Oscar's theater is ready
It's the Friday before the Academy Awards so it's a bit of a mad house at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood where Sunday's ceremony will take place. Hordes of tourists were happy when rain gave way to sunshine this afternoon outside the theater where they waited to catch a glimpse of anything that might be Oscar-related. The gold-velvet curtain that drapes the front of the building and hides the fact that there are regular mall stores will do. Better yet are the giant golden Oscar replicas, standing like stern guards over the best block on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Our Jeanne Wright visited the site today to pick up the press credentials that will get her access to the red carpet and back stage on Sunday. Jeanne and I have been through a few Oscars together — on the red carpet, back stage, even sitting inside for the show the year that David Letterman hosted and did his Uma/Oprah routine — so she's no stranger to the craziness that can prevail in these pre-Oscar days. Security is tight already and will remain so through the weekend. Streets around the theater are blocked off and Jeanne's car was scanned for explosives with one of those under-the-car mirrors before she could even park it in the underground lot.
Below is a peek at of some of what goes into getting ready for Sunday night, from spray-painting Oscar to Jon Stewart's rehearsal.
Will Ferrell in a Coen Brothers film?
Who doesn't love Will Ferrell? I certainly do. The man is a comedy machine, and his latest film, Semi-Pro looks as fun as anything he's done. Ferrell plays Jackie Moon, a one-hit wonder who uses his earnings to buy a basketball team. The movie is out Feb. 29, so we put him on our cover this weekend. Writer Jeffrey Resner had a one-on-one chat with Ferrell for the cover story, but check out the photo. Unlike many of our cover subjects, Ferrell was game for anything. Here are some tidbits that didn't make it into the magazine.
Ferrell's been playing basketball since he was a little kid, and currently plays in the NBA's Entertainment League with teammates Josh Duhamel and Sacha Baron Cohen, who Ferrell says hasn't been to a game yet. So what does Ferrell bring to the court? The New York Post reported that his on-court nickname is "The Quiet Assassin," but Ferrell says it's untrue. "I love that, but I don’t know where they got it from! It doesn’t ring a bell, but I’ll take it, believe me." He also revealed that while he loves sports, he never set out to make a string of sports-related movies. "It’s truly just luck of the die. We set out to make Talladega (Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby) when we did to capitalize on NASCAR’s popularity and then through a fluke Ben Stiller was supposed to do Blades of Glory but he had to drop out," he explained. "I knew I always wanted to do a basketball movie but I knew I’d get flack because it’s three in a row – that was my biggest fear about doing it." And while he may be focused on avoiding a fourth sports flick, Ferrell is looking for some more dramatic roles. "I would love to pursue them more," he says. "It’s funny, Stranger than Fiction didn’t open the floodgates, so to speak. Maybe there’s stuff I’ve been offered that I don’t know about, but I would love to do more stuff in that vein. I would absolutely take a supporting role in a drama. Who wouldn’t want to take a part in a Coen Brothers movie in that kind of capacity? I would jump at the chance to do even a smaller role."
Happy birthday to Drew Barrymore
Happy birthday to Drew Barrymore, who turns 33 today and is probably celebrating with beau Justin Long. Also celebrating today are Saturday Night Live's Rachel Dratch, who turns 42, Julius "Dr. J" Erving, who turns 58, Jerry Ryan, who turns 40, and Jonathan Demme, who turns 64.
February 21, 2008
Two Real Housewives of New York City
Our office intern, Dana Kinker, is almost as big a fan of reality TV as Kathy is, so she was happy to chat with Alex McCord and LuAnn de Lesseps from Bravo’s new show, The Real Housewives of New York City, premiering March 4. (All five of the Housewives are pictured at right. Alex is on the far right, and LuAnn is in the middle.) Read on for Dana's full report:
Surprisingly, neither Alex nor LuAnn had seen The Real Housewives of Orange County, the show from which the New York version is taken. LuAnn says the New York version shows the women living a much faster-paced life than their Orange County counterparts. In New York, “Social life and going out is a lot more demanding,” she said. “In California, it seems like it’s more laid back, going to barbecues at a home.” Both women are anxious to see how the series plays out, and will be watching with the rest of America as each episode airs. For Alex, being on this series is an opportunity to have edited video of her family to show her children when they are older. LuAnn, on the other hand, hopes the series will spotlight all the charities in the city with which she is involved and show the depth of New York socialites. “I hope to make people aware that women like to shop, have manicures and get Botox, but there’s more to be done,” said LuAnn. “You’ll see on the show that there’s a lot more going on than just shopping.”
