If you get naked on stage, you suddenly get Perez Hilton's attention. Findlay-native Gavin Creel made an appearance on PerezHilton.com today (the site is a bit NSFW, so consider yourself warned).
Gavin is wonderful but not usually on Perez Hilton's radar and the reason he's appearing now is he's starring as Claude in the Broadway revival of "Hair" (The show opens in New York March 31):
"Broadway hottie Gavin Creel who is going to be starring as Claude in the revival of Hair, at the New York Times Arts & Leisure Weekend event in NYC on Sunday.
Does he get naked in Hair?????
We hope so!"
It's a bit disconcerting to see a guy you went to high school being lusted over by the "Queen of all Media" (makes the times I occasionally get recognized from my column mug shot a little less impressive...)
I suppose any press is good press when you have a show opening in a tough economy, but I'd have gone with something more like this:
The body of a former American Idol contestant who was infatuated with AI judge Paula Abdul was found in a car at about 6:00 p.m. Tuesday outside of Abdul's Los Angeles home. The LAPD say the case is an apparent suicide by drug overdose.
Paula Goodspeed, 30, a season 5 AI contestant whose rendition of "Proud Mary" was panned by the judges, was found dead inside her car that bore L.A. Lakers license plates that read "ABL LV".
"I really like Paula Abdul a lot. She's really cool," said Goodspeed when she was asked about her inspiration during the AI audition process. "I'm a really big fan, and I made life-sized drawings of Paula. I've been drawing ever since I was a little kid, and my first drawing was of Paula Abdul."
Abdul was at the studio at the time the body was found and wasn't aware of it until she was told by the FOX network, her rep says.
"I am deeply shocked and saddened at what transpired yesterday," Abdul said in a statement. "My heart and prayers go out to her family."
While the magazine itself promises exclusive "private photos" by the proud poppa inside, the feminine half of Brangelina graces the cover in black and white with dark hair draped over one shoulder and sleeveless blouse open, revealing part of her breast and a raisedtiny hand as one of the couple's newborn twins nurses.
This cover photo, of course, once again raised the great debate of whether or not mothers should be allowed to breast feed in public. While some applaud it, others abhor it and the circle of controversy goes round and round.
My opinion? Well, since you asked, I don't see what the big deal is. I've seen more flesh in primetime TV than I have here, which really is just a woman nurturing her child and doing what God intended. Besides, there's a certain "glow" to a new mother that even the best runway models and makeup artists can't recreate.
But we both know that it's your opinion that matters. What do you think? Should Angelina be proud to bare it for baby or should she have realized this is one moment that should have been kept private?
Jason Dohring is looking for a role with bite. The Toledo-born actor most recently sank his fangs into "Moonlight" last season as a 400-year-old vampire, Josef Kostan.
"I liked (‘Moonlight’) and I think we started to get into it ... We started to come into our own (in the last four episodes) and I started to get what they wanted from my character. ... I was able to do certain episodes with (that in mind) and I felt great about those," Dohring told the Weekend in an exclusive interview during Polaris Convention 22 in Toronto, Canada.
He was greeted at the convention by a coterie of adoring fans in matching "Think Kostan" T-shirts. The group took turns for pictures, asking him to "bite them" (literally) and kept the line busy during the star’s question and answer sessions.
"I think our fans are a bit different maybe because ... the shows that we do are kind of story-oriented, character and emotion driven and people who wind up watching those shows are a bit different... (Fans) come and they get interested in the story, in the character, the emotions of the story and I think it’s cool to come talk about that."
"I’m a big Star Wars fan. ... I loved those ... I remember getting out of the theater and trying to hold the walls up with my will power, very exciting," he joked.
Dohring’s breakthrough role was as bad boy Logan Echolls on the critically-acclaimed but ratings-anemic CW show "Veronica Mars" in 2004.
"We kind of all sort of grew up together because we were all actors that weren’t really working, this was all our first big break," Dohring said. "Everyone was determined about the work and to make it good, so it was just an awesome environment."
He also starred in several television movies, "Black Cadillac", "Ready To Run" and "Someone She Knows." His other television credits include recurring roles in "The Division," "Boston Public" and "Once and Again," as well as numerous guest appearances.
Dohring appeared in the feature films "Wedding Daze," "Deep Impact" and "Broken Record."
