the fourth time and says it "feels right." Unlike the previous three times i guess. But I do give Ivana, 58, a better chance at happiness with her 35-year-old fiancee Rossano Rubicondi. She and the Italian actor have already been together for six years...While we're on the subject of very wealthy women, Madonna today signed a 10-year $120 million recording and touring deal. Will it leave her with enough time to write those children's books?...Kate Walsh says she has no issues about turning 40, which she did on Friday. Could it be because she has a handsome new husband, a new hit show, and looks as gorgeous as ever?...The car crash Orlando Bloom was involved in over the weekend is still being investigated by the LAPD....
and finally, much of the cast of "My Name Is Earl" (Giovanni Ribisi, Jason Lee, Eddie Steeples and Ethan Suplee) showed up Monday night to help their Emmy-winning costar Jaime Pressly celebrate the launch of her spring/summer J'aime Collection during L.A. Fashion Week.
That's some seriously good karma...

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 3:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This pink wig is apparently what Britney Spears wore last night in an attempt to go icognito to turn herself in to be booked for a hit-and-run case.
And so now I'm wondering this: "Is she COMPLETELY bonkers?"

Any feedback would be much appreciated.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It was so terrific to interview some of Hollywood's leading ladies last night at The Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills. I chatted up Women In Hollywood honorees Lauren Bacall, Kate Bosworth, Jennifer Connelly, Amy Adams and Diane Lane as they made their way into the event.
"It's nice to have so much energy and excitement for women in Hollywood," Adams told me.
I was curious, how is Adams, largely unknown until her Oscar-nominated performance in "Junebug" a few years ago, handling her new high-profile career which includes starring opposite Meryl Streep in the film adaptation of "Doubt."
"I can't stop and think about it because I have to do it," she said. "For me, it's just about buckling down and doing the work and making good with the opportunities that have been set before me."
Lane, a child star who co-starred with Laurence Olivier in "A Little Romance" and was Oscar-nominated for "Unfaithful," was pleased to be among those honored:"It's the best. What a wonderful thing to be accepted by your peers and to have a slot in the halls of glamour forever."
Bosworth was accompanied by her mother and grandmother to the event and said the biggest key to surviving in Hollywood - especially as a young actress - is to have that kind of strong support system:"I'm surrounded by family and my mom and my grandmother are two very strong women and I have the benefit of having them in my life."
But even their presence weren't enough to calm her jitters over having to take the stage to accept her award: "It's so exciting and very surreal. I'm really nervous. Everyone always thinks that being an actor you like speaking in public but I'm terrified...but it's a warm room, we are in the company of people who are in support of women in Hollywood."
Jennifer Connelly walked the red carpet with her actor husband Paul Bettney who would interject funny remarks during her interviews. She didn't seem to mind one bit, remaining serene and calm despite the chaos around her.
"I'm not nervous but I'm trying to get nervous," she joked.
Connelly had to be back on the set early today to shoot scenes for "He's Just Not That Into You" and also has "Reservation Road" opening in theaters on Friday.
"Most of my scenes so far have been with Ginnifer Goodwin and Jennifer Aniston and they both have been fantastic and I think I work with [fellow honoree] Scarlett [Johansson] tomorrow. I haven't spent any time with her yet so I look forward to that experience."
Bettney was asked what it was like to be at the event, supporting his wife: "I love it actually because I think I'm sort of like the eye candy. As we walk down the red carpet, I know everyone is kind of looking at us thinking, 'How did she snag HIM?"
Screen legend Bacall, still stunning at 83, seemed bored with questions about what she was wearing and what receiving the award meant to her: "I'll have to let the evening progress and then I will discover it myself."
But the actress perked up when asked about Al Gore winning the Nobel Peace Prize: "Gore. Fantastic. I'm so thrilled. As well he should have won. It's time the public stood up and took notice I'll tell you."

I gotta say, me and some of the other print reporters were fortunate to get who we got for interviews since we had to deal with one of the worst red carpet situations I've ever endured. We were in a separate, darkened area away from photographers and TV crews (seriously, NO lights) so when the star emerged from all the flashbulbs, they literally didn't know we were there. And often we didn't know who had emerged until they were practically past us.
Stars like Topher Grace and Emile Hirsch looked at us confused when we tried to call them over and we later figured out why: they thought we were FANS! I then realized we'd have to get aggressive and announce our presence to stars like Ben Foster, Alyson Hannigan, Melissa George, Jennifer Beals, Tracee Ellis Ross and Amber Tamblyn who did stop and chat.
I was complaining to someone about it when one of flaks handling the event whispered to me that he would appreciate it if I didn't complain in front of the client (ELLE editor in chief Robbie Meyers was being interviewed only inches away.)
Sorry pal, I can't do MY job, if you don't do YOUR job.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This is outrageous! You make Ellen DeGeneres cry and you get egg on your face and that is what a dog rescue group has today. Ellen got a dog from the group, the dog upset the entire animal family at the DeGeneres/Portia de Rossi household, so Ellen gave it to someone she loves and trusts to care for.
Animal rescue group shows up to take the dog away.
Is this nuts or WHAT?

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 10:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Swoosie Kurtz has spent decades alternating between stage and screen, winning two Tony awards and an Emmy along the way. But when she got the script for ABC’s new hit “Pushing Daisies,” she assumed it was for a juicy role in a feature film.
“I always go where the material is,” Swoosie told me recently. "The woman on the page, can I bring her to life? is she someone I played before? Does she scare me? This just leaped out at me, this script. I mean, this was like no other thing I had read. I got to the bottom of page one and thought, ‘Wait. This is a film script. But no, it said ABC television. I couldn’t believe this was going to be on network television. I thought, I don’t care if this gets picked up or not, it’s something I’m going to be proud to say I was a part of. Anything can happen in this story because it’s magical, fantastical and has a spiritual quality about it.”
Kurtz and Ellen Green play eccentric sisters who were once the renowned synchronized swimming duo the Darling Mermaid Darlings but are now racked with social anxieties.
"I love this character, I love where she's going - there's some secrets down the line.
The quirky “Daisies,” which many feared might be a tough sell, is one of the breakout hits of the fall season and gives Swoosie her first real TV hit since the long-running NBC drama "Sisters" in the 90s. She was Emmy nominated, however, for her recurring role on the late Showtime seires "Huff."
Glad to be in a hit Swoosie says she is always prepared for any outcome and looks ahead.
"I've sort of followed ny bliss, followed my heart."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 10:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Good morning!
Just found out that the great Meryl Streep will be honored in April by the Lincoln Center Film Society which has paid tribute to a major film figure each year since 1972. Streep's body of work. My top five favorite Streep performances, just in case the society wants some advice on film clips, are "Postcards from the Edge," "The Devil Wears Prada," "Out of Africa," "Heartburn," and "Adpatation." ...Congratulations are in order for "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" star Vincent D'Onofrio and his wife who are expecting their second child......Grammy winner Carrie Underwood is reportedly dating Chace Crawford, one of the stars of the hot new show "Gossip Girl" on the CW...While we're on the subject of country singers, Gretchen Wilson apparently did NOT want to put her little dog back in its carrier during a recent flight to Los Angeles and made such a fuss that an incident report was filed...In troubled young star legal news: Lindsay Lohan is counter-suing the restaurant employee who she crashed into back in 2005 saying he caused the accident. He had filed a suit against Lohan earlier this year...On Monday night, Britney Spears reported to a Los Angeles police station to face charges of hit and run and driving without a valid license. She turned herself in around 9 p.m., was fingerprinted and photographed, and left about 45 minutes later. Just another day at the office...and finally, summer may be over, but that doesn't mean Matthew McConaughey's days at the beach are. Here he is over the weekend on the water with his girlfriend in Malibu:

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Now for the real test.
Lindsay Lohan is back in LA and due this week on the set of the film "Dare to Love Me." This will be her first post-rehab project and will be a test for the 21-year-old star. It seems good that she will be working on a film. Maybe if Britney Spears worked more, she'd have more to do than drive to Starbucks, Taco Bell, Target, the gas station and on and on and on - all with paparazzi in tow.
According to People.com, Lindsay's first activities in LA were to visit a tanning salon then to the movies where she saw "Elizabeth: The Golden Age."
Lohan's mother Dina says her daughter is eager to get back to work, telling PEOPLE, "Lindsay is very happy and her life is back in control."

I wish her parents wouldn't give interviews.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 3:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

OK all you "Dancing With the Stars" fans, co-host Samantha Harris returns tp the show tonight. The gaffe-prone host just had a baby. Past-champ Drew Lachey had been pinch-hitting for the first three weeks...Speaking of hosts, it seems that Jay Leno isn't so thrilled about handing over "The Tonight Show" to Conan O'Brien in 2009. NBC's nightmare is that he would start a rival program on another network...Sir Paul McCartney says divorce is "like going through hell" and also says he has no regrets that the Beatles never reunited despite the large sums of money being offered...Colin Farrell says he feels "blessed" to have a special needs child. His son has a rare form of cerebral plasy...Paris Hilton talks about her upcoming trip to Rwanda with Newsweek and says, ""I'm scared, yeah. I've heard it's really dangerous. I've never been on a trip like this before." ... Gloria Estefan's mother has been hospitalized so that singer won't be appearing on tomorrow night's "Dancing With the Stars"...Martin Sheen is cheered at an LA fundraiser for AIDS, Perez Hilton is booed...TMZ.com has done a round-up of Britney's various coffee and gas runs over the weekend. Thank God SOMEBODY keeps track of these things... Alright, back to real stars now. Jennifer Aniston is the cover girl of the new issue of Harper's Bazaar and she looks positively radiant. I wish her every happiness...

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 3:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's kinda hard to believe this dude is a GRANDFATHER.
Donald Trump, on "Today" this morning to promote his latest book, was asked by Meredith Viera about his famous flap withy Rosie O'Donnell which involved vicious name-calling (he called her a fat pig etc): “Rosie’s a degenerate and we understand that,” Trump told Vieira, adding that wherever he goes, he’s still asked about the very public name-calling feud with the comedian that began last December when she was still a co-host of “The View.”
“She follows me like the plague,” he said.
On a recent trip to Toronto to open a new building, reporters asked, “Could you say something about Rosie?” he said. “It’s not going to go away.”