(photo by Jay Sullivan/Bravo)
Tracey Gold on being a working mom
Kathy just got off the phone with Tracey Gold, who she reports was a real delight to talk to (after she got over the initial shock of hearing Carol Seaver's voice on the line). Gold is the host of the new TLC show, The Secret Life of a Soccer Mom. The show, which premieres March 3 at 10 p.m., lets stay-at-home moms experience a week of what their lives would be like if they'd decided to work full-time instead. And, at the end of each show, the women and their families (who were in the dark about Mom's new job) have to decide if she'll continue with her job, or go back to full-time motherhood.
Tracey jumped at the chance to host the show because she felt she could "relate to these women a lot -- I go through similar situations and struggles," she says. And she does know a thing or two about juggling a job and motherhood, as a consistently working actress with has three young boys -- plus one on the way (due in "just a few weeks," she says). I got a glimpse of her juggling skills while we were talking: Her youngest son, Aiden Michael, was trying to get her attention, so she had to put the phone down and get him to "ask Dada." She says she's used to the sort of chaos that comes with big families, though not with so many boys: She's the oldest of five girls. "When I had my first boy, I was in total shock. I was like, 'What do you do with a little boy?!'" she said. "But it's been great. There's nothing like having four little boys and they love their mom and it's been great. But it was shock. I have a doll collection that is in storage right now. I looked at it the other day and thought, "I guess you aren't coming out 'till the grandkids!'"
(photo by Gilles Mingasson/TLC)
Wolfgang Puck's post-Oscar party menu
Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck (below, at right) is once again the man behind the menu for the Governors Ball following Sunday night's Academy Awards ceremony. This is Puck's 14th year catering the ball, which has become a much bigger deal than it ever used to be. Twenty years ago, when I covered my first Oscars, the Governors Ball was barely a stop-by venue. The stars were more likely to take their limos straight from the Oscars to the late superagent Swifty Lazar's party, then held at Puck's restaurant Spago, on Sunset Boulevard.
This year, the Governors Ball is about the only place to party. Vanity Fair canceled its always-amazing Oscar-viewing dinner and post-party because it didn't seem "appropriate" to be celebrating after the writers strike. Dani Janssen, whose private dinner and post-party always gets top names, also won't be held. Elton John's annual party will go on - he makes it a fundraiser for AIDS research and has raised $15 million over the years. John and Mary J. Blige have promised to perform this year.
So, Oscar nominees and their entourages are even more likely to make the Governors Ball their first stop and then linger. They will be justifiably starving by the time they get there (around 9 p.m. Pacific) and they will be ready to chow down on favorites like Puck's mini-Kobe beef burgers on brioche. (To see the full menu, click here.) And nobody wants to leave without at least one of his gold-dusted chocolate Oscars, even if they claim they are for the kids.
(photo © A.M.P.A.S.)
Happy birthday to Kelsey Grammer, William Petersen
Happy birthday to two very familiar TV faces, William Petersen and Kelsey Grammer. Do you know who's older? We'll tell you below. Two lovely ladies also have birthdays today. New mom Charlotte Church (her daughter, Ruby, was born five months ago) turns 22 today, and recently engaged Jennifer Love Hewitt turns 29.
Who'd you pick as older: the man best know as Gil Grissom (Petersen) or the man best known as Frasier (Grammer)? Petersen's got the edge by two years: He turns 55 today, while Grammer turns 53.
