Pink Bat Day: Bid on signed bats
Major League Baseball players around the country will be hitting with pink bats Sunday, doing their part on Mother's Day to draw attention to the fight against breast cancer with Going to Bat. And just for our readers, New York Yankees mega-stars Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, as well as Good Morning America person
alities Robin Roberts, Diane Sawyer, Chris Cuomo and Sam Champion, have signed pink bats to put up for auction. Roberts, as her loyal fans know, just finished treatment for breast cancer. "It’s fantastic that you’re having these world-class athletes involved in an initiative like this," says Roberts, who participated in our photo shoot with A-Rod and Jeter. "It just helps bring attention to a much needed problem."
If you would like to have one of those signed bats, click here to bid.
May 08, 2008
Chris Rock's mom: Mothers' Day advice
Did you get your mom's Mothers' Day gift yet? If not, you might consider Rose Rock's new book Mama Rock’s Rules. R
ose is the mother of gifted comedian Chris Rock, but she raised 10 children of her own (including Chris) and 17 foster children. In other words, she knows a few things. We got her to talk with us about rearing Chris (she said she mostly had to reign him in to keep him from killing himself). But we also focused on the the difference she sees between parenting today and when she first began. Read on for her thoughts:
May 06, 2008
Pete Sampras on retirement and keeping busy
Pete Sampras is enjoying retirement, but it's not like he's just sitting on his couch watching TV (although he was on his couch when he called to chat with our Kathy Rowings). He's got an autobiographical book, A Champion's Mind: Lessons from a Life in Tennis, coming out in June, he's signed up to play in a Masters tennis tournament in London this winter, he's got two young kids and an actress wife, and he runs a sports management company with his brother. Whew. He did take some time off, though, after he decided to retire in 2003. Click on "Read More" below to find out how he dealt with going from the top tennis player in the world to being just a regular guy, in his own words.
(photo courtesy allposters.com)
May 05, 2008
Frank Sinatra movie tribute on TCM
You now know how much we love Frank Sinatra, but we're not alone. Turner Classic Movies (TCM) has a month-ong tribute to Frank. On Sundays and Wednesdays all month we can see Frank movies like From Here to Eternity, Pal Joey and the original (some would say real) Ocean's Eleven. And in conjunction with the movie tribute, TCM has launched a Web site that features more than 100 exclusive video clips and other Frank-related elements, like a video widget that plays songs from Sinatra movies. Check it out here.
Frank Sinatra memories keep coming
Wow. As of this morning 160 of you have shared personal stories of your connection with Frank Sinatra in response to the cover story in the magazine this weekend. (Click here to read our original blog post and share your own memories, or here to read the cover story in the magazine.) It's amazing how many of you saw him personally, or included his music in special moments in your lives. I understand completely. I was born in Kearny, N.J. — not far from Hoboken, Sinatra's home. My mother tells tales of being in high school, waiting in long lines to get tickets to see Sinatra at venues in New York when he was a teen hearthrob. My father, born and raised in Jersey City, had blue eyes and perfect pitch and could sing all of Sinatra's songs without missing a lyric, I swear, from memory. So it was fitting that we played nothing but Sinatra at my father's memorial service. I grew up with Sinatra on the hi-fi and, later, the stereo; I could sing High Hopes at the age of 6. I never met Sinatra, but I did interview his Rat-Pack buddy, the now deceased Joey Bishop, whose stories of their time together were fascinating.
Click here to add your comments to the original Who's News Sinatra remembrances posting
May 01, 2008
Sinatra: Remembrances on the 10th anniversary of his death
USA WEEKEND's cover story this weekend is a special collection of thoughts about Frank Sinatra. Believe it or not, it's been ten years since he died. Our special tribute includes short essays by everyone from Bill Clinton to Frank's daughter Nancy.
How about you? Do you have any special memories stirred by a good Sinatra tune -- even if you weren't yet born when his songs were at the top of the charts? Share your thoughts here and let's celebrate the continuing legacy of his great music.