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 9:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Greg Grunberg of "Heroes" is no stranger to being on a hit show with an extremely loyal fan base. Before he landed on the NBC Monday night smash last season, he had spent four years on "Felicity" and another four years on "Alias."
On “Heroes,” he plays Matt Parkman, a police detective with the ability to hear the thoughts of others. The current season has been great for letting the audience know who Parkman is: “They are really writing for my storyline," the actor says. "Last year, although I loved all my stuff, I’d always hear from people: ‘How are you connected?’ So this year is about going back to the generations before us and what happened to them. And because of that - without giving anything away - there’s a tremendous connection that I have to the whole thing that I never knew existed. I become a very intergral part to the lore of the story and all that.”
Aside from his acting, Grunberg has music in his soul and gets to engage in that passion with some pretty famous friends. He plays the drums in a group called Band From TV which also features James Denton on guitar, Bonnie Somerville on vocals, Bob Ginney ("The Bachelor") and Hugh Laurie on keyboards. They play at variuous charity events and were the featured entertainment at one of the major post-Emmy parties this year.
"We get paid so much money for that," he said of the Emmy night gig. "And all that money goes out to charity."
He also runs a charitable organization called "Hollywood Helping Hands," which auctions off pieces of artwork that are finger-painted by celebrities to benefit the Pediatric Epilepsy Project at UCLA. The oldest of his three sons suffers from pediatric epilepsy.
Although he's now on a show that was a bigger hit than "Felicity" ever was, Grunberg has fond memories of the show and the cast, including Scott Speedman who played his roomate for several seasons.
Said Grunberg: "I just got an email from him, the sweetest email. He must've been in his hotel room and he watched "Heroes" and I don't know if he was being sarcastic or not but he said, 'I just saw 'Heroes' and it's really good and you're really good. I think this show's gonna make it. [laughs]. I love Speedy. It's so great to hear from him."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Good morning...
So what did Mark Wahlberg do over the weekend as his new film, "We Own the Night" opened in fourth place? He went to a pumpkin patch with his girlfriend and their daughterSupermodel Heidi Klum and singer Seal also had a family outing at a pumpkin patch...Halle Berry is annoyed that while doing press for her new film, "Things We Lost In the Fire," she is being asked more about her pregnancy than the movie. Seems she wouldn't mind if it was a clinker like "Catwoman," but she thinks this one is really good - and worth talking about......Just as the five current co-hosts of "The View" are hitting their stride with Whoopi Goldberg and Sherri Shepherd aboard, Elisabeth Hasselbeck is about to go on maternity leave. The show's staunch Republican and one-time Rosie O'Donnell nemesis, will take leave Nov. 8 or 9 and celebrity guest host will fill in until her return...So here's a pip: partygirl Tara Reid, star of the trainwreck that was "Taradise," is now dispensing advice to the likes of Lindsay Lohan. Here's some advice to Tara: stop talking...

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"Why is it those magazines never have to be right? Is there no accountability? I mean legally, morally, institutionally?"
Ben Affleck, in the current issue of Time magazine

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Happy Sunday!Just a few little items before I head off to brunch...
So more celebs are in trouble since my last update. Country star Joe Nichols, just a month after getting married, has entered REHAB!...One of the stars of ABC's new hit "Dirty Sexy Money," Samaire Armstrong has entered an "outpatient facility" due to "personal issues" but will continue to work on the show. I'm not sure what that all means but I wish her well...This is scary: rapper T.I. has been arrested on weapons charges after allegedly trying to buy machine guns and silencers. What would he need all that for?...Sean "P. Diddy" Combs apparently got into some kind of fight at a NYC nightclub...OK, enough of that celebs behaving badly stuff. Here's some good news for ER fans: former cast member Noah Wyle has signed on to appear in at least four episodes of NBC's long-running medical drama and Gloria Reuben will return to guest in a January episode....Jennifer Garner has begun previews of her new Broadway-bound show....Meanwhile, the stars of "Grey's Anatomy" have had a busy weekend with Kate Walsh (actually now the star of "Grey's" spinoff "Private Practice") celebrating her 40th birthday with new hubby, some castmates and other friends, and Ellen Pompeo being honored in Washington D.C.

And finally, Happy birthday to Usher who turns 29 today and to Roger Moore, who turns 80. Other celeb b-days include:Stacy Kiebler (29) Natalie Maines (34) Jon Seda (37) Steve Coogan (42)Lori Petty (44) Isaac Mizrahi (46)
and Ralph Lauren (69).

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 9:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Not to burst any bubbles, but Greg Hernandez does not get every A-list invitation in town. I had the privilege tonight of joining 2,000 or so of my closest celeb friends and/or fellow gawkers at the Beverly Hilton for the 2007 American Cinematheque Award presentation to Julia Roberts.
It's a lovely event that salutes big-name stars mid-career, which makes it a magnet for other big-name stars still in the middle of their careers as well. Tom Hanks, Sally Field, Blair Underwood, Bruce Willis, Natalie Portman and Marcia Gay Harden were among those spreading the love, and revered veterans Shirley MacLaine, Garry Marshall and Mike Nichols also came to lay tributes at her feet.
A couple of things that make the American Cinematheque event extra cool: The general public actually stands a chance of getting in, if they will pay $200 or so for a ticket in support of the year-round non-profit cinema showcase at Hollywood's Egyptian Theatre. This mixing of haute couture and hoi polloi makes for interesting little moments, such as when one woman marveled quite loudly at the fact that Sally Field was in the bathroom. As if possession of Emmys and Oscars somehow brings an end to bodily functions.
There's no competitive element to it, which makes for a far more relaxed atmosphere than the Oscars, Emmys and Grammys have known in decades. And celebs say the darndest things at this show.
When the ceremony is televised on AMC on Dec. 5, blink and you'll probably miss Portman's anecdote about co-starring with Julia in "Closer," because the entire story hinged on one particularly nasty word. George Clooney (last year's honoree) sent in a taped message in which he and Brad Pitt played footsie a la Larry Craig. And there was one clip montage that compiled Roberts' many on-screen obscenities.
Accepting the award from Denzel Washington, Roberts opened with a line that no one, except maybe her 4-month-old son, Henry, would have expected:
"Is there a hungry baby in the house?" she asked, clutching her ample bust. "Just come on down."
The simple, sweet table arrangements of irises reflected the good-natured gal from Georgia who has come to be known as America's Sweetheart. Not sure what the contents of the gift bag -- assorted organic munchies and sweets with wine, liquer and fig vodka -- were intended to say.
On a personal note, the highlight of my evening was enjoying the company of my daughter, Renee, at a black-tie Hollywood event. At 13, she was poised, elegant and polite, and at the same time thoroughly delighted to be there. And she had the good sense to be discreet while marveling that Sally Field was in the bathroom.

Posted by Valerie Kuklenski at 11:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Al Gore couldn't win the 2000 presidential election, but in the last year alone he's won an Oscar and an Emmy. Today, he topped even that: he won the Nobel Peace Prize. Now THAT is a Hollywood ending...When people saw photos of Pam Anderson drinking champagne the other day, cries of fetal alcohol syndrome were heard across the blogosphere. Now, the former Baywatch babe wants everyone to know that even though she married Rick Salomon, she is NOT pregnant. There goes having a good reason for walking down the aisle with the guy on the sex tape with Paris Hilton...Lindsay Lohan's always chatty dad is giving yet another update on his daughter's status. Why not just hold a daily press onference Michael Lohan?...California Attorney General Jerry Brown believes "a serious crime has been committed" in the death of Anna Nicole Smith and ordered search warrants today... In lighter news, Katie Holmes is reportedly training for the NYC Marathon...

Roger Moore got his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame yesterday and now, the former James Bond is trying to sell his autobiography for $2 million...Hey "Young and the Restless" fans, Enrique Iglesias is set to appear on the soap on Nov. 7...So, did Gene Simmons REALLY try and join the mile high club on a recent flight?
...With the mess Britney and Lindsay have made of their lives this year, the timing is ideal for tonight's epuside of "20/20" which looks at child stars...and finally, Britney. There seems to be a growing consensus that it is not a drug or alcohol problem that is at the root of her troubles but more psychological issues. Whichever is the case, I'm happy to print this photo of her album cover because I cannot bare another paparazzi shot of her eating a taco or shopping at Target.
And finally, there's a "blonde" in even more hot water than Britney today and her name is Ann Coulter. Here is a clip of her on the CNBC show "Big Idea" where she tells host Donny Deutsch that Christians, like her, "just want Jews to be perfected."
Take a look:

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 4:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Lindsay Wagner, who won an Emmy in the late 70s for her portrayal of Jamie Sommers in "the Bionic Woman," told Hollywood Joe Thursday night that she has seen the new NBC version starring Michelle Ryan and wasn't crazy about it.
"It's very different," she said at a Television Academy event. "It's very much like what the shows are today, kind of dark and broody and violent - what people seem to be getting off on these days. So, it's not at all what we were doing. We were doing a show for kids intentionally and making it fun and make it in such a way that adults could enjoy it too with their children. [The new show] is just a very different intention so I find it crazy that people try to compare it and 'This is better or that is better.' It's not the same thing at all. It's like, hello?"
I pipe in and say that the new bionic woman never tore a phone book in half in front of her class.
Says Wagner: "She doesn't have a class, she works at a bar (laughs)."
Wagner is seen (right) in scenes from "The Bionic Woman," a role she originated on "Six Million Dollar Man" in 1975 and played for three seasons on her own show. She reprised the role in television movies in 1987, 1989 and 1994.
Wagner is mostly visible these days in mattress commercials ("Well, I gotta put my kids through college") but she still occasionally acts, most recently in the 2006 films "Four Extraordinary Women" and "The Surfer King." She's appeared in approximately 50 television movies including some of my faves "The Incredible Journey of Dr. Meg Laurel," the TV remake of "I Want to Live" and the terrific "Callie and Son" which featured Michelle Pfeiffer in one of her earliest roles.
Wagner used to make far more films but has scaled back in recent times to focus on other things. But she's still open to a good role: "It would just have to be something that was so meaningful to me. I haven't quit acting."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 1:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TMZ.com is all over this one with breathless updates. First we learn of the crash aro8nd 2 a.m. near Fountain and Vista in L.A., then it's reported that Orlando tried to walk away but paprazzi urged him to go back and "deal with it" (hmmmm.). Bloom was not injured but two female passengers were. He was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs, police say, although he was not tested for either. He was apparently cut off by another car.