"‘Deep Impact’ was like two lines but it was the funniest lines in the movie — remember that, long hair, pimples?" Dohring recalled. "And it was awesome. I went to prom with this one (pointing to his wife and high school sweetheart, Lauren), and I was the coolest guy in school because I was in this huge blockbuster film. Even if it was only two lines."
An avid sports fan, most of Dohring’s athletic adventures have been confined to the golf course lately, including a recent celebrity pro-am tournament in North Carolina. His choice of sport means his pretty face will stay that way, keeping his acting doors open.
"I play golf, so what’s the worst that can happen, I get hit by a ball? Or I get hit by lightning, right? I think Lee Trevino survived like three strikes so I got a couple of times in me," he joked.
"Moonlight" fans aren’t quite ready to let go of his most recent series. A vocal fan campaign is still underway to resurrect the vampire drama, with plans for a Burbank, Calif. billboard, taxi and subway ads in New York City and the perfunctory letter-writing campaign.
Dohring isn’t opposed to returning to a movie or miniseries.
"I think we would do that, but right now we’re auditioning and trying to get other work, so ... let’s do it soon," he said.
The show’s abrupt cancellation in May sent the actor in a new direction and he is ready to move away from the supporting character roles that have characterized his last four years in acting.
"More recently since I’ve been done with ‘Moonlight,’ I’ve sorted some stuff out in my career, just personally about where I want to go. … I think I’m going to wind up doing some leading type stuff and then I might go back to some character type stuff," he explained. "I think that I worked out a couple things for myself, kind of what I want to create in the world with being a celebrity. ... It was like all of a sudden I realized I could do it and I was like excited to try to do that, be a leading man. And I saw the amount of good that you can do, that you can use that platform to effect change in the world and that was exciting to me."
Dohring also expressed an interest in the social issues facing the Northwest Ohio area where he was born, particularly the issues of education.
On a larger scale, he is interested in human rights. His mother recently traveled to Cambodia and was so overwhelmed by the poverty and repression she witnessed abroad that she had to cut her trip off early.
He hopes to use his career to make a difference in the world, but said acting was his true passion.
"Basically (I love) just creating something from nothing, the ideas that you put into things. ... It’s almost like writing in a way because you’re writing your own (character) ... additional things or additional ideas that you’ve seen from your own life that you want to put in this character or these emotions," Dohring explained.
Despite its abrupt ending — Dohring learned of the cancellation through a voice mail from series lead Alex O’Loughlin — he counts the experience as a good one and is looking forward to at least reuniting with O’Loughlin for DVD commentaries.
"I enjoyed it," he said. As for the future, Dohring is looking forward to his new direction.
"I don’t want to work just to work particularly anymore," said Dohring. "I’d rather find something I’m happy with and create something cool for people to see and I’d rather look for something like that."
That's right - your faithful entertainment bloggers have left the States and headed to Polaris Convention, a fan-run scifi/fantasy gathering in Toronto, Canada. We packed our bags and left Ohio Friday for some Canadian geek love all weekend long.
We got ourselves checked in and spotted the con regulars - Indiana Jones, a few Ghostbusters, aliens aplenty and, of course, vampires.
The first item on our agenda was the Blast-Off Party, an exclusive event where a limited number of attendees get to mingle with all the multi-day guests.
The Blast-Off Party was like being a band geek waiting for the prom queen to do the rounds, if the prom was a smoking hot scifi actor or two. It was fun and everyone was amazingly nice, but I was definitely feeling the high school vibe.
We stood around a cocktail table waiting for the forced social interactions with Jason Dohring (Josef on "Moonlight") and Gareth David-Lloyd (Ianto on "Torchwood"). And stood. And stood. And stood.
I wandered off to flirt with some Stargate fans in hopes of free drinks, but nothing. And still the boys kept to the far side of the room with the more rabid fans.
Fortunately Chandra knows how to get things done and managed to accidentally whine to the right people (Monique, the head of autographs, and Monique, the convention chair), who then made it their mission to drag Gareth and Jason over for our obligatory expensive moment of interaction with stars.