SIDENOTE: Here's a link if you'd like to read the full version of Gay Talese's historic magazine piece, Frank Sinatra Has a Cold. (Gay Talese is also one of the essayists in our USA WEEKEND cover story.)
Christine Baranski in 'Mamma Mia,' on Broadway
Christine Baranski (at right) is a musical star in the Hollywood galaxy when it comes to belting out tunes both on screen and on stage. In the past several years she’s done Sweeney Todd, Mame, Follies and, of course, the Oscar-winning Chicago. But she’s moving on from all that jazz to become the dancing queen of the Greek islands, as Meryl Streep’s gal pal in the screen adaptation of the irresistible Broadway smash Mamma Mia! (July 18). And she hits Broadway this weekend, in the comedy Boeing-Boeing, costarring Bradley Whitford
Recently, Baranski called USA WEEKEND’S Jon Tollestrup to chat about the ABBA-based musical before heading into rehearsal for Boeing-Boeing. Normally, these interviews are over and done with pretty quick, but Baranski said there was no rush at all and chit-chatted about Mamma Mia! without a professional care in the world. Just click "Read more" below to get Baranski's take on everything from channeling Ginger Rogers to considering herself "Rock Chick Supreme-o."
(photo by Joan Marcus/courtesy boeingonbroadway.com)
April 24, 2008
Ashlee Simpson texts with us
Singer Ashlee Simpson (sister to Jessica Simpson, fiancée to and rumored mom-to-be with Fall Out Boy frontman Pete Wentz) is doing away with the SNL hoe-down, dancing instead to the tune of hip-hop producer Timbaland on her third album, Bittersweet World, released Tuesday. Our reporter, Reyhaneh Fathieh, traded texts with Ashlee a few weeks ago as she jetted across the country on her busy promo tour doing photo shoots and radio shows. They texted about everything from Ashlee’s future reality TV plans to those pesky relationship rumors, and Ashlee even showed off her hot new red hair via picture message (at left). Check out their whole convo below.
USA WEEKEND: Ashlee! Hi! What r u doing??
Ashlee: Hey, I just did Ryan Seacrest’s radio show in LA to play my new single [Outta My Head].
USAW: Exciting! Who r u with? Pete? Jess? Parents?
Ashlee: I’m riding in the car to another radio interview with my friends Nicole and Mary.
USAW: Not “TWD” [texting while driving], we hope. :)
Ashlee: I don’t really drive much.
USAW: Last 5 ppl u txt ed?
Ashlee: My mom, my friends Stephanie, Lauren and Nicole, and Pete.
USAW: Your mom? So the Simpson parents are hip w/ the tech!
Ashlee: My mom it totally cool with texting.
USAW: R u a big txter? Ever been dumped or dumped a bf over phone email or txt?
Ashlee: I don’t know anyone that’s been dumped by text – that would be terrible!
USAW: It happened to K-Fed... What do u say to the engagement rumors about you and Pete?
Ashlee: Haha, they are just rumors, I’m not engaged.
(That was her answer in March; she announced her engagement on April 9)
USAW: We used to watch u on the Ashlee Simpson Show when u were dating Ryan Cabrera. And now Pete — what is it about the rocker boys?
Ashlee: I love music, so it’s always fun when guys are into music too.
USAW: Would u do another reality show? What would it be like?
Ashlee: I probably wouldn’t do another reality show now. I truly appreciate what the first one did for my career though.
USAW: It helped u book gr8 producers! How do u think workin w/ [super-producers like] Timbaland and The Neptunes affected ur sound?
Ashlee: It was fun working with Timbaland and Chad Hugo because it was the first time I wrote songs to beats.
USAW: R u goin for a certain image w/ this new album? Will we see any Xtina-like reinvention w/ u?
Ashlee: It’s a new sound for me. The album is fun, upbeat album that hopefully everyone can dance to!
USAW: Its good to hear u’r still goin, despite set backs. How do u feel about the online petition 2 stop u from singing?