Bloom's peeps have jiust released this statement: "Orlando Bloom, who was in a minor car collision late last night, is grateful that no one was seriously injured. Bloom called for help immediately following the incident. He spent last night at the hospital to be with his childhood friend who sustained a minor neck injury. He is thankful that emergency services arrived so quickly and that the ER staff at Cedars Sinai took such good care of his friend."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I know Jan Brady might be jealous, but I talked to Maureen McCormick last light at a Television Academy event where she was the star attraction. I almost asked her if her nose was OK after that football hit it but then I remembered, hey, this is REAL life!
Maureen wanted to honor "Brady Bunch" creator/producer Sherwood Schwartz during an evening devoted to TV show theme songs. He also wrote the lyrics to the show's opening number...You remember, right? "Here's a story, of a man named Brady..."
"We're honoring Sherwood and his music and I'm just really honored to be a part of it all," Maureen said. "Honey, we are gonna sing it tonight! We are gonna sing it tonight."
And we did. As the opening credits were shown on screen. Maureen led the packed theater in a sing-along of the song about "three very lovely girls...all of them had hair of gold, like their mother, the youngest one in curls."
Maureen told me that "it's sad" that TV theme songs that tell a story like the "Brady" theme have gone by the wayside.
Her book, "Here's A Story," is set to come out in June or July 2008 and has been getting a lot of attention over a report that she and co-star Eve Plumb engaged in some television incest - fooling around behind the scenes at one point.
Maureen would neither confirm or deny: "Can't say," she said, shaking her head with conviction.
I persisted. Is Eve Plumb (Jan), who has seemed the most eager to put the "Brady" years behind her, angry about the reports?
"Can't say. Can't say."
But she promises to reveal all in the book which she is knee-deep in writing right now: "It's really been very cathartic, very strange, very Twilight Zone. Just everything you can imagine, it's been. Happy, sad, tearful."
I had to know. What's it like to be Marcia Brady today since she still looks remarkably like she did when Jan hid all her trophies it a fit of jealousy and she and Greg fought over who would get the attic as their bedroom: "It's kind of hard not to go anywhere without being recognized but it's a great thing to be known for the show and it has such a warm place in everyone's heart so it's really wonderful."
Since she appeared on "Celebrity Fit Club," the usually low-profile McCormick has been back in the public eye in a way that she hadn't been in years. I wondered how she felt about the newfound attention: "It's great! It's great. I love it. It's really nice."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 9:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Good morning!
Whether you're sipping your coffee at home or out at a Starbucks or Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, TGIF!
It's been such a busy week with all kinds of activity from celebs getting sentenced (Kiefer Sutherland, Michelle Rodriguez) , to leaving rehab (Lindsay Lohan), to driving aimlessly around L.A. with paparazzi in tow (Britney Spears) ) to getting married again and again and again (Pam Anderson) to being coy about an obviious pregnancy (Jennifer Lopez).
This has given those chatty ladies on "The View" plenty to talk about.
If you read my Out In Hollywood blog, you know that I am so entertained by the Hot topics portion of the show where the women just let it fly. Thursday morning, they talked about JLo and Sherri Shepherd said: "Normally she is half-naked on stage and here she is in this big yellow tent." The prim (and pregnant) Elisabeth Hasselbeck said: "I don't think any woman has to say anything...Our role is to say, 'Congratulations,' not to ask, 'Are you pregnant?'" But Barbara Walters - interviewer of thousands of celebrities and politicians - seemed a little incredulous at JLo's silence as she becomes big as a house.
"When you see her in these tent-like things, it's very hard not to say, 'Hey! Are you trying to tell us something?'"
In other news, Patrick Dempsey, better known to McDreamy to the women and gay men who have mad crushes on him, is the cover boy of the new issue of Entertainment Weekly. Since this is the photo issue, Dempsey does the whole moidel thing, posing shirtless and doing the smoldering thing in other shots. Should be a best seller...This is kinda sweet: actress Rose McGowen ("Charmed") and director Robert Rodriguez are engaged...and, while we're on the topic of weddings, I can't resist: TOOTIE got married this summer and didn't tell anybody! What would Mrs. Garrett think? OK, back to the real world: actress Kim Fields of "Facts of Life" and "Living Single" fame, married Broadway actor Christopher Morgan this summer - after she gave birth to their son in early May. I wonder if Blair, Jo and Natalie were invited...Whew! At least one celebrity avoided being sentenced to jail this week. Jude Law has been cleared of assault charges against a photographer...
...and finally, the question of the day: Britney Spears: You've just been granted one supervised night a week with yoiur kids. What are you gonna do? Go shopping at Neiman Marcus, of course...

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 1:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm a 70s kid so as you can imagine, sitting with hundreds of people singing the them to "The Brady Bunch" led by Marcia Brady herself (Maureen McCormick), it was almost enough make a grown man cry - almost.
McCormick also asked the audience to stretch with her by looking up at the ceiling and smile, then turning to the left and smile and turn to the right and smile: "Now you know how we felt shooting the main titles for 'The Brady Bunch!'"
Didn't you always want to be in one of those squares or live in the Brady house? I sure did. Didn't even matter that I'd have to share a room with Greg, Peter and Bobby. Wait a minute, I'm getting off track here.
McCormick, who I chatted with before the show and will share that conversation with you in a future post, was joined by such TV icons from the 60s, 70s and 80s as Lindsay Wagner ("Bionic Woman"), John Schneider ("Dukes of Hazzard"), and William Daniels and Bonnie Bartlett ("St. Elsewhere") Thursday night for the Televison Academy's "Another Opening, Another Show: A Celebration of TV Theme Music" event which showcased TV theme songs from the 50s to the present.
I learned so many things: Did you know that "Welcome Back Kotter" was originally called just plain "Kotter"? Gabe Kaplan's 70s sitcom was renamed after John Sebastian brought his song "Welcome Back" to producers to use as a theme? Both the show, and the song, were big hits. Did you know that each character on "The Addams Family" had their OWN theme music or that "The Beverly Hillbillies" and "The Real McCoys" were the first shows to use theme songs to set up the story?
Schneider teamed with "Yes, Dear" star Jean Louisa Kelly for a medly of songs including his version of the "I Love Lucy" theme, first heard with lyrics when Lucy tells Ricky she's having a aby. Kelly, meanwhile, managed to turn the "Mickey Mouse Club" theme into a saucy torch song which led Schneider to crack that "Walt Disney is no longer frozen."
McCormick paid tribute to the song's lyricist, Sherwood Schwartz, who was also the show's creator and producer. Schwartz also wrote the lyrics to the theme of his show "Gilligan's Island" which the audience sang to when the entire opening credits were shown.
One of the highlights was a discussion with composer Vic Mizzy who wrote the finger-snapping theme to "The Addams Family" and the classic "Green Acres" opening featuring the show's stars Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor.
Of the"Addams" theme Mizzy said: "Two finger snaps and you live in Bel Air...the best thing that happened was I got publishing rights." Of "Green Acres," he said of Gabor: "After hearing her sing, I said, 'Talk it. Make believe you're a snob on Park Avenue. She only sang the last note and, thankfully, we got it on the first take."
I knew every word to that and plenty of other themes. This isn't the kind of evening that you would initially think would be kind of a blast, but for a kid who watched "The Brady Bunch" on Friday nights after having McDonald's for dinner (family Friday night tradition), it really was...a blast!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Britney Spears was at the center of a day-long courtroom drama today as she sought overnight visitation rights with her two young sons.After an emergency hearing, she got once-a-week sleepovers with Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1 but they won't be alone: Britney must be supervised by a court-appointed monitor.
Court Commissioner Scott M. Gordon questioned whether overnight visiting rights constituted an "emergency" and said to Britney's attorney: "Your client made a conscious choice not to do anything that was ordered. That was a choice. That put us in this position."
Gordon added that Spears' "substance abuse issues and emotional issues...could have devastating effects on the children."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 5:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When the fourth season of "Desperate Housewives kicked off a couple of weeks ago, Felicity Huffman's character, Lynette, had long, flowing hair that was drawing raves from neighbors on Wisteria Lane.
But underneath, Lynette was bald and battling cancer.
I caught up with Huffman, an Emmy winner and Oscar nominee for "Transamerica," earlier this week at the Les Girls cabaret show, a fundraiser for the National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund, where she was the night's emcee.
"About four years ago, my husband [William H. Macy] were performers in it. And it was so bad that they've asked me back to host and not to sing," she said. "I think they were pretty hard up."
But Huffman wanted to anything she could to help this worthy cause: "Three billion women have breast cancer, only 2 billion are diagnosed. Breast cancer is really a political issue, it has to be a part of everyone's campaign, we have care about who we elect and if they care about this cause. It's about having health care and information and access for all women regardless of income."
With the cancer storyline of "Housewives," the neighbors have rallied around Lynette as she undergoes chemotherapy - including a reluctant Gabby (Eva Longoria). It has given the show's core characters more reason to interact which has always been the strength of "Housewives." Lynette has initially tried to hide her condition from here friends but finally, literally flipped her wig in the season premiere when a PTA mom accused her of being a flake.
But Huffman doesn't feel like the show is attempting to teach anyone about cancer and the real-life suffering involved.
"I guess what I hope for the show, which is in the very capable hands of Marc Cherry and the writers, is that we do it accurately," she says. "It's not that we're there to help or to teach beacuse, what would we know? But we want it to be accurate and truthful. It always helps to see your story represented whether or not you learn something."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Snapped!
We all know that Sarah Jessica Parker wouldn't waer such ridiculous socks but when in character as Carrie Bradshaw for "Sex and the City: The Movie," it's anything goes!...I just can't get into the Britney stuff yet - I just finished lunch and it'll make me lose it - so let me share so other showbiz tidbits with ya: Regis Philpin, at 75, isn't content doing just one show on television. The former host of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" is set to host a new prime-time version of "Password" for CBS...Ellen DeGeneres loves to connect with her fans. So much so that she posts what she is eating for lunch on her daily blog...Singing and acting isn't enough for Beyonce. I don't mind the perfume she hawks, everybvody does that, but her own phone? Seems like too much...Speaking of too much: Anne Heche was on "The View" today and talked about the pain of being a long-distance mother. She shares custody of her son with ex-hubby Coley Lafoon as she shoots "Men In Trees" in Vancouver with co-star and real-life love James Tupper...OK, enough stalling: Britney Spears arrived in LA court today - five hours late - to try and convince a judge to let her mother be the monitor for overnight visits with her kids. In the last 24 hours alone, another Britney crotch shot has made the rounds (underwear on, thank God), went shopping at Target with photographers in tow. She was looking for a camera charger...and finally, classy stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Reese Witherspoon appeared with their director at the premiere Wednesday night of their film "Rendition." Everyone is reading into the body language of the pair in this photo (below). They are alleged to have been an item at some point but they never confirmed it and no one ever proved it. Whether it was real or not, the tabloids and various sites are now writing that it's over....
That's Hollywood!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Time will tell.
Lohan went shopping yesterday at a Nordstrom in Salt Lake City, Utah. She does look healthy. Lohan has been giving some post-rehab interviews about how much she has changed and apologized for past behavior. But actions speak louder than words so it will be some time before we know if she is truly reformed.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 9:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Good morning!
Even when she's picking up her kids from school, Angelina Jolie looks like a million bucks...Remember Andy Baldwin? He's the Navy lieutenant who was last season's prize on "The Bachelor." He not only split with fiancee Tessa Horst, he's now shipping off to Iraq...This is a good month for Drew Carey. Not only does he debut as the new host of "The Price is Right" next week, but on Tuesday he became engaged...It seems that Sean Penn, director of the current release "Into the Wild," isn't so crazy about acting these days...The usually media-shy Howard K. Stern (ha!) talked to Larry King last night and said he and Larry Birkhead were never lovers and that the book about Anna Nicole's life by Rita Cosby is such a pack of lies that it should begin with the words "Once upon a time."...Britney Spears is seeking extended visitations with her kids. KFed's lawyer says they will oppose that...Despite his client's fall off the wagon and bout with alcohol poisening this week, David Hasselhoff's attorney doesn't think this will result in his losing custody of his two kinds...
And finally, while Kimberly Stewart isn't really a celebrity for any reason that I'm aware of, she is the daughter of Rod Stewart and a pal of Paris Hilton so that makes her nose job fodder for Hollywood Joe - at least today!