Gareth David-Lloyd, who is just stunning enough to make my heart go pitter-patter, wandered by first. From this British import, we learned: - An accent will forgive nearly any sin and takes men from cute to swoon-worthy - Everyone wants to know what it was like to kiss John Barrowman - He hasn't seen "Bruce Almighty" - He'll be guesting at San Diego Comic Con and meeting up with friends during the appearance. We gave him the skinny on New York Comic Con and plenty of warnings about how not to get killed by crazy fans or mobbed by comic book geeks, but he may still be in trouble
Things I Learned in six minutes about Jason Dohring: - He's as not tall as I thought he was (seriously, I had him at 6'5" or so in my head, but he only towered over me a little) - He's heading a little more mainstream. Apparently getting beloved projects canceled over and over again is less than fun and he's hoping to reach a wider audience - What a levy is and how that's not going to save the world - Chandra doesn't shut up (kidding!). But she did get Jason talking about social issues and the plight of Northwest Ohio (for those not in the know, Jason was born in Toledo - though he moved away at age 3) and how Jason could fix things. Don't think I'm not writing your manager, man. - Rich people are weird. Okay, not weird, but very different from you and me. Jason was planning to visit the nanny who helped raise him while in Toronto. Very sweet that he would go see her, but I believe he's the first person I've met who had a nanny and told me about it. - I'm not as fangirl as I thought I was and Chandra is not a fangirl at all (despite all efforts to the contrary). Of our little group, we were the only ones who talked (one of us more than the other, but) and it was a serious conversation with no squeeing.
Things I learned from the two second drive-by by Ellen Muth: - She drinks fast - She runs faster
Today we have press conferences, photos, Q&As and all sorts of fun stuff with the above celebs, as well as authors Tanya Huff and Kelley Armstrong.
Patrick's physician Dr. George Fisher states, "Patrick has a very limited amount disease and he appears to be responding well to treatment thus far. All of the reports stating the timeframe of his prognosis and his physical side effects are absolutely untrue. We are considerably more optimistic."
Swayze's career has been troubled of late but he had a string of hits with Dirty Dancing, Point Break and - my favorite - Ghost. He's trying to make a TV comeback with a new pilot for A&E in the works, "Beast."
Best wishes for a speedy recovery, Patrick. Get away from Demi Moore and that potter's wheel, OK?
Be forewarned - if you're easily offended, keep moving...
Late night TV host Jimmy Kimmel has been dating the foul-mouthed heartthrob Sarah Silverman since 2002. Throughout their relationship, both (being comedians) have taken jabs at one another in public, some being a bit harder then others, most being cruder than the one before it.
A little over a week ago, Jimmy committed one of the ultimate showbiz no-nos: he had his girlfriend as a guest on the program. And this happened...
(A little background: Jimmy Kimmel always ends his show with "Our apologies to Matt Damon. We ran out of time." Obviously, Matt isn't booked for Jimmy Kimmel Live! every night. It's a running joke that both Jimmy and Matt have had fun with, the latest incarnation being a video featuring Sarah ****ing Matt Damon, which she isn't doing. Seriously.)
Jimmy was "upset" by this - so upset that, during his live show after the Oscars, he fired off this reponse:
Touche, Jimmy. Touche.
So why bring these videos up here? Besides being hilarious, they've been viewed over 8 million times on YouTube. Each. They're generating the kind of internet buzz that only the biggest online fads do.
Second, look at the star power Kimmel got to back him! Cameron Diaz, Don Cheadle, Robin Williams, Huey Lewis, Josh Grobin, Harrison Ford and more! All for a gag video about...well...you know.
This has all the makings of an online hit. Sure, no one will remember it a year or two from now, but still, it's nice to have such a funny, raunchy laugh at the moment.
And for the record, I'm not involved with either Matt or Ben.
Last night's Oscars weren't anything memorable (knowing how good Jon Stewart can be, this was pretty mediocre), but one person they intentionally failed to remember was Brad Renfro. The actor died about a week before Heath Ledger of an overdose, not the most honorable of deaths, but not exactly unheard of in Hollywood.
In the listing of the 50 plus members of the Academy who died last year, Renfro was ignored during the "In Memoriam" portion -- usually one of my favorite bits as I remember all the old favorites. The list of those honored included actors, studio execs, makeup artists, agents, and on and on. Renfro, despite the manner of his death, had pretty good bona fides -- lead roles in "Apt Pupil," "Ghost World," "The Client," and "Sleepers." Radar Online reports the response to the absence of Brad Renfro:
"Unfortunately, we can't fit everyone in," an Oscars spokesperson explained to Radar
adding, a bit inexplicably, that Renfro died before there was time to
include him in the editing. But Renfro died of an accidental heroin
overdose on Jan. 15, one week before the Jan. 22 death of Heath Ledger,
also from an accidental overdose.