(photo by Sam Jones/FOX)
February 20, 2008
Oscar movie marathon
How many more movies must you see before Sunday's Academy Awards show? This is movie marathon week for many of us who kept putting off some of the contenders. Our Kathy Rowings has a fix for that. Here's her plan for Saturday.
"Full disclosure: Most of the Oscar-nominated movies didn't interest me this year, so the only one I've seen thus far is Juno. That seemed wrong, though, considering that my job revolv
es around all things celebrity, so imagine my glee when I discovered that it isn't too late to see all five of the
Best Picture contenders in one day. Sure, 12-plus hours of movies may feel like more work than fun, but much like my exercise regimen, I need to go all out or I won't do it at all. Here's how it works: AMC Theaters will show the five films on Saturday at theaters across the country. (Click here to find the one closest to you.) The order and times are set beforehand, and your ticket allows you to come and go as you please. That's good news, since I'm already concerned about what I'll eat all day (although there are unlimited free popcorn refills...). My roommate John and I will definitely be sitting through Michael Clayton, There Will be Blood, Atonement and No Country for Old Men, but may have to skip Juno -- even though we both love it -- to stretch our legs and get some real food in our bellies. Aside from the whole sitting-still-for-12-hours aspect, I'm most concerned about There Will be Blood and No Country for Old Men. I don't do well with violence, and I've had more than one movie-buff friend tell me point-blank I simply won't like them. What are your thoughts on those two movies, and the others? Do you think I'm crazy to try and sit through this movie marathon? Let me know in the comments!"
NBC breaks with tradition
NBC wants to let go of the traditional television season. I know, I know — you wonder if there even is a traditional television season anymore. It's certainly hard to argue that the confusion and inconsistency we have now is "traditional." I get hundreds of questions a year from television viewers who are angry about the way networks move and cancel their favorite shows without notice. So, maybe NBC Universal is onto a good idea. Its President and CEO Jeff Zucker said yesterday that in April the network will announce a 12-month programming schedule for all of its platforms - cable and broadcast. So what do you think? Should the networks stick to the old 9-month September through May programming "season"? Or should they go to 12-month programming introducing new series and new episodes whenever they are ready? Post your thoughts below.
Bette Midler's back - now in Vegas
I wish I were in Vegas, at least for tonight. Why? Because I love Bette Midler (at right) and tonight she opens her Caesars Palace show, The Showgirl Must Go On. She did a full dress rehearsal last night for a crowd of more than 4,000 but tonight is the official first of the 200 performances she will give in the next 2 1/2 years. Midler is 62 but she performs with her usual gusto and includes many of her signature numbers from early in her career. Of course, she makes an arresting entrance, arriving in a sparkly silver pant suit sitting on a burro
then breaking into a classic showgirl number.
(photo by Kevin Mazur/courtesy bettemidler.com)
Brad Meltzer's family expansion
Best-selling author Brad Meltzer and I have been friends since he spent a day with me to research the gossip reporter character he was developing in his last novel, The Book of Fate. His fans will be glad to know he has a new novel coming in September - and I'll be talking to him all about that when it gets closer to the publication date - but today the news on him is strictly personal. He and his wife Cori had their third child last weekend, little Theo Aaron Meltzer. Theo has a big brother, Jonas, and a big sister, Lila.
Happy birthday, Sidney Poitier
It's shaping up to be a snowy Wednesday in Washington, D.C., but hopefully these stars are somewhere warm and cozy to celebrate their birthdays. Three very recognizable American names share this special day: Sidney Poitier (at left) turns 81, Gloria Vanderbilt is 84, and Patty Hearst is 54. The beautiful Cindy Crawford turns 42 today, basketball great Charles Barkley turns 45, and actor Andrew Shue turns 44. Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell is 33 and Olympic swimmer Steve Lundquist is 47.