Will have more updates for you throughout the day!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Scott Speedman likes to keep busy.
Calling from the set of the film "Adoration" in Canada, he is wondering how the threatened writer's strike might impact future projects. Whatever happens, he has already completed the thriller "The Stranger" opposite Live Tyler and mext week, has the release of the quirky indie flick "Weirdsville" which casts him as a slacker/druggie who endures a night filled scary but sometimes goofy mishaps.
It's a role that takes him the furthest yet from that of Ben Covington on "Felicity," the WB series that made him a star and a hearthrob to many.
“The script came along, I started reading it and it looked like it was a lot of fun to do. I just wanted to go and do something fun... and just be loose and have a good time,” he says. “I wasn’t sure if it was gonna work or not but at this point in my career, I feel like I can go and do that. I’m not a big movie star so I can go and do crazy projects.”
And a crazy project it is: Dexter (Speedman) and Royce (Wes Bentley) are disaffected slackers whose lives get turned upside down when Royce's girlfriend, Matilda (Taryn Manning), overdoses. The guys decide to bury her in the basement of a Drive-In. But they stumble upon a Satanic cult and have to escape them while also try and find a way to pay back the drug lord the money for the drugs.
Matilda turns out not to be dead - just in a coma for awhile and it takes many twists and turns from there. I enjoyed the movie a lot, mostly because it showed a different side of Scott.
Speedman and Bentley have terrific low-key comic chemistry, something the actors says developed off-screen: “The looser we got and more fun we had as friends, then the better the movie. My favorite parts of the movie are he and I together.”
Filmed in 2005, he says “Weirdsville” was a hard six-week shoot with he and Bently filming on a lot of nights: “We were running and gunning the whole time.”
While Speedman has experienced the highs of a box office hit with "Underworld" and its sequel, some of his big studio films in which he's appeared have not fared as well ("Dark Blue," "XXX: State of the Union."). He's learned not to stress out about box office and is keeping expectations for the commercial prospects of "Weirdsville."
“Seeing me in an off-the-wall comedy, how it’s gonna do in theatrers is beyond me. I hope it gets word-of-mouth and picks up steam. I think it’s the kind of film that can develop a small cult audience. That was always my goal, it’s never gonna be a blockbuster but it’s perfect if you want to turn your brain off for an hour and a half.”

In 2003's "Underworld," he starred opposite Kate Beckinsale and the film was a surprise hit opening in first place. Last year's sequel, "Underworld: Evolution," also had a solid opening but faltered quickly: “It was cool. It wasn’t like it catapulted me into the stuff I want to do. It was the boyfriend role. But it was good to get those movies and it helps me to get these kinds of movies.”
Speedman has thrived in the indie world with plum roles in the film "The 24th Day" and “My Life Without Me.” In “Adoration,” he will play a rudderless tow truck driver whose life changes completely when his sister is killed and he inherits her son.
Unlike some television stars who are concentrating on film, Speedman is wistful for the days when he was on "Felicity" as Ben, competing for the affections of the title character (played by Keri Russell) who spent the four-year run of the series torn between Ben and Joel (Scott Foley).
“I’m always super nostalgic for that time in a way," he says. "I was 22 and I got that show four days before shooting began. I went to L.A. and met really great people. That show is the reason why, more than anything, why I don’t want to do television right now. But if something special like that came along...”

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 6:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What is it with celebs and jail today? First Kiefer Sutherland is sentenced and now it's Michelle Rodriguez's turn. Sounds like she deserves to be though: Already on probation for a variety of crimes, including DUI and hit and run, she repeatedly violated the terms of her probation.
She's gotta report by Dec. 24.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 4:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It seems that Britney Spears hasn't been on enough magazine covers this year. She makes the front of the new People mag on Friday which details the reunion with her mother (Hey, I go to visit my mom all the time, ya don't see ME on a magazine cover!) which apparently is some monumental thing...and then there's Jennifer Lopez whose been appearing in concert and on television shows looking big as the Goodyear blimp but being coy about being with child. It seems that US has all the profdf it needs...

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 3:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With all the celeb trainwrecks surrounding us, Emmy winner America Ferrera is kind of a symbol of how to focus on your work and stay out of trouble. The "Ugly Betty" star was honored as woman of the year at The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard's Hispanic Women in Entertainment breakfast held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel...It's official: Ryan Phillippe and Reese Witherspoon are now officially divorced. Kinda sad really but it seems that they aren't turning it into a circus and best of all, the seem to be very good parents... Rosie O'Donnell had a very busy day in NYC yesterday with a three-hour book signing and an art show of her paintings...Reports are swirling that the reason Pam Anderson rushed into marriage with Rick Salomon is that she's with child. Such a traditional gal, doesn't want to have a baby out of wedlock...and finally, in case you think all Britney Spears does is drive around all day ordering fast food, buying cigarettes, and checking in and out of different hotels every night - all in the company of swarms of paparazzi - she also recorded an album and its release date has been moved up to Oct. 30.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 1:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's been confirmed that Bobby Brown did indeed suffer a mild heart attack and is in the hospital in serious condition. TMZ.com reports that his attorney said the attack is being attributed to "stress and diet." "He has been examined and doctors determined there is no blockage but inflammation of the heart," the attorney says. "Bobby is doing good. He is in good spirits. It's a serious condition, and I'm very concerned about him. Bobby is very happy with the outpouring of calls and messages. We ask people to keep him in their thoughts and prayers."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 1:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Daivd Hasselhoff fell off the wagon again but instead of letting his teen daughter film him in his drunken state whike eating a hamburger off of the floor, he checked himself into a hospital. I'm sure his struggle is genuine and I wish him the best of luck but I do wonder why celebs have to be so dramatic about it all sometimes. I have friends in AA and if they fall off the wagon, they call their sponsor or go to a meeting. Why the hospital if he's already back home?
Let's hope he can keep it together since his ex-wife, Pamela, seems to have enough troubles of her own and their are two minor children involved...
UPDATE: Now I know why he went to the hospital instead of just sleeping it off: he had alcohol poisoning! He musta drank A LOT of booze!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Of course Kiefer Sutherland should not have been driving under the influence of alcohol - especially since he had several prior convictions. I'm relieved he didn't hurt anyone or himself and I hope he hires a full-time driver from now on. He can afford it.
But I will say this: Kiefer Sutherland, who reached a plea agreement yesterday in his DUI case and will serve 48 days in jail, is being a stand-up guy about it. Here is a statement he's released about the matter: "I'm very disappointed in myself for the poor judgment I exhibited recently, and I'm deeply sorry for the disappointment and distress this has caused my family, friends and co-workers on '24' and at 20th Century Fox. I appreciate the support and concern that has been extended to me these last weeks both personally and professionally."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Good morning!
Kiefer Sutherland certainly resolved his latest DUI case quickly because he wanted to avoid affecting production of his series "24." FOX has issued statements in support and the Emmy winner must serve the time by July 1...Apparently Bobby Brown has been hospitalized with a heart attack scare. Hopefully, it turns out to be one of those anxiety attack things or really bad heartburn...So we all know about George Clooney's motorcycle accident last month, right? What we didin't know is that a buncha people at the hospital were real gabby with the press about his medical records and dozens (including doctors) are set toi be be suspended. But George, good guy that he is, hopes it can all be resolved without suspensions...and finally - for now - Charlize Theron has been named the "sexiest woman alive" by Esquire magazine. It's nice to have someone on a magazine cover who's talented, smart AND sexy...

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 9:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I guess being filmed, drunk, eating a hamburger off the floor wasn't enough to scare David Hasselhoff permanently straight. The actor apparently has had a relapse and has checked into a hospital to deal with it...
In other news, David Letterman may have made Paris Hilton cry but he handles Jennifer Lopez with kid gloves on his show tonight when he avoids asking her about the baby...Kim Raver, one of the stars of "24" was indeed pregnant - that is until earlier today when she gave birth to her second child - a son, in NYC...and speaking of "24," Kiefer Sutherland's lawyers are in an LA judge's chambers right NOW trying to secure a plea deal. Sutherland is not present...and finally, apparently Britney Spears doesn't REALLY want to be a bartender. Just thought you'd like to know.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 4:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you've been watching "Desperate Housewives" this season, then you already know that the first two episodes of the season revealed a new world order on Wisteria Lane with the arrival of Katherine Mayfair played by two-time Emmy winner Dana Delany.
Katherine is going toe-to-toe with domestic diva Bree Van De Kamp (Marcia Cross) for pie-baking supremacy and next week, confronts Gabby (Eva Longoria) with a few zingers. The character gives a real lift to the series, creating some new dynamics and in the hands of Delany, the character should continue to make things real interesting.
I caught up with her last night at the all-star "Les Girls" benefit for the National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund and told Dana how terrific she has been.
"Can you imagine fighting over a pie?" she said, laughing. "It felt very natural going on the show. There's a lot of layers to Katherine. There's a lot going on there. It's fun, it's so fun for me to be able to do both the comedy and the drama and mix it up. I actually I started in comedy but nobody knows that. When I did 'China Beach,' people took me so seriously so it was hard to get away from that image."
"China Beach," the acclaimed ABC drama that ran for three seasons before being cancelled by ABC, was a long time ago and Delany has tried series television twice since then with "Pasadena" on FOX and last season's "Kidnapped" on NBC.
"I gotta say, it's nice to be on a hit. I've never actually been on a hit before. I've done a lot of work that I'm proud of but not a top 10 show. That's a nice feeling, to know you have a job to go to for awhile. 'China Beach' got the great reviews, but we didn't get the numbers like this show does."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's kinda tacky to diss your exes in public but then again, Kid Rock is kinda tacky.
The most recent ex-husband of the thrice-married Pamela Anderson was on David Letterman's show last night to promote his new CD when the topic of Anderson's nuptials over the weekend to Paris Hilton sex tape star Rick Salomon came up.
Rock had this advice for Salom0n: "I wish somebody would have given me the advice I'm about to give Rick Salomon. Why buy the cow, when you get the milk for free?"
Real classy. The audience didn;t cheer, they sort of jeered.
Then he added: "I wish them much happiness."