Ashlee: I have awesome fans. If you don’t like my music. It’s pretty simple…don’t listen to it!
April 22, 2008
Lorrie Lynch is 'Worse Person in the World'
Imagine my surprise when I arrived home from a three-hour church meeting last night to have my husband inform me that I had been called 'Worse Person in the World' on MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann. After I got over the irony, I have to admit I was very excited, because I'm a big fan of Countdown, although I was a little bummed that I did not earn the top honor, 'WORST Person in the World.' I only merited the third place WORSE for my item in Sunday's print column on CNBCs' reporter Erin Burnett. Keith was upset that I told readers how Burnett would not talk to us without her PR handler being in on the interview. In his rant (which you can view here) Keith chastizes me for not understanding that no public figure from "the president to Ashton Kutcher" is interviewed without his press handler sitting in.
Sorry Keith, I beg to differ. I'm proud to say we expect public figures to be able to answer questions without their PR people in the room or on the phone. It makes for much better interviews. And my column is full of such conversations every week. In fact, in November of 2005, Keith himself was featured in the column (scroll down a bit for the item), having given a lovely interview that was completely handler-free.
April 21, 2008
Save the planet, one shopping bag at a time
Tuesday is Earth Day and I have to admit I have done little — OK, nothing, really — to be kind to the planet lately. Then I went shopping and as I was asked the question "paper or plastic?" I was reminded that there IS something I can do that could have major impact and that is tell all of you about Earthtotes, canvas reusable shopping bags that will enable you to banish the plastic ones forever!
Go to earthtotes.org and you'll meet for yourself the two moms — Sheryl Steinman and Katrina Andrews — who came up with the idea of selling the canvas bags (instead of gift wrap, candy or assorted other things) as a fundraiser for their childrens' school. Soon, their friends were calling about selling canvas bags as a fundraiser for their kids' schools and before Steinman and Andrews knew it, a business was born. Both have been involved in show business-related businesses and have other interests of their own, so clearly they knew what they are doing. You can buy the bags for yourself on the web site, or you can get the information you need to set up a fundraiser of your own. Either way, you're saving the planet — one bag at a time, as the ladies like to say.
April 18, 2008
Marlee Matlin in 'Sweet Nothing in My Ear'
We've been loving Marlee Matlin (at left) on Dancing with the Stars, so are looking forward to seeing her in her latest TV movie, Sweet Nothing in My Ear (airing on CBS Sunday at 9 p.m. ET), reflects her own life. In the film the deaf actress plays the deaf mother of a child who goes deaf at three. She and her husband, played by Jeff Daniels, are at odds over whether to give the child a cochlear implant, with the promise of restoring his hearing. Our writer, Bart Mills, talked with Matlin about how the situation compares to her own life:
”The situations are quite different,” Matlin says. “ I lost my hearing really before I was able to speak (18 months). Probably the most compelling argument in the film against the implant is the fact that the child functions quite well as a deaf child who signs, has a loving family and a mother who is deaf.
“The question becomes: Who is best qualified to make the decision? A hearing father or a deaf mother? The courts? The doctors? At the end of the day it's about family and what a family knows best. That's what my parents did for me. They felt they knew what was best for me and in my case, it was both signing and speaking, in conjunction with hearing aids and schooling me right at home as opposed to sending me away to an institution.”
Matlin has become the nation’s most visible deaf “signer,” signing at the Super Bowl, among other very public venues. She says, “Signing is part of an entire community that is called Deaf Culture, which has a rich history, folklore and traditions.
“My parents were devastated when they found out I was deaf. They decided to insure that I got full and equal access to communication and the opportunity to succeed or fail just like any child. I'm so thankful to them for that attitude every day of my life.”