February 19, 2008
Glamourizing the Oscars
Let's be honest. This year's Academy Awards show was in definite need of a glamour infusion. Of the 19 nominees for acting awards (Cate Blanchett is in there twice), only George Clooney and Johnny Depp have major movie star appeal. But this is Hollywood we're talking about, where making a show sexy and interesting is what it's all about. First, they invited back all four of last year’s winners in the acting categories—Alan Arkin, Jennifer Hudson, Helen Mirren and Forest Whitaker—and they all will be there to present the new winners with their awards. Then they asked some crowd pleasers to present, too, among them Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, Steve Carell, Jessica Alba (at left), Josh Brolin, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Colin Farrell, Harrison Ford, Jennifer Garner, Tom Hanks, Anne Hathaway, Katherine Heigl, Jonah Hill, Dwayne Johnson, Nicole Kidman, James McAvoy, Queen Latifah, Seth Rogen, Martin Scorsese, Hilary Swank, John Travolta, Denzel Washington, Renee Zellweger and Miley Cyrus. Wait, Miley Cyrus, aka Hannah Montana, at the Oscars? It's true. I just hope she appears early so her fans can get to bed. It's a school night.
(photo © A.M.P.A.S.)
Jon Stewart's Oscar re-run
I watched Jon Stewart's The Daily Show last night. He was hilarious, as usual, crossing the boundaries of good taste several times and occasionally even cracking up himself. If only he could host the Oscars like that. Stewart (at right) and his team of writers (thank God the writers are back) will be madly working on the opening, the jokes, the possibilities this week as he gets ready to host Sunday night's big award show for the second time. We can only hope that he learned a few lessons from the first outing two years ago. Stewart is best when he's an unconstrained mischief-maker. It was clear the last time around that he didn't feel free to make mischief on the stage of the Kodak Theater before a house packed with 3,000 of Hollywood's most important. Some say Stewart's "brand" of humor is political and doesn't transfer to entertainment. I'm eager to hear what you think? Are you looking forward to Stewart as host of Sunday night's Oscar show? Post below to let me know.
(photo © A.M.P.A.S.)
Happy birthday to Justine Bateman
Arrested Development's Justine Bateman (at left) and Traffic's Benicio Del Toro both have birthdays today, but guess who's older. (We'll tell you the answer below.) Also celebrating today are Smokey Robinson, 68, Jeff Daniels, 53, Seal, 45, Prince Andrew, 48 and Lorrianne Crook, 51.
Who'd you pick as the first-born between Bateman and Del Toro? If you guessed Bateman, you're right. She turns 42 today, while Del Toro turns 41.
(photo by Isabella Vosmikova/Fox)
February 18, 2008
Bill Hurt talks to Bill Clinton about presidential safety
Now here's a conversation I would like to have heard. William Hurt (at right), who plays the U.S. President in Vantage Point opening this weekend, consulting former president Bill Clinton. Anyone who has seen the Vantage Point trailer knows that Hurt (as the president) gets shot, although not until the end of the movie does the audience understand what’s going on. At a meeting with the press to promote the movie, Hurt said he talked with Clinton but he was quick to point out, “I wasn’t playing President Clinton.” So what did he talk to Clinton about? “I asked him, ‘How does it feel when someone wants you dead?’” Hurt says. “He was very direct. He said, ‘You’ve got to be prepared to put your life on the line.'" Hurt adds, “We didn’t talk politics.” But if they had, Hurt might have told him what he told the gathered journalists: “I don’t think there should be one President of the United States. What’s wrong with a three-pronged Executive Branch? We could have a President from the Northeast, the South and the West.”
(photo courtesy Columbia Pictures)
Happy birthday to John Travolta
Happy birthday to several names that have long been associated with Hollywood. First there's John Travolta, of Pulp Fiction and Hairspray and Grease and the list goes on... He turns 54 today. Cybill Shepherd celebrates her 58th birthday today, and Miss Wheel of Fortune Vanna White celebrates her 51st. Then there are two actors who began as teens but have made the leap to full-blown adult stardom, Molly Ringwald and Matt Dillon. She's 40, he's 44. Cool Hand Luke's George Kennedy is 83 today, and Yoko Ono is 75.