Sure, pal.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I know, not nice to post this mug shot from one of Nick Nolte's really bad days with the announcement of one of the happiest occasions in someone's life but, what the heck. So Nolte, the Oscar nominee and one-time sexiest man alive accoring to People magazine, is a father again at the age of 66! Hey, don't judge: Tony Randall waited until his late 70s to have a kid.
Anywho, Nolte and his partner, Cyltie Lane, are the parents of a baby girl born on Oct. 3.
Congrats!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Good morning!
I'll start ya off with a few sips of celeb news and will be updating with more tidbits throughout the morning so be sure and check back!Jennifer Lopez, wearing another loose dress, showed up on TRL Monday but STILL hasn't announced her very obvious pregnancy. I understand her wanting to keep it private but the fact is, she's in the public eye right now doing concerts and various television shows. It's like an elephant in the room. I bet if she went on "The View," Joy Behar would get to right to the bolttom of it: "Are you pregnant or just fat?"...Lindsay Lohan, in a post-rehab interview with OK! magazine, says she plans to remain in Utah, that she plans to keep acting and she wishes the feud between her parents would stop...I thought this was interesting and different: Remember the girl who played "Punky Brewster"? C'mon, you know you watched. Well, Solei Moon Frye (such a cool name) is pregnant with her second child and is opening an "eco-friendly" baby store in Larchmont Village...One of the original stars of "Desperate Housewives" - whose character just got engaged on-screen - is getting married off-screen. Click HERE to find out who...and finally, the Ben Affleck-directed flick "Gone, Baby Gone" had it's L.A. premiere last night and Ben hung out with the film's star: his brother Casey Affleck. Casey, who is also starring opposite Brad Pitt in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" jokingly called his brother a "pain in the a** director."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 8:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Good to see Owen Wilson out and about and feeling better. Here he is enjoying a swim in the ocean. He's the kind of troubled celebrity you want to root for...And then there Bitney Spearswho has apparently broken away from the paprazzi long enough to have a visit with her two sons today...Prince Harry is a wild man! While on vacation with his buddies, he snorts vodka through his nose and shows one pal some extra affection...Wrestler Chris Benoit was reportedly given an over-prescription of steriods leading him to murder and suicide...Tom Cruise is experiencing more woes on the set of his movie in Germany...and finally, Meredith Viera returned to "The View" as a guest today, marking the first time she has appeared on the show since leaving in Spring 2006. She greeted her former co-workers by asking, "So how are you, you crazy bitches?"

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It was the usual chaos on Sunday surrounding pop mess Britney Spears and her 16 year old sister Jamie Lynn. At one one during their outing - all documented by paprarazzi - a resident yelled to Spears: “Hey Britney! Move the f*** out of this neighborhood! Nobody wants you in this neighborhood!”
Paparazzi: (booing) “Hey, shut up! Shut up!”
Jamie Lynn: “Then move the f*** out!”
Paparazzi: (cheering) “Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!”

Oh my...

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 10:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's pretty embarassing when you ask a big star like David Duchovny about his new television show and can't even pronounce the title: "Californication."
"Calif... Cal...Californiacation," I say lamely.
He isn't letting me off the hook: "Yeah, you can say it."
Finally, I do manage it: "Californication."

the 12 episode Showtime series, which airs on Monday nights, debuted in August and has already been renewed for a second season. Duchovny is Hank Moody, a troubled novelist whose move to Los Angeles and problems with his job complicate the relationships with his ex-girlfriend and daughter.
It marks Duchovny's first series since "X-Files" finished its long run on FOX five years ago. The two shows could not be more different: "I think it's a very emotional, very funny show and sometimes very dark and edgy and sexy. It's got everything," he says of "Californication." "On cable you can do a lot more than you can do on network, it's a different approach."
Moody is a departure from FBI Agent Mulder who he played for eight seasons as well as in a feature film. In the first episode of "Californication," Duchovny's character has oral sex performed on him by a nun in a dream sequence. This led to some protests over that and other explicit scenes.
"The character is very different [from Mulder] but I don't get naked that much. But the first couple of episodes there was some nudity."
To get us hooked?
Duchovny: "That was the idea. Not my idea."

Duchovny and I spoke at the Outfest Legacy Awards Thursday night where he and Marlee Matlin ("The L Word") teamed up to present Showtime head Robert Greenblatt with an award. Before making his remarks, Greenblatt decided to show a clip from "The Larry Sanders Show" where Duchovny seems to be coming on to Larry. That spot and a memorable appearance on "Sex and the City" as Carrie Bradshaw's high school boyfriend were both quite memorable.
"I think that I choose my guest spots wisely so maybe that has something to do with it," he says. "It would have been nice to have an ongoing thing [with Carrie] but the show was just ending at that point."
So what about reprising the role in the upcoming "Sex" movie now shooting in New York?
"I think there's a lot of other guys ahead of me..."
It's just as well. Duchovny has plenty of other things keeping him busy professionally: "'Things we Lost in the Fire' is coming out in a couple of weeks with Halle Berry and Benecio del Toro and then I'll go do the "X-Files" movie in December, we'll start shooting then."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Good morning...
Well, here's the deal. There are so many plot "spoilers" floating around cyberspace about "Sex and the City: The Movie." Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) spotted in a wedding dress! Charlotte (Kristen Davis) seen pregnant! Is it real? Are they dream sequences? I've decided to not play that game, will just enjoy the pictures like this one of SJP and wait for the movie to come out!... Caught a coupla movies over the weekend and really liked George Clooney, Tilda Swinton and Tom Wilkinson in "Michael Clayton." There will be some Oscar nominations there, I'm sure.
As for "The Heartbreak Kid," some genuinely funny moments in this Ben Stiller comedy directed by the Farrelly brothers. But overall, more of a DVD rental than a movie that reaches the heights of their "There's Something About Mary." The movie opened way below expectations, grossing a heartbreaking $14 million or so and finishing second for the weekend. Still, even "Heartbreak" was far more entertaining than the never-ending Britney Spears reality show co-starring her friends, the paparazzi. Brit got a flat tire early Sunday morning, a paparazzi changed it for her and at one point she was singing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town.' Not kidding. She also posed for pictures. Her mom and sister have flown into town (to save her from herself?).
And because they had not been photographed enough already, Britney (wearing dark glasses at night) and Jamie went to a Taco Bell drive-thru but tried to order with the window rolled up. One of the approximately 100 photographers on hand ended up ordering the food for her. This is one crazy co-dependent relationship!...And speaking of relationships, Pam Anderson got hitched in Vegas to Rick Soloman, the dude who was in that sex tape with Paris Hilton and was once married to Shannon Daugherty. Hey! Pam was in a sex tape too! They have so much in common. It's the "Baywatch" broad's third marriage and second one this year. I've already written a post on their divorce and will post it as soon as it happens. Crazy kids. i wonder how it feels to make a mockery of marriage with the world watching?...Meanwhile, other couples were out and about over the weekend including Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, looking terrific together, stepping out this for the premiere of Kidman's new movie "Margot at the Wedding"...Newlyweds Kate Walsh and Alex Young went to the USC football game on Saturday...Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel enjoyed some takeout together in Toronto...In plastic surgery news: ">Sharon Osbourne wants us to know that she is through with it, once and for all. But then again, what is there left to do after you've had your breasts done, gastric bypass, and [I didn't know there was such a thing] a "leg lift"?...In baby news: a four months pregnant Halle Berry made a red carpet appearance Saturday night in NYC...
...In family news: there seems to be a possibility that estranged Oscar-winning father and daughter Jon Voight and Angelina Jolie might me mending fences. Might be. Voight was seen leaving NYC's Waldorf Astoria on Sunday where the Jolie-Pitt family is staying...And while we're on the subject of Jolie-Pitt, Brad gave an interview to Parade which ran Sunday and talked a little bit about what it's like to be under constant assault by photographers. Unlike Britney, he doesn't much like it: "I understand the tabloid machine. There's money to be made off of Angie and me, but it has gotten so out-of-hand. There's no decency, even when it comes to our kids....We've been run out of L.A., all the major cities. We just can't live there. You don't understand - this is the hint, the hunt, the hunt! I thought it might be over a year ago. It's gotten worse."
What's a movie star couple to do???

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When I talked to Erik King Thursday night at the Outfest Legacy Awards, he had come straight from the set of the Showtime hit "Dexter" where the cast was filming the second season finale. He was even still wearing his wardrobe from the day's shoot!
King plays Sgt. James Doakes on the show and the character is very suspicious of Dexter (Michael C. Hall) who is a forensic expert for the Miami PD by day, and a serial killer by night. But he only kills bad guys. Doakes and Dexter had many confrontations during the show's first season and will have plenty more during season two which premiered last week with the second episode airing tonight.
"Doakes really isn't as tough as everybody thinks he is," King told me. "The reality is, he knows there's something terribly wrong with Dexter. The more he alludes him, the more frustrated he gets. He's a good guy."
I remind Erik that in the show's first season, he does kill a man for personal reasons and lies that it was a justified shooting.
"Yeah, I gotta tell you, he does have a dark past," he says. "He may kill somebody else...anything can happen."
Everything's sort of ratcheted up for all the characters. The first season is a big, broad swipe to get to know everybody. Everybody has chickens that come home to roost for the second season - especially Dexter. Some things that maybe he buried have come to the surface this year and Doakes is relentless. Absolutely."
While Doakes is suspicious of Dexter and wants to bring him down, he is sweet on Dexter's foster sister who is a detective under Doakes. So, will they become romantically involved?
"You know I can't tell you that! But I can tell you that, unfortunately, there's not a lot going on in Doakes' life because he's really obsessed with Dexter. He's determined to find out what the secret is. Dexter comes to a crime scene and seems know everything about the crime scene before all the other cops. And Doakes considers himself an alpha dog so there's no way [Dexter] can be smarter. He does figure some things out this year."
What is it like working opposite Michael C. Hall whose role here is so different from his "Six Feet Under" alter-ego David Fisher.
"He's amazing. Michael is the consumate actor in that he comes in and gets the work done, very professional. Sometimes a little bit distant but only because of the character. He has a wonderfully, generous Southern open spirit. On the show, with all the nuances of his character, it's so important that he's totally there and he really is."
For King, the role on "Dexter" is the most prominent to date for an actor who has been working steadily in television and movies for two decades. He appeared on HBO's prison drama "OZ" for a season and guested on such shows as "The Division," "Malcolm in the Middle," "Charmed," "The District," and "Jag." Feature films include roles in "Ice Princess" and "\National Treasure."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Good morning all.
It's the weekend so I'm gonna provide you with plenty of tidbits for the day. OK, so why have I posted a picture of the very glamorous Nicole Kidman pictured at an anniversary party for New Line Cinema? Well, because she's NOT Britney Spears. She's an actress and a mother and a star who Britney could learn a few lessons from. I know everyone thinks the beleaguered Britney has reached her breaking point. But they are wrong: it is ME who is reaching a breaking point. All the drama, all the Starbucks, the hair extensions. When will the madness end? I caught the new TV version of TMZ.com for the first time last night and all I gotta say is, they outa put Britney on their payroll. The pop mess provides them with all kinds of footage - daily. Last night she was seen asking the paparazzi, who are clearly more her friends than an annoyance, "what's the date of today?" "It's Thursday?" OK, somebody buy this girl a cell phone or something that displays the date. She missed her first visit with her kids due to a broken intercom and has got court dates and drug tests and parenting classes to get to on time. Yesterday, some crazy woman threw coffee on Britney's car during one of her several paprazzi scenes of the day. (see video below).