(photo by Eric Heinila/HHF)
April 11, 2008
Taylor Swift on Tim McGraw and Faith Hill
If you're a Taylor Swift fan, and I know there are a lot of you out there, you'll definitely want to check out this weekend's issue of the magazine, which features the bright young star on the cover. Our Dennis McCafferty got the chance to talk to her, in anticipation of Monday's Country Music Television Awards, where last year she won the Breakthrough Video Award. We're particularly excited about that award this year, as it's now the USA WEEKEND Breakthrough Video of the Year Award. Here's some extra scoop from Dennis that didn't make it into the magazine, and be sure and come back to the blog Monday, when Dennis will be reporting live from the CMT Awards red carpet.
Taylor had a lot of nice things to say about all kinds of people, including Rascal Flatts and George Strait, but she really gushed about country superstars Tim McGraw (who her first big hit was named after) and his wife, Faith Hill. She toured with them, and says she is "so touched by the way Tim and Faith have treated me. Faith left me a charm bracelet once for good luck, as well as candles and flowers. On the last night of the tour she and Tim came on stage and gave me a bouquet of roses. They send me birthday and Christmas cards. They're always so supportive."
'Chocolat' sequel is an entertaining read
The one good thing about getting the flu this week was the time I spent reading. I finished Joanne Harris' new novel The Girl With No Shadow. It's the
sequel to Chocolat and it was just released in the U.S. this week. Joanne is half British and half French and sets this novel in the Montmartre neighborhood of Paris. It's the story of relationships between mothers and daughters and the authenticity of identity, with a little magic and numerous colorful characters sprinkled throughout. A fun, fast read.
April 08, 2008
Daryn Kagan's new book is inspirational
Just got off the phone with Daryn Kagan, the former CNN news and sports anchor, whose first book, What's Possible!, is out today. Daryn continues to be the subject of questions from my readers who miss her on CNN. But forget CNN: Tonight she celebrates her own possibilities with a big book signing and party at the Buckhead Barnes & Noble outside Atlanta and it's an accomplishment well worth toasting. In the book Daryn shares the stories of 50 people who went after their dreams to make a difference in their lives or the lives of others. It's the kind of story she features on her Web site, DarynKagan.com, every day.
Daryn and I talked a year ago, soon after she launched DarynKagan.com, just as she was starting What's Possible! and I was starting my own book — a journalism text for high school students. And — full disclosure here — Daryn was kind enough to share her journalistic experiences and her expertise in interviewing with me for my book, which also just came out. Daryn begins her celebration tonight in Atlanta, her home base, but she'll be doing signings and parties presented by Ladies Who Launch, an entreprenuerial group that has invited her to other major cities. Keep an eye out.
(photo by Marvin Scott)
April 04, 2008
Jennifer Hudson's 'Sex and the City' scoop
Former American Idol contestant Jennifer Hudson is rooting for David Archuleta this season. “He’s my pick. He’s very talented,” she told our Jon Tollestrup, who had her on the phone to talk about her role in the hot summer film Sex and the City: The Movie. Hudson called Jon from the couch of her living room in her hometown of Chicago, where she was watching America’s Next Top Model while waiting for Idol to come on. In Sex and the City: The Movie, Hudson plays Sarah Jessica Parker’s assistant Louise, so her scenes were shot with Parker, meaning she only saw the other women sporadically. “Every once in a while I would see them in passing when I would go and sneak over to the set,” Hudson recalls. “I remember Kim [Cattrall] came over to my dressing room one day and just sat and talked to me and I remember thinking, ‘I can’t believe she’s in here!’” And even though the film’s plot is more heavily guarded than Fort Knox, Hudson did give Jon the skinny on how she fits into the world of Sex and the City. “I think everyone’s connection and what they all have in common is love and that’s the thing that kind of brings Carrie and Louise together,” she explains. “Louise ended up in New York because she had lost her love and Carrie was looking for an assistant to help piece her life together after whatever happened between her and [Mr.] Big. So that’s how they came together and that’s how they became so close.”