That sounds like a crap excuse to me. Regardless of how he died, Renfro deserved to be honored for his work, just as much as people who managed to make the cut, like, say, Margaret Gardner, the head of the international division of a P.R. firm.
While I'm slowly gaining my voice back, let's talk about a new issue that's popped up with one of the most recognizable companies ever.
The Walt Disney Company, the American corporate behemoth with the most lovable and iconic mascot ever, started an ad campaign for their "Year of a Million Dreams" promotion last year. In these ads (including a new batch that was just released a couple weeks ago), various celebrities from Hollywood's reddest and glitteriest carpets act out the roles of characters from some of Disney's most famous animated films (wait, is "glitteriest" a real word?...yes, it is, because I just declared it to be so! Eat that, AP Style!)). Of note is the fact that the photographer for these ads is none other than famous American photographer Annie Liebowitz.
Some of these ads include Scarlett Johansson as Cinderella, David Beckham as Prince Phillip (from Sleeping Beauty), Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony as Aladdin and Princess Jasmine and (my personal favorite) Rachel Weisz as Snow White. Each are "photoshopped" to excess but become rather appealing to the eyes in their own ways and, of course, brings back that feeling of nostalgia gained when first seeing said movie for the first time (bonus nostalgia if you were a kid at the time). It's an attempt to bring back what they like to call the "Disney Magic".
Now, I'll admit that I was a big fan of Disney. That feeling has wained some over time, but entering college one of my future career options (and ambitions) was to become an animator for them (you have to understand that I grew up in one of the better eras of Disney's animated features where films like Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King reigned supreme). Ah, those were the days...
(Jason wipes away a tear of nostalgia while staring off into the distance...)
Anyways, I'm getting off track. The point is, all these neat, visually-rich ads have been released without a hitch, much to the approval of the general public.
Until recently.
One of the ads in the new batch I had talked about featured Jessica Biel as real-life historical legend Pocahontas from the film of the same name. This ad has managed to gain a sharp response from some of the public. Can you guess what has miffed a few people off about this ad? Here's a hint: She's white.
So should have Disney used a model of Native American descent? While it's understandable that the Mouse company wanted to use a string of well-known celebrities in this campaign, you'd figure that, given their past possible faux pas, they'd be a little more sensitive on such topics. On the other hand, this is one of the very few minority characters in their animated roster and it was probably a simple oversight but some marketing mogul who was too busy worrying about the sex appeal and likeability of Ms. Biel to notice. My suggestion? Just sigh, shake your head and let it slide. This battle isn't one worth picking. Or is it? What do you think?
Because the only thing that I know for sure is that Jessica could probably beat me up for my lunch money - I don't think any Native American princess was ever built like that! Welcome to the gun show, folks...
For many years now, I've either worked or volunteered at a domestic violence shelter. I've taken all kinds of crisis calls, I've picked women up in the middle of the night, I've seen abuse against women, men and children. About half the time, everybody involved is as dysfunctional as possible.
There's this one family in particular that's made the papers with their insanity. The mother had a quickie marriage, annulment, then another quickie marriage. She starts binging -- alcohol, some drugs -- followed by lewd and exhibitionist behavior. Tumultuous marriage -- lots of emotional abuse on both parts. Then there's a kid. She's caught endangering the child -- speeding, not using a car seat -- but worse, she's out partying every night. Then another baby. Then she and the husband split. More partying, cocaine, booze, several episodes in public of disturbing/drunken behavior. Who knows where the kids are?
Eventually some judge snaps to and realizes that perhaps this woman is not the best primary caregiver for two small children. She refuses drug tests (a standard requirement in custody battles where drugs are suspected -- even sometimes when they're not), skips hearings and eventually loses visitation privileges. After some fancy legal footwork (plus, who wants to deprive children of their mother?), she gets supervised visits.
One weekend, she basically flips out. Refuses to surrender the children to their father. She locks herself in a bathroom with her 1-year-old and eventually the cops are called in for a "hostage situation." She's held at a local hospital for 72 hours, thanks to evidence
that she's a danger to herself or others -- others as in her kids.
Now, in the real world, this situation would mean 1) criminal charges, 2) deep trouble custody-wise (for the uninitiated, refusing visitation is a big no-no in custody hearings) and 3) court-ordered counseling (family and personal). Surprise, surprise - no charges.
The Britney-crazy machine is nothing new and becoming less and less amusing.
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