I KNEW Jennifer Lopez wasn't packing on the pounds for no reason! JLo is expected to announced at a concert tonight that she is indeed pregnant. In fact, TMZ.xom is reporting that she and hubby Marc Anthony are expecting twins! Congratulations to them......Lindsay Lohan has apparently checked out of rehab where she has been since August. Good luck kid and please, stay out of trouble...So did television's judge Greg Mathis call a woman a hillbilly on his show? She says he did and is suing him. Gee, Granny, Jeb and Jethro Clampett were never offended by the term. But then, they had all that Texas tea to keep 'em happy...I confess, I can't name one single song by the group Hanson. But, I'm happy to report that one of the brothers in the band, Issac Hanson, is expected to make a full recovery from a blood clot...Well, this is different. Jim Carrey addressed the United Nation's Security Council yesterday urging them to ban all international arm shipments to the former Burma. And no, he did not talk out of his a** while doing it...Of couse, O.J.'s Rolex is as fake as his search for the real killer....Janet Jackson says she's gonna write a book about her weight gains and losses. Hopefully, it will see better than her two most recent albums. Ouch! I know that was mean but hey, the woman's CD sales are slumping...

Funny quote:
"Ann Coulter is a WOMAN?"
Joy Behar on Friday's "The View"

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 9:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Michael Urie may play a scheming suck up on "Ugly Betty" each week, but Thursday night he showed nothing but love for co-star Judith Light as he presented her with the Outfest Legacy Award for her support of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender films.
Light, nominated for an Emmy this year for her role in "Betty," became the first straight ally to be honored in the 25 year history of Outfest at a fun gala event held at the Directors Guild of America before a crowd that included David Duchovny, Marlee Matlin, Ana Ortiz, Jane Lynch, Caroline Rhea, Wilson Cruz, Fionnula Flanagan, Thea Gill, Erik King and Peter Paige.
If only I coulda gotten my hand on a gift bag - they were stuffed with DVDs of such showtime shows as "Dexter" and "Weeds" and I looked longingly at anyone who had one. Of course, they actually PAID for their ticket. But the crowd could not be beat and I'll be sharing my interviews with lots of the stars in the coming days here and on my Out In Hollywood blog.
Beloved by the gay community, Light has attended L.A.'s Outfest film festival for each of the last 15 years and this year, co-starred in the event's opening night film "Save Me." She is the real deal.
"You are my teachers, you are my role models," Light said during an emotional and stirring speech. "You risk everything to be authentic. Do you know how rare that is in this culture? ...People who are out and who are willing to risk in order to lead."
Also honored Thursday was Showtime's President of Entertainment Robert Greenblatt whose network has had such pioneering LGBT shows as "Queer As Folk" and "The L Word," such films as "Soldier's Girl" as well as gay characters in current hits "Weeds" and "The Tudors."
"We have this awesome track record of gay and lesbian stories and characters - we've done it, I think, more consistently than anybody I can think of," Greenblatt told me before the event. "It's just a lot of representation. The audience has been building for years and we've done a lot of stuff that keeps the audience there."
The hilarious Rhea, far more potty-mouthed than on television, hosted the event and no celeb not in attendance was safe. She shared her passion for "Dancing With the Stars" but joked: "I voted for Wayne Newton...I thought it was Marie Osmond." She also told an unflattering story about an Oscar-winning actress who she refused to name (She said her name rhymed with "Gay Runaway") who she met at last year's event and said to Rhea that she was directing a film and "I need a younger, thinner version of you...we're not young anymore."
"She's 119 and I'm 38!" Reah said, the audience roaring."I wanted to be nice to her because everyone says she's evil and maybe everyone's wrong."
"They were RIGHT."
Rhea described honoree Light as "my favorite prostitute in the history of television - ever. She made me the hooker that I am today." She was referring to Light's celebrated run as housewive-turned-prostitute Karen Wolek on ABC's "One Life To Live," a role that won her two Emmys.
The audience was shown brief clips from "The 25 Films that Changed Our Lives" which celebrates such groundbreaking LGBT films as "Parting Glances," "Making Love" "Desert Hearts," and "Longtime Companion." The Outfest Legacy Project is dedicated to film preservation and restoration.
"...This community gets itself," Light said. "You recognize the importance of your history.'

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 9:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Good morning and happy Friday...
My coffee this morning is from the 7-Eleven down the street and it is goooood. I looked at the tabloids near the checkstand and they were ridiculous. One had Rosie saying that Barbara Walters is trying to kill her! Then there is In Touch which has the screaming headline: "Angelina gains 10 pounds!"
Fascinating.
So hey, this is great to hear: Owen Wilson is back! He appeared with his castmates at the L.A. premiere of "The Darjeeling Limited" in his first professional appearance since his reported suicide attempt in August. TMZ.com reports that Owen took the stage with co-stars Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman to talk about the movie, and director Wes Anderson said of him, "I've never made a movie without him and I hope I never have to."...I'm so shocked (not!) about the whole Marion Jones steriod admission. Between her and Barry Bonds and others, it is sad to see sports tainted in this way. Two words of advice: don't cheat!...The Britney Spears mess is managing to remain at this sort of consistent, bizarre level. She checked in to yet another hotel yesterday, couldn't start her car (she now has her license) then later tells paparazzi that she loves them. WhatEVER....Tracey Gold has had her share of problems from anorexia to a DUI accident when she crashed with her kids in the car. It seems the former "Growing Pains" star is back on track, at least I hope so, since she is now pregnant with her FOURTH child... It seems like a big deal is being made of Rosie O'Donnell joking the other night at a comedy club that she was fired from "The View" by Barbara Walters. Seems silly. Rosie quit. It was a joke...And finally, it sure is good to see Janet Jackson looking so good and in a movie again. Here she is at the premiere of her new film, "Why Did I Get Married?" She was so good as Penny on "Good Times" as a kid then was terrific in "Poetic Justice." She should act more...

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 8:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SNAPPED!
Here is Justin Timberlake and girlfriend Jessica Biel in Toronto where he is shooting the movie "The Love Guru" with Mike Myers and Jessica Alba...So last year's "American Idol" champ Taylor Hicks may have not sold many records but have things really gotten so dire that the best gig he can get is being the celeb draw at the opening of a housing development in Alabama? Just askin...Kathy Griffin has some advice for Britney Spears. Kinda ironic ain't it: Kathy is climbing toward the A-list while Britney is well on her way to the D-list...Mark Wahlberg, more in demand than ever as an actor, is saying that he wants to spend a bit less time working and more time with his girlfriend and their two kids. Sounds like a guy with his priorities in the right place...Oscar winner Tatum O'Neal, so good in F/X's "Rescue Me," had drug problems of her own and lost custody of her three kids with ex-hubby John McEnroe. She has some advice for Spears: Do what the court asks: I relate to her and feel really sad for her," O'Neal tells Entertainment Tonight. "I did everything that she doesn't want to do. I did the drug testing ... It was very humbling, but I wanted those kids back." ...So, is Lindsay Lohan thinking about enrolling in college? Stranger things have happened..Forbes is reporting that Jennifer Aniston is the top magazine cover girl, the celeb who sold the most mags in a six month period. Angelina Jolie was only fourth just in case you were wondering...and finally, the growing consensus is that either Jennifer Lopez is indeed pregnant or she's eating more fast food than Britney Spears. Here's a recent photo of her looking, at the very least, VERY bloated:

Tacky, but funny quote of the day:
"I earned every stretch mark on my boobies. I am a WOman!"
- co-host Sherri Shepherd on "The View" Thursday morning...

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

She's got a new boyfriend and she's having a great time with him but Elizabeth Taylor Hilton Wilding Todd Fisher Burton Burton Warner Fortensky, 75, makes one thing clear in this YouTube clip: she is NOT getting married for the ninth time:

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 1:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ho hum.
Just another day at the office. Chatted up the daughter of Alfred Hitchcock, Clint Eastwood, Kirk Douglas, Tippi Hedren, and Angela Lansbury, among others, at the ArcLight Theatres last night where they had come - along with Warren Beatty, George Lucas, Jack Nicholson, Billy Crystal, and Sylvester Stallone - to introduce their classic films which screened at a an event that sold out 10 of the Arclight auditoriums.
"I think it's very exciting and wonderful that they're able to do this," Patricia Hitchcock O'Connell told me before she went into the theater. "I'm just happy that it is "The Birds" [screening] because we all loved that movie. [My father] made his movies for the audience, not for himself and that's why they've lasted because audiences do not change."
She walked the red carpet mostly unnoticed but I knew she'd be there and recognized her father in her eyes. I asked one of the PR folks, "Is that Hitchcock's daughter?" He said yes so I called her over and withins seconds, a group of us had recorders in her face. Sometimes, ya just gotta ask.
As an actress, O'Connell appeared in "Psycho" and "Strangers on a Train" as well as in several episodes father's television series: "I wouldn't have been cast if he didn't think I was right and I had training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. If you had training, then he loved using you."
She was delightful. O'Connell introduced the "The Birds" along with the film's star, Tippi Hedren, who had flown in from Frankfurt, Germany earlier Wednesday where she had accepted an award on Hitchcock's behalf at a film festival.
"He was not only my director, he was my drama coach and this was the first film I did so it was amazing to have that kind of support," Hedren said. She was so mellow and didn't display any jet lag. Tippi Hedren can't be that young anymore but she sure looks terrific. She who wore a gold broach of birds given to her by Hitchcock when she landed the role in "The Birds."

Kirk Douglas. Wow. Knock me over with a feather. His film, "Spartacus," had the honor of playing in the Cineramadome and he was tickled when I told him three young guys had come to the flick dressed as Spartacus. "They did? Where?" They were long gone though. Kirk said: "Maybe I'll see them inside." Douglas said he was "very proud and excited to be invited" but really, everyone seemed so excited to see him.
When asked what part of the script jumped out at him and got him interested in the part, Douglas said: "He had a speech, he was talking to the slaves and he said "we...will be free" and I think we are still fighting for freedom even today."
The amazing Angela Lansbury, a three-time Oscar nominee, was not there to introduce her classic "The Manchurian Candidate" but instead the 1991 animated Disney film "Beauty and the Beast." She liked the idea of "kind of trotting out our finest and our best now and again."
Nicholson, looking happy to be there to introduce "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," hurried down the red carpet smiling and waving but wasn't very chatty. But he did answer my question of where he'd rank "Cuckoo's Nest" among his films: "I don't rank my own films," he said, barely breaking stride.
Longtime AFI President Jean Picker Firstenberg introduced Nicholson at the event and told me it wasn't at all difficult to convince him to show up for the movie that won him the first of his three Oscars: "I sent a letter to Jack and asked him if he would join us and he called me up and he said,"Yeah, I'll come." It was that simple."