(photo by Craig Blankenhorn/New Line Cinema)
March 31, 2008
Matt Lauer is Mr. Clean
In case you missed it this weekend, Matt Lauer was on the cover of USA WEEKEND's spring cleaning issue (click the link to read the whole article) wielding a dustbuster. The Today show host may not seem the likeliest candidate for a story about cleaning, but Lauer is a notorious neat freak. He's a guy who loves order. In fact, he joked that something must have happened to him when he was a kid that made him become just a touch OCD because he just can't stand it when things are messy or our of place. (He'd definitely NOT approve of my office.) When our writer Michele Hatty asked Matt if he'd ever consider becoming a professional
organizer, she says his eyes lit up. And our photo editor Sarah Claxton, who met Matt at the photo shoot,
reports he was a good sport when it came to the props she had there for
him to play with, that dustbuster among them.
Perhaps he's as organized with his schedule as he is with other parts of his life because he was right on time to meet MIchele, even though he'd taken part of the morning off to take his children to school. Michele says she left their conversation feeling like "I really needed to go home and clean out my own over-stuffed closets."
March 28, 2008
The Jonas Brothers and others have quite a week
This week...
The highly cute Jonas Brothers (at right) were everywhere. But where the heck did they come from?
Chelsea Clinton missed an opportunity. She could have answered a student question at Butler University by saying that her mother's decision to stay with her father after the Lewinsky affair shows Hillary's strength and commitment to family. Instead, Chelsea told him to MYOB.
Heather Locklear got bad news. Her ex, Richie Sambora, was busted for driving under the influence while he had their daughter, Ava, in the car. Want to bet on whether there will be new custody arrangements?
Lindsay Lohan got a job. In a movie about Charles Manson. Be happy for her.
Robin Williams' wife, Marsha, filed for divorce. Williams had no immediate humorous retort.
George Clooney did Kentucky proud. In Louisville, he explained that he's just like his fellow Kentuckians, only famous. ... And rich. And handsome. And talented. (Those last three are my words, not his.)
Demi Moore looked fabulous everywhere she went as she promoted her new movie Flawless. She's the poster child for aging well.
Paris Hilton said she loves South Africa and West Africa. "They are both great countries."
March 21, 2008
Vanessa Williams' fashion photo shoot
Vanessa Williams plays an influential fashion editor on ABC's hit show Ugly Betty, and she's a style icon in her own right, so she was an obvious choice for our annual Spring Fashion Issue, which you'll find in newspaper's across the country this weekend. In the magazine Williams dishes on everything from her top five fashion must-haves to just how similar she is to her ruthless, Botoxed character, Wilhelmina Slater. But we've got some extra scoop for you from the photo shoot.
Photographer Mike Ruiz shot Vanessa for the cover and inside story, and sent us this fun photo of the two of them from the set, which he says "is a good indication of how sweet she is." Here's his full report: "Vanessa was an absolute delight and consummate professional. We reminisced about the good old days including the time she did the cover of Interview (which I loved and kept a copy of for years after.) The music we listened to was appropriate for the nostalgia of the day. We were grooving to Michael Jackson's Thriller and other of his greatest hits all day. We had a limited amount of time but were able to do three wardrobe changes. She was very warm and self assured which was reflected in how amazing she was in front of my lens."
(photo courtesy Mike Ruiz)
March 19, 2008
Tony Danza on cooking
I go back with Tony Danza to Taxi. But our Kathy Rowings is young enough to remember watching Danza in Who's the Boss? when she was a kid. So she got a kick out of talking to him today. In fact, they just got off the phone. Here's Kathy to fill you in:
Tony really made my day with such a fun conversation. I absolutely loved Who's the Boss? so I was really excited to get to talk to him, about one of my favorite topics — food! We were chatting about his new cookbook, Don't Fill Up on the Antipasto: Tony Danza's Father-Son Cookbook, due in stores May 13. (Be sure and check out that link -- you'll see a very fun video of Tony and his son, Marc Danza.) The book is chock-full of 50 recipes straight from his Italian family, and has great personal anecdotes throughout.