Clint Eastwood, unlike Nicholson, Beatty and Crystal, did not blow by much of the press and took time to reflect on what drew him to make his Oscar-winning western "The Unforgiven."
"It was the best western script that I had ever had maybe outside of 'The Outlaw Josie Whales' and I think that's the reason I haven't done one in 17 years because I haven't found a western genre script in that league."
Rob Reiner told me he was happy to be at the event to introduce his film "When Harry Met Sally" along with Crystal and Warner Bros. head Alan Horn who was a producer: "It was a real thrill, a real honor to be included with such great films as 'Cuckoo's Nest' and 'Bonnie and Clyde' and Spartacus.' These are classic films."
Sylvester Stallone did not walk the red carpet but I was really happy to see his leading lady in "Rocky," Oscar-nominated Talia Shire, chatting away. Is she ageless or WHAT? I asked about her role the "Rocky" films as well as in "The Godfather" trilogy.
"I'm very blessed," she said. "I used to think of Sylvester as like, the younger brother. Something about his mythology and his poetry and his language and his eloquence which did remind me of my own brother [Francis Ford Coppola]. Boy, what terrific movies. You have to remember, 'Rocky' was a low-budget movie and I don't know if that will ever happen quite like that again. We didn't have a lot of money so I got to get that hat and I went to my eye doctor and I got those glasses. In a sense, everything that sort of went wrong, went right. It was a very spiritual time."

Anywho, WHAT.A. NIGHT!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Good morning!
If you came here looking for Britney news, it's here, but at the end. I just can't begin my day with more of this sordid mess and neither should you! Instead, let me tell you about who is guesting on NBC's "30 Rock" tonight: Jerry Seinfeld! He'll do anything to promote "The Bee Movie" won't he? Fine with me. This should be worth watching. The show is hot off its Emmy win for Outstanding Comedy Series...A big congrats to New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez and his wife, Cynthia who are expecting a baby next spring...It's another break-up for seven-time Tour De France champ Lance Armstrong...Also splitting, Nick Cannon and his fiancee...This is scary: Isaac Hanson, the oldest member of the brother band Hanson, was hospitalized in Texas with a pulmonary embolism...In happier news, 29-year-old Hung Huynh was named the winner of the third season of Bravo's Top Chef on Wednesday...Star Trek's Sulu, Mr. George Takei, has had an astroid named after him! I can think of no one more deserving...

And finally, you knew it was coming....A KFED-BRIT COURT UPDATE: Kevin Federline, wearing an eye patch to court because "his eye was sore," retains custody of his two sons for now, but his ex-wife Britney Spears gets monitored visitation of the tots, a judge ordered Wednesday after a three-hour closed-door court session. The custody arrangement stays in effect until the next hearing which is scheduled for Oct. 26. Both Federline and Spears will be required to attend then.
And speaking of Britney (aren't we always), she wasn't required to be in court (neither was KFed actually). Where was she? Getting coffee and going from house to house and finally to the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills. All this hotel hopping is kinda bizarre. Here is a clip of her leaving a Starbucks - just another moment in her endlessly chaotic life where the paprazzi are her endless companions:

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Perez Hilton seems to have a black eye. I just checked his blog and in the caption under the pic, he does not mention the eye. Hmmmm.. Meanwhilew, Perez reports that while Kevin Federline attended a court hearing in LA this afternoon regarding custody of his kids with Britney Spears, the pop tart did not. She was not required to attend but I wonder where she was. Maybe in a parenting class? At a drug test?...So, do Chris Daughtry and Vin Diesel REALLY look that much alike? Apparently the Hollywood Reporter thinks so. They ran a photo online of Chris with Vin's name under it. I'm surprised they didn't run a photo of Telly Savalas since they can't keep their bald dudes apart...The guy Nicolas Cage caught trespassing in his Newport Beach has been caught..America Ferrera seems to be the anti-Britney, showing the world that to be young and famous does not have to equal train wreck. She was recently honored as a "Latina Leader" ...OK, back to young and famous trainwrecks: Lindsay Lohan is pictured below reuniting with her dad. For her sake, I hope it does her some good and not trigger any kind of downhill slide...

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

OK, a movie about a guy whose girlfriend is a life-sized doll who the rest of the town accepts and embraces?
Right.
So when walking out of the premiere last night of "Lars and the Real Girl" at the Moltion Picture Academy Theatre last night, I was so surprised to find myself thinking: "What a really wonderful film." It drew me in with this incredible script and a first-rate cast headed by Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer, Paul Schneider and Patricia Clarkson.
Hard to believe it is only the second feature film for director Craig Gillepsie.
I chatted with the director, the cast and the writer before the movie.
Gillepsie told me he worked a long time to get financial backing for a movie he knew was a hard sell: It has Gosling playing a socially challenged introvert who's new girlfriend, Bianca, is a life-sized doll.
"Four years of pitching it, so we knew it was a hard sell," he says. "Nancy Oliver wrote this great script and everyone agreed that it was a beautiful script - nobody wanted to make it. Eventually Sidney Kimmel jumped on board...and took that leap of
faith."
No ome was more surprised than Oliver that her little fable got made: "I never even thought about selling it at all, I wrote it for fun. I had no expectations whatsoever and I'm completely shocked to be here. The whole thing is just like such a ride, such a trip.
For Gosling, the part of Lars Lindstrom (wasn't that the name of Cloris Leachman's never-seen hubby on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show"?) was a nice departure from roles like his Oscar-nominated turn as a drug-addicted teacher in "Half Nelson."
"He's just the sweetest, nicest, most imaginative, lovely guy and you don't really read characters that are that good," Gosling says. "A lot of my time has been spent playing parts investigating the dark side, the self-destructive side of myself and of these characters. It was really nice to play somebody who doesn't really have that side."
His co-stars were unanimous in their praise of Gosling. Said Clarkson: "I found [my role] challenging and the fact that all my scenes would be with Ryan, who I knew would be a dream. I was hoping he would be and of course he turned out to be perfect."

Clarkson plays the doctor/therapist who gently helps Lars work through his illusion and she sets the tone for handling it all with great love, care and sensitivity.
"I did find the script odd and funny and it captured me," said the Emmy winning actress. "In all the work I'd done, I'd never played a therapist. I'd never played a woman so reserved which is quite difficult for me because I'm usually playing such emotional, traumatized women andthis woman is so insular and so inner and it's such an internal journey.
Paul Schneider plays Gus, Lars' brother, and I asked him if he thought the movie might be a hard sell to audiences. He didn't mince words: "It's a hard sell if audiences are interested in not at all being challenged and paying for what they've already paid for before. If they're interested in movies that are all about recouping investment and trying to play to the broadest common demoninator to do so. I think people should be going to movies to be surprised."
Gee Paul, tell me what ya really think!
As for Gosling, next up is the Peter Jackson-directed "The Lovely Bones" later this month. Since his Oscar nod earlier this year, he said the scripts have been more plentiful and of higher quality: "It picks things up - a lot. It was extremely helpful."
Gosling walked the red carpet with sister Mandy who, while close to her brother, had grown really fond of the character of Lars: "I miss Lars, my mom and I. He lived at home when it was shot it Toronto, and we talked about how much we missed Lars as a person. When we got to see the movie, we were so excited to be able to see him again. He doesn't really exist but, we want him to. We wanted to invite him over to dinner."
"Lars" opens in New York and L.A. Oct. 12 and nationwide Oct. 26.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Britain's the Daily Mail has published THE most haunting picture of Princess Diana - ever. Looks like this is just seconds before the crash. Look at the driver! Yikes. I'm still sad she's dead but an inquiry 10 years later? What is the point?
So Howard K. Stern, the sorta odd seeming guy who was with Anna Nicole Smith for years as personal lawyer, reality show character, and finally, partner, is suing Former MSNBC host and author Rita Cosby for $60 million in a libel lawsuit over allegations in her book "Blonde Ambition: The Untold Story Behind Anna Nicole Smith's Death." In it, Cosby claims that Stern and Larry Birkhead were sexually involved and later conspired to share Anna Nicole Smith's estate. Will the drama EVER end?...Danny Bonaduce was trouble when he was Danny Partridge and he's trouble now. Last night, at something called the Reality Awards, Danny threw "Survivor" contestant Johnny Fairplay into some seats And finally, There's a hearing today in the Britney Spears custody case at 1:30 this afternoon so we'll see what happens there in the Afternoon Blend. Comediene Sarah Silverman was on "The View" today and addressed the grief she got after referring to Spears' children at the VMA's as 'two beautiful mistakes." Silverman stands by her jokes: "MTV put me on right after Britney Spears! Was I not supposed to make jokes?...I'm happy with my joke...I wasn't making fun of the kids, I was making fun of her...

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jane Seymour dazzled on "Dancing With the Stars" last night but news has just come from England that the actress' 92-year-old mother, Meke Frankenberg, has died.
Seymour has released the following statement to The Insider: "My mother survived incredible challenges. Her health issues that she never complained about ... three and half years in a Japanese concentration camp in World War II and the loss of her husband, JOHN, who was the love of her life. However, she was always a beacon of love and hope for all she met and especially for my sisters ANNE and SALLY and for our entire family. Her spirit was indomitable and will continue to live forever in our hearts."
It is not yet known how this may impact Seymour's participation on "Dancing with the Stars." What is known is that she not will appear on tonight's results show and is en route to England at this time to be with her family and attend services.
Seymour is a showbiz trooper and my guess is she will learn the next week's routines in time to participate in the show next week. Her mother was said to be very excited about her daughter being on the show.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After losing custody of her children, for now, Britney Spears - instead of heading home to Malibu - checked into the Penninsula Hotel. Not sure why. The good thing is, she hired a driver and as she was photographed getting out of the car, you could see that she was wearing panties underneath her barely-there miniskirt.
The whole Britney Spears spiral is such a mystery - maybe even to her - but the ladies of "The View" shared some of their thoughts on what might be having with the fallen pop star: "I have a strange feeling about this," said Whoopi Goldberg. "I think she's discovered she's not not cut out for [motherhood]. I think she's just giving it up. It's insane what's happening."
Joy Behar, who at first joked that KFed should NOT hire Lindsay Lohan as a nanny, said "most people parent the way they've been parented...the cycle just goes on and on and on."
Meanwhile, Barbara Walters said to Britney: "For heaven's sake, get help for yourself.": Then she wondered about Federline's ability to support the kids financially: "The money comes from Britney...and he has two other kids...you worry abvout thoese adorable little babies."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 1:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Snapped!
Here is the lovely Cate Blanchett at last night's premiere of her new film: "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" at Universal Studios. The actress reprises her Oscar-nominated role from "Elizabeth."...It looks like Cameron Diaz might have a new boyfriend and his name is Bradley Cooper, best known for his role on "Alias"...Question of the day: Is Mel Gibson partying again?...NBA legend Isiah Thomas has been found liable by a jury in a harassment case...Barbara Walters, pushing 80, tells Faith Hill she finds her hubby, Tim McGraw, sexy...Apparently the man who created the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC, Lou Pearlman, is a real perve. Why does this not surprise me?... Meanwhile, there are more revelations leaking out from Rosie O'Donnell's sure-to-be-a-best-seller book "Celebrity Detox."...Heard Wes Anderson on the radio AGAIN this afternoon while on the 101 and he talked a little more about Owen Wilson: "Owen is excited about ["The Darjeeling Limited"] coming out, we just opened the New York Film Festival last weekend and we're just going forward the way we always intended. He's my best friend. He's doing very well. We've all seen quite a bit of him lately and he's doing great." ... And finally, what is Diana Ross - the superstar diva of all time and one of my all-time favorite singers - doing leaving the house looking like THIS? A expect more from this supereme songstress...