Growing up, Tony's dad was the one who did all the cooking for their family, because he got home from work first. And Tony loved watching his dad cook, so he spent a lot of time in the kitchen, too. But he says he really started cooking when he went away to college — and when he realized it was good way to impress women. Speaking of impressing women, Tony said his mom taught him to always iron his clothes — a lesson that stuck with him so much that he and a friend started an ironing business in college. "Our slogan was 'We'll make your jeans look like dress pants,'" Tony said.
But back to the cooking, Tony's favorite recipe is for meatballs. "Once you can make a meatball you can make just about anything else. It's all about the seasoning." He also told me that Marc's great in the kitchen, too, "but he'll make stuff like mango salsa." He said that with a bit of disdain, though, so I asked if Tony was anti-mango. "Oh no, I like it!" he said. "But I just wouldn't make it. I'm a garlic and oil guy. That's me."
During our conversation, I'd told Tony that I wasn't much of a cook (but I can bake like nobody's business). When we were getting off the phone, he made sure to tell me, "I want you to know that you will be a good cook." I'm still not sure I'll ever be a master chef, but I do know I'll be giving Tony's recipes a try.
(photo © Capitol Concerts)
March 10, 2008
Valerie Bertinelli, Matt Damon and more
I'm taking a few days off this week but Kathy will keep you up on the news. I leave you with these weekend tidbits...
Jenny Craig spokeswoman Valerie Bertinelli was in the Washington, D.C., area this weekend signing her new book, Losing it, at various local bookstores. We tried to steal a few moments alone with her - maybe buy her a Jenny lunch - but, alas, she was too booked...
Matt Damon (pictured at right) and his wife, Luciana, are expecting a second baby. They have a one-year-old daughter and a 9-year-old daughter from Luciana's first marriage. Damon, you'll recall, was People's Sexiest Man Alive and stars in one of the hottest videos on YouTube with Jimmy Kimmel's girlfriend Sarah Silverman...
As if Time's cover were not enough, George Clooney is on the cover of Esquire and the New York TImes' T Magazine men's fashion issue. It's impossible to make that man look bad. The NY Times even covered him with mud and it didn't work...
Did you watch Sunday's series finale of HBO's The Wire? Kudos to creator David Simon, who leaves us all to wonder what's true in our worlds. They should just hand him his Emmy now....
Speaking of HBO - have you been watching the nightly episodes of In Treatment starring the incredible Gabriel Byrne? You'll feel like a voyeur as you watch him handle five intense sessions a week.
(photo by Virginia Sherwood/NBC)
March 04, 2008
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition's Ty Pennington
If you watch Ty Pennington, at left, on ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition you are familiar with his enthusiasm. Kathy interviewed him this morning for a piece in a special "green" issue of the magazine, and reports that he's just as energetic and, well, distractable as he is on TV. Here's Kathy:
"It was pretty early in the morning here in Washington and I'd assumed he was out in L.A. so told him I was impressed that he was up so early, but he revealed that he's actually been in warm, sunny Miami since Saturday, and had finished a house in Boston a few days earlier. 'That's a day in the life for me. I'm never really home — I'm just constantly on the move,' he said. As we talked, he and his manager were trying (unsuccessfully) to navigate the streets of Miami. He was very gracious and apologetic about continually having to interrupt our conversation to figure out if they were heading northeast or northwest: 'This is ADHD working at its fullest,' he joked. (Ty does actually have ADHD, and is a spokesperson for ADHD Experts on Call.) Despite the distractions, we talked about everything from bamboo sheets to why he loves his job. 'I see that you can make a difference every day,' he said." Meaning with the job, not the sheets.
(photo by Adam Larkey/ABC)
March 03, 2008
Steve Carell on Horton, Get Smart and The Office
Our Who's News writer Nancy Mills caught up with Steve Carell (at left) Sunday morning, just before his press conference to launch his big new animated film Horton Hears A Who, based on the Dr. Seuss classic about an elephant who hears a faint cry for help coming from a speck of dust. Carell voices the mayor of Whoville, the community that lives within the speck. They chatted about his desire to be in the film, his love of Jim Carrey and spending too much time in booths. Read below for the full report.
Carell wanted to be part of the movie for many reasons. “As a little kid, I liked the book," he says. "I liked the theme, as expressed in the line, “A person is a person, no matter how small.’ To me, that’s the heart of the movie. Everyone deserves an equal footing. Also, I liked what I perceived to be their take on the animation, which I thought looked like Dr. Seuss. That was important to me. It’s a very slippery slope when you try to update or recreate something that’s so well known." He also had his own, selfish reasons -- wanting to work with an actor he admires. “Getting a chance to be in anything with Jim Carrey (who voices Horton) was a big draw for me. I’m a fan.”
During production, the two actors never actually crossed paths because in animated films each actor does his voice acting alone. “I did see Seth Rogen (who voices Morton, Horton’s mouse sidekick) just as he was coming out of the (sound) booth and I was going in,” Carell says. "Being in the booth freed me to an extent. One of the most interesting parts is that you don’t know what they’re going to use. You do hundreds of variations—some wild and some more subtle.” The mayor’s experience in the dentist’s chair will probably not encourage kids to want to go to the dentist.
From sound booths to phone booths, Carell has spent a lot of time in booths recently, as anyone who has seen the Get Smart trailer will know (you can see one of his phone booth experiences in the trailer below). “Booths are becoming my theme now,” he jokes. Judging from Carell’s Oscar appearance with Get Smart co-star Anne Hathaway, the two should have great chemistry in the film. “I’d never met her before the audition,” Carell says. “She was the first person who came in and read, and we almost could have ended the auditions right then. She was fun and playful, and we made each other laugh. Ultimately, going into it, I just wanted to have a good time and make it fun. My hope was that everyone else felt the same way. Anne’s very skilled as an actress. I think she was a little intimidated by the improvisation we were going to have on the set, but it turns out she was a fantastic improviser. In person, she's so goofy, funny and silly, and then the camera goes on and she turns into a completely different character. It’s remarkable to watch.”
Carell is happy that the writers’ strike is over and that he will be going back to shooting the next episode of The Office this week. As for being among the first to support the strike, he says, “I’m part of the Writers Guild, and especially in terms of what we do on the The Office I figured the writers and the actors go hand in hand. You couldn’t have the show without the other.”
(photo by Ron Tom/NBC)
February 29, 2008
Questions for Trisha Yearwood
Most people know country star Trisha Yearwood (at left) for her music, but did you know she's also an avid cook? She's got a new book coming out in April, called Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen, that's chock full of down-home recipes and personal stories about Yearwood's Southern upbringing. Kathy's talking to her next week. We're wondering what hubby Garth Brooks' favorite recipe is, but what questions do you have for Yearwood? Let us know in the comments below.
February 20, 2008
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.
February 14, 2008
Dennis Quaid's new Vantage Point
I'll never forget seeing Dennis Quaid in The Big Easy back in 1987, all good looks and oozing charm. I've followed him ever since and, as you know, there have been lots of ups and downs to follow. He will be 54 in April, and he admits to our L.A. writer Nancy Mills that he’s feeling his age. “I’m running for the first part of Vantage Point,” he says, referring to his new action thriller, opening later this month. “I’m getting too old for this ****.” (Check out the Vantage Point trailer below, where you can see a taste of how physical the role is.) Couple that with his three-month-old twins, and he should be a basket case. “I’m sleep deprived,” admits Quaid, who, with third wife Kimberly Buffington, is recovering from the babies’ health scare. (When they were 10 days old, they were accidentally given 1,000 times the recommended dose of a blood-thinner.) “Last night was the first night they slept through the night. But fatherhood is easier the second time around. You realize you won’t be changing diapers for the rest of your life and they’re eventually going to go off to college.”
Quaid is now training for his next movie, G.I. Joe, which starts shooting shortly. “I’m getting more buff,” he says, then adds with a smirk, “I’m taking a little human growth hormone and laying around, and then I pump the babies (he mimes lifting weights with both arms)!” He’s joking.