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 1:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I was driving along Vine Street in Holywood last night when Terry Gross' "Fresh Air" radio show came on KPPC. This is such a good show that I often find myself sitting in the car for as long as a half hour if I arrive home when she's in the middle of a good interview. Last night she interviewed Wes Anderson about his new film, "The Darjeeling Limited" which stars his close friend Owen Wilson along with Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman (pictured above).
I wondered if they would discuss Owen's recent suicide attempt and when Terry delcately broached the subject, I turned on my tape recorder and caught the following bit for ya:
Gross: [Wilson's] head is bandaged and banged up through the movie because his character has been in a motorcycle accident and the accident could be a suicide. Did you write this for him knowing that he had that possibility within him?
Anderson: Oh no, not in any way. Of course not. ...I don't want to speak for Owen, you'll have an interview with him and he'll just speak for himself much better than I can...It comes from my fascination and has something to do with me which I couldn't even begin to explain. It doesn't have anything to do with Owen.
Gross: You are an old friend of Owen Wilson's, you went to college together and lived with him for years, what do you like about working with him as an actor?
Anderson: " Owen, we're best friends, we're peers and at the same time, in a way, i sort of think of Owen in some ways, i don't want to be too generous to him, but he's a bit mentorish to me. We've learned a lot from each other over the years but right from the beginning, he had experience that I hadn't. ..He's very funny, he's one of the funniest guys i ever met."
Gross later expressed her sympathy to Anderson that someone so close to him had attempted suicide and asked whether he thought Wilson would act again.
Anderson: Of course...I think there's a great deal of information which I'm not gonna clear up because I think it's better if he just clears it up himself. But being close to death is not an accurate description of what he experienced. I talk to him all the time, I was with him very recently. He's following what's going on with our movie. We have to really promote this and he can't be a part of that right now but we'll be seeing lots more work from him in the future."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Good morning...
Hope you don't mind more Britney Spears news with your first sip but this time, the "singer" has gotten herself into a real mess, losing custody of the two boys she should be mothering. She's the lead story on all the newscasts. I'm sure she yearns for the days - like last week - when her most immediate problems were getting ahold of a tampon at a Quiznos or getting lost in Malibu. With the latest development - the judge ordered her to turn to boys over to ex-hubby KFed - comes the big spectacle that starts to get REAL annoying: things like publicity hog Gloria Allred giving a press conference, along with the body guard who testified about Brit's partying and nakedness at home. Said Allred: "I believe it is the shock treatment that Britney Spears needs." TMZ.com reports that Spears had ignored all of the judge's orders in order to retain 50-50 custody: things like drug testing and parenting classes and having a valid driver's license. One thing that Britney DID do immediately was to apply for her California Driver's License on Monday afternoon, taking the written test and posing for her license photo with some unfortunate looking hair weaves...
In other news, in the new issue of Details, Ben Affleck talks about how bad the publicity from his relationship with Jennifer Lopez was for his career and about how much he has riding on his new directorial effort, "Gone, Baby Gone" :I want [the film] to work. Badly. I mean, a sh***y movie comes out on 2,800 screens? I’ve been there and it’s embarrassing.” I'll say. I was at the premiere of "Gigli."...So Jorja Fox will be leaving CBS' "CSI" in November and in an interview with TV Guide's Michael Ausiello, she sounds a little bitter: "A couple of years ago, I decided not to take the raise that was offered to me [which] would've added a year to my contract. At the time, I was feeling a little hurt and angry [about] the firing of myself and the firing of George Eads [in 2004 for not reporting to the set during contract negotiations]. And I wasn't so sure if I wanted to give anybody any extra time. And the raise was terrible, to be frank. An extra year for THAT amount of money? No, thank you."...In happier news, actress Teri Polo, best known for playing Ben Stiller's fiancee then wive in the "Meet the Parents" and "Meet the Fockers" movies, is seven months pregnant...Speaking of babies, remember Olympic champion pairs skaters Jaime Salé and David Pelletier? They're the duo who originally were awarded a silver mdeal in the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City but, after a judging scandal, were awarded the gold. Well, anyway, they welcomed their first child on Sunday, a son named Jesse who weighed seven pounds...And speaking of pounds, is Clay Aiken having too many donuts with his morning cup of joe? You decide. Here is a picture of the "American Idol" season two runner-up alum at a book party Monday night in NYC for Jenna Bush’s book "Ana’s Story: A Journey Of Hope."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Snapped!
Orlando Bloom and Jennifer Aniston? Are they friends? Are they more? Heck, who knows. But this picture, taken in recent days at a resort in Mexico, musta made some photographer gobs of money... I just finished reading NY Post columnist Cindy Adams' (the one who wrote a book about her dog) complete rant against anyone who is not American in NYC. I think she is forgetting what country she lives in which is kind of appalling since she lives so close to Ellis Island...First Britney loses custody of her kids and now, in other unfit parental news, Lindsay Lohan is supposed to spend five days of quality time with her dad. We know this because, of course, he told the press all about it. Is this father-daughter reunion a good idea? Just askin...Uh boy, first George Clooney cracks up on his motorcycle with his galpal on the back and now Keith Urban, on his way to an AA meeting in Syndey, ate it on his bike. Mrs. Urban (the lovely Nicole Kidman) was not riding on the back...Victoria Beckham's NBC reality special may have been an absolute ratings bust, but her reunion with the Spice Girls is already a big hit in London where tickets to the first show sold out in 38 SECONDS! How does that happen? Modern technology sure takes all the fun outa camping out in line and getting wrist bands and all the stuff...

And finally, a funny quote uttered by Whoopi Goldberg on "The View" this morning after talking about a news story reporting that two nuns beat up their Mother Superior: "Nuns are women. They're women with no sex. I played a nun. I got no sex."
Goldberg played a singing nun in the box office smash "Sister Act" and its sequel...

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 3:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pop tart Britney Spears has lost physical custody of her two baby sons! The story is developing so I'll update with more in a bit. It just gets worse and worse for her. It's really not so fun watching this train wreck anymore. KFed is supposed to get the tots Wednesday. I don't know if this is related or not, but apparently Britney has never had a valid California Drivers license, according to TMZ. For someone who drives as much as she does, I find that to be a real head scratcher.
Remember only about a year ago when she got all slim, threw KFed out and appeared on Letterman like she was ready to take on the world and re-start her career as a strong and single mom?
A lot can happen in 12 months in the life of Britney Spears...A LOT!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 1:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"Everybody Hates Chris" might be the story of comic Chris Rock's childhood, but Rock has never actually appeared on the show other than as narrator. That changes tonight in the season premiere of the show on the CW. Rock plays a school guidance counselor in the episode and will advise the television version of his younger self.
Tichina Arnold, who plays Chris' mother on the series, told me recently that she thinks this could be the year that the show gets more notice: "We're in our third season which I'm very proud of. We were thrown by the wayside for a second but we're finding out way and I think this third season is definitely gonna prove it."
Most of that being thrown by the wayside was due to the merger of the old WB and UPN networks into the single network CW. "Chris" and some of the other established UPN sitcoms got shuffled around, making it difficult for the audience to keep track of.
Arnold, who previously co-starred opposite Martin Lawrence in his FOX sitcom "Martin," wants people to know that if they haven't seen "Chris" up until now,"they're missing a wonderful show. It's actually the only family [sitcom] that is on the networks right now. It's great being different in that regard. Our show, we kind of stay in our little box. It's done in a specific time and during a sepcific decade and we're having fun in terms of just pushing the envelope this season, doing more outlandish things and more outrageous things. More flashbacks and fantasies."
"This is a season I'm very proud of. Please watch!"

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 1:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Good morning...pour yourself some coffee and let's dish!
This "High School Musical" kid, Zac Efron, is a real paparazzi fave these days. Somehow, him buying a Starbucks or putting gas in his car is like, newsworthy. I guess with Lindsay in rehab, it frees up entire parts of the photogs day and following around Britney all day has gotta get old, doesn't it? So here is Zach, also a star of "Hairspray," at Saturday night's Dodgers game with second baseman Jeff Kent. Zach always has that big smile on his face, looks so happy. Let's just hope it stays there...
...Meanwhile, there is Britney. There's always Britney. I will note that her upcoming album is said to be not so bad so we'll have to see if it helps her recover from the VMA debacle. Over the weekend, she - followed by paparazzi, of course - got lost in Malibu. I dunno, I'm just passing it along...In other train wreck news, Pam Anderson - divorced from Tommy Lee and Kid Rock - is apparently considering marrying Rick Salomon. He's the dude who is with Paris Hilton in the infamous sex tape and was once married to Brenda Walsh from "90210." I'd send them a wedding present but they'd probably be divorced before it even arrived...Paula Abdul, 45, is saying she wants to have a baby. Hmmmm. ...and speaking of babies, Melissa Etheridge may already be a mom to two older kids, but having twins with wife Tammy "is a whole different ball of wax"...DeWayne "The Rock" Johnson must be feeling even more studly than usual this morning. His Disney comedy, "The Game Plan," kicked butt at the box office making the way higher-than-expected $22.7 million. Wow! It has been expected to finish behind the Jamie Foxx action flick "The Kingdom" which was second with $17 million...And finally, I want to write about a guy whose been a star for more than 40 years and he's a grandfather. Think I'm talking about Tony Bennett or somebody older like that? Nope, it's Donny Osmond! He's landed a new gig as the "Dancing with the Stars" correspondent for "Entertainment Tonight." His sister Marie, of course, is one of the contestants so that should be fun to see them interact. I like Donny - still as cute as he ever was - because he's a showbiz survivor. He's still putting out albums - good ones - and taking different kinds of gigs whether it's appearing on stage or hosting a game show. He's very likeable and a welcome presence on television.
Catch ya later with some Afternoon Blend and other items...

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 8:